The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-07-05

bic thing had happened! She had
been deceived, and the beautiful
cloak which belonged to her master
Was stolen. She ran wildly arouHd
seeking among the people inside and
outside the church, but it was Of no
use. SO. trembling and frightened, she
returned home, all the JOY of her
Christmas Eve dimmed and clouded
by flood Of tears.
Dropping her head before him, poor
little Zita told her master what had
happened. Naturally he was very an
cry. He did not see why she should
have been so careless as to loan his
cloak to a beggar, and he blamed her
severely. But bitterer than all the
words he said it was to see his face,
and to know how he was grlevln" tor
the cloak which his dear wife had
given him. Zita crawled away mis-
erably to bed and sobbed herself to
sleep.
Now. in the morning, before the
older folks we're astir, Zita rose to be-
gin her daily work, to light the fire
and get the breakfast ready for her
master and mistress. Usually she
arose happy as a lark, and fresh as a
little pink daisy when it holds up ITS
dewy lips to kiss the sun good-morn-
ing. 1t was Christmas Day and all
the bells were ringing joyously. But
Zita's heart was heavy as lead, and
her ewes were red and swollen with
CRYING, even in her dreams. What JOY
could Christmas Day bring to her, or
to the house where so unlucky mt
tie girl lived9 As she was going about
her work Hstlessly. dreadlng the
time when she must see her master
again, there came a knock at the
door. It was too early for visitors;
who could it be this Christmas morn
ing?
Zita went to the door anxiously
and there on the door-stone stood
stranger. He was a beautiful youth,
and. oh, wonderful to say! there was
halo about his head, and great lum-
inous wings folded at his back. He
smiled as she opened the door and
held out to her a cloak-the very
same one which Zita had loaned to
the beggar the night before. She
gave a cry Of joy, and reached out
her hand for it.
Eyes. Zita,' said the angel, kind
" "here is the lost cloak. You shall
never suffer for being kind. on are
blest for your goodness to the poor
cold, shivering beggar. It will not be
forgotten. He gave the cloak into
her eager hands; but when she went
to thank him he was gone, and only
the fragance Of lilies remained about
the door to show that messenger
from Paradise had been there.
The Zita hurried back into the
house with a light heart and shining
ewes. What a rejoicing there was
about that breakfast table, and what
a merry Christmas they had! BY and
by they went out to look for the beg
oar. but he was nowhere to be found.
And to this day the people of Bozzan-
clio believe that the beautiful youth
who brought back the cloak was the
angel who knelt, disguised as beg
gar. at the church door, to test the
charity Of the little maid. And It IS
still called the "Angel door" in mem
orv Of the strange thing that happen
ed.
After this it seemed as if the good
spirits Of another world had grown
to love Zita and watched over her.
She felt their presence when she
went on long journeys and she knew
she was always in the shadow Of their
wings. There is a story to prove this.
Once. on the Eve Of St. Mary MAG
dalene's Day. which comes on July
.. she went on a pilgrimage to the
church Of that saint. It was seven
miles away on the road to Lucea and
she had to walk all that weary dis
tance. It was late when she started,
for there had been much work to DO,
and she did not get theer till after
dark. Oh. how tired her poor little
feet we're when she reached the
church. and how badly she felt when
she found the great door closed and
the services ended. Poor little child.
Had she come all that distance for
l1.3 ENo ,, cha cold to herself :.