St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-04-05
THE OLD BELL-RINGER.


sky, and on this Easter night weary
steps were heard ascending the winding
stairs leading to the platform where the
bells were hung. The old bell ringer
Mikael was slowly mounting until at
length his lantern appeared on high
like the pale glimmering Of star. The
ascent was painful The old mans
limbs almost refused support, and he
scarcely saw his way before him. He
was SO worn out, old Mikael-so worn
outl All, it is true, it is surely time,
thought he, to depart to the land of
rest but God wills it not thus. How
many times had he aroused the night
from this belfry with the glad tidings,
"Christ is risenp'-how many times2
He could not exactly tell, and yet God
willed that he was still to ring the
bells.
The old man approached the balus-
trade and leaned pensively thereon.
Below, surrounding the church, he
vaguely perceived the cemetery Of the
village bristling with dingy crosses,
which, with outstretched arms had the
appearance of mounting guard over the
dead slumbering beneath them. Thickets
of birch trees, still denuded Of their
foliage, inclined above the tombs, and
as Mikael gazed on the melancholy
scene voice from below suddenly
aroused him:
"Mikaell Mikaell"
The voice was feeble and trembling
The aged deacon of the village looked
up. He tried to see the platform of the
belfry, his hands curved over his wink
ing eyes in order to have better view.
II am here. What wouldst thou havef"
asked the bell ringer, half leaning over
the balustrade. "Dost thou not see
mel"
"No, I do not see thee. Dost thou
not think it is time to ring the bellsf"
Mikael looked at the stars. The thou
sand fires of heaven sparkled in the
azure.
"No, not yet. Wait little WHILE"
answered the bell ringer.
He had no need Of watch. The
stars would tell him when the hour had
come.
The heavens and the earth, the white
clouds floating in the azure, the somber
forest, and even the little murmuring
river running in the shadows, spoke to
him in language he understood, for
there was close communion between
him and these things 1t was not in
vain that all his life had centered in
this belfry.
Now all the distant past arose before
him. He recalled the day when for the
first time he mounted on this platform
with his father.
And he saw himself child, with
bright eyes, and fair hair floating in
the wind. But it seemed to him that
wind was not the same as this which
raised the binding dust of the high
ways. Mol it was breath from on high
that only swept the SUBMITS. In the
vision of his childhood this forest reced
ed to distance without bounds, while
the clearing which inclosed it spread
out UNNECESSARILY.
However, it is here before me all en-
tire" said the old man with a smile, in
embracing the narrow space with sin
gle glance
And this truly was his life. As child
he saw no end, and yet from the first
day until the last he was held in this
narrow space, as in the hollow Of the
hand. However, the hour had come.
Throwing a last look toward the stars,
Mikael arose, took off his hat made the
sign of the cross and gathered the ropes
in his hands. An instant after the bells
began to ring. First one, then second,
a third, fourth, until repeated strokes
followed in quick succession. Then sue
ceeded a flight of sound whose prolong-
ed vibrations filled the night.
Then the bells ceased ringing. Mikael
seated himself on his bench, his ears
filled with the dying vibrations and his
mind absorbed in vague reflections.
The platform was feebly lighted by
the vacillating CLEANS of the lantern.
Above his head the bronze still prolong-
ed its tremblings, from the church arose
faint chantings, and the evening wind
swept the bell ropes to and fro
The silvery voices of children echoed
around the altar, while Mikael, with
bowed head, again lost himself in vi
sions of the past.
"Mikaell Ho, Mikaell Art thou
sleeping?"
"Whatl" exclaimed the old man,
suddenly starting to his feet. ''Is it
possible I have been asleepa Never,
never have been so wrong"
And with his accustomed hand Mikael
seized the cords. Below crowd of
peasants swarmed like bees in hive,
banners foated in all the splendor of
their embroideries of gold, the process
sion was making the tour of the church,
and joyous voices reached the old bell
ringer:
"Christ is risen"
And this reclamation echoed power
fully in the heart of the good man. 1t
seemed to him that the candles burned
in the shadows with brighter light,
that the banners foated more freely,
and that the wind, aroused, carried to
| the heiohts and denths in united har-