The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-12-23

already brought beautiful wreaths OF
berried holly and white.veined ivy
leaves to twine round the carved pull
pit and the choir-stnlls? Yes, it was n
time Of Joy md gladness, this Christ
mas season, and they we're very, very
happy. Why not SO? Every one was
gay and glnd at Christmas time, when
there where kuchen in the cottages,
and little fir trees laden with presents,
and sugar angels to be bought at the
shops or the market in the town yon-
der, to remind them of tho great
Christmas long ago, when the angels
sang over the star-lit fields ut Bethle.
hem.
And by and by. that same evening,
there would be great service, when
the priest would pray and preach, and
they would all listen, oh so intently.
But now there was only the quiet.
ness of the little church, with its scent
of the freshly-cut boughs, and the
quavering, monotonous voice OF
Johann Maria repeating the old
litany, as he had repeated it SO many
times before in the same place and in
the same accents.
There was another girl in the
corner, kneeling nt her prie.dieu, and
Whispering the words of the sweet old
petitions with white lips and an aching
heart. Christmas brought only sor-
row for her, she said to herself. There
was no gladness for her to expect, no
loving voice to give her the Christmas
greeting, no tender lips to press her
own in that love sweeter than others,
even at the season of universal love.
No, all was dark and dreary-dreary
as the shadows that fell upon the
white snow; and while the Others re-
ioiced and looked forward to keeping
the festival her heart was heavy and
her thoughts roamed back, pitilessly,
painfully, to a bygone day-a day
that was marked with the shadow o.
death.
II was Christmas time again, ant
the priest had preached and prayed
and given the old beautiful bened.c
ton, that foated ont like messag,
from Heaven over the kneeling peopl,
l-over her lover and herself.
All her lover
| He had been kneeling by her sid'
then, with the lights flashing on hi
soldiers coat and his brave, handsom,
face, and she had heard his voic,
throughout oil tho service, in ringing
clear tones that she knew and loved s,
we'll, SO truly and passionately. Ant
she had been 80 happy, 80 very yer.
happy, although the thought Of thu
morrow's parting had come even nov
and then to her heart, with the throb
bing pain Of come sorrowful dream
But he had begged her to forget-t'
forget all the pain of parting for tha
one day. ''Let us be happy together
sweetheart" he had said, looking int,
her eyes with his own. ah Allied with
60 much love and tenderness
And che had obeyed him, as sh
always would obey the voice that wa
moIe to her than life itself. and the,
had been happy-perfectly, passion
Ately happy-in their great. unfath
omable love.
"What is love7" he said to her, a
they walked home in the evening
Watching the star CLEANS, like point
of diamonds, fash ON the dark water
,, of the Neckar: "What is love?" b
hnd asked, and she had looked up +
the beautiful, grave face before sh
answered:
Il Glove is the most perfect and tn
, holiest Of friendships. my beloved. ]
means the merging OF ones self int
another's being, and the living for or
; other. II is based on sympathy
deepest and truest, and its keynote
! unselHshness. II is something tbs
cannot die. for II belongs TO God. An