Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1899-03-30
Wnrren. yMn1shnll County, minnesota.

sign OF the cross and gathered the ropes
in his hands An instant after the bells
began to ring. First one, then second,
third, a fourth, until repeated strokes
followed in quick succession. Then sue
ceeded flight of sound whose prolong
ed vibrations filled the night .
Then the bells ceased ringing. Mikael
seated himself on his bench, his ears
filed 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. Mikael! Art thou
sleepingr'
''What,'' exclaimed the old man,
suddenly starting to his feet. ttIs it
possible have been asleep2 Never,
never have been SO wrong 4
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:
GENl~;ek ;, ~;eo~,
And this acclamation echoed power
fully in the heart Of the good man. It
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 heights and depths in united har-
mony the chants Of the faithful and
the songs Of the bells.
Never had the old man thus rung out
the chimes before. His whole soul
seemed to have passed into the bronze
as the trembling bells threw to heaven
their sounds, sometimes joyous, some
times weeping.
And the stars seemed more brilliant,
and the variations of the bell fell to-
ward the earth in long caress of love.
The bass ruled all singing in it's voice
sovereign and profound.
"Christ is risen!'
In clearer notes the two tenors re-
peated joyously with their metal lips:
t'Christ is risen!"s
And the two softly sounding bells
like children S voices lost in concert
of manly tones, took up the refrain,
proclaiming
Christ is risenl''
The wind which swept the brow of
the cid bell ringer and which filled the
sbelfry tottering to it's base repeated in
low, whispering sounds:
'Christ is risen?'
Then Mikael forgot his life of sorrow.
He forgot that he was alone in the
world, like an old tree shattered by the
storms. He heard his bells ringing,
weeping, and he believed he was sur
rounded by his wife and children. He
thought the voice Of the bells was that
of his loved ones. thus forming heav-
enly concert which sang of happiness
and joy which he had never known
NAu NlCu SU1ncucu dlulS duu
form he drew, drew the cords, the old
bell ringer. Tears blinded him and his
heart throbbed wildly. The world be-
low listened in wonder to this strange
flight of sound, saying, ''Never before
no, never, had old Mikael thus rung
the bells!' Suddenly the great bell
swung with an uncertain jerk and then
stilled. The smaller ones threw out con-
fused trills, then stopped, as if listening
to the dying plaint of the others trem-
bling in the air.
''Mikael! Ho, Mikaell' again called
voice from below.
But Mikael was sleeping the sleep of
death. The old bell ringer will ring the
bells no more.-Translated From the
Russian by M. NJ. HalloweI.
WashingtOn's Tomb.
HYY l.