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

ing the Waits myself Being an art
full little thing / knew that my plan
would be opposed, so / said nothing
about It, but I got my mother to
play and sing the carol | had heard
overnight. until nay quick ear had
mastered both tune and words, and
when darkness f.il on Christmas
night / proceeded TO carry out my
| intention.
In the heat OF my impdtience | for
got To- put on cloak or hat, and, steal
ing out Of the house, ! found myself
| in the carriage drive with nothing on
but d pair Of thin slippers and tie
| velvet frock that left my neck and
arms SO bare. il was showing, and
the snowfiakes were whrling around
me and making me dizzy, for In the
light from my mothers window they
seemed to come up from the ground
as down from the sky.
When got out Of the light Of the
winGow. 1t was very dark, and /
could only see that the chestnuts in
the drive seemed to nave white ban-
keta on them which looked as if they
had been hung out to dry 1t was
long time before ! got to the gate
ana then | had begun to be nervous
and TO have half a mind to turn
back. But the thought Of the bunloaf
ana the sherry vine buoyed me up
and presently ! found myself on the
/ hlgh road, crossing a brtoge and turn
/ Ing down lane that led to the sea,
/ whose moaning mile away was the
I only sound could hear.
knew quite well where was
going to. / was going to the doc
/ tors house, It was called sunny
Lodge, and it was on the edge of yell
10" Gorse Farm. had seen it more
IMAM once when ! had driven out in
| the carriage with my mother, and had
/ thought how sweet it looked with its
"hitewashed walls and brown thatch-
ed roof and the red and white roses
which grew over the porch
/ was fearfully cold before got
there The snow was in my slippers
and down my neck and among the
| thlckenlne masses Of my hair. At one
moment came upon some sheep and
! lambs that were sheltering under a
/ hedge, and they bleated in the silence
/ OF the night.
I But at last saw the warm red
1 windows of the doctors cottage. and
coming to the wicket gate, ! pushed Il
open, though It was clogged with
snow, and stepped up to the porch.
My teeth were now thattering with
cold. but as well as | could | began
to sing, and in my thin and creachy
voice had got as far as
! Ch'ist was born in Bef- lem.
Chls: was born in Bef-lem.
Chlst was born in Bef- lem.
An in manager laid. e..
when ! heard a rumbling noise in
side the house
Immediately afterward the door was
opened upon me, and a woman whom
knew to be the doctors wife looked
down into my face with an expression
of bewilderment, and then cried.
Goodness gracious me, doctor-lf 1t
isn't little Mary O'Nein, God bless
her."
Bring her in at once then" said
the voice of Doctor Conrad from
within. and at the next moment |
I round 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 coZy and bright with
a ragWork hearth-rug. dresser full of
blue pottery and a soft settle covered
with red cloth.
l suppose the sudden change TO a
warm room mus 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 millish Git
lie sweet and veg-Veen Qittle dear)
while she rubbed my half frozen
umbs and did other things that We're,
! 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 dolly-tuh placed i'll front
OF the fire, and was being carried up
stairs Gin night dress many sizes
too large for mel to a little dimity-
white bedroom where the sweet
smelling "scraas' under the sloping
thatch NJ the roof came down almost
To my face