Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-12-27
THE MESSAGE OF THE BELLS.


Ring out, Christmas bells, under the
moonlit sky! Softly fling afar the vi
brant notes of peace and Joy! Over
hill, over dale; through wood, through
void, float clear and sweet the tremu-
lous tender tones, bearing good will to
men. Near and far; far and near
across lleecy plains of snow; over gleam-
ing jce-crusted brooks; through the SOL
emf woods, silent and hoary--up into
the dome of heaven! Far and near;
near and far, peal the glad tidings, peal
the glad tidings!
High in that throbbing heaven shines
a glorious star-call it not the heather
war-gods shield! BY such blazing
lamp did the Eastern shepherds, centu-
ries ago, bend their wandering footsteps
over the wild Judean plain, to find the
cradle of the Heavenly Babe! Steal
gently beneath the starry host, o.,
frosty winter wind! Hush thy mighty
footsteps to be ministering angel on
this night of nights. Scatter, ., frost,
from the hollow of thy hand, the spark
ling gems that glitter on hedgerow,
tree and fern; light up each shrub and
bough, each delicate, faded spear of
grass with rainbow-tints of beaded
rime! See how they CLEAN among the
dark green branches of the cedars that
shade the sweeping lawn of yonder
mansion on the hill. Its gray, thick
walls of stone rise ghostly and grim
from the sheeted terrace, crisply the
ivy wrinkles against the windows, loud
ly the great Newfoundland barks from
the portico as the bells peal out upon
the air. Now there is stir of crimson
curtains at the window, thin hand
parts them, and the light shines bright
and ruddy upon the snowy terrace. The
figure of an old man darkens the great
square of light; he peers out for mo-
ment upon the glorious night, then as
the sound of the pealing bells come
rushing sweet and clear across the val
ley, he lets fall the heavy curtain to the
floor, and dark shadow settles upon
his pinched, care-worn features.
No Christmas joy for Gilbert Paine!
No clinging arms to caress, no chill
dren's voices to break the lonely still
ness of the grand old house! No mean
ing in the joyous Christmas chimes for
such as he! 1t was not always so. The
widowed man could remember a fair
mother seated in yonder chair, with a
laughing baby playing at her feet; a
lovely, dark-eyed boy, the image in min
iature of the pale, beautiful woman
bending over him with love unutterable
in her tender eyes. But God had taken
the fair young mother. AS for the babe
Again the black shadow falls upon
the rich mans face! That babe! his
first, his only child! Bitterer than the
thought of death is the pang that tears
the old mans spirit, as with clenched
teeth he begins to pace the splendid
room. What boots his wealth to the
lonely, childless manp the wealth that
it has cost him him the best years of
his life to amass. Widowed, stricken
and bereft; who, on this Christmas
night, would change places with Gil
bert PaineP
Again peal the bells, sweet and clear,
through the frosty air. peace on
earth, good will toward menu "Peace
on earth?' Md there is no peace; moth
ing but an endless succession of days,
where the bitter sorrows of the lonely
man are brooded over in morbid silence,
and the name of his living only son
.
That peal of joyous bells seems to
fascinate poor, rich, lonely Gilbert
Paine. Again he crosses the thickly-
carpeted floor, and looks out into the
night. just such night it was when
his boy Jasper stood there on the ter
race and craved the stern, proud IA
theirs forgiveness for his sim So Young
he was! foolish, erring boy! Was
there need for such cruel, unrelentinp
sternnessP Yet the proud, passionate
father had turned a deaf ear to the
boys eager entreaties, and with finger
stretched out into the fight had closed
the doors of his birthplace upon his
only child!
1t was done in fit of passion, and vet
Gilbert Paine never repealed his edicts.
When the boys mother died men often
wondered what thoughts Law beneath
the proud widower's impassiye face:
whether if he could he would have re-
called his erring child, But the boy,
TOO, had something of his father pride;
never once had the old manor walls
looked down upon the lads 1.-the,
graceful figure and clustering dark
eurls. His motherP Well, she must
nave had some token, else how could
she have borne, even for their short
earthly parting, her hidden sorrowP
For even 10 his wife Gilbert would
speak no syllable of his son, and then
slowly faded that lovely and loving
wife, until at length She was laid to
rest in the great sombre vault of the
Paine's. Since then no living soul had
heard Of Jasper Paine.
just such night! the stern father
thinks, as he holds back the curtain
once more and looks out upon the sky.
The moon shines among her attendant
court of stars in silver splendor; white
and vast stretch the fields beneath; far
down in the valley twinkle the cluster
ing lights of the village still from the
church steeple peal the Joyous bells.
Far and near, near and far, over hill.
over dae, through wood and wold un-
ceasingly!
CHAPTER II.
In crowded city, miles away, a
young girl sits before an easel, whereon
stands, half finished, painting of the
Madonna and the infant Jesus. A babe,
too, lies in The VOunU mothaV.ia Ian aud