Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1896-12-24
"Alone" cried Little Brother. "Andyou will

"Alone" cried Little Brother. "Andyou will
not see the Christmas festival2"
"No," said Pedro; and he could not help
little choking sound 1f disappointment IN his
throat "See this poor woman; her face looks
like the Madonna in the chapel window, and
she will freeze to death ifno ody cares for her.
You can bring some one to help her when you
come back, and can keep her alive. Both Of
us need notmiss the celebration;it would bet
ter be |. You can easily find your way to the
church; and you must see and hear everything
twice, Little Brother-once for you and once
or me. am sure the Christ.child must know
how / would love to come and worship him;
and oh! if you get a chance, Little Bother, to
slip mp to the altar without getting IN anyone's
way, take this little silver piece Of mine and
lay it down for my offering, when no one is
looking. Don't forget the place where youleft
me, and forgive me for not going with you as
/ would like"
In this way he hurried of Little Brother to
the city and winked hard to keep back the
ears as he heard crouching footsteps sound
ing farther and farther away in the darkness.
1t was all so hard, to lose the music and splen-
dol Of the celebration that he had planned for
so long, to lose the chance Of offering his own
silver piece that he had saved for the Christ
child, and spend the time instead in the lone
some snow outside the city wall. But it never
occurred to him that he could leave the poor
Madonna to freeze without his help.
The great church was truly awondsrful place
that night. Everyone said it had never looked
so bright and beautiful before. When the organ
placed, and the thousands Of people sang the
lynn, the walls shook with the sound, and
sttle Pedro, outside the wall OF the city, felt
the earth tremble all around him. At last came
the procession to bear the offerings 10 the altar
when great and rich men marched proudly up
to lay down their gifts to the Christsehild
Some brought wonderful jewels, some baskets
of gold SO heavy that they could scarcely carry
them down the aisle; great writer laid down
book that he had been making for years and
ears; and last walked the king OF the coun'
try, hoping with all the rest to win for himself
the chime ofthe Christmas bells. There was a
great murmur through that church as the people
saw the king takefrom his head the royal crown
all set with diamonds and other precious stones
lay cleaning on The altar as his offerings to
the holy Child. "Surely," said everyone,
.we shall hear the bells now, for nothing like
this has ever happened before" And they all
stood still to listen but only the cold old wind
was heard IN the stone tower; and the people
shook their heads, some Of them saying, as
tbey had done before, that they never really
believed the story Of the chimes, and doubted
if they ever rang at all.
The proeesslon was over the gifts were all
On the altar, and the choir had begun the clos
ING hymn. Suddenly the organisl stopped Pla1
mo as though he had been shot, and syeryon'
looked al the old minister, who was slano'pt
in bis place and holding up his hand for s'l
ence Not a sound could be heard from anyon'
in The church, but as all the people strained
their ears TO usleu, there cane softly but d'E
tipetly swinging through the air, the sound 0
The bsps In The over. So far away and yst *
clear seemed the music, so much swester wer'
tbe notes than anything that had been heard
before, rising and falling away up there N 'h'
slv. that The people in the church sat iof
moment as still as though something held eAe'