Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-28


would be opposed, go I said nothing
about It, but ! got my mother 10
play and sing the carol ] had heard
overnight, until my quick ear had
mastered both tune and words, and
when darkness fen on Christmas
intention.
In the heat Of my Impotence ! for
got 10 put on cloak or hat, and, steal
| ing out Of the house, ! found myself
in the carriage drive with nothing on
but q pair Of thin slippers and the
! velvet frock that left my neck and
arms so bare. It was showing, and
the snowliakes were whirling around
me and making me dizzy. for in the
light from my mothers window they
seemed to come up from the ground
a down from the sky.
When ] got out Of the light Of the
WINDOW, IT was very dark, ana !
could only see that the chestnuts in
the drive seemed to have white blan-
kets on them which looked as If they
had been hung out to dry. II was
a long time before | got to the gate.
and then | had begun to be nervous
and TO have half mind to turn
back. But The thought Of the bunloaf
and the sherry wine buoyed me up.
and presently l found myself on the
nigh road, crossing a bridge and turn
ing down lane that led to the sea.
whose moaning mile away was the
only sound | could hear.
knew quite Wen where was
going TO- ! was going to the doc
tors house. 1t was called sunny
Lodge, and 1t was on the edge of yell
low Gorse Farm. had seen ii more
than once when | had driven out in
the carriage with my mother, and had
thought how sweet il looked with its
| whitewashed walls and brown thatch
ed roof and the red and white roses
which grew over the porch.
was fearfuly cold before | got
! there. The snow was in my slippers
and down my neck and among the
thickening masses OF my hair. AT one
! moment | came upon some sheen and
lambs that We're sheltering under
hedge. and they bleated in the silence
/ of the night
But at last | saw the warm red
! windows Of the doctors cottage and
coming to the wicket gate. pushed il
OPEN though 1t was clogged with
snow, and stepped up to the porch
| My teeth were now chattering with
cold, but as well as could l began
to sing, and in my thin and creachv
voice had got as far as
| 'Ch'ist was born in Bef-lem,
/ Chlst was born in Bef-lem.
| Chist was born in Bef-lem
An in manger laid
/ when l heard rumbling noise in
side the house
Immediately afterward the door was
opened upon me. and woman whom
l knew to be the doctors wife looked
down into my face with an expression
of bewilderment, and then cried:
Goodness gracious me. doctor-if il
isn't little Mary O'Neill, God bless
her"
Bring her in at once, then" said
the voice of Doctor Conrad from
within, and at the next moment /
found myself in a sort of kitchen
parlor which was warm with a glow
ing turf fire that had a kettle sing
ing over II. and coy and bright with
a ragwork hearth-rug. dresser full of
blue pottery and soft settle covered
with red cloth
] suppose the sudden change to a
warm room must have caused me to
faint, for | have no recollection of
what happened next. except that | was
sitting on somebody's lap and that
she was calling me boght milish Git
Tie sweet and veg-Veen Cittle dear)
while she rubbed my half frozen
! limbs and did other things that were,
| am sure, all womanly and good
When | came to myself Doctor Con-
rad was saying | would have to sleep
there that night, and he must go over
to the Big House and tell my mother
what had happened. He went. and by
the time he came back | had been
bathed in a dolly-tuh placed in front
of the fire, and was being carried up
stairs Gin a night dress many sizes
too large for mel to a little dimity-
white bedroom where the sweet
smelling "scrass' under the sloping
thatch OF tho roof came down almost
TO my face.
A Home of Love.
know nothing of what happened
during the night except that I was
feeling very hot. and that as often as
| opened my eyes the doctors wife
was leaning over me and speaking In
soft voice that seemed far away
i But next day | felt cooler, and then
! Aunt Bridget came in her satin man
| tie and big black hat. and said some
| thing. while standing at the end OF
my bed, about people paying the pen
atty when they did things that were
| SLY and underhand.
| Toward evening | was much easier. |
and when the doctor came in to see
me ut night he said;
| How are we this evening" All, !
| better, | see. Distinctly better,"
And then, turning to his wife. he
said
NO need to stay up with her to-
! night, Christian Ann"
| But won't the hoght millish be
/ afraid to be left alone?" she asked.
! | said ! shouldn't, and she kissed
] mo "a nd toll ., at 1,