The herald., 1915-12-16

weather was fine, lived a boy named
Pedro, and his little brother. They
knew very little about the Christmas
chimes. they had heard of the service
in the church on Christmas eve and
had a secret p. N that they had often
talked over when by themselves for
going to the beautiful celebration.
Nobody can guess. Little Brother"
Pedro would say, all the fine things
there are to see and hear in the
church. and have even heard it said
that the Christ child himself some
times comes down to bless the meet
ing What if we could see him."
The day before Christmas il was
bitterly cold and a few lonesome snow
flakes were flying in the air and
there was a hard white crust on the
ground.
Sure enough. Pedro and Little
Brother were able to slip quietly away
early in the afternoon on their way
to the celebration; and although the
walking was hard in the frosty air,
before nightfall they had trudgcd so
| far, hand in hand, that they saw the
lights of the big city just ahead OF
! them. Indeed they were about TO en-
! ter one of the great gates in the wall
that surrounded ii, when they saw
something dark on the snow near the
path, and stepped aside to look at it.
1t was a poor woman who had fallen
| Just outside OF the city. too sick and
| tired and cold to get in where she
| might have found shelter. The snow
| made a soft pillow for her and she
| would soon be so sound asleep in the
! winter air that no one could ever
awaken her again. All this Pedro saw
| in a moment. and he knelt down be-
side her and tried to rouse her. He
turned her face toward him. so that
he could rub some snow on it, but he
soon sighed and said:
IT'S no use, Little Brother, you will
| have to go on alone"
"Alone?" cried Little Brother, and
you will not see the Christmas festi-
val?"
No" said Pedro, and he could not
| help a little choking sound of disap-
| pointment in his throat. See this
poor woman, she will freeze to death
il nobody cares for her. You can
| bring someone to help her when you
come back, and | can keep her alive.
| You can easily find your way to the
church, and you must see and hear
| everything twice, little brother, once
for you and once for me. ] am sure
| the Christ child must know how |
would love to come and worship him,
| and, oh, if you get chance, little
brother, slip up to the altar without
getting in anyone's way, and take
this little silver piece of mine and lay
it down for my offering when no one
is looking. Don't forget the place
where you left me, and hurry, now, so
you won't be late"
He winked hard to keep back the
tears as he heard the crunching foot
steps of little brother sounding farther
and farther away in the darkness.
1t was also hard to lose the music
and the splendor Of the celebration
that he had planned so long, to lose
the chance of offering his silver piece
that he had saved for the Offering to
the Christ child, and to spend the
time instead in the lonesome snow
outside the dreary walls. But 1t new,
er occurred to him to leave the poor
woman in the freezing cold.
The great church was truly won
derful place that night. Every one
said that 1t had never looked so bright
and beautiful before. When the or
gan played and the thousands OF peo-
pie sang the hymns, the walls shook
with the sound, and little Pedro. out
side the walls of the city, felt the
earth tremble all around him. AT
last came the procession to bear the
offerings to the altar, when great and
rich men and women marched up to
lay down their gifts to the Christ
child. Some brought wonderful Jew
els, some baskets of gold so heavy
that they could scarcely carry them
down the aisle. A great writer laid
down a book that he had been max
ing for years, and last OF all walked
the king of the country, hoping tc
win for himself the chimes of the
Christmas bells.
There was a great murmur through
the church as the people saw the kine
take from his head the royal crown
all set with diamonds and other pre-
cious stones, and laid it cleaning on thu
altar as his offering to the Holy child
Surely said every one, I'VE shall
hear the bells now, for nothing like
this has ever been offered before"
And they all stood still to listen, bu
only the cold, cold wind was heard IL
the stone tower; and the people shool
their heads, some of them saying al
they had done before, that they reall!
, never believed the story Of the chimes
anyway.
The procession was over, and tn
, gifts were all on the altar, the choi
2 had begun the closing hymn.
, Suddenly the organist stopped play
, ing, and every one looked at the min
, lister, who was standing in his plac
holding up his hand for silence. No
? a sound could be heard from anyon
in the church. While all the peopl