The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-12-19
THE CHRISTMAS SONG.
BY FLORA STEWART EMORY.
Holy, Holy. Holy,
Cou9ac fror,, ov~orv no4io,, -


There was something fascinating
about it to my welltrained ear, and l
waited until after the long Christmas
service was over in order that might
see its owner. The voice was child
lsh in its ring, and I felt the singer
could not be over ten. / wearied of
the little pieces the Johnnies and
Susies and endless Katies recited.
The awkward Christmas tree, loaded
down with its burden of oranges, pop
corn and cheap candy, seemed to
| grow taller and wider every time.
! strained my neck to catch a possi-
bic glimpse of the young songster,
noSe marvellous voice had made me
break an engagement with the Judges
only and wealthy daughter. Ismiled
as | thought how chagrined the
naughty belle would be if she knew
what was OBTAINING me.
Finally, the stiff backed, unsmiling
superintendent announced the last
song. 1t was solo. I leaned back,
prepared to put both hands to my
ears in self-defense, if need be, when
little woman Of about thirty step
ped upon the platform. Her light
auburn hair formed halo about her
head and her soft brown eyes rested
upon mine. was startled, bewil-
dered, frightened. From her throat
came forth the Christmas melody she
had chosen to sing. 1t was simplici-
ty itself, but never before had I heard
such combination of cultivation and
exquisite naturalness.
The stream of village folks grew
shorter, and pushed forward. "Who
was the lady who sang last?" I ask
ed man standing near. He turned
questioning look upon me. "That
was the superintendent wife," he
answered. sought out the man and
his wife, and they were preparing to
leave. l explained my mission. I
was looking for a leading lady with
just such voice as l had heard that
night, and l felt 1 could not leave the
village without trying to persuade its
owner to give me season. Her hus-
band stared at me aghast, but 1 no.
ticed the appealing look she gave him.
cts no use to discuss it" he said
roughly, II did not pay to have her
voice trained for the stage"
was disappointed, for I had made
them handsome offer.
1t was that hour between midnight
and daylight Christmas morning
when lf-awake children hear Santa
Claus. 1 was wakefu1. could not
forget the depths of those brown eyes,
the girlishness of her figure, the rich
ness of her voice. A slight noise
startled me. Under my window
faint "Holy, Holy, Holy, was being
sung. l crept there softly.
"Is that you?" asked a timid
voice.
"Wait there, I'll come down., I
responded hastily. The inn was
quiet, and I was careful not to dis
turb any of its other inmates.
There in the snow stood the little
woman, her face pinched with cold.
"He drove me out, she sobbed, as if
I would know all about it. II beg
ged him to let me go with you, for
the narrow life am leading is killing
me. He told me to go at once, aud
here am.
l recalled the mans small black
eyes, the ferceness of his Christmas
address, the prevailing atmosphere of
"hell, fire and brimstone," which
seemed to envelope the whole village,
even to the Judges home. asked
her to go to friends house until
morning. l walked with her there,
rubbing the little cold fingers until
they must have tingled with the
heat. My heart was lighter than it
had been for many weeks. l had
found my ideal for ''Lady Ruth's"
character, and my conscience did not
trouble me in the least. Of course,
there would be a divorce case, but
theatrical managers are used to those.
| As I went back to my couch 1 ex-
/ perienced a sense of relief that / had
not proposed to the Judges daugh-
ter. She did not approve of my call
ing, and, since the first boyish infat-
uation of ten years before, I had
grown to feel uncomfortable in her
company.
When I awoke the bells were ring
ing in a Happy and Merry Christmas.
I arose strangely happy. On the ta-
Bile lay a package, which the bellboy
had brought in. fFrom Grace, Z"
read the card. The Judges daugh-
ter had remembered me as her wont,
but this Christmas / felt the con-
sciousness of another present, that OF
the finding of my souls mate.
X X X X X X X
| IF the glorious creature who steps
before the footlights on her farewell
night and receives the highest praise
possible, the tears of her audience, re-
members the dreary five years she
lived with a man who had no soul,
she fails to tell ME. She never refers
to our first meeting. She became my
leading lady soon after, and then,
with all the appreciation of true ar
tistic public, the other life was crowd
ed out.
She grew to love me after the first
intoxication of her success wore OF
and every Christmas eve since we sit
hand in hand and she sings for me the
song no hungry public ever hears
"Holy, Holy, Holy,
Comes from every nation"