The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-12-31
THE MESSAGE
OF THE BELLS
A New Year Story.
BY ELIZABETH PRICE.

- IA "a -
ness, and the wind moaned around its
rough hewn corner a requiem for the
dying year. Within the tower sat the
old bellringer, waiting for the stroke Of
Twelve from the clock, and, as he
waited, his thoughts drifted back to the
years long buried in the dimness OF
The past-the years when his floating
white hair had been crisp and black,
when his long slender fingers were
strong and supple and struck from the
midnight chimes music OF enhancing
beauty.
All! life had been worth the living
in those far-off happy days. People had
predicted q wonderful future for him,
and ii spite OF the poverty that re-
tarded his progress, and a great aInbi-
ton possessed him. Obstacles were
pushed aside, difficulties overcome, as
he worked by day and studied by night,
and the bells In the tower spoke mar
Vicious things to the many who listened,
and who. listening, praised. Their
praise was sweet. but Elspeth's was
sWeeter. and. when one New Years
eve, he told her of his love and won
her promise to be his own, his heart
peat with a rapture that thrilled
through the chimes that night till lis
teners wondered and children came
back from dreamland to hear.
on. happy memory! oh. long ago!
II was on another night like this that
Ruprecht was born; and the low which
beamed from the pale young mothers
face was reflected In his own, as he left
her baby on her bosom and rushed to
the bell tower to make his chimes a
paen OF praise to the Father who had
filled his life with blessing. How they
loved him-that baby-their only one
their all! HOY he and Elspeth had
watched each new deveIopment-how
proudly guided the first tottering step;
now carefully repeated the first lisping
WORD! How Joyfully they trained and
taught him. while the father. too busy
In his struggle for their maintenance to
realize his great ambition, transferred
~ uncomplainingly from his w future
TO that of his son! Nor had their hopes
pteen vain. The boy studied-improy-
ing every opportunity with untiring
zeal, until at last the great organ in
the cathedral below Numbered its glori-
Gus music responsive to the touch of
the boyish fingers. People ong
TO near. Ruprechts services were de-
manded Observation-Disclosures
opened before him, and the ineyitable
separation drew near.
New Years evei How many ami
versaries this shadowy hour held! The
boy bade them goodby while Elspeth
CHUNG to him and sobbed, and her hus-
pand rushed away to tell the chimes
ms agony as he had poured into them
MS JOY. AS he sat waiting even as
now, a step came UP the stair, and
some OF entered the belfry chamber,
n the voice he loved said tenderly:
Mem Water, let me play the chimes
tonlght. | Will cave with them a mes
'ase 70 COMFORT you when you are sad
a message for you and the mother
too.
When I hear 1t in the far-off land 1t
VIII be my mothers voice that sings tn
me, and when you play it, mein Water,
A. VIII say to you, 'Ruprecht loves me-
Won I'll rroyy sIs@1
boy and keep him safe for me- and the
All-Father will hear"
When Ruprecht struck the massive
Keys 1t was the simple old Pleyers
hymn he played, but he lent his beau
tiful voice to the clangor of the halls
and sang his mothers favorite words:
children of the Heavenly King
AS We journey sweetly sing;
Sing your Saviour's worthy praise
Glorious in His works and ways"
A later he was rome. The
years had been many and long since
then, but no tidings ever came, and
Elspeth's hair grew white before the
look of expectancy In her dear eyes.
changed to the calmness of resignation.
He was dead. Of course They knew
now that 1T must be SO, though they
had not given up hope till they had
left the old home and followed their
wanderer to the new country. They
had heard of the wrecked ship, to be
sure, but hope dies hard. Perhaps If
they had been patient-had stayed on
amid the enc Of his childhood-he
might have come back to them; but
how could they be patient when the
world was SO wide, and half of it lay
between them and the land that had
waiting now-he aud Elspeth for the
which should call them to
the happy reunion in a home where
there would be no sad goodbys, where
music knows no minor, and hearts for
get how to ache.
The first stroke of midnight sounded
and ar instant later the bells pealed
forth, while the old man sang with
trembling lips and voice that no one
heard but God-as he had ung every
New Year since that one:
children Of the Heavenly King
AS we journey sweetly sing;
Sing your SaVinur's worthy praise,
Glorious in His works and ways"
Then, IS the last reluctant echo died
away he stumbled down the narrow
stairs toward home and Elspeth.
Not far from the belItOWer stood a
mansion, where q great thrOnG had as
| sembled to watch the old yea out and
the new year in. Silken draperies
! rustled, Jewels cleaned, music rippled
on the p~erfuIned air, and happy voices
| rang sweet and high. But every sound
was silenced. and bright eyes grew dim
in the food of melody which suddenly
poured about the gay thrOng. They
crowded toward the music room, try-
ing to catch q glimpse Of the player.
Those who were near saw q slender
man, with fair curling hair brushed
back from q brow as pure as a Woman's.
The face was pale = the eyes sad,
but the sensitive mouth displayed an ex-
preston OF rare sweetness n beauty.
quietly he sat before the grand piano.
PLAYING without the slightest effort such
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