Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-02-06

It was Christmas eve once more, and
had just brought into the church my last
armtul of glistening holly boughs from
the porch. Under the pulpit stairs sat
Eleanor, sewing letters of box leaves on
white muslin.
GEAR NOT" The words grew under
her fingers, and l read them over and
over as | stood resting moment near
her. She was talking topapa quietly and
rapidly as she worked, but l did not fol-
low her. Now and then | heard "chas-
subles," "tunicles," "albs," "baretta,"
and many things which l suppose he I'M
derstood, though he hardly spoke at all;
but the only words which went to my
heart were those her fingers left on the
long, white scroll.
l turned to my work, ashamed of the
feeling which had been upon me all that
morning. l would not think again of any
one who had been used to make this task
SO light to me in the years gone by. |
would think none but happy, Christmas
thoughts
'Why have you left that space bare,
Nina? Sha'nt you put wreath up as
you did last year,"
''No, Tom. I've finished now"
Eleanor had seen her text put up, and
was leaving the church, wrapped in her
rich, soft fur. She hesitated a moment,
looking curiously into my face, where the
color had risen, sorely against my will.
"Who made the wreath that hung there
last year?" she asked Tom.
''Nina and Mr.. Gotto."
''Have you heard of Mr.. Gotto, lately?"
she said to me.
mo"
"Have you not?" and she raised her
eyebrows with languid surprise. ''He is
in London now. He is coming down to
stay with US before he takes possession
of the Priory. Papa helps him at pres
ent in the personal management of the
estate, but we expect him soon."
Glow soon?'
l asked it in voice so still and pas
sionless that it surprised me when Iheard
it.
"Perhaps to night. 1 know he will
come as soon as he can. He agrees with
us that the Priory ought to be occupied.
1t is the only house in the neighborhood
which visit. Now will bid you good
evening, Miss Galloway"
/ had been going to give her my earnest
Christmas wishes; but now my hands
were tight upon the rails, and my tongue
felt hot and dry.
"Then you won't put wreath up there,
Nina?"
"No, no."
"How very decidedly you shake your
head! Then we've finished, l suppose. |
shall stop for the practice, and walk home
with YOU"
AS Tom spoke he gathered up a few
stray leaves and bits of string which we
had let fall after the woman swept the
church, and carried with me the flowers
l had not used. They were only the sim
pie flowers from our own garden and
little green house, but l thought how
bright and fresh they looked when l laid
them down upon my own seat in the
choir.
we tried over our new anthem in the
fading daylight; but papa, who stood to
listen just where Marc had stood last
year, decided that he would rather hear
the old one. SO we sang it once over;
then with swimming eyes l went away,
and left the flowers lying there
The snow lay ankle-deep upon the
church-yard grass next morning, but a
path was cleared up to the porch, where
the pure white flakes chung delicately to
the dark old woodwork. How cold the
church wac! | sat and shivered In nv
place before I even cared to look st the
effect of our decorations Eleanor's cross
was more beautiful than ever this year.
Do 1t make her very happy to live among
such beautiful flowers? Would it make
Marc happy?
Thinking Of him, my eyes wandered to
where, upon that happy day year ago,
our wreath had hung. And there, lust in
the old spot, woven of the old flowers,
another wreath was hanging now. The