Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-20

did not wish to see 1t again. 1t
had profoundly depressed the end
of life. married with the vices OF
the world.
The man was speaking. He had
been talking for q long time: an IL
relevant, disiointed discourse. matters
that seemed to have no relation to the
vital matter. he now returned to 1t
in a sentence,
Il have known a miracle To hap
pen he said.
1t WAS a reference 20 the doctors
decision when he had been searched
out in this South American port TO
visit an American on his yacht in the
BAY: a wealthy. dying American. The
verdict was correct. The man was
dying. Only - miracle could save him.
The doctor had been frank about II.
The luali continued with his sentence.
'"rhc miracle didn't happen TO me,
but il happened 10 another"
lie paused and looked up. The South
ern Cross hung low down IL me
heavens that wonder OF the sky visi-
BILE below the equator.
do you know what night this is?
The doctor did not reply. one did
not need to he reminded that this was
the night before Christmas. All the
emblemS of the great Roman Church
were lighted and displayed in this
south American ilIN To ne Jimmy lloHl
the dark bay, like Illuminated cells in
the hive Of some Clif-beeS The bay
was dark as though the night We're
packed into il; merely the outlines of
the Yacht We're visible. The sick man
in a long deckChair was only Sha-
dow. The doctor sat Il little way
beyond him. near the rail. He could
neither see the man nor the sea clear
ly. The ripple of the water alone in
dictated the vicinity of the ocean. The
deck Of the yacht might have been
the floor of a drawing room; there
was hardly any motion.
The sick man went on. The doctor
thought he indicated the great con-
Stellation above him with gesture,
although he could not see the gesture.
Wonderful emblem, the cross" he
said. Religions are profound mys-
terry"
He paused.
Il was speaking Of Il miracle that
happened.
The voice was lower and on u softer
note.
Did YOU ever read the Gospel Ac-
cording to st. Luke? | want you to
think about that gospel. ] mean the
story of the Nativity as it is written
in that gospel; not the other stories of
it. You wouldn't understand it yet"
He broke off suddenly in his dis
course.
DO you think it makes any differ.
ence about names or the places where
things happen"
The doctor replied to that.
Yes" he said. 1T sometimes
makes a great deal of difference: a
name is symbol" 1t was an answer
that the man did not expect. but he
reflected upon ii.
THAT may be true" he said; con
sequently l am not going to give a
name or indicate the place~Where this
thing happened"
He moved in the chair as though he
adjusted his big body to more COM
Portable posture. The doctor was In
different. He was accustomed to the
confessions, the intimate stories of
broken men. He knew the mental
symptom. as he knew the quickened
pulse and the falling temperature, at
the end of life, and he respected it as
something to be endured. He was 81
lent.
THE man began his narrative with a
query-a query that was a state
ment rather than an interrogation.
Have you forgotten what Decem-
Der night is like in North America,
or is everything hot and soft to you?
Well, try To remember what such q
night is like. Think Of the sky hard
and bright. full of stars; the earth
crisp; the air sharp-a bit of wind
carrying q light drift of snow-not
heavy flakes that so quickly cover the
world, but that thin mist of snow that
drifts sometimes in the chill air.
Think OF a great country house on a
hill, 81 gravel road passing out at
pillared gate into paved highway,
leading across a raw land to the sea.
And think of this place-this house.
these park grounds, as the only thing
OF beauty in a crude country walled In
by mountains You know the sort of
country east of the Appalachian
range, running southwestward through
America"
He paused.
Now you have the place. with no
name attached to It. Try to think
about something else. I want you to
see a woman in this house. l am
going to tell you about her. She was
the loveliest human creature that ever
lived. You can't think of anything
as lovely. Try it.
IN tell you how she was dressed;
I know all about 1t; I know each de-
tail about it, and 1 know what she
was doing. l know everything she
did"
There was a break in the narrative.
you see, the miracle didn't happen
to me: it happened to her, and one
does not forget the details of mir
acle."
He went on.
You keep the details in your mind,
and when l get through you will
understand why / say she was the
loveliest human creature that ever
lived. | want you to think of her as
she was that night-that Christmas
eve-that night the miracle happened.
She wore a house-gown Of iris-blue.
beautifully embroidered in Japanese
designs; her yellow hair, soft, heavy
and delicate, hung in two wriSt-thick
plaits on either side of her face, ex-
tending themselves over the iris
10 the knee. Her features we're very
nearly perfect, her eyes large. the
mouth small. but the dominating
quisite figure. One never could wish
70 change a contour of it.
You see, she had been a beauty
from the cradle; 1t was sort of pro-
tession to her-a sort of genius in her.
The will behind events had designed
her for a life of pleasure-not for the
sort of life she had gotten into. She
was standing before the wood fire In
the drawing room of the big house.
I want you to start in with that so
You will get the details of the miracle
clear In your mind.
She was alone. The last servant
had gone on this night to the village.
The house was silent. She thought
there was a vague menace in this
silence"
He paused.
You see, Doctor. l know all about
this. 1 kroW the very impressions she
1,,f q
that impregnated this silence. This
,unnnan wasn't afraid She was NOV