Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-09-18

swelling round her, and she began to sing:
Iwu tiinmphantes,
Ncnito, ycuite In Rcthlehem.
Satum videte Regem Augelomm.
Nen'te adotem9s nenite Hd"remnsi Neniie
Ii was Christmas eve All the soldiers
were in barracks most of them asleep In
their long dormitories when the clock struck
L.
But some of them were awakened by a
sound of constant music, and they woke each
other and sat up in bed, their hair rising on
their heads In terror, 50 strange. so marvel
lously beautiful was the sound.
at Is true what my mother used to tell us,
there are then angels" said one, covering
under his bed-clothes and beginning rapidly
his long-forgotten prayers.
Col Montanelli alone recognized the sound.
and he rose from the mother superiors cell
which he occupied, and hastily dressed HIM
sell and went in search OF his lieutenant, whom
| he found sitting up i'm bed white with the
eerie feeling that he was close to the unseen
world.
"Fazo," he said, at is the nun who sang
| So wonderfully"
| "That Ia TO say, II must be her spirit"
said Fazto. "No human voice could sing
| like that"
| Both men stood silent; it rose once more,
that wanderful flood of sound
| "Nenite adoremus; venite adoremus, Venitc
adoremus Dominum.
The low, soft, like a sound sobbing itself
away on the dying wind, came the deep
| "Amen,' and all WAS silent, a silence so pro-
| found that Montanelli pushed the damp hair
| from his brow, and shook himself to throw
| OIL the cold, numbing chill of fear.
" This must be seen to, he said. "Get up
Fazio, we must take lanterns, and search out
this mystery. 1 will have no ghosts in my
barracks"
Fszio dressed himself uuickly-even took
down his sword and put 1t on as Kind of
| precaution.
The two men went out into the passages to.
| Cpthnr the uuiat moon oh a.i "a
| light There was sound of moving about
| and taxing in the soldiers quarters At the
far window of one stone passage young
soldier stood fully dressed, looking out
| "touti," said the colonel quickly, "whC
has been singing, and where is the singer ~
"Conu saluted. "1 can only con lecture,
my COLONEL he said. alt | thought you
| would not blame me"
81 will not blame you, or any one who
will prove to the satisfaction of all, that the
voice was human voice, and the sin ger q
living woman said Moutanelll.
faZio behind him gave a sharp shiver
Was 1t cold or superstitious fear
81 can explain, my colonel" said Cont
turning his young, fresh, ingenious face to
/ wards his superior. 'The voice came from
the stable there is a poor, frightened, terri
fed refugee there. Ii is she VINO has beer
| singng-but she is silent now" he added
with ahushed, awe-stricken look. The dead
! silence seemed to throb. it was SO still
"Per Racco!' said Montanelli ~ wa,
| right 1t was the nun with the wonderful
| voice. But she must not stay there in the
, stable. l will not have it; 1t is scandal
, Your duty was to have sent her out" he said
his head.
''She was, l thought, very III, my colonel,
he said, under his breath.
I "Well, well, bring the key to the stable
4 we will at least put an end to this scanda
r at once. Light a lantern, Cont, and preced,
a u.s."
Cont dared not remonstrate lie did a. h,
was told, and led the way to the stable.
They had to pass through the clOister th,
moonlight made Ii almost as light H. day.
At the door OF the stable Cont turned
round with military salute. and ventureC
TO say ''She Is very i'll, the poor sister, my
g colonel.n
r Then he obeyed a peremptory sign from hi
c officer and threw open the door.
0 The moonlight flooded in from window anI
4 open door, and centred in a wonderful hall
: Of light round the stall. On the piled ul
: trusses of hay lay Assunta. She lay back
her arms crossed upon her breast her slen
!, der form perfectly straight and rigid, eaci
I thick fold OF her habit composed and straigh
!. | as II carved In marble, and on the white fac
. was a look OF peace unuttersble, no smile
4 nothing but the awful calm, the absolute still
l ness of those who have entered upon thei
| rest.
: Over the low division the brown head @
2 the mule looked down with soft, wondering
eyes.
9 Young Cont knelt down, and burst into
passion OF boyish tears. The two other mel
3 | looked on with awe, the sound of the las
, amen seemed to be- vibrating in the air al
u round them.
Presently Montanelli laid his hand on tn
! weeping lads shoulder
l | "Conti," he said, close no time, let tn
l priore know. Go at once. 1t is still night
i Let him come without delay. For heaven
sake, no scandal ~
y Cont rose to his feet lie stopped, AM
b reverently kissed the hand OF the dead As
i sunta, then he went out to obey his officer.
a And half au hour later the priore and tn
weeping mother superior stood by the dead
over the dark night was stealing the pal
q blue dawn of Christmas day.