Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-12-23

all about the long night and day they
had passed since father went away
and the snow began to fall. They had
been so frightened, and had had moth.
ing to eat but some corn bread July
baked on the hearth, for she couldn't
reach the meat that hung on the raj.
tersin the store.room. She was so glad
when Mr. Cross came, but she wished
father knew all about it, for he would
be frightened at their being all alone
in the house. Father had gone to
bring home little brother Johnny from
grandfather's, cause tomorrow was
Christmas, and they wanted Johnny
at home. She s'posed father would
come early to morrow morning
Somehow the child story filled her
hearers with vague apprehensions,
which none of them liked to give ut
terance to. When Mr. Cross came in,
Margie whispered her fears to him,
but was met by the assurance that
Jim Bailey was prudent man, and
WASH tlikely to do nothing rash. He'd
turn up all right
So they went ON with their prepa-
rations for supper, and merrier In cal
than supper was, when it came, never
was seen. They appointed Margie
mistress Of ceremonies, as she had prov
ed herself more capable than any one
else of filling the position of house
keeper, and very gracefully she did
the honors.
And just as they were rising from
the table, some one discovered that it
was twelve o'clock, and Margie, start
ing up, declared they must sing in
Christmas morning, and sing in the
open air, too, as Christmas carols should
be sung. So she opened the door wide,
and, lol the fakes had ceased to fall,
the clouds were flying away before the
lulling wind, and on the bending for
est trees, and the steep mountain sides,
and in the wide valleys, the heaped
and drifted snow lay sparkling to the
moon that shone calmly down upon
the quiet earth, while here and there
in the sky large white star glimmer-
ed family forth, too brilliant to be
outdOne by the radiant moon.
Then, on the crystal air, went ring
ing like a chime of bells chorus of
clear young voices in the sweet old
Christmas hymn
"While shepherds watched their AoclIs
by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shono around"
1t was Margie who led the hymn in
wonderful voice, so fresh, so sweet,
and so full, that the others could
scarcely sing for listening, and when
the last liquid note had foated up be-
yond the stars, the listeners stood look
ing up as if there must be angels how
ering over them.
A long deep silence followed, which
Addy was the first to break. Going
up to Margie, her clear cheek flushing,
and her great dark eyes shining with
tears, she touched the young girls
brow with her beautiful lips, and said,
gently, Child, you make me love you
with your lovely voice.
Margie smiled family in return.
She was bending forward listening to
some fanoied sound that came home
on the ftful wind. Was it fancy?
She turned, and catching little July s
arm, drew her softly to the door.
July, listen, she whispered. Don't
you hear some one calling?'
The child listened intently, fixing
her eyes meanwhile on Margie's face.
The wind blew her black hair over
her pale little face, and Auttered the
dark dress she wore, but still she lis.
tened with that look Of painful, fright
ened intensity, while Margie's hand
still grasped her arm, and she too lis
tened breathlessly for the expected
sound.
A picture for an artists eye was the
group in that doorway. Glorious i'm
perial Addy, with the soft light in her
eyes, her purple dress sweeping round
her and touching the snow at her feet;
fair little Margie, with her golden
bronze hair falling and glittering over
her shoulders, and a scarlet shawl half
trailing on the floor, halfclinging round
her slender figure. Behind these two
a flood of warm light from the Christ
mas fire, glowing and sparkling, and
half revealing other young and grace
full figures in the background; in front
of them the cold glittering moonlight,
the wide expanse of snow, and the little
pale, wistful child.
John Winston, standing outside in
the shadow of a great tree, was smil-
ing to see how fair it was, and was al.
ready in fancy transferring it to can.
vas, when little July threw up her
head with the look of a startled fawn.
1T is father, she whispered hoarsely
He is calling me- With her tiny
hand held up for silence, she listened
again, and once, only once, from the
ravine, hundred feet below them,
came low, wavering wordless cry,
almost borne down by the light wind
that shook the feathery snow from the
pines.
Dan Gross started up at the sound,
and with all the strength of his power.
full lungs, sent forth shout that echo.
ed far and wide over the mountains
and then paused for the answer. None
came, and little July wrung her hands
and sobbed in wild terror. 1T is faith.
er, she cried. He is down there in
the deep snow. Oh please. Mr. Cross