Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-01-01
Che family Cirtle,


not one living creature but herself and the
old blackbird that hung in his wicker cage
in the kitchen below; for Hans, the miller,
was carousing with some of his boon COM
panions at the ale-house in the distant
town, and Fritz, his man, had saddled the
old horse and logged off as soon rs his
masters back was turned: for he knew
very well that he was safe for that night.
The blackbird slept soundly, with his head
tucked warmly beneath his wing: Gurtha,
the wicked watch dog in the yard, lay
dreaming in her house, buried up out of
the reach of the drifting SNOW. Even the
people of the hamlet We're Il league off,
hearing the midnight mass in the great
abbey church. Only little Gretchen lay
awake, with her blue eyes full of tears, rs
she thought how lonely she was. She had
seen, from the mill-window, the neighbors
all passing in their holiday clothes-some
in carts and some on horses; and the moth
ers had their children with them; even the
little babies in their arms going to the
great church in the town. Then she
thought how fine it must be to be going
there, to see the lights, and hear the chant
ing of the choristers, and smell the incense.
and watch the priests, in their purple and
golden robes, grander than the emperor
himself. But above all, O, far. far above .
to kneel before the shrine of our Lady
with the Child, who held out his hands So
lovingly; and to say the PRAYER that her
mother had taught her before She went To
heaven,
Her tears flowed fast when She thought
that there would be no one to carry even
her name to the holy feet; and She said
mOurnfulv. Alas, when he shall see all
the neighborS there without me. lie
will not think of me for Il whole wear
long" And She almost felt that she must
put on her little mantle and run to present
herself. and ask Him to remember her :;
but although she did not dread the dark
ness of the road. nor the wolves that lived
in the forest. She feared her fathers anger
For stern of brow and hard of speech was
the miller.
SO little Gretchen had stood gazing out
ut the whirliug cddicS of snow until long
after the last passcr by had gone, and She
thought, rs she watched the pure white
flakes, that never seemed to touch the
heart. - Perhaps in those snow robes the
good angels fly tonight. and some of them
will watch beside our door until the bright
sun shines ont tomorrow And She said
for she WAS but little child" o Heav-
en- birds. if tonight You fly and perch
upon the church roof, ask Him to bless
Gretchen so far awav." Then there was
n pause for moment, rs if they had been
really waiting for her message, and pres
emily round and round, faster and faster,
they flew past the houses and above the
forest toward the distant town. But soon
the white wings had also passed, and the
thick darkness came up from the ground
shadows, and sat rocking and moaning in
the tops of the tall trees and the winter
storms. with its mourning-hood of mist
and bitter hail-tearS, came rushing down
the hills and over the river, as if it had
been driven forth tonight from the rejoic-
inc town; and ii seemed rs if it howled
and ragged around the mill, trying. in the
blind fury of its gigantic strength, to pluck
it up from its foundations, and dash it
down to the earth.
Then little Gretchen thought, is she lay
in her little bed. of the werewolf with the
flaming eyes, and of the dark huntsman.
who rides through the night, to see whom
is death; and of the wicked ones with the
fair. cruel faces, and foul, trailing, serpent
bodies. that peer through the tangled
branches in the mysterious depths of the
the Skeleton Hand that knocks upon the
pane before the dead are called. And She
thought. "wcre | shut all night by myself
in the old church, | should not fear the
cold, silent ones in their grave clothes, for
| should creep close to the feet of the dear
Lord, and | should be safe, but alas | am
now too far away for Him to help me, if
they come" SO She hid her eyes with the
I /
so loudly that it seemed as if the hand
Knocked without, and as if in the cold
darkness some fearful presence, wrapped
in the death mantle. drew near in the
chamber to her little bed.
Hearkcn, Over the forest it came from
the distant town. The angry conflicts of
the night died wailingly off, on great
mountain ranges, is the holy sound fol-
lowed hard upon it, and smote it. The
strong wind, like II fleet runner, from the
watch-tower sped upon its way, bearing
good tidings of great JOY to all the dwell
ers in the valleys. Blessings were seat
tered abroad upon the air, and sprinkled
each Intel as they passed with the sacred
influence.
Then Gretchen'a tears flowed flst-but
they were not for sorrow, nor did she any
longer dread the lonely darkness, nor the
raging of the tempest; for she knew that
now the happy birth-hour had come, and
she remembered how the patient, dumb
oxen, sheltered within their stalls from the
winter cold, kneel down in humble adOra-
ton, and how the birds fly up to the star
mansions to be fed by tho angels and learn
the songs of the skies; and how tonight
the innocent ones. sleeping on mothers
bosomS, or within their cradles, hear voices
to which men are deaf: and how the or
phaned ones receive the Christmas love
kiss on their slumbering lids.
Then Il great peace and JOY filled her
heart with their harmonies, and she said,
All creatures are hidden to rejoice to-
night. |, too, will keep the Masters feast >
So she arose, and crept down the mill-stairs
to the kitchen below, wheIe the kindling
fuel still smouldered upon the hearth
Then she lighted her lamp. She took forth
from the chest napery II cloth that her
grandmother had woven in the DAYS of her
own youth. She spread the table, and
placed upon it all that she could find in the
poor household stores-the loaf of wheaton
bread and the pitcher of water; and she
laid the trencher and cup in the guest
place, and drew the old oaken settles to
her supper. Then Gretchen set wide open
the house door to let the Yule-tide in, and
she sat down to bleak bread, and, through
her childish tears of loneliness, she saw
the light of her lamp, all blurred fading
upon the outward air, and presently re-
kindle into the light of stars, rs it shone
around the head of the Child who had
come to be her guest.
Oh, the beautiful dawn Clad in its
heaven robes of unspotted snow, with its
ice..lewels sparkling in its breast, it came
in fair presence down from the mountain
top, The great King of the East came
from afar with golden gifts to do it hon.
age. The smoke from the home-hearths
rose up as from pious centers to greet it;
the bells in the distant towers signalled its
approach; the voices of the children shout
ed Il welcome in the clear, cold air. Even
the cocks in the farm yard stool npc n tip
toe to make themselves heard. The cattle
Il II.