The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1905-12-22


E,,HI>@ Toms. He had some
67>1 business to talk over.
~ Toms women folks
t7H1z2E&Ez3 would be at the church
tonight; it would be q
good chance. The church was all
trimmed with wreaths of evergreen
and festoons of cedar, with notices
and silver stars. There was a mystic
rious green curtain across one end of
the platform, and now and then a
young lady peeped from behind it with
very important face. E.. =,
Rosy was all wrapped up in great
fur cloak, but, oh! what a radiant
white vision was hidden under that
cloak! Because, as I said, Rosy was
to be an angel, and it was Christmas
eve. =. %.-
The church was full of happy peo-
pie. She nestled down quietly in q
corner, her part would not come for
a long time. BY and by she fell to
wondering about the Christmas an
gels-if they would come tonight
across the fields. She had a great mind
the little door behind the curtain and
nobody would know.
So she gathered her fur cloak around
her. and slipped out into the snow. It
was so white and still out there; the
stars shone down at her; she was not
afraid. The fields stretched away be-
fore her in wide, white silence, and
she went away through a little hollow
and across pasture field. It was
growing cold and she shivered under
her fur cloak, but she did so want to
see if tie angels came.
She wondered if there would be any
little girl angels like her, and if she
would hear them sing. She wondered
which way they would come, and which
was the star the wise men followed.
Maybe if she knew she might follow
it, too. and find the little Christ-child,
for had not they told her .nat He was
on earth still? That one great star
in the east, could it be the one? It
was so bright she would follow it and
see. 1t must be nearly time for the
angels to come.
Presently she began to wonder
which way she had come. The fields
were wide and white about her, rising
winds lifted tiny whirls OF snow and
twisted them into garlands and then
dropped them gently. She shivered
with the cold. Somewhere lay home,
and the warm, bright church, and she
could not tell which way. She looked
up at the stars, but they seemed so far
away. and the Christmas angels did not
come. She would sing: maybe they
would hear, and. tell her which way
to go.
It was ten o'clock when Nate
Downey started home across the fields
1t was nearer that way; he would stop
at the church for Rosy. Tom and he
had quarreled that night, something
about the river meadow. and he walked
on modify, forgetting all about the
blessed Christmastide, and the baby
Peace that came to earth on Christ
mas night so long ago.
All at once he stood still and lis
tened. Somewhere out of the dim star
light a voice sang, faint and far.
peace on EARTH" it sang, peace and
goodwill" - -: - =;
He remembered that It was Christ
mas eve. =
Peace and goodwill sang the
voice, blown a little farther by the
wind. 1t was Rosy's song; what did
It mean? The fathers lip trembled J.
little. Rosy must be singing her song
now IN the church; what did it mean
that he should hear it here? Was any
thing wrong with the child-hfs little
pet daughter? The wind blew the
sound to him again family.
peace and goodwill, goodwill to
menu Might it not be a message to
him? Perhaps after all he had been
rash and hasty with Tom; Tom was a
good man. He would see him again
tomorrow.
The voice came again, a little near
e.; surely it was a voice, a child's
voice. and there was the sound Of q
sob in tit was Rosy's voice! - y.
Nate Downey hurried on. The wind
tossed the snow In his face, clouds
were drifting up from the west, and
plotting out the stars. .-7=-.--~s. -
He called finally across the field:
rosy! Rosy" the wind caught the
name as it left his lips and tossed It
away S r. ~.
The little voice sang no more. Only
the wind kept up its swift minor swell,
and went on heapfng little mounds in
the corners. A great fear was: in his
heart. He called again. Oh there!
whence came the little voice that cried
sobbingly: Papa. oh. papa!", .za.. 81. (
He sprang forward eagerly. calling
again and again, and each time the lit
tie voice answered, till at last be had
his own little daughter In his arms:
the little Christmas angel who had
come through the snow to him with
| her message of peace. 4
Nate Downey stopped minute at
| the door Of the church to let 81 them