Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1896-12-24

But the fact was no one had heard them for
years and years. There was an old man living
not far from the church who said he remem-
bered that his mother had spoken OF hearing
them when she was little girl, and he was
the only one who could say as much as that
They were Christmas chimes, / said, and
were not meant to be played by men or on
common occasions. On Christmas Eve all the
people OF the city brought to the chur;h their
offerings to the ChrisL>chld, and when the
greatest and best offering was laid on the altar
there would come sounding through the music
of the choir the voices of the Christmas chimes
up in the tower. Some said the wind rang
them, and others that they were so high tha
the angels could set them swinging. But for
many long years, as l said before, they had
never been heard. The ministers sale that
people had been growing less careful Of their
gifts for the Chnst.child, or gave them rather
to make display for their own honor than
for love of him, SO that no offering was brough
good enough to deserve the music of the chime
Still every Christmas Eve the rich people of
the city crowded to the altar, each one trying
to give some better gift than anyone else
without taking anything that he wanted to
keep for HIMSELF and the church was filled
with those who thought that perhaps the Won
derful bell would be heard again But al
though the music was sweet and the offering
were plenty, only the roar OF the wind could be
heard far up in the old stone tower.
Now a number Of miles from the city, in a
little country village, where nothing could be
seen of the great church save glimPses of the
tower when the weather was fine, lived
boy named Pedro and his little brother They
knew very little about Christmas chimes, but
they had heard of the service in the church on
Christmas Eve, and had secret plan that they
had often talked over when by themselves, for
going to the beautiful celebration. g Nobody
can guess, Little Brother" Pedro would say,
''alI the fine things there are to see and hear
ia the church; and have even heard i said
that the Christ child himself sometimes comes
down to bless the meeting. What if we would
see himl"
The day before Christmas was bitterly cold
with few lonesome snowaakes flying IN the
air. and a hard white crust on the ground. Sure
enough, Pedro and Little Brother were able to
slip quietly away early in the afternoon, o.
their way to the Christmas celebration; and al
though the walking was hard in the frosty an
before nighlfall they had trudged so ia', hand
in hand that they saw the lights OF the big city
lust ahead Of them. Indeed. they were about
to enter one IF the great gates that surrounded
il. when they saw something dark on the snow
near their path. and stepped aside to looS I"
it. -
1t wasa poor woman who had fallen just OUT
side the city, too sick and tired and cold Il
oct in where she might have found sheile'
The snow made a sort Of pillow for ber' ane
sbe would soon be 50 sound asleePin The "inp
air thai no ono could ever awaken. her agaln
All This Pedro saw in a moment and he Khe
down beside her and uied to rouse hsf' ever
uoe inc at her arm little as il he woald Try
70 carry her away. He turned her face fo"an
him. 50 that he could rub some Of the sno" o.
i, and then. hen he had looked al her rsilen'il
fora moment, he stood mp and said'
,I,'s no use. Little BfoFher You Will nave
20 go on alone"