The southern argus., 1891-12-17
WRITTEN BY LARPH.

4
Claus had visited every household and
gladdened the hearts of all the little
ones. Gods blessing had fell to the
lot Of all the inhabitants of the quiet
village, aud their simple wants had
been graciously fulfilled. The day was
SO bright and warm that the little ones
had gathered their toys, hobby horses,
dolls, &C, and adjourned to their yards
and strolled out upon the one street of
the little hamlet, happy in their child
ish innocence. Nothing had happened
for whole year to mar the happiness
of any one, and when early OH this
Christmas morn the bell in the little
white chapel rang out its Christmas
chime, there seemed an unusual clear
ness, All unearthly sweetness, to some
wierdness in the sound Of the old
bell that had rang out on thirty con-
secntive Christmas mornings.
The villagers, all, save the little folks
who were too intent on their toys,
marked the unusual sounding of the
old bell, and wondered at it. However,
the brightness Of the morning, and the
much to be thankful for soon dispelled
their Wonderings, and when the pious
souls Of the village had gathered in the
church, at the accustomed hour, to
hear the annual Christmas sermon
from good old parson Martel, it was
an audience Of bright, happy faces,
contentment reflected in every coun-
tenance. The little village numbered
but a hundred souls in all, and on this
Christmas morn, everyone was in his
pew, from the gray haired sire to the
little tottling youngster.
Good old parson Martel, with his
silvery locks and form bent by eighty
years and more, was regarded as sort
Of prophet by all the villagers.
They relied wholly upon his teachings
and his word. Through the week, in
the little village school, he taught the
youths arithmetic, reading, writing
and geography, and on Sabbath he
expounded biblical lore. This he had
done in-for forty years. On this
morning, when The old man opened the
Bible and read his text, the members
noticed his voice trembled more than
was IFS wont, as if something i'll had
come to him. He referred to the happy
period between the present Christmas
and the one preceding and remarked
that not death had occurred in their
midst, no calamity whatever had be-
fell single soul, the year had been
marked all through with happiness
and plenty, fin fact" said the kind old
man. "GOd has been with us through
the whole year, but there was some
thing prophetic in the ringing of our
bell this morning; there was wierd-
ness in its chimes that forebodes sor-
row. We have all been happy up to
today, but ere the sun sinks entirely
behind the western horizon, this day,
some soul i'm our midst will have their
cup of sorrow full to overfOWing.
Your pastor never told you any un-
truth, and he does not now. | have
been closeted with my God all morn
ing, up to now, praying and pleading
with him to let the cup of bitterness
pass-at least for this day; but there
is no answer. Prepare We everyone
for it is not known to whom the lot of
drinking from sorrows cup will fall
today. Ills not known into which of
our happy homes gloom will penetrate.
I would to God that it were not to be,
| but He knoWeth best, and to Him
we must look"
When the old parson had concluded,
every eye was wet with tears. Tear
drops trickled down the rugged cheeks
Of the sturdy farmers as freely as they
coursed down the cheeks of the wo-
men.
Parson Martel was implicitly be-
lieved. Good old man, his parishers
had found him, in all these years, true
and steadfast. His prophesies had
never failed as he predicted. How
ever, as the day wore away and moth
ing happened, few began TO doubt the
old man. Few wondered if the
weight Of his many years had not
clnnhnn bis mind