Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1885-12-26
hey belonged to the peace man did not

make and canine mar"
Uncle Adam lived alone in a tiny house
close beside the church Of his care. His
small front room was a workshop, where he
made and mended shoes every hour Of the
day and evening when off duty at the church
The remainder of his house contained the
machinery Of his domestic economy. He
was his W cook, laundress and chamber
maid, and was suspected of being his OWE
tailor and shirt-maker. His garments gave
color to this suspicion. They had no affilia-
ton with the prevailing mode whatever.
Comfort, not Fashion, had guided the shears
when they were cut. Cheap as well as be-
hind the times were they, but clean.
Even SO unobtrusive a person as the sexton
OF the Church of the Puritans cannot escape
impairment comment. There were people in
Floodgate who bothered themselves about
his private affairs. They kept a sharp eye
on his slender purchases, and decided that he
was starving himself in order to accumulate
money.
He was never idle. Early every morning,
the year round, he was at work, and the
lamp burned in his workshop every night till
10 O'Clock or later. All this brought in
money. What did he do with ita Tn idlers
of the town, having no industrial demands
upon them, figured up Uncle Adams income,
and decided that he didn't spend an eighth of
it. Some of the better class hearkened to
this gossip, and concluded also that he was a
miser. They even expressed a fear that he
would be murdered for his hoard some
night. They pitied him for his passion for
money getting, but otherwise they found no
fault with him.
Coarse young men who dropped into his
shop on errands chaffed the old man about
his concealed wealth. This he never re-
sented, but worked away in silence without
losing his temper.
As the holidays came nearer the sections
duties increased. The church was to be deco.
rated, and extra work without stint came Cd
apace. He was always cheerful and oblig-
ing, and always busy. The Sunday school
was to have a Christmas tree, with appropri-
ate services on Christmas eve. The ladies Of
the congregation, grateful to the sexton for
his faithful services, made up a purse to get
him a nice present, to be delivered from the
tree. They decided on a suit of clothes, as
the greatest novelty for him, though some
argued strongly in favor of giving him the
amount in money, as more likely to please
his avaricious old heart.
The Christmas tree was to be the great
event of the season in Floodgate. Everybody
was talking about it. The services were to
be unusually fine. Mrs. DunlevyW ickersham,
the wealthiest lady in the place, had prom
ised the Church of the Puritans a great
musical treat for that occasion. On the
steamer coming home from Europe she had
become acquainted with the new singer, Miss
Judith Stanlini, and had engaged her to
sing.
This was, indeed, something splendid to
look forward to. The newspapers were full
of stories of Stanlini's beauty and genius.
Floodgate was on tip toe with interest.
When Mrs. Understands carriage rolled
away from the depot, bearing the famous
singer, women peeped at it cautiously from
behind their curtains, men stared openly,
and small boys followed ii in a disorderly
procession.
Uncle Adam was as much interested as
anybody. He had put the finishing touches
to everything in the church, with a view to
making a favorable impression on the beau
tiful young girl who was so good as to
leave greater honors ard come to Flood
gate to sing for the Church of the Puri-
tans.
SIS she very pretty9" he asked anxiously,
as the troop of boys wLo had followed Mrs.
Understands carriage rushed into the
church during the afternoon preceding the
eventful evening.
"Oh, awful purity, answered the boy, with
the reddest face, and she wore a whole lot
of fur off'n some animile l never saw nor
heard Of"
The old mans eyes glistened. "Can't you
tell how she looksg' he asked eagerly.
"Like them pictures of angels down in the
bookstore windows, on the Christmas cards."
said another boy, "only angels never wear
hats. She has a hat that beats 'em alI.n
Uncle Adam listened with eyes and ears,
as childlishly curious as any of them. Thus
encouraged, their imagination grew heated
and each one added some graphic tribute to
the singers beauty, until she became some
thing more than mortal to all of them, the
sexton included.
Wen all hear her sing, boysl Well all
hear her sing, /" he said excitedly.
The church was ablaze with light early.
The wreaths and festoons shone green and
fresh against the pale walls, and
the outrageous Christmas tree, loaded
with its gorgeous fruit, lowered SO
far toward the ceiling hat some of
the children were distressed lest their pres
--k. 49, Ls-l l. ---I-
Early, too, was the church crowded. Big
and little, rich and poor, were there. The
bullying eyes of the wee people were glued to
the blazing Christmas tree, whose candles
were numerous as the stars of heaven, while
their elders divided their minds between
that and the expected musical treat.
At last the exercises began. The children
fidgeted nervously during the pastors open
ing prayer, through the neat little speech of
the Sunday school superintendent, and the or
ganist's jubilant voluntary. Nor did they
settle down. till the much-talkedof singer
appeared
She stepped to the front of the choir's
small gallery and began the glorious solo
from the "Cantique de Noel:n
80 holy night! the stars are brightly shining,
1t is the night of the dear S~aviour's birth;
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world ~rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious
morn
Her clear, sweet soprano notes rang into
the skies. The organ accompaniment bore
them II, up, up to the very gates of the
,ternal city. o yonder breaks a new and
glorious morn,n was rendered so f~eelingly it
struck the listeners with the force Of truth,
md they i~nvoluntarily cast their eyes
1~eavenward, half expecting to see the light
If that wonderful new morn
And the singer berselfi She was even
more beautiful than they had pictured her.
Standing there with the light of the tapers