Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-12
THE MIDNIGHT lass.


"Tell me again, Suzon, how beautiful it
is at the Midnight Mass. Begin again,
Suzon"
1t was Christmas Eve. The parents of
little Pierrot had just returned from the
fields. The mother was busy with the even
ing milking, the father was putting away
his tools in the barn, and Pierrot, while
waiting for the supper to be prepared, was
seated on his little stool in the corner near
the large fireplace in the kitchen, gazing
rapturously into the face of his sister
Suzon.
He stretched forth his tiny hands to the
bright and cracking fame, which lent a
ruddy glow to both hands and face, while
his hair cleaned and glistened like gold
in the dancing freight. Suzon sat gravely
knitting stocking of coarse blue wool,
while before her, on the CHEEKY log fire,
the kettle was gayly singing, the lid from
time to time letting escape pufis of white
vapor whose savory odor promised an
appetizing evening meal.
| "Tell me again, Suzon, how beautiful it
is at the Midnight Massw pleaded the
child.
| "Oh," said Suzon, "there are candles
and candles, so many that it seems like
Paradise. Then the choir sings such
| lovely hymns And then there is the
image of the Infant Jesus, dressed in such
pretty clothes-oh so pretty and lying
upon the straw in the manager; and the
| Of
Joseph in red mantle, with his plane;
then the shepherds with hocks of sheep.
There are also the animals which warmed
the Babe with their breath, and the Magi
with their long boards and uni
forms, and they bring to the Infant
Jesus magnificent presents. And then the
shepherds bring to him their offering of
black pudding. After which they all ask
the Babe for his blessing. And there are
angels, too, who bring stars to the Heaven
| ly Child. OH it is grandw
Suzon had been the year before to the
| Midnight Mass, and perhaps believed that
she had seen all these things. Pierrot
listened entranced, and when she had
finished said with decided air:
81 want to go to the Midnight Mass"
"You are too small" replied his mother,
who came in at that moment with her
foaming pail. "You shall go when you
are as large as Suzon."
81 will COP said Pierrot frowning.
"But, my dear little boy" said the mother
soothingly, "the church is too far, and it
SHOWS outside. If you are good and sleep
well, you will hear the Midnight Mass,
without leaving your bed, in the White
| Chanel of dreamIand
81 will go" repeated Pierrot, clenching
his little fists.
"Who says 4 wilr?" demand rough
voice.
IL was his father who spoke so Pierrot
discreetly held his tongue. He was very
wise little one, who already understood
that it is the best plan to obey when one
cannot do otherwise.
The family sat down to supper. Pierrot
had no appetite He said nothing, but his
| mind was active.
'Suzon, go put your little brother to
bed" said the busy housewife when the
repast was ever.
The room into which Suzon took Pier
rot was hoored with red tiles, and con-
tanned clothes-closet and even a bureau
with marble top. On the wall was framed
a piece of child's needle-work, square of
canvas on which Suzon had worked in red
and blue cotton the twenty-six letters of
the alphabet, pot of flowers, steeple
and cat. The space beneath the bed
whereon the parents slept was concealed
by curtain representing roses which re-
sembled at once both peonies and cab
bages. On the opposite side Of the room
stood the two little beds of the children
with their snow-white muslin curtains.
When Suzon had tucked the clothes
snugly around her little brother she drew
together the curtains of his cot, saying:
"Good night little one, you will see
how lovely the Midnight Mass is in the
White Chapel of dreamland."
Pierrot made no reply. He did not fall
asleep, however. He was determined not
to sleep, and lay with eyes open wide. He
| heard the constant movements of his par
ents in the kitchen, then Suzon's shrill
voice spelling out with difficulty some old
ballad from an ancient almanac. Once he
thought he heard them eating chestnuts,
and his heart swelled with a sense of lone
illness.
Shortly afterwards his mother came into
the room, drew aside the curtains of his
bed and bent low over him to see if he
slept, but he closed his eyes and did not
stir. Then he heard them go out and
close the door, and at last all was STILL
Thereupon Pierrot arose from his little
cot and searched for his clothes in the
darkness. 1t was a long and tedious task.
He succeeded in finding his blouse and
trousers, but not his wooden vest He
dressed himself as best he could, putting
on his blouse wrong side out, and, though
he labored hard, getting no button into its
own button-hole.
He could find only one of his stockings,
and leaning against The wall pulled it on
awry, the heel making a hump, so that
one little foot with its rumpled stocking
could 60 but half way into one of the little
wooden shoes, while the other poor little
stockingless foot slipped back and forth in
the other.
Feeling his way, limping and shutting,
Pierrot found the door of the room. then
crossed the kitchen, into which the cold
light of the snow family shone through
the curtain less windows.
The sagacious child did not try the door
which opened on the street, and which he
knew to be locked, but made his way to
Tie OIic WlllCll leu W bllC SldDlc, anu W HUI
he easily Unattached.
A COW turned on its bed of straw as he
entered the stable, A goat stood up, and
pulling on its tether came to lick his
hands, bleating softly and plaintively, as if
saying;
"Stay with US, where it is nice and
warm. What are you going to do, little
one, in that deep SNOWY
By the dim light of small window
covered with spider-webs, he could see the
bolt of the stable door, and standing on
tip-toe succeeded in pushing it back.
Suddenly he found himself outside, in
the icy whiteness of the winters night.
The home of Pierrot stood back from
the road about half mile from the church.
BY following first a path through the or
chard, then turning to the right, one would
see the church directly ahead.
Without hesitation, Pierrot set out on
his journey. Everything was white with
snew-the paths, the bushes and the trees
in the orchard. The apple trees were as
white as if they had been wrapped in
sheets, and the snow eddied and whirled
in the air like light ball tossed by fan.
Pierrot sank ankle-deep in the snow, his
little wooden shoes grew heavy with their