The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-12-29
ONE CHRISTMAS EVE.
BY SUSAN 7. DICKINSON

BY SUSAN Z. DICKINSON
! Christmas Eve had come again.
The air was cold and frosty but
J still The snow was living deep in
/ the street, and was hcaped in great
drifts against the houses, tor it had
only ceased falling since night clos
ed IN. But the streets were alive
with people. There were bright faces
and hurrying feet and gay voices
and laughter everywhere. People
with packages Of every conceivable
shape and size were crOWdinE out
the stores on every busy thorough
fare. People with eager eyes were
crowdIng into the same. Those who
had been getting ready for Christ
mas for months. found, of course,
some last er-ands TO be done Those
VINO had caught the coutagion Of
. the season ~ only this last minute.
Is some people always Will, had
4 everything to make up their minds
about, and To find. az once. over
i.!l the merry noise the sound of
christmas chimes floated through
I the clear pure air. a memory OF the
first Christmas Eve music, which
the angels sang. And the stars
sa0ue out as brilliantly as they
could have done over the Judcau
|aH.s before they were dimmcd for
. the Watching shepherds by the heav-
eniy radiance.
Is there any one, indoors or with
ont. tonight, who has failed to
caJcn the Christmas spirit ?" asked
q gay voice, as its owner passed the
windows where the gas jets shining
through crimson curtains seemed /
to cast an actual war NTH upon the
snow
There are thousands, answered
o deeper tone, TO whom the Christ |
mas spirit never comes at all "
The Christmas spirit ! | have
forgotten what 1t was like, said q
man within, as he turned away from |
the window. But thousands to !
whom the Christmas spirit never
came ? yes, that must be true, too.
Back and forth he paced the room,
pausing ut length before one Of the |
paintings on the wall. A gray sea
view, where "a struggling moon cast |
broken rldience over great, stormy |
masses OF wind-swept clouds, and |
dimly lighted tossing waves that
rolled on 10 break themselves against
the lifted crags Of a rocky coast,
was what held his gaze. Any one
who knows Nahat promitory well,
must have recognized the very point
ON which the painter stood TO study |
the scene. After a long gaze the
owner broke the stiffness of the
room, speaking 70 himself in q slow,
uudertone, worIs that have voiced
q souls cry
Ba. the ,endez grace OF q day th4. is deal
VIII never come back TO me-
Never ! never - he added. But |
what a iool | am to let that pi&ure
move me 50. and OF Helen ATOMS
sweetness and falseness. N nat was
1t that sent me back so into a
past whose golden fruit bore such
Dead Sea bitterness at the core? On,
that little girls voice wondering
about the Christmas spirit! She
viii know better after q while how
soon it fails, and what . sham it Is
with most who preteLt 20 It J.
Spencer Grey 5 solIloquy was brok-
ga in upon Just here by an opening
door. anu = CHEEKY voice that SAID,
Grey. old fellow ! l want YOU 10
help this evening. lam aware that
church decoration isn't exactly IN
YOU, line, but Charley Angus mas
been called out OF town, and i want
the help OF your muscle, il not your
taste, III helping me to drape the
walls and and arches Of II. Paul :.
After that | am going to take you
nome with me for Iate supper.
Your sister has been with my vile
all day. intent Oh something or 9TH
or, and j have her orders not TO ap-
pear without YOU"
All right I'm At your service
with the evergTeens, and II Mrs.
Walls and Lauras afterwards. AZ
though, IS you say, Christmas dec
oratluUs arm a thing I've especially
devoted myself to.
Il don't see why, either" Percy
Vail spoke IN an aDTubt fashion. i
say, old boy, | wish you had not let
that old chaDter III your history
change you so !"
Gray made no answer, ana the
two were speedily IN the merry
throng outside, making their way
with rapid steps TO the little Gothic
church where the rest OF the commit
tee ON decorations were already al
work. They were lame ating Angus 5
forced absence, but the appearance
OF = substitute IN the person OF Gray
was hailed with = chorus OF approba-
tion, and the work went on bQslly
and brightly. Up IN the organ loft
the choir was rehears'ug the Christ
mas hymns and lthems. The
work below was helped, half con-
sciously to the workers, by the chor-
al accompaniment above and Al
times the merry stream OF low-volc- /
ed chat. or the sound OF Vail ) quick
directions was silenced by some spe-
cial burst OF harmony. But, pas
fond as Grey Was o. music,
he scarcely needed it until, all At
once, he became aware ola glorious
soprano voice singing alone, Glory
TO God Il the highest, soaring up
and on IS if a skylark had caught a
snnl. and was singing the song OF.