The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-12-26
DIAL PRIZE WENT
TO CLIFFORD RATE
Christmas Story Entitled Old Bell
Ringer Was Unanimous Choice of
Committee of Three.

The prize offered by the Dial, the
high school paper, for the
best Christmas story was won by Cliff |
ford II. Rate of the graduating class.
His story, entitled The Old Bell Ring
err, was the unanimous choice of the
judges, Mrs H. C. Rice, 1896, Mrs.
w. B. Smith, 1889, and Miss Ruth A
Brown, 1909. 1t is reprinted from the
Dial herewith:
THE OLD BELL RINGER.
Old Herman Koch, the old bell
ringer of st. Barnabas, stumbled down
the stairs from his attic room, button
ed his thin coat tightly about him and
went out into the starlight.
sit viii be white Christmas - said
Herman, as the light flakes of falling
snow beat softly against his cheeks,
settled on his old cap and chung damp
" to his shoulders. His face was worn
and sad. He was very poor and quite
alone in the world for he had neither
wife, child nor friend to whom he
could send good wishes.
1t is not Christmas if one cannot
| do something for others, said the old
bell ringer of St Barnabas, as he
| plodded through the snow. The snow lay
so soft and warm looking on the streets.
He passed people hurrying by with
their arms full of bundles. On in the
great white silence there was a little
tinkle of sleigh bells and the soft pad
pad. of horses feet.
Then he climbed the steps of the
church Of ST. Barnabas as the great
clock above him chimed the half-hour
! With his hand on the rope and Will
i his head bowed, Herman waited.
Suddenly, the clock above him in The
tower began to strike the hour o.
twelve. The old bell ringer bent hi
back to the rope ana pulled, and as h,
worked he set free a song upon III,
world. Out over the white night wen
the music Of the bells. They carole,
in the high tower and the soft nigh
winds seized the notes and took then
out over all the city.
Clear and sweet and satisfying, on
on the night, went the song of tn
5 bells. 4 crusty old bachelor gray an
! selfish, heard them, thought of frien
and sent him q gift, and better tina
) that, kindly greetings. A childleS
woman stopped in the street, question
cd little girl, and sent her ava
: with handful of money. 4 newsho
. gave half his papers to an unluck
|, comrade A wealthy lady, riding
her automobile heard the bells ant
seeing a feeble old man begging on
9 corner, took him in and carried hi
: home. She left him with handful {
e coins
f In the church of st. Barnabas Il
old bell ringer bent his back to Il
Z rope A rich man doubled the amour
. he had resolved to give to the poo
: A thief paused with his hand on b
!, neighbor 5 door, and then skunk bac
: to his lodgings A poor, tired WON;
! went to sit with 4 sick friend. \ ma
y in cell, his face scanned with erin
d and his heart hardened, shut his ey
a. for a minute and tried to remember
prayer.
N The bell notes tinkled down throus
n the tower of the church of ST. Barn
e. has to where the old bell ringer be
:. his back 10 the rope. They bfong
n with them memory of other days. II
5. heart warmed at the thought. but [
Il world seemed very lonely to Hermt
. Koch. He shook his head sadly. :"
= would be more like Christmas il
could do something to help others,
:, said the old bell ringer.