, 1905-11-29
a!s broad, forceful views on Christian

the festive holiday he realized that the
human heart cannot be denied its sus-
tenance one beating in touch and
sympathy with it INK that Ole faig
girl had woven her charms about him
so completely that he could no longer
refrain from telling her of it. even
though of late she had rather seemed
to avoid him when he crossed her path
and was even chary of her conversa-
ton when he dined ut her house.
During the long busy day she was
constantly brought to his mind in the
homes he visited. A forlorn old wom-
an told of the coming of Miss Ruti
with yarn for the next years knitting.
and n box of sweets. A grateful moth
err told of the nights Miss Ruth hai
stayed and nursed the baby back to
life. In the poorer homes lie heard of
the baskets of Christmas goodies she
had brought, with toys and warm nit
tens for the children.
1t was 10 O'Clock before the rector
had finished the days task, and when
he reached home he threw himself.
Iultt WILL Ut VII Iit ObNh III IL IA
brary. Not ten minutes seemed to
have elapsed when the sound "Br-r-r-r!"
through his sleep Weakened him sud
denly to the realization that some II
was ringing the bell with the evident
intention of rousing the entire house
hold, and as he stepped into the hall to
open the door he was amazed to see
the hands on the old fashioned clock
pointing to /.
"Sir. we've come to get Mr.. Hare.
The baby's dying, and my wife wants
a minister" announced one of the two
men who stood on the step facing the
tired rector.
The memory of his vivid nightmare
had not REQUIRED to him since the morn
ing, but at the words 'baby's dying" it
it all flashed before his mind, and he
hesitated an instant with some misgiv-
ings. Quickly pulling himself together
and throwing off the vision, he eX-
claimed:
I'm Mr.. Hare. Where is your ba-
by" In a harsh voice the larger of the
two men mentioned the outskirts of the
city, where the houses were small and
low and widely scattered.
Again pushing aside the warning of
his apparition, the rector incased him
self in warm oyercoat and arctics and,
locking the door behind him, b. lie the
men lead the way, For several blocks
an occasional house showed lights from
top to bottom or a stray light in the
second story gave evidence that an ca
.,n, ,ra,,,ar.fnt. xrn, Al ttrn1 10 nN~aTaiIinn
Santa Claus gifts. Then the houses
became dark, and the three men trudg-
ed on through the gently falling snow.
Hare's questions received but curt,
abrupt answers, while the memory of
his grewsome dream grew clearer with
each step of the long dark walk till he
reached the identical cottage of his
nightmare, with II light shining
through the window. A suggestion Of
cold perspiration stood on his forehead
and a SILVER ran down his spine as he
thought of the sinister group inc the
suspicious and foreboding glances of
the men in that dim scene which he
had passed through before so realis-
tically.
Entering the house behind the larger
man, he looked instantly toward the
corner for the cot III the child. They
were there! The thin face of the child
showed the same pallor of death, but
the mother was not in the chair beside
the bed. In her place sat a girlish fig
ure, holding a vial in her delicate fin
gers.
'Thank you SO much for coming"
said a soft voice, and the Ruth of his
day dreams lifted her eyes to his with
q wistful, shy glance of cOmfort and
relief. The mother never would have
been consoled for her neglect in not
having had her child baptized, and l
felt so sure you would come, even
though it was at this late hour"
So the dying baby received the bless
ing of the church, and as the sun rose
between two distant hills the child
passed into its S%aviour's arms. Two
hearts were peaceful from a sense of
finished duty. Unconsciously radiant
with joy at being together, the man
Inc the girl passed from the low rooted
cottage into the clear frosty air of the
blue canopied earth with its fresh car
peting of pure white snow. A Christ
mas happiness such as they had never
known before illuminated the world
for these two alone in the snow clad
woods.
It was some time before the young
rector felt inclined to speak, and then
it was to recount his nightmare with
its realistic reproduction up to the