Middletown transcript., 1900-12-22

Dent tar over the roof and watched them
1t was very, very cold out there. Th
wind stung Annette's hands and face
and nipped her poor little bare feet bu
she drew the quilt closer about her ant
did not stir
On the next floor above the dancers,
woman with white cap on her head sa
by cradle covered with lace and rib
bons, and rocked it to and fro. The sof
light from wax candle in tall candle
stick fell upon little red stocking which
hung on the mantlepiece beside three
longer stockings.
Santa Claus will not forget them, y
thought Annette, as her eyes wandered
from the room to the snow-covered roofs
before her. Perhaps I may see him
come across the houses with his sIedge
and six reindeer, if sit very STILL"
Colder and colder blew the wind, and
higher and higher rose the moon. The
children still kept on dancing, and the
music foated out of the window and
throbbed right through Annette's head.
Upstairs the woman nodded and rocked
the cradle with one foot, but no Santa
Claus came.
Annette's eyes grew heavy but she
| tried to hold them open She was not
cold any more, but only very tired.
She leaned her head upon her hand and
shut her eyes, and listened to the "pat
pat p of the children's feet keeping time
to the music, and it seemed as though
they were dancing over the snow close
by her. By and by the pattering feet
were quiet, and the music of the piano
and violin seemed to change into sweet
voice singing these words close to An
nett's ear:
"Winter stars their watch are keeping,
Leaning from their cars of gold,
And the broad, white moon is sleeping
On thousand snow-banks cold.
"Hark The Christmas bells are ringing
Through the midnight, sweet and clear;
And the holy ones are singing,
Though unheard by mortal ear.
In this lone and sacred hour,
Ere the daybreak CLEANS above,
The spirits of the snow have power
To bless the little ones they love.
"Then little orphan maid forsaken,
Dreaming in the bitter air,
WakenI Waken Waken Waken
Thou shalt be the fairies care"
Annette scarcely breathed until the
song was finished then she opened her
eyes and looked around. Oh! how
astonished she was for standing be-
tween her and the opposite house, right
in the air, with the moonlight streaming
all about her, was beautiful little little erea-
ture robed in sparkling white garments
from head to foot. Long, silvery hair
hung around her shoulders and foated
upward toward the sky. Upon
her forehead glistened a wreath of snow
crystals, and in one hand she carried a
long, silver wand, upon which burned a
great white star. This wonderful little
being bent forward, and holding out one
hand looked into Annette's face with
pair of large, glitteling eyes.
"Who are your" whispered Annette,
drawing back in astonishment.
II am Lullaby, the frost queen" an
swered the beautiful spirit, 81 love little
children. | love you. Will you come
with me? I will clasp you in my arms
so close, so close, that you shall never
feel the cold again and we will fly to
my crystal kingdom beyond the stars,
and be happy forevermore, and dance
and sing from morn till night No one
ever feels sad in my home VIII you
come, Annette?"
Annette stretched out her arms toward
Lullaby; but the frost queen slowly
faded into the moonlight, and again An
nette saw the opposite house, and again
she heard the 'pat pat P' of feet, and
he rising and falling of the music She
and rubbed her eyes, then she
began to cry.
But presently Annette forgot the cold,
nd the tears dried on her eyelashes for
he saw in the room where the woman
till slept rosy face peep from between
he lace of the cradle, then dimpled
and stretched out and snatched the ,
ong, waxen candle, and the woman did !
ot move. The flame from the candle
aught the hanging lace over the little '
ne's head and crept around the blue 5
bbons, crawling in and out like freay
make; and still the woman slept. i
Annette sprang to her feet with cry
Wake up!" she screamed again and
gain but the music and dancing feet
rowned her voice, and the woman did a
et sir d
Suddenly large piece of hardened
low crumbled from the window-sill of
nnette's room and sliding down the Il
oping roof struck sharply against An il
,tte's naked feet She stopped and n
atched the fragment of ice from the Al
ittering snow, then, with all her N
rength, she hurled it against the op- m
site window. Breaking the glass to Ell
oms, it bounded across the room and S:
Y crashed at the nurses feet. The
oman sprang from her chair and caught
9 baby from the blazing cradle, aud in :,
lother instant put out the flame. -
up before Annette again -,
ose the beautiful spirit Lullaby. With h.
sweet smile on her face she beckoned a.
her, and said. o.
''Will you Gomez" w.
Annette made one step forward, then 90
2 felt her feet slide from under her.
For one moment Annette clung to the -,
ye of the roof the next, her hands -,
pped away and she went down, down. ho
t before Annette touched the hard :.
,und, Lullaby, the frost queen, glided Il,
ward and caught her in her soft, warm bo
MS and flew upward past the moon and n,
beyond the stars. -;
The happy children peeping from the IN,
ooo C,Y,4o TIo,,o ~-A'