Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1909-12-17
The Lesson Learned.

The snow was falling in soft, fugitive
fakes down over the gray land, sitting
through the branches of the dark pines
OH the hillside, slipping from the carved
cornices OF the old temple in the shadow
Of the pines, drifting into the shrine to
touch the gilded image of Buddha that,
for centuries, had looked mmoved on
! sun and snow alike. For this all hap
pened in Japan.
In the pretty garden in front OF the
little missionary house, the snowt1akes
tiecked the feathers Of the bronze crane,
rested on the broad back of the stone
turtle and heaped themselves upon the
dwarf expresses, the miniature hills and
dales, and tiny little bridges. Almost as
unheeded, they fell upon little Davy
Brewster, VINO sat upon the steps over
looking the garden, his elbows on his
knees, his chin cuddled into his pink
palms. The feathery atoms rested on
his yellow curls, on his little black shout
ders, his thin black legs, and his shining
black shoes. He knew well enough that
it was showing; he even watched, with
moody eyes, one huge flake, bigger than
Stll ZIG 1tSC. IlldO SCilICN OIA HAAO oAlS AtfN
ing now and then as though it were all
unwilling to alight in the toy garden, as
though it would float on across to the
temple gate, to the golden Buddha it
self Davy knew, too, that it was Christ
mas eve; that, after weeks Of weary
waiting, Christmas had come to every
one in his own far-off land. But not to
him and to his mother.
Il oh rpcG-inu Cnft Iv
backward and forward just inside the
sitting there in her new black gown.
He knew that if he went into speak to
her she would draw him close in her
boy!'' He knew that if he asked her
the same question she would give him
the same answer; that if he asked her If
Santa Claus was coming tonight she
would say tenderly that there could be
10 Christmas for him or for her, be-
cause they were left all alone in the
world He was sure that he could kiss
her tears away; that if he held his hands
on her checks and told her how much he
loved her she would stop crying; but he
knew, oh, YES, he knew very we'll that
what she had said was true-that Christ
mas WIS uOt COIIIIIS5 1Ol CiASIi'
1t was such little time ago that his
father had been with them, though, that
his father had told him that Christmas
would come when the snow came. Now
the white flakes were flying down from
the sky, nesting everywhere upon the
ground, but--but it wasn't Christmas, 1t
wasn't Christmas for him. He Won
dered if it was Christmas in the heaven
where his father had gone.
The snowAakes fell faster, the gray
night slipped over the land. The temple
bell doomed heavily down from the shad-
owed hill, and its waves or magical
music rolled across the thatch-rooted
village, across the fields, away to the
misty horizon Into the silence that
| traiIed behind the child's blue eyes gazed
| in a new terror of loneliness. Scram-
| bling to his feet he fled into the house
and flung himself into his mothers arms,
sobbing uncontrolably.
| Mrs. Brewster held him close and
| whispered: ''Davy, Davy-boy!" For just
an instant her tears fell on his yellow
curls. Only for that instant, though,
did he forget the promise he had made
to his father--to be d brave boy. Sud
denly mindful of it, he cuddled her
| cheeks with MS ndnQS anu hlSStu LIZ
tears from her tired eyes.
| The Christmas sun flung down upon
the white world flood OF golden light
and glory. The branches OF the pine
trees dropped under their burdens; the
temple roof was all smooth and white
and undefled; the lap of the golden
Buddha was heaped with snow; the
bronze crane stood knee deep in the
| feathery mass; the stone turtle showed
only his pointed head. Davy, sitting
| again on the steps that led down into
the garden. looked out toward the hori-
zon that was shimmering blue and pink
and white, and wondered where Christ
mas did begin, wondered just how near
| to him Santa Claus had come.
| From the horizon his eyes wandered
back across the village of matched roofs
that Law at the foot of the hill. A
bright line of vivid color, red and blue
and green, was moving slowly along the
snow covered road that led from the
village to the hill. Davy knew that it
was the children from the mission school
| wearing their gayest, brightest kmonos.