The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1873-12-24

| walked softly to the door of the
room. Hist! What vision was this
Surely an angel, for the vision was
clad in diaphonous drapery upon its
shoulders cleaned silver wings; upon
its head glimmered star-the star
of Bethlehem In its hand was a
> pink taper, sucn as lights the Christ
mas-tree, and it fitted about the
; flowers, plucking what pleased it best.
Was it the angel of home? Yes,
surely the home angel; for it was the
face | knew so well-the face that
come to me on the sea, in the night
watches.
The light from the taper fell upon
me, the vision darted forward, the
lovely eyes held me a moment, then
the tender mouth, smiling, cried, at
is, it isl"
The household locked about me on
the instant was brought into the
"best ROOM" which was garIanded
with long festoons of greenery, and
cleaned with holly-berries, lit by
tall waxen candles, whose sconces
hung with crystal prisms, tinkled a
fairy welcome.
My mother rose with outstreched
arms-a satin-clad figure, tall and
stately, that drew down my head, and
pillowed it on her breast. Nv tears,
and her tears. too, fell fast.
BLESS me, sister," said lively lit
tie voice. why do you cry? But
that's the way-a mothers lot, tears
from the cradle, in sorrow or joy.
Let me have a chance to look at the
lad"
| gave my hand to Aunt Martha !;
she was the character Of the house
hold, my mothers maiden sister, who
never would marry, who laughed at
lovers, and yet hid romance like a
Jewel in a casket within her life and
heart. Aunt Martha was as pungent
as aromatic vinegar; she stung you
to action; she would not suffer man
to lie unmanly, or a woman TO be un-
womanlv, that came within her at
mosphcrc; she abhorred scandal, she
berated your faults she had an eagle
eye upon intrigantes; she had a
tongue keen as briarn for short
comings; people that loved her es-
/ tcemcd her a "nOnesuch," and as for
those who hat d her, they proved
their own meanness,
BLESS the boy" said aunt Martha.
IF he hasn't got great hangin. mus
tache of true German yellow" Lift
ing the same, she bestowed on me a
hearty salute.
'Aunt Martha kissing man ~
cried a cold metallic voice. Il thought
YOU held that a crime"
There thats's your cousin, Mar
gretta, that's speaking" quoth aunt
Martha testify, as il she would say,
Nothing agreeable from that quarter.
| turned curiously to contemplate my
bride elect She was tall, straight as
a pine-tree, and cherry OF check
Her stately head wore a crown of
blue-black hair, wound braid upon
braid above the high, somewhat mar
row forehead which | now proceeded
to kiss.
She bowed her head, saying stifily,
Thou art welcome, cousin Wilhelm"
And this | knew was her best man
ner, and that she was as glad to sec
me as another, and no more
In the meantime my heart ached. |
Where was the sweet, silvered-wing-
ed home-angel, that my soul had
claimed for its own from the first |
Signing, | looked down at the little !
ones, who, at first half terrified at my |
bronzed and bearded presence, now
clune around me, caressed my hands, /
and cried, Sailor man, tell us about
the sea" "Yes, and the whales, +" (
"and about the mermaids, that comb .
their long, yellow hair
This was stopped by my third
cousin, Margretta, who said, in her
frozen accents, that no summer
heat could ever warm, "Silly chill
dren, do you think cousin Wilhelm
Las nothing better to do than to tell
tales of his voyages ~
The little ones, chilled by these ac-
cents, hung their heads abashed; but
presently their downcast visages be-
came radiant The doors of the in
ner-room unfolded, and disclosed the
memorial iir-tree, a glittering, daz-
zling object, that made even us older
people wonder; as for the children
they were speechless. Crystals,
like icicles, depended from the spread
ing branches; likeness of fne snow
powdered it; hundred tapers light
ed it; and, curious anomaly, hun
dred flowers bloomed amid icicles
and snow, and warble of birds
came from the throats of tiny song
sters, that fitted in and out of the
scented boughs, held thereto by in
visible threads. Above all this was
a portrait, garlanded in flowers, with
the legend, in German, welcome to
the Wanderer."
Had | sat in spirits for the like
nessy 1t mirrored my features as if
it had been a looking-glass. Angel
fingers had painted it, knew. She,
who, standing meath the tree, out
shone its radiance with her angel
beauty, her sweetness of woman
hood, child, fairy-what was she ?
50 small, 50 1.-THE, SO floating in her
white drapery, with her star-lit flow
ing hair. My arms ached to impris-
Oh her forever, lest the heavens
should absorb her-the heavens to
which she seemed to belong!
II can tell what is most beautiful
10 thee, Albert" said Margretta's ,
voice, at this juncture. The voice
was a trife changed now. Its cold
Try tones were slightly heated by
he sting of malice.
A quick pang thrilled me. Who .
was Albert? What had he to do
with my angel! | looked around.
A youth, with pink-clover cheeks,
weIl-knit frame, and top-knot of
ight-brown curls, tightly frizzled,
net my eyes.
ellie rturned my look, which wa p,
IN of unconscious defiance, with :.
mother.
"Yes, | know which is the most ,