Then Mistress Mary
was elevated to a great height on a pyramid of tables and chairs, and
suspended the two Christmas angels by invisible wires from the
ceiling. When the chorus of admiration had subsided, she took the
white dove from Rhoda's upstretched hands (and what a charming
Christmas picture they made--the eager, upturned rosy face of the
one, the gracious fairness of the other!), and laying its soft breast
against her cheek for a moment, perched it on the topmost branch of
waving green with a thought of 'Mr. Man,' and a hope that the blessed
day might bring him a tithe of the cheer he had given them. The
effect of the dove and the angels was so electrical that all the
fresh young voices burst into the chorus of the children's hymn:
'He was born upon this day
In David's town so far away,
He the good and loving One,
Mary's ever-blessed Son.
Let us all our voices lend,
For he was the children's Friend,
He so lovely, He so mild,
Jesus, blessed Christmas Child!'
As the last line of the chorus floated through the open windows, an
alarm of fire sounded, followed by a jangle of bells and a rumble of
patrol wagons. On going to the west window, Edith saw a blaze of red
light against the sky, far in the distance, in the direction of Lone
Mountain.
Pages:
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166