Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-12-23
OVER THE SNOW.
A CHRISTMAS STORY,

Glory TO the newborn King
rang out from the choir, and the organ
ist, slender, pale faced girl, with grave
beautiful brown eyes, joined in the an
thems, ali iher soul in the triumpha
words:
joyful all your voices rise,
Sing the anthems OF the skies;
With the celestial hosts proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
1t was the last of the rehearsal. The
choristers threw down their books, only
too glad to get away. The organisi
alone remained, to play over once more
a new voluntary.
Good night Miss Englehart." s'Good
night, Miss Katherine!" GOOD night.
Katie, and merry Christmas eve" were
the cries, as, one by one, men and maids
left the choir, and went down the stairs
and out into the bright, white Christ
mas night.
Miss Englehart's smiling lips and
gentle brown eyes answered them all.
A moment and she was alone, only the
white, piercing moonlight streaming
through the painted oriel over the altar,
and the one dim light below. A flare
of gas lit the organ loft, but this she
lowered, and with rapt face and dreamy
eyes she played over and over again the
jubilant new voluntary. She might
have gone on for hours she was quite
capable of it-but piteous yawn from
the boy at the bellows recalled her from
Z heaven to earth.
"Oh!' she said, stopping suddenly,
with halt laugh, " l had forgotten you
Jimmy. Well, l won't play any more :;
and here. take this for your Christmas
box"
Jimmy jumped up and seized the
pro1tred greenback with glistening
eyes.
Thanky, Miss Kate-merry Christ
mas, please ma 'am," cried the boy, seiz
ing his cap. "Ahi' she's brick, she
is. said Jimmy to himself, as he clat
tered down the steep stairway. No
body among all the singers ever thinks
of the boy what blows the bellowses.
'cept her. Don't | just hope she won't
marry that long legged rooster that
'scorts her there sometimes, and leave
the choir for good"
Still few moments longer fingered
Miss En- glehart on her knees; then she
too, hurried down the stairway and cut
into the shining coldness of the starry
December night. High and white and
cold lay the Christmas snow. No
8 green yule" this TO make fat the kirk-
yard. Cloudless and blue spread the
sky, filled with sparkling Christmas
stars. Could that other night, so long
ago, when the shepherd watched his
flock in he great Galilee hills, and the
glory of the Lold shone around them, !"
have been one whit fairer than this
's Katie"
With greats tart the girl came back
over eighteen centuries, from Bethle-
hem to the town of Southport. A tall
man bad started up in her path, and
spoke her name.
You, papa!' he girl said, in doubt
and surprise, the color that had arisen
to her face fading out.
"I-Katie." He drew her hand under
his arm with q laugh. did you think
it was Harry HattonP Well, it is almost
az good for I have come to talk to you
Of him"
Miss Englehart looked up-a sudden
trouble in her brown, tender eyes.
Fl thought you had done talking of
him, papa,' she said, tremble in her
voice = I thought yesterday had fin
shed the subject forever"
Let me see. What was it / did say,
yesterday ?" says Mr.. Englehart, bland
ly. "Ah! ] remember! that my stiff
necked, dating old client, John Hatton,
had made up Lis senile mind to forgive
bis runaway daughter and disinherit
Harry. Under these circumstances,
very naturally tod you that you were
to meet Harry no more. You're good
girl, Katie-a very good girl! "-Mr.
Englehart pats paternally the little
hand on his arm" and at any sacrifice
to yourself you would have obeyed me,
sm sure. My dear, it affords me great
pleasure to inform you the sacrifice will
not be required"
Papai" the girl cries, her whole
face lighting up. you will let me marry
Harry. roor as be is Oh, papa! am
not afraid of poverty-not afraid OF
work; neither is Harry, and"
"Oh, pooh! my dear, poohi nothing
OF the kind. My opinion on that point
has never changed, and never will. No,
no; it is something infinitely better than
that. Old Hatton died suddenly last
night, before making the proposed new
will, and all is Harry's."
Katherine Englehart uttere d faint,
startled exclamation.
And the old will, leaving all to
Harry, stands, and his only daughter is
disinherited and left out.n
Left without q silver, my dear, and
serves ler right, say /. She ran away
with a worthless scamp, against hel
fathers will, and, like ali fools, has paic
the penalty of her folly. She supports
herself and her five children by sewing
20 have been told, and you know wha
sort Of support that means Serves he
right, l say again. John Hatton ha
done what it was his duty to do-wha
would have done in his place-cas
her off and left her to starve with th
pauper she ch5se."
In the moonlight the face of Mis-
Engiehart grows white as the snoy
itself, but she walks on and does nc
say word.
However" cries her father, cheer
fully, !" that is not " hat want to say
Rose Hatton's case need never be youri
All is Harry's. and, except his povert,
never. bad any objectien 10 Harry as
son,in-law. So when he cofnes To W In