Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-08

HdiT TuDDel upward, steetuI TreSlSIlpl1
brown eyes. and a defiant little laugh.
Speechlessly. almost breathlessly. they
watched him, all possessed by the same
thought. He paused. made little plung-
ing run forward. then paused again. with
bright eyes fixed. too young to wonder.
on the seat beside Miriam.
"Unka Rod" he said and stood still.
His father wiped the streaming sweat
from his brow with his cold fingers. The
judge. with a quick convulsive motion.
turned his head to see IL the portrait still
hung as ii had hung moment simeon
the same side o: the room as that by
which the child had entered and therefore
impossible for him TO see where he had
stood No. IL could not have been the sug-
gestion of the picture.
Lucy extended her curling arm to her
boy. Mothers soft sweet thing she
murmured. TREMENDOUSLY. But ne ran CO.
quettshly to his grandfather. and STOOD
pulling at his knees. The Judge did NOT
seem 10 see the boy. Miriam bent and
dropped a swift. passionate kiss-and
who knows what els ?-on his glisteninG
baby head, as he finally battered past ner.
to be gently lifted by o'Neill into ms
mothers arms. whore he lay quiet.
More quiet sat the others. The only
moving thing in the room was the restless
shadow on the wall of the low-nlckeTlns
candles on the table. 1t was one OF those
few those Incompatible moments when IL
Is for awe not for pain. that one can NOT
speak The Christmas morning was al
most upon them The clock hands pointed
to - and in a few seconds the Deiis
from the little chapel on the corner would
ring in the day they had looked to remem-
Der as the saddest. instead of the most
sacred, of their Christmases
In reverent consciousness of presence
before which fear would be profana-
ton, they waited its coming. Emotion.
the hidden, halfblushedfor basis OF our
life the secret stream that feeds 1t. over
flowed them with the sweetness OF thins
almost forbidden, and the thongs and
irons of mortality seemed to drop away.
Meanings began to flash In on them
from words and ideas that had seemed
dead-"Your light affiiction. that en-
dureth but for nom mt ueath
where is thy sting? now empty
to think that, after all. IT was the
words which were significant. the ears
which had been dull.
The bells were beginning now. In
faintness, swelling to strength. they Of
fered their homage to the young day or
days in the clear music OF:
Christians. awake. salute the happy
morn
and then. waxing very strong and proud:
pealed out the familiar program: Hark.
the herald angels. while shepnerus
watched their flocks'-whie those VINO
had been wont to rise and sing them OUT
as the bells rang them out sat mute anu
motionless listeners.
But at the "Adeste Fidelis" Miriam
suddenly sprang to her feet, and-after
moment-the others with her. Had NOT
Rod loved it best sung 1t best? Her
translucent face had a spl ndor on it, as,
proudly throwing back her head, she
Joined her tremulous young voice Win
those of the others, and with the peaiins
bells:
20 come. all ye Faithful.
Joyful and triumphant
But, after all, the bells carried on tho
hymn alone. 1t had suddenly stopped on
their dips like the swapping of threao.
The circle confusedly disintegrated, their
startled eyes straining in obedience to
crude instinct toward the door. then re-
turning, with tenfold awe, to one an
others faces. Then they all gathered
about Miriam, with fond exclamations.
and arms ready to stay her should she
SWAY and murmured adjurations:
Don't faint. don't faint, dear!'-
Hold her up.
swered with composure. She unclasped
their arms and looked upon them quietly.
Il knew from the first he-Would not
stay. What does it matter! He came, we
saw him. we all saw him, and is not .ha1
enough?"
II saw him." slowly said Sylvester, as
though scarce expecting them to believe
him.
Il was afraid to speak Of II ., muir
INJURED one of the sisters. NOT that !
not-but-I so feared l was the only one.
AS l looked at his chair. wishing SO that
he were tl!ere-suddenly he was there|t
seemed as though he had been there
lie sat down with u.s. said Miriam,
simply. Her eyes still glowed.
Look to father said George. sudden
". Almost had they forgotten him, In
their needless care for Miriam. Ihey a.,
turned, with startled faces. He MAD
dropped into his seat. strangely Slight
and bowed and pitiful figure. His face
none could see, but the hands into which
he had laid IL and at which nttle Anna
pulled compassionately were wet.
Father" she cried, with a flash or
COMPREHENSION. You saw him, after ALL
Her father raised his face for mo-
ment-a battle-ground of tense emotions,
where wonder had not yet wholly con-
uuered anguish. The shattering of unbe-
lief carries with it something of the same
daze, the same wrench of the heart as the
SCATTERING of faith. For just one MIN
ute," he half whispered, In a shaken
voice. Just Unjust in the vanishing. IL
was a great shock very great shock-
80 Perhaps 1 merely persuaded myself
7 was frenzied with the thought that you
could look where / looked and see what
could not see. until suddenly, while you
sang. something seemed to break In me.
and-I thought I saw. l wish you
would all GO l can't talk.
They left him. softly slipping out IN
little groups Only O'Neill whose pres
ence they had scarcely realized. did not
seem to consider himself included he
moved noiselessly about the table
smoothing imaginary wrinkles In the
cloth. until the eyes of the two old men
met Then, as though answering ques-
ton: 49,,
onraalest are raalest," said the servant.
An t'other way around"
"O'Nein," asked the master. did You
see him.
/ have seen thim."
Tn the aromatic dusk of the great ever
preen-decked front room, the sacred par
Tor of their childhood days, whittier the
rest of the family had withdrawn them
selves. Philip came up and spoke to Mir
TO-, che had taken his sleeping boy from