Latest / The Innocence of Father Brown / Christmas Angel - Abbie Farwell Brown

Transcript

Christmas Angel - Abbie Farwell Brown · The Innocence of Father Brown

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Part one of The Christmas Angel. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: by Jan mc gilivray. The Christmas Angel by Abby Farewell Brown,
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: Chapter one, the play Box. At the sound of footsteps
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: along the hall, Miss Terry looked up from the letter,
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: which she was reading for the sixth time. Of course
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: I would not see him, she said, pursing her lips
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: into a hard line. Certainly, not a bump on the
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: library door, as from an opposing knee did duty for
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: a knock. Bring the box in here, Norah, said Miss Terry,
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: holding open the door for her servant, who was gasping
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: under the weight of a pack case. Set it down
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: on the rug by the fireplace. I am going to
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: look it over and burn up the rubbish this evening.
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: She glanced once more at the letter in her hand,
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: then with a sniff, tossed it upon the fire yes'm
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: said Nora. As she set down the box with a thump.
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: She stooped once more to pick up something which had
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: fallen out when the cover was jarred open. It was
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: a pink paper machet angel, such as are often hung
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: from the top of Christmas trees as a crowning symbol.
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: Norah stood holding it between thumb and finger, staring amazedly.
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: Who would think to find such a bit of frivolity
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: in the house of Miss Terry? Her mistress looked up
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: from the fire where the bit of writing was writhing painfully,
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: and caught the expression of Norah's face. What have you there,
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: she asked, frowning as she took the other into her
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: own hands. The Christmas Angel, she exclaimed under her breath,
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: I had quite forgotten it then, as if it burned
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: her fingers. She thrust the little image back into the
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: box and turned to Norah brusquely. There that's all you
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: can go, now, Norah, she said, yes'm, answered the maid.
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: She hesitated, if you please'm it's Christmas Eve. Well, I
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: believe so, snapped Miss Terry, who seemed to be in
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: a particularly bad humor this evening. What do you want?
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: Norah flushed, but she was hardened to her mistress's manner,
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: only to ask if I may go out for a
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: little while to see the decorations and hear the singing
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: decorations singing, Fiddlestick retorted, Miss Terry, poker in hand, what decorations?
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: What singing? Why all the windows along the street are
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: full of candles, answered Nora, Rows of candles in every
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: house to light the christ child on his way when
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: he comes through the city tonight, Fiddlestick again snarled her.
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: Mistress and choir boys are going about the streets, they say,
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: singing carols in front of the lighted houses, continued Norah, enthusiastically.
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: It must sound so pretty. They had much better be
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: at home in bed. I believe people are losing their minds.
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: Please'm may I go, asked Nora again. Norah had no
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: Puritanic traditions to her account. Moreover, she was young, and
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: warm and enthusiastic. Sometimes the spell of Miss Terry's somber
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: house threatened her to the point of desperation. It was
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: so this Christmas Eve, but she made her request with
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: apparent calmness. Yes, go along, assented her mistress, ungraciously. Thank you,
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: em said the servant demurely, but with a brightening of
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: her blue eyes. And presently the area door banged behind her.
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: Quick retreating footsteps. Humph didn't take her long to get ready,
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: muttered Miss Terry, giving the fire a vicious poke. She
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: was alone in the house on Christmas Eve, and not
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: a man, woman or child in the world cared well.
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: It was what she wanted, It was of her own
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: doing if she had wished. She sat back in her
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: chair with thin, long hands lying along the arms of it,
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: gazing into the fire. A bit of paper there was
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: crumbling into ashes. Alone on Christmas Eve, even Norah had
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: some relation with the world outside. Was there not a
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: stalwart officer waiting for her on the nearest corner. Even
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: Norah could feel a simple childish pleasure in candles and
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: carols and merriment and the old old superstition stuff and nonsense,
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: mused Miss Terry scornfully. What is our Christmas anyway? A
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: time for shopkeepers to sell and for foolish folks to
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: kill themselves in buying Christmas spirit? No, it is all humbug,
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: all selfishness and worry, an unwholesome season of unnatural activities.
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: I am glad, I am out of it. I am
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: glad no one expects anything of me, nor i of
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: any one. I am quite independent, blessedly independent of the
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: whole foolish business. It is a good time to begin
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: clearing up for the new year. I'm glad I thought
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: of it. I've long threatened to get rid of the
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: stuff that has been accumulating in that court owner of
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: the attic. Now I will begin. She tugged the packing
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: case an inch nearer the fire. It was like Miss
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: Terry to insist upon that nearer inch. Then she raised
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: the cover. It was a box full of children's battered toys,
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: old fashioned and quaint, the toys in vogue thirty forty
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: fifty years earlier, when Miss Terry was a child. She
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: gave a reminiscent sniff as she threw up the cover
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: and saw on the under side of it a big
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: label of pasteboard, unevenly lettered play box of Tom Terry
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: and Angelina Terry. Humph. She snorted, There was a great
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: deal in that humph. It meant yes, Tom's name had
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: plenty of room, while poor little Angelina had to squeeze
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: in as well as she could. How liked Tom. This
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: accounted for everything, even to his not being in his
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: sister's house this very night. How unreasonable he had been.
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: Miss Terry shrugged impatiently. Why think of tom to night.
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: Years ago he had deliberately cut himself adrift from her interests.
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: No need to think of him now. It was too
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: late to appease her. But here were all these toys
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: to be got rid of. The fire was hungry for them?
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: Why not begin? Miss Terry stooped to poke over the
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: contents of the box with lean, long fingers. In one
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: corner thrust up a doll's arm. In another, an animal's
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: tail pointed heavenward. She caught glimpses of glitter and tinsel,
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: wheels and fragments of unidentifiable toys. What rubbish, she said, Yes,
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: I'll burn them all. They are good for nothing else.
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: I suppose some folks would try to give them away
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: and bore a lot of people to death. They seem
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: to think they are saving something that way. Nonsense. I
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: know better. It is all foolishness, this craze forgiving. Most
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: things are better destroyed as soon as you are done
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: with them. Why nobody wants such truck as this? Now?
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: Could any child ever have cared for so silly a thing?
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: She pulled out a faded jumping jack and regarded it
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: scornfully idiotic. Such toys are demoralizing for children, weaken their minds.
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: It is a shame to think how everyone seems bound
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: to spoil children, especially at Christmas time. Well, no one
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: can say that I have added to the shameful waste.
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: Miss Terry tossed the poor jumping jack on the fire
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: and eyed his last contortions with grim satisfaction. But as
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: she watched, a quaint idea came to her. She was
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: famous for eccentric ideas. I will try an experiment, she said,
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: I will prove once for all my point about the
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: Christmas spirit. I will drop some of these old toys
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: out on the sidewalk and see what happens. It may
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: be interesting. Chapter two, Jack in the Box. Miss Terry
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: rose and crossed two rooms to the front window, looking
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: out upon the street. A flare of light almost blinded
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: her eyes. Every window opposite her along the block, as
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: far as she could see, was illuminated with a row
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: of lighted candles across the sash. The soft, unusual glow
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: threw into relief the pretty curtains and wreaths of green,
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: and gave glimpses of cozy interiors and flitting happy figures.
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: What a waste of candles, scolded, Miss Terry, folks are
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: growing terribly extravagant. The street was white with snow, which
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: had fallen a few hours earlier, piled in drifts along
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: the curb of the little traveled terrace, but the sidewalks
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: were neatly shoveled and swept clean, as became the eminently
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: respectable part of the city where Miss Terry lived. A
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: long flight of steps with iron railing at the side,
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: led down from the front door, upon which a silver
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: plate had for generations in decorous flourishes announced the name
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: of Terry. Miss Terry returned to the play box and
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: drew out between thumb and finger the topmost toy. It
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: happened to be a wooden box with a wire hasp
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: for fastening the cover. Half unconsciously, she pressed the spring,
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: and a hideous jack in the box sprang out to
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: confront her with a squeak, a leering smile, and a nose.
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: Miss Terry eyed him with disfavor. I always did hate
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: that thing, she said, Tom was continually frightening me with it,
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: I remember, as if to be rid of unwelcome memories.
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: She shut her mouth tight, even as she shut Jack
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: back into his box, snapping the spring into place. This
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: will do to begin with, she thought. She crossed to
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: the window, which she opened quickly and tossed out the
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: box so that it fell squarely in the middle of
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: the sidewalk. Then closing the window and turning down the
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: lights in the room behind her, Miss Terry hid in
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: the folds of the curtain and watched to see what
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: would happen to Jack. The street was quiet, few persons
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: passed on either side. At last she spied two little
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: ragamuffins approaching. They seemed to be Jewish lads of the
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: newsboy class, and they eyed the display of Kendalls appraisingly.
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: The smaller boy first caught sight of the box in
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: the middle of the sidewalk. Hello, what's this, he grunted,
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: making a dash upon it. Gee, what's up, responded the other,
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: who was instantly at his elbow. Gwan, let me look
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: at it. The smaller boy drew away and pressed the
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: spring of the box. Eagerly, ping out popped the jack
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: into his astonished face, whereupon he set up a Guffaw
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: give it here, commanded the bigger boy. Naw, you let
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: it alone, it's mine, asserted the other edging away along
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: the curbstone. I saw it first. You can't have it.
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: Give it here. I saw it first myself. Hand it
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: over or I'll smash you. The bigger boy advanced threateningly.
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: I won't, the other. Clasping the box tightly under his jacket,
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: he started to run, but the bigger fellow was too
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: quick for him. He pounced across the sidewalk, and soon
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: the twain were struggling in the snow drift, pummeling one
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: another with might and main. I told you so, commented
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: Miss Terry from behind the curtain. Here's the first show
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: of the beautiful Christmas spirit that is supposed to be abroad.
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: Look at the little beasts fighting over something that neither
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: of them really wants. Just then, Miss Terry spied a
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: blue coated figure leisurely approaching. At the same moment, an
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: instinct seemed to warn the struggling urchins, cop said a
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: muffled voice from the pile of arms and legs, and
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: in an instant, two black shadows were flitting down the street,
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: but not before the bigger boy had wrenched the box
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: from the pocket of the little chap So that is
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: the experiment number one, quoth Miss Terry, smiling grimly. It
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: happened just about as I expected. They will be fighting
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: again as soon as they are out of sight. They
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: are Jews, but that doesn't make any difference about the
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: Christmas spirit. Now let's see what becomes of the next experiment,
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: Chapter three, The Flanton Dog. She returned to the play
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: box by the fire and rummaged for a few minutes
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: among the tangled toys. Then, with something like a chuckle,
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: she drew out a soft, pale creature with four wobbly legs,
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: the Flanton Dog. She said, well, I vow I had
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: forgotten all about him. It was Tom who coined the
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: name for him, because he was made of Canton flannel.
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: She stood the thing up on the table as well
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: as his weak legs would allow, and an inspected him critically.
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: He certainly was a forlorn specimen. One of the black
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: beads which had served him for eyes was gone. His ears,
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: which had originally stood up saucily on his head, now
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: drooped in limp dejection. One of them was a mere,
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: shapeless rag hanging by a thread. He was dirty and discolored,
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: and his tail was gone, but still he smiled with
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: his red thread mouth, and seemed trying to make the
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: best of things. Wa a nightmare, said Miss Terry contemptuously.
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: I know there isn't a child in the city who
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: wants such a looking thing. Why even the animal rescue
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: folks would give the boys a free shot at that.
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: This isn't going to bring out any Christmas spirit, she sneered.
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: I will try it and see once more. She lifted
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: the window and tossed the dog to the sidewalk. He
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: rolled upon his back and lay pathetically with crooked legs,
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: yearning upward, still smiling Hardly had Miss Terry time to
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: conceal herself behind the curtain when she saw a figure
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: approaching airily waving a stick. No ragamuffin this time, she said, Hello,
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: it is that good for nothing young Cooper fellow from
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: the next block. They say he is a millionaire. Well
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: he isn't even going to see the flanton dog. The
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: young man came swinging along debonairly. He was whistling under
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: his breath. He was a dapper figure in a long
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: coat and a silk hat, under which the candles lighted
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: a rather silly face. When he reached the spot in
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: the sidewalk where the Flanton dog lay. He paused a moment,
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: looking down, then he poked the object with his stick.
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: On the other side of the street, a mother and
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: her little boy were passing at the time. The child's
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: eyes caught sight of the dog on the sidewalk, and
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: he hung back, watching to see what the young man
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: would do to it, but his mother drew him after her.
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: Just then an automobile came panting through the snow. With
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: a quick movement, Cooper picked up the dog on the
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: end of his stick and tossed it into the street
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: under the wheels of the machine. The baby across the
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: street uttered a howl of anguish at the sight. Miss
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: Terry herself was surprised to feel a pang shoot through
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: her as the car passed over the queer old toy.
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: She retreated from the window quickly. Well that's the end
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: of Flanton, she said, with half a sigh. I knew
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: that Fellow was a brute. I might have expected something
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: like that, but it looked so so She hesitated for
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: a word and did not finish her sentence, but bit
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: her lip and sniffed cynically. Chapter four, The Noah's Ark.
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: Now what comes next. Miss Terry rummaged in the box
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: until her fingers met something odd shaped, long, and smooth sided.
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: With some difficulty, she drew out the object, for it
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: was of good size. Hum the old Noah's ark, she said,
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: I wonder if all the animals are in there. She
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: lifted the cover and turned out into her lap. The
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: long imprisoned animals and their round bodied chief. Missus Noah
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: and her sons had long since disappeared, but the ark builder,
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: hatless and one armed, still presided over a menagerie of
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: sorry beasts. Scarcely one could boast of being a quadruped
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: to few of them. The years had spared a tail
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: from their close resemblance. In their misery, it was not
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: hard to believe in the kinship of all animal life.
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: She took them up and examined them curiously, one by one. Finally,
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: she selected a shapeless, slate colored block from the mass.
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: This was the elephant, she mused. I remember when Tom
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: stepped on him and smashed his trunk. I guess I'm
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: going to be an expressman when I grow up, he said,
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: looking sorry. Tom was always full of his jokes. Now
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: I'll try this and see what happens to the Ark
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: on its last voyage. Just then there was a noise outside.
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: An automobile honked past, and Miss Terry shuddered, recalling the
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: pathetic end of the Flanton Dog, which had given her
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: quite a turn. I hate those horrid machines, she exclaimed.
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: They seem like juggernaut. I'd like to forbid their going
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: through this street. She crowded the elephant with Noah and
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: the rest of his charge back into the Ark and
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: closed the lid. I can't throw this out of the window,
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: she reflected, they would spill. I must take it out
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: on the sidewalk land. The fire's going out. That girl
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: doesn't know how to build fires, so they will keep.
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: She laid the Noah's Ark on the table, and going
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: to the closet, tugged out several big logs, which she
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: arranged geometrically. About laying fires. As about most other things,
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: Miss Terry had her own positive theories. Taking the bellows
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: in hand, she blew furiously and was presently rewarded with
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: a brisk blaze. She smiled with satisfaction and trotted upstairs
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: to find her red knit shawl. With this about her shoulders,
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: she was prepared to brave the december frost. Down the steps,
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: she went and deposited the arked discreetly at their foot,
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: then returned to take up her position behind the curtains.
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: There were a good many people passing, but they seemed
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: too preoccupied to glance down at the sidewalk. They were
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: nearly all hurrying in one direction. Some were running in
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: the middle of the street. They are in a great hurry,
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: sniffed Miss Terry disdainfully. One would think they had something
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: really important on hand. I suppose they are going to
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: hear the singing fiddlestick. A man hastened by under the window,
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: a woman, two children, a boy and a girl, running
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: and gesticulating eagerly. None of them noticed the Noah's ark
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: lying at the foot of the steps. Miss Terry began
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: to grow impatient. Are they all blind? She fretted, What
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: is the matter with them? I wish somebody would find
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: the thing. I am tired of seeing it lying there.
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: She tapped the floor impatiently with her slipper. Just then
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: a woman approached. She was dressed in the most uncompromising
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: of mourning, and she walked slowly with bent head, never
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: glancing at the lighted windows on either side. She will
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: see it, commented Miss Terry, and sure enough she did.
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: She stopped at the doorstep, drew her skirts aside, and
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: bent over to look at the strange shaped box at
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: her feet. Finally she lifted it, but immediately she shivered
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: and acted so strangely that Miss Terry thought she was
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: about to break the toy in pieces on the steps
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: or throw it into the street. Evidently she detested the
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: sight of it. Just then, up came a second woman
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: with two small boys hanging at her skirts. They were
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: ragged and sick looking. There was something about the expression
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: of even the tiny knot of hair at the back
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: of the woman's head, which told of anxious poverty. With
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: envious curiosity, she hurried up to see what a luckier
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: mortal had found. Crowding to look over her shoulder, The
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: woman in black drew haughtily away and clutched the Noah's
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: ark with a gesture of proprietorship. Go away, this is
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: my affair. Miss Terry read her expression and sniffed. There
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: is the Christmas spirit coming out again, she said to herself,
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: look at her face. The black gowned woman prepared to
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: move on with the toy under her arm, But the
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: second woman caught hold of her skirt and began to
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: speak earnestly. She pointed to the Noah's Ark, then to
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: her two children. Her eyes were beseeching. The little boys
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: crowded forward eagerly, but some wicked spirit seen to have
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: seized the finder of the ark. Angrily, she shook off
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: the hand of the other woman, and clutching the box
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: yet more firmly under her arm, she hurried away once twice.
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: She turned and shook her head at the ragged woman
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: who followed her. Then, with a savage gesture at the
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: two children, she disappeared beyond Miss Terry's straining eyes. The
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: poor woman and her boys followed forlornly at a distance.
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: They really wanted it that old Noah's Ark, exclaimed Miss Terry,
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: in amazement. I can scarcely believe it. But why did
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: that other creature keep the thing? I see, only because
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: she found they cared for it. Well, that is a
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: happy spirit for Christmas time, I should say. Humph. I
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: did not expect to find anything quite so mean as that.
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: End of Part one recording by Jan mc gillovrey. Part
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: two of the Christmas Angel. This LibriVox recording is in
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: the public domain. Recording by Jan mc gillivray. The Christmas
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: Angel by Abbey Farwell Brown, Chapter five. Miranda, Miss Terry,
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: returned to the fireside, fumbled in the box and drew
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: out a doll. She was an ugly, old fashioned doll
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: with bruised waxen face of no particular color. Her mop
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: of flaxen hair was straggling and uneven, much the worse
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: for the attention of generations of moths. She wore a
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: faded green silk dress in the style of Lincoln's day,
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: and a primitive bonnet, evidently made by childish hands. She
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: was a strange, dead looking figure, with pale eyelids closed
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: as Miss Terry dragged her from the box. But when
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: she was set upright, the lids snapped open, and a
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: pair of bright blue eyes looked straight into those of
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: Miss Terry. It was so sudden that the lady nearly
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: gasped Miranda. She exclaimed, it is old, Miranda, I have
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: not thought of her for years. She held the doll
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: at arm's length, gazing fixedly at her for some minutes.
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: I cannot burn her, she muttered. At last, it would
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: seem almost like murder. I don't like to throw her away,
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: but I have vowed to get rid of these things
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: to night, and I'll do it anyway. Yes, I'll make
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: an experiment of her. I wonder what sort of trouble
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: she will cause. Not even Miss Terry could think of
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: seeing old Miranda lying exposed to the winter night. She
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: found a piece of paper, rolled up the doll in
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: a neat package, and tied it with red string. It
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: was to look upon entirely attempting package. Once more, she
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: stole down the steps and hesitated where to leave Miranda.
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: Not on the sidewalk, for some reason that seemed impossible,
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: but near the foot of the flight of steps leading
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: to the front door, she deposited the doll. The white
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: package shone out plainly in the illuminated street. There was
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: no doubt that it would be readily seen. With a
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: quite unexplainable interest, Miss Terry watched to see what would
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: happen to Miranda. She waited for some time. The street
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: seemed deserted. Miss Terry caught the faint sound of singing.
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: The choristers were passing through a neighboring street, and doubtless
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: all wayfarers, within hearing of their voices, were following in
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: their wake. She was thoroughly in interested in her grim joke,
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: but she was becoming impatient. Were there to be no
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: more passers, must the doll stay there unreclaimed until morning.
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: Presently she became aware of a child's figure drawing near.
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: It was a little girl of about ten, very shabbily dressed,
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: with tangled yellow curls hanging over her shoulders. There was
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: something familiar about her appearance. Miss Terry could not say
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: what it was. She came hurrying along the sidewalk with
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: a preoccupied air, and seemed about to pass the steps
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: without seeing the package lying there. But just as she
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: was opposite the window, her eye caught the gleam of
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: the white paper. She paused. She looked at it eagerly.
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: It was such a tempting package, both as to its
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: size and shape. She went closer and bent down to
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: examine it. She took it into her bare her little hands,
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: and seemed to squeeze it gently. There is no mistaking
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: the contours of a doll, however well it may be
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: enveloped in paper wrappings. The child's eyes grew more and
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: more eager, she glanced behind her furtively, she looked up
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: and down the street. Then with a sudden intuition, she
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: looked straight ahead up the flight of steps. Miss Terry
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: read her mind accurately. She was thinking that probably the
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: doll belonged in that house. Someone must have dropped the
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: package while going out or in. Would she ring the
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: bell and return it? Miss Terry had not thought of
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: that possibility, but she shook her head and her lip curled.
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: Return it, of course not. Ragged children do not usually
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: return promising packages which they have found, even on Christmas Eve.
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: Look now, once more, the child glanced stealthily behind her,
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: up and down the street. Once more, she looked up
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: at the dark house before her, the only black spot
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: in a wreath of brilliancy. She did not see the
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: face peering at her through the curtains, a face which
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: scanned her own half wistfully, what was to become of Miranda.
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: The little girl thrust the package under her ragged coat
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: and ran away down the street as fast as her
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: legs could take her. A thief, cried Miss Terry. That
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: is the climax. I have detected a child taking what
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: she knew did not belong to her? On Christmas Eve?
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: Where are all their Sunday school lessons and their social
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: improvement classes? I knew it, this Christmas spirit that one
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: hears so much about, is nothing but an empty sham.
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: I have proved it to my satisfaction. Tonight I will
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: burn the rest of these toys, every one of them,
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: and then go to bed. It is too disgusting. She
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: was a nice looking child, too, poor old Miranda. With
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: something like a sigh, Miss Terry strode back to the fire,
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: where the play box stood gaping. She had made but
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: a small inroad upon its heaped up treasures. She threw
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: herself listlessly into the chair and began to pull over
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: the things, broken gains and animals, doll's dresses, painfully tailored
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: by unskilled fingers, disjointed members, sorry relics of past pleasures.
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: One by one, Miss Terry seized them between disdainful thumb
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: and finger, and tossed them into the fire. Her face
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: showed not a qualm at parting with these childhood treasures,
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: only the stern sense of a good housekeeper's duty, fulfilled
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: with queer contortions. The bits writhed on the coals, and
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: finally flared into dissolution, vanishing up chimney in a shower
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: of sparks to the Heaven of Spent Toys. Chapter six,
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: The Christmas Angel. Almost at the bottom of the box,
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: Miss Terry's fingers closed about a small object. Once more,
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: She drew out the paper machet angel which had so
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: excited the wonder of Norah, when once before that evening
• 32:29
  Speaker 1: it had come to light. Miss Terry held it up
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: and looked at it with the same expression on her face,
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: half tender, half contemptuous. The Christmas Angel, she murmured involuntarily
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: as she had done before, and again there flashed through
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: her mind a vivid picture. It was the day before Christmas,
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: fifty years earlier. She and her brother Tom were trimming
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: the Christmas tree in this very library. She saw Tom
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: in a white piquet suit with short socks that were
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: always slipping down his fat legs. She saw herself in
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: a white dress and blue ribbons, pouting in a corner.
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: They had been quarreling about the Christmas tree, disputing as
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: to which of them should light the first candle when
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: the time arrived. Then their mother came to them, smiling,
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: A sweet faced lady who seemed not to notice the
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: red faces and the tears. She put something into Tom's hand, saying,
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: this is the Christmas Angel of Peace and good will.
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: Hang it on the tree, children, so that it may
• 33:39
  Speaker 1: shed a blessing on all who come here to give
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: and to receive. How lovely and pink it looked in
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: Tom's hand. Little Angelina had thought it the most beautiful
• 33:50
  Speaker 1: thing she had ever seen, and wholly too, as if
• 33:54
  Speaker 1: it had some blessed charm. Fiddlestick, what queer Fancy's children have?
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: Miss Terry remembered how a strange thrill had crept through
• 34:05
  Speaker 1: Angelina as she gazed at it. Then she and Tom
• 34:09
  Speaker 1: looked at each other and were ashamed of their quarrel.
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: Suddenly Tom held out the angel to his sister. You
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: hang it on the tree, Angelina, he said, magnanimously. I
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: know you want to, But she little fool, she too
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: had a fit of generosity. No, you hang it, Tom,
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: you're taller, she said, I'll hang it at the very
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: top of the tree. He replied, nothing. Loath eagerly, he
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: mounted the step ladder, while Angelina watched him enviously, thinking
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: how clumsy he was and how much better she could
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: do it how funny and fat. Tom had looked on
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: top of the ladder, reaching as high as he dared.
• 34:56
  Speaker 1: The ladder began to wobble and he balanced precariously while
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: while Angelina clutched at his fat ankles with a scream
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: of fright. But Tom said, ow, Angelina, let go my ankles.
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: You hurt now, don't scream. I shan't fall. Don't you
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: know that this is the Christmas Angel and he will
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: never let me get hurt? On Christmas Eve, swaying wildly
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: on one toe, Tom had clutched at the air, at
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: the tree itself anywhere for support. Yet almost as if
• 35:29
  Speaker 1: by a miracle, he did not fall, and the Christmas
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: Angel was looking down from the very top of the tree.
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: Miss Terry laid the little pink figure in her lap
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: and mused, Mother was wise. She sighed, she knew how
• 35:46
  Speaker 1: to settle our quarrels in those days. Perhaps if she
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: had still been here, things would have gone differently. Tom
• 35:54
  Speaker 1: might not have left me for good. For good. She
• 35:59
  Speaker 1: emphasized the words with a nod, as if arguing against something. Again.
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: She took up the Christmas Angel and looked earnestly at it.
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: Could it be that tears were glistening in her eyes.
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: Certainly not. With a sudden sniff and jerk of the shoulders,
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: she leaned forward, holding the angel towards the fire. This
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: should follow the other useless toys, but something seemed to
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: stay her hand. She drew back, hesitated, then rose to
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: her feet. I can't burn it, she said. It's no use,
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: I can't burn it. But I don't want to see
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: the thing around. I will put this out on the
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: sidewalk too. Possibly this may be different and do some
• 36:46
  Speaker 1: good to somebody. She wrapped the shawl about her shoulders
• 36:50
  Speaker 1: and once more ran down the steps. She left the
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: angel face upward in the middle of the sidewalk and
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: retreated quickly to the house. As she opened the door
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: to enter, she caught the distant chorus of fresh, young
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: voices singing in a neighboring square, Angels from the realms
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: of Glory, wing your flight o'er all the earth. When
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: she took her place behind the curtain, she was trembling
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: a little. She could not guess why, But now she
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: watched with renewed eagerness what was to be the fate
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: of the Christmas Angel. Would he fall into the right
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: hands and be hung upon some Christmas tree ere morning?
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: Would he? Miss Terry held her breath. A man was
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: staggering along the street toward her. He whistled noisily of
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: vulgar song as he reeled from curb to railing, threatening
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: to fall at every step. A drunken man on Christmas Eve.
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: Miss Terry felt a great loathing for him. He was
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: at the foot of the steps. Now he was close
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: upon the angel. Would he see it? Or would he
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: tread upon it in his disgusting blindness? Yes? No, he
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: saw the little pink image lying on the bricks, and
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: with a lurch forward, bent to examine it. Miss Terry
• 38:19
  Speaker 1: flattened her nose against the pain. Eagerly she expected to
• 38:23
  Speaker 1: see him fall upon the angel bodily, but no, he
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: righted himself with a whoop of drunken mirth. Angel. She
• 38:33
  Speaker 1: heard him croak with maudlin accent, pink Angel, Begora, what
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: do an ear? Eh? Whoop? Go back to sky? Angel,
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: And lifting a brutal foot, he kicked the image into
• 38:48
  Speaker 1: the street. Then, with a shriek of laughter, he staggered
• 38:53
  Speaker 1: away out of sight. Miss Terry found herself trembling with indignation.
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: The idea pha he had kicked the Christmas Angel, the
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: very angel that Tom had hung on their tree. It
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: was sacrilege, or at least fiddlestick. Miss Terry's mind was
• 39:12
  Speaker 1: growing confused. She had a sudden impulse to rescue the
• 39:16
  Speaker 1: toy from being trampled into filthiness. The fire was better
• 39:21
  Speaker 1: than that. She hurried down the steps into the street
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: forgetting her shawl. She saw it in the snow and
• 39:29
  Speaker 1: snatched the pink morsel to safety. Straight to the fire,
• 39:33
  Speaker 1: she carried it and once more held it to the flames,
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: But again she found it impossible to burn the thing.
• 39:41
  Speaker 1: Once twice she tried, but each time something seemed to
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: clutch back her wrist. At last, she shrugged impatiently and
• 39:51
  Speaker 1: laid the angel on the mantelpiece beside the square old
• 39:54
  Speaker 1: marble clock which marked the hour of half past eight. Well,
• 40:00
  Speaker 1: I won't burn it to night, she reflected. Somehow I
• 40:04
  Speaker 1: can't do it just now. I don't see what has
• 40:07
  Speaker 1: got into me. But tomorrow I will, Yes, to morrow
• 40:12
  Speaker 1: I will. She sat down in the arm chair and
• 40:16
  Speaker 1: fumbled in the old play box for the remaining scraps.
• 40:20
  Speaker 1: There were but a few meaningless bits of ribbon and gauze,
• 40:24
  Speaker 1: with the end of a Christmas candle, the survivor of
• 40:27
  Speaker 1: some past festival burned on some tree in the past.
• 40:31
  Speaker 1: All these but the last she tossed into the fire,
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: where they made a final protesting blaze. The candle end
• 40:39
  Speaker 1: fell to the floor unnoticed. There that is the last
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: of the stuff, she exclaimed with grim satisfaction, shaking the
• 40:48
  Speaker 1: dust from her black silk skirt. It is all gone now,
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: thank Heaven, and I can go to bed in peace.
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: No I forgot Norah. I suppose I must say up
• 41:00
  Speaker 1: and wait for her bother, the girl she ought to
• 41:03
  Speaker 1: be in by now? What can she find to amuse
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: her all this time Christmas Eve? Fiddlestick, But I have
• 41:12
  Speaker 1: got rid of a lot of rubbish tonight, and that
• 41:15
  Speaker 1: is worth something. She sank back in her chair and
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: clasped her hands over her breast with a sigh. She
• 41:22
  Speaker 1: felt strangely weary. Her eyes sought the clock once more,
• 41:27
  Speaker 1: and doing so rested upon the Christmas Angel lying beside it.
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: She frowned and closed her eyes to shut out the
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: sight with its haunting memories and suggestions. Chapter seven. Before
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: the fire Suddenly there was a volume of sound outside,
• 41:49
  Speaker 1: and a great brightness filled the room. Miss Terry opened
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: her eyes. The fire was burning red, but a yellow light,
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: as from thousands of camps, shone in at the window,
• 42:02
  Speaker 1: and there was the sound of singing, the sweetest singing
• 42:05
  Speaker 1: that Miss Terry had ever heard. An Angel of the
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: Lord came down, and glory shone around. The words seemed
• 42:19
  Speaker 1: chanted by the voices of young angels. Miss Terry passed
• 42:23
  Speaker 1: her hands over her eyes and glanced at the clock.
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: But what the hour was she never noticed, for her
• 42:31
  Speaker 1: gaze was filled with something else. Beside the clock, in
• 42:35
  Speaker 1: the spot where she had laid it a few minutes before,
• 42:39
  Speaker 1: was the Christmas Angel, but now instead of lying helplessly
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: on its back, it was standing on rosy feet, with
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: arms outstretched toward her. Over its head fluttered gauzy wings
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: from under the yellow hair, which rippled over the shoulders.
• 42:57
  Speaker 1: Two blue eyes beamed kindly upon her, and the mouth
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: widened into the sweetest smile. Peace on earth to men
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: of good will, cried the angel, and the tone of
• 43:10
  Speaker 1: his speech was music, yet quite natural and thrilling. Miss
• 43:16
  Speaker 1: Terry stared hard at the angel and rubbed her eyes,
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: saying to herself, Fiddlestick, I am dreaming, but she could
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: not rub away the vision. When she opened her eyes,
• 43:29
  Speaker 1: the Angel still stood tiptoe on the mantel shelf, smiling
• 43:33
  Speaker 1: at her and shaking his golden head. Angelina, said the
• 43:39
  Speaker 1: angel softly, and Miss Terry trembled to hear her name
• 43:43
  Speaker 1: thus spoken for the first time in years, Angelina. You
• 43:48
  Speaker 1: do not want to believe your own eyes, do you?
• 43:51
  Speaker 1: But I am real, more real than the things you
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: see every day. You must believe in me. I am
• 43:59
  Speaker 1: the Christmas Angel. I know it. Miss Terry's voice was
• 44:05
  Speaker 1: hoarse and unmanageable, as of one in a nightmare. I
• 44:10
  Speaker 1: remember you, remember, repeated the angel. Yes, you remember the
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: day when you and Tom hung me on the Christmas tree.
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: You were a sweet little girl then, with blue eyes
• 44:26
  Speaker 1: and yellow curls. You believed the Christmas story and loved
• 44:30
  Speaker 1: Santa Claus. Then you were simple and affectionate and generous
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: and happy, Fiddlestick. Miss Terry tried to say, but the
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: word would not come. Now you have lost the old
• 44:45
  Speaker 1: belief and the old love went on the angel. Now
• 44:49
  Speaker 1: you have studied books and read wise men's sayings. You
• 44:53
  Speaker 1: understand the higher criticism and the higher charity, and the
• 44:58
  Speaker 1: higher egoism. You don't believe in mere giving, you don't
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: believe in the Christmas economics. You know better. But are
• 45:09
  Speaker 1: you happy, Dear Angelina? Again, Miss Terry thrilled at the
• 45:14
  Speaker 1: sound of her name, so sweetly spoken, but she answered nothing.
• 45:19
  Speaker 1: The Angel replied for her. No, you are not happy
• 45:25
  Speaker 1: because you have cut yourself off from the things that
• 45:28
  Speaker 1: bring folk together in peace and good will at this
• 45:31
  Speaker 1: holy time? Where are your friends? Where is your brother?
• 45:36
  Speaker 1: To night you are still hard and unforgiving. To tom
• 45:41
  Speaker 1: you refuse to see him to day, though he wrote
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: so boyishly, so humbly and affectionately, you have not tried
• 45:49
  Speaker 1: to make any soul happy. You don't believe in me
• 45:53
  Speaker 1: the Christmas Spirit. There is such a word as fiddlestick,
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: whatever it may mean, but Miss Terry's mind and tongue
• 46:02
  Speaker 1: were unable to form it. The Christmas Spirit, continued the Angel.
• 46:09
  Speaker 1: What is life worth if one cannot believe in the
• 46:12
  Speaker 1: Christmas Spirit. With a powerful effort, Miss Terry shook off
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: her nightmare sufficiently to say, the Christmas Spirit is no
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: real thing. I have proved it to night. It is
• 46:25
  Speaker 1: not real. It is a humbug, not real a humbug,
• 46:32
  Speaker 1: repeated the angel softly. And you have proved it, Angelina,
• 46:37
  Speaker 1: this very night. Miss Terry nodded. I know what you
• 46:43
  Speaker 1: have done, said the angel. I know very well how
• 46:48
  Speaker 1: keen you were, how clever you made a test of
• 46:52
  Speaker 1: chance to prove your point. Again, Miss Terry nodded with complacency.
• 46:59
  Speaker 1: What noledge of the world, what grasp of human nature?
• 47:04
  Speaker 1: Commented the angel, smiling. It is like you, mere mortals,
• 47:08
  Speaker 1: to say, I will make my test in my own way.
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: If certain things happen, I shall foresee what the result
• 47:16
  Speaker 1: must be. If certain other things happen, I shall know
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: that I am right. Events fall out as you expect,
• 47:25
  Speaker 1: And you smile with satisfaction, feeling your wisdom justified. It
• 47:30
  Speaker 1: ought to make you happy, But does it, Miss Terry
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: regarded the angel doubtfully. Look now, he went on, holding
• 47:41
  Speaker 1: up a rosy finger. You are so near sighted, you
• 47:46
  Speaker 1: are so unimaginative. You do not dream beyond the thing
• 47:51
  Speaker 1: you see. You judge the tale finished, while the best
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: has yet to be told. And you stake your faith,
• 47:59
  Speaker 1: your hope, your charity upon this blind human judgment, which
• 48:03
  Speaker 1: is mere chance. Miss Terry opened her lips to say,
• 48:09
  Speaker 1: I saw, but the Angel interrupted her. You saw but
• 48:14
  Speaker 1: the beginning, he said, You saw but the first page
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: of each history. Shall I turn over the leaves and
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: let you read what really happened? Shall I help you
• 48:26
  Speaker 1: see the whole truth instead of a part. On this night,
• 48:31
  Speaker 1: holy Truth, which is of Heaven comes for all men
• 48:35
  Speaker 1: to see and to believe. Look end of Part two
• 48:43
  Speaker 1: recording by Jan mc gillivray. The music included in this
• 48:48
  Speaker 1: recording is from Angels from the Realms of Glory and
• 48:53
  Speaker 1: While Shepherds watched their flocks by Night, which are in
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: the public domain. Part three of The Christmas Angel. This
• 49:07
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain recording by Jan
• 49:12
  Speaker 1: mc gillivray. The Christmas Angel by Abbey Farwell Brown, Chapter eight.
• 49:19
  Speaker 1: Jack again, the Christmas Angel, gently waved his hand to
• 49:26
  Speaker 1: and fro gradually. As Miss Terry sat back in her chair,
• 49:31
  Speaker 1: the library grew dark, or rather things faded into an
• 49:36
  Speaker 1: indistinguishable blur. Then it seemed as if she were sitting
• 49:40
  Speaker 1: at a theater, gazing at a great stage. But at
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: this theater there was nothing about her, nothing between her
• 49:49
  Speaker 1: and the place where things were happening. First, she saw
• 49:54
  Speaker 1: two little ragamuffins quarreling over something in the snow. She
• 49:58
  Speaker 1: recognized them. They were the two Jewish boys who had
• 50:02
  Speaker 1: picked up the Jack in the box. An officer appeared
• 50:06
  Speaker 1: and they ran away, the bigger boy having possession of
• 50:09
  Speaker 1: the toy, the smaller one with fists in his eyes,
• 50:12
  Speaker 1: bawling with disappointment. Miss Terry's lips curled with the cynical
• 50:17
  Speaker 1: disgust which she had felt when first witnessing this scene.
• 50:21
  Speaker 1: But a sweet voice, and she knew it was the
• 50:24
  Speaker 1: angel's whispered in her ear. Wait and see. She watched
• 50:30
  Speaker 1: the two boys run through the streets until they came
• 50:33
  Speaker 1: to a dark corner. There the little fellow caught up
• 50:37
  Speaker 1: with the other, and once more the struggle began. It
• 50:40
  Speaker 1: was a hard and bloody fight, but this time the
• 50:44
  Speaker 1: victory was with the smaller lad, who used his fists
• 50:47
  Speaker 1: and feet like an enraged animal, until the other howled
• 50:50
  Speaker 1: for mercy and handed over the disputed toy. What you
• 50:55
  Speaker 1: want at first, Sam, he blubbered, as he saw it
• 50:59
  Speaker 1: go into the little fellow's pocket. Mind your own business,
• 51:03
  Speaker 1: I just wanted, answered Sam surlily. Bet you I know
• 51:08
  Speaker 1: taunted the bigger boy. Bet yer, don't do don't. Another
• 51:16
  Speaker 1: fight seemed imminent, but wisdom prevailed with Sammy. He would
• 51:20
  Speaker 1: not challenge fate a third time. Come on then and see,
• 51:25
  Speaker 1: he grunted, and Ike followed off. The two trudged through
• 51:30
  Speaker 1: the brilliantly lighted streets until they came to a part
• 51:33
  Speaker 1: of the city where the ways were narrower and dark. Huh,
• 51:38
  Speaker 1: no dew was comin here, commented Ike, as they turned
• 51:41
  Speaker 1: into a grim, dirty alley. Little Sam growled. Didn't apparently,
• 51:47
  Speaker 1: as a matter of habit did, reasserted Ike. Just where
• 51:52
  Speaker 1: I was comin myself. Sam turned to him with a grin.
• 51:58
  Speaker 1: Was you now, bah a, Ain't that funny? I thought
• 52:03
  Speaker 1: of it right off? Sure? Same here They both burst
• 52:09
  Speaker 1: into a guffaw and executed an impromptu double shuffle of delight.
• 52:14
  Speaker 1: They were at the door of a tenement house with
• 52:16
  Speaker 1: steep stairs leading into darkness. Up three flights pounded the
• 52:21
  Speaker 1: two pairs of heavy boots till they reached a half
• 52:25
  Speaker 1: open door, whence issued the clatter of a sewing machine
• 52:29
  Speaker 1: and the voices of children. Sam stood on the threshold,
• 52:33
  Speaker 1: grinning debonairly with hands thrust into his pockets. Ike peered
• 52:38
  Speaker 1: over his shoulder, also grinning. It was a meager room
• 52:43
  Speaker 1: into which they gazed, a room, the chief furniture of
• 52:46
  Speaker 1: which seemed to be babies. Two little ones sprawled on
• 52:50
  Speaker 1: the floor. A third tiny tot lay in a broken
• 52:53
  Speaker 1: down carriage. Beside the door, A pale, ill looking woman
• 52:58
  Speaker 1: was running the machine. On the cot bed was crumpled.
• 53:02
  Speaker 1: A fragile little fellow of about five, and a small
• 53:05
  Speaker 1: pair of crutches lay across the foot of the bed.
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: When the two boys appeared in the doorway, the woman
• 53:13
  Speaker 1: stopped her machine, and the children set up a howl
• 53:16
  Speaker 1: of pleasure. Sammy Ikey cried, the woman, smiling a wan welcome,
• 53:23
  Speaker 1: as the babies crept and toddled toward the newcomers. Where
• 53:27
  Speaker 1: ye come from? Been to see the shops and the
• 53:31
  Speaker 1: lights in the swell houses? Answered Sammy with a grimace. Gee,
• 53:36
  Speaker 1: ain't they wastin candles to beat the cars? Enough to
• 53:40
  Speaker 1: last a family a whole year? Muttered Ike with disgust.
• 53:45
  Speaker 1: The woman sighed, maybe they ain't wasted exactly. She said,
• 53:51
  Speaker 1: how I'd like to see em, but I got to
• 53:54
  Speaker 1: finish this job. I told the children. They mustn't expect
• 53:58
  Speaker 1: anything this Christmas. But they're too little to know the
• 54:01
  Speaker 1: difference anyway. All but Joe, I wish I had something
• 54:06
  Speaker 1: for Joe. I got something for Joe, said Sammy. Unexpectedly,
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: the face of the pale little cripple lighted. What is it?
• 54:17
  Speaker 1: He asked eagerly. Oh, what is it? A real Christmas
• 54:21
  Speaker 1: present for me? Nah, it ain't a Christmas present, said Sam.
• 54:27
  Speaker 1: We don't care anything about Christmas, volunteered Ikey with a grin.
• 54:32
  Speaker 1: Sam looked at him with a frown of rebuke. It's
• 54:36
  Speaker 1: just a present, he said, And it didn't cost a cent.
• 54:40
  Speaker 1: I didn't buy it. I we found it, found it
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: in the street. Joe's eyes shone yeah. The boys nodded. Oh,
• 54:51
  Speaker 1: it is a Christmas present, cried Joe. Santa Claus must
• 54:56
  Speaker 1: have dropped it there for me because he knew we
• 54:58
  Speaker 1: hadn't any chimney in this house, and he sent you kind,
• 55:02
  Speaker 1: kind boys to bring it to me. The two Urchins
• 55:06
  Speaker 1: looked sideways at each other but said nothing. Presently, Sam
• 55:11
  Speaker 1: drew out the box from his pocket and tried to
• 55:13
  Speaker 1: thrust it into Ike's hand. You'll give it to em,
• 55:17
  Speaker 1: he said. You're the biggest Naw, you give it, you've
• 55:22
  Speaker 1: found it, protested ike ah Gowan, big fool. There was
• 55:29
  Speaker 1: a tussle, and it almost seemed as if the past
• 55:32
  Speaker 1: unpleasantness was to be repeated from an opposite cause. But
• 55:36
  Speaker 1: Joe's voice settled the dispute. Oh Samy, please, he cried,
• 55:42
  Speaker 1: I can't wait another minute. Do please give it to
• 55:45
  Speaker 1: me now. At these words, Sam stepped forward without further argument,
• 55:50
  Speaker 1: and laid the box on the bed in front of
• 55:52
  Speaker 1: the little cripple. The babies crowded about. The mother left
• 55:57
  Speaker 1: her machine and stood smiling faintly, at the foot of
• 56:00
  Speaker 1: the bed. Joe pressed the spring, ping out, sprang the
• 56:06
  Speaker 1: jack in the box, with the same red nose, the
• 56:09
  Speaker 1: same leer, the same roguish eyes which had surprised the
• 56:13
  Speaker 1: children of fifty years ago. Jack was always sure of
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: his audience. My how they screamed and begged Joe to
• 56:22
  Speaker 1: do it again. And as for Joe, he lay back
• 56:26
  Speaker 1: on his pillow and laughed and laughed, as though he
• 56:29
  Speaker 1: would never stop. It was the first Jack any of
• 56:32
  Speaker 1: them had seen. Tears stood in the mother's eyes. Well,
• 56:38
  Speaker 1: she said, it's as good as a play to see him.
• 56:42
  Speaker 1: Joe hasn't laughed like that for months. You boys have
• 56:46
  Speaker 1: done him lots of good. I wouldn't wonder if it
• 56:50
  Speaker 1: helped him get well. If you was Christians, I'd say
• 56:53
  Speaker 1: you showed the real Christmas spirit. But Lord, perhaps you
• 56:58
  Speaker 1: do all the same. I dunno. Sam and Ike were
• 57:03
  Speaker 1: so busy playing with the children that they did not hear. Gradually,
• 57:08
  Speaker 1: the tenement house faded and became a blur before Miss
• 57:12
  Speaker 1: Terry's eyes. Once more she saw the mantel shelf before her,
• 57:16
  Speaker 1: and the Christmas Angel with outstretched arms waving to and fro.
• 57:21
  Speaker 1: You see, he said, You did not guess all the
• 57:25
  Speaker 1: pleasure that was shut up in that box with old Jack,
• 57:29
  Speaker 1: did you? Miss Terry shook her head, and you see
• 57:33
  Speaker 1: how different it all was from what you thought. Now,
• 57:38
  Speaker 1: let us see what became of the Canton flannel dog,
• 57:42
  Speaker 1: the Flanton dog. Miss Terry amended the phrase under her breath.
• 57:47
  Speaker 1: It seemed so natural to use Tom's word. Yes, the
• 57:51
  Speaker 1: Flanton dog. The angel smiled. What do you think became
• 57:56
  Speaker 1: of him? I saw what became of him, said Miss Terry.
• 58:01
  Speaker 1: Bob Cooper threw him under an automobile, and he was
• 58:04
  Speaker 1: crushed flatter than a pancake. Then you left the window,
• 58:09
  Speaker 1: said the angel. In your human way, you assumed that
• 58:13
  Speaker 1: this was the end, But wait and see once more.
• 58:18
  Speaker 1: The room darkened and blurred, and Miss Terry looked out
• 58:21
  Speaker 1: upon past events as upon a busy, ever shifting stage
• 58:29
  Speaker 1: Chapter nine. The Dog. Again. She saw the snowy street
• 58:35
  Speaker 1: into which, from the tip of his stick, Bob Cooper
• 58:38
  Speaker 1: had just tossed the Flanton dog. She saw, which she
• 58:43
  Speaker 1: had not seen before, the woman and child on the
• 58:46
  Speaker 1: opposite side of the street. She saw the baby stretch
• 58:50
  Speaker 1: out wistful hands after the dog lying in the snow.
• 58:54
  Speaker 1: Then an automobile honked past, and she felt again the
• 58:58
  Speaker 1: thrill of horror as it ran over the poor old toy.
• 59:02
  Speaker 1: At the same moment, the child screamed, and she saw
• 59:06
  Speaker 1: it point tearfully at the Flanton tragedy. The mother, who
• 59:10
  Speaker 1: had seen nothing of all this, stooped and spoke to him, reprovingly,
• 59:15
  Speaker 1: what's the matter, Johnny? She said, sh don't make such
• 59:20
  Speaker 1: a noise. Here we are at missus Wales's gate, and
• 59:24
  Speaker 1: you mustn't make a fuss. Now, be a good boy
• 59:27
  Speaker 1: and wait here till mother comes out. She rang the
• 59:31
  Speaker 1: area bell and stood basket in hand, waiting to be admitted.
• 59:36
  Speaker 1: But Johnny gazed at one spot in the street with
• 59:39
  Speaker 1: eyes full of tears, and with now and then a
• 59:42
  Speaker 1: sob gurgling from his throat, he could not forget what
• 59:46
  Speaker 1: he had seen. The door opened for the mother, who
• 59:50
  Speaker 1: disappeared inside the house with one last command to the child. Now,
• 59:55
  Speaker 1: be a good boy, Johnny. I'll be back in half
• 59:58
  Speaker 1: a minute. Hardly was she out of sight when Johnny
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 1: started through the snow drift toward the middle of the street.
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 1: With difficulty, he lifted his little legs out of the
• 1:00:09
  Speaker 1: deep snow. Now and then he stumbled and fell into
• 1:00:12
  Speaker 1: the soft mass, But he rose only the more determined
• 1:00:16
  Speaker 1: upon his errand, and kept his eyes fixed on the
• 1:00:19
  Speaker 1: wreck of the flanton dog. Bob Cooper, who was idly
• 1:00:24
  Speaker 1: strolling up and down the block smoking a cigarette as
• 1:00:28
  Speaker 1: he watched the flitting girlish shadows in a certain window opposite,
• 1:00:32
  Speaker 1: saw the child's frantic struggles in the snow, and was
• 1:00:36
  Speaker 1: intensely amused by jove. He chuckled, I believe he's after
• 1:00:42
  Speaker 1: the wretched dog. I tossed over there with my stick,
• 1:00:46
  Speaker 1: fancy it, and carelessly he puffed a whiff of smoke.
• 1:00:51
  Speaker 1: At last, the baby reached the middle of the street
• 1:00:54
  Speaker 1: and stooped to pick up the battered toy. It was
• 1:00:57
  Speaker 1: flattened and shapeless, but the child clasped it tenderly and
• 1:01:01
  Speaker 1: began to coo softly to it. By jove, repeated Cooper,
• 1:01:07
  Speaker 1: fancy caring so much about anything, poor kid, Perhaps that
• 1:01:13
  Speaker 1: is all the Christmas he will have. He blew a
• 1:01:16
  Speaker 1: thoughtful puff through his nose Christmas Eve. The thought flashed
• 1:01:22
  Speaker 1: through his mind with a new appeal. Just then came
• 1:01:26
  Speaker 1: a sudden honk honk. An automobile had turned the corner
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 1: and was coming up at full speed. It was the
• 1:01:34
  Speaker 1: same machine which had passed a few minutes earlier in
• 1:01:36
  Speaker 1: the opposite direction. Hey there, Cooper yelled to the child,
• 1:01:42
  Speaker 1: But the latter was sitting in the snow in the
• 1:01:44
  Speaker 1: middle of the street, rocking back and forth with the
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 1: flanton dog in his arms. There was scarcely time for action.
• 1:01:53
  Speaker 1: Bob dropped his cigarette in his cane, made one leap
• 1:01:56
  Speaker 1: into the street and another to the child, and by
• 1:01:59
  Speaker 1: the impact of his body, threw the baby into the
• 1:02:02
  Speaker 1: drift at the curb with a horrified honk. The automobile
• 1:02:07
  Speaker 1: passed over the young man, who lay senseless in the snow.
• 1:02:12
  Speaker 1: He was not killed. Miss Terry saw him taken to
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 1: his home close by, where his broken leg was set
• 1:02:19
  Speaker 1: and his bruises attended to. She saw him lying bandaged
• 1:02:23
  Speaker 1: and white on his bed. When the woman and her
• 1:02:26
  Speaker 1: child were brought to see him, Johnny was still clasping
• 1:02:29
  Speaker 1: closely the unlucky Flanton dog. Well, kid, said the young
• 1:02:35
  Speaker 1: man feebly. So you saved the dog after all, oh sir,
• 1:02:42
  Speaker 1: cried the poor woman, weeping, only to think that he
• 1:02:46
  Speaker 1: would not be here now. But for you, What a
• 1:02:49
  Speaker 1: Christmas that would have been for me. You were so good,
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 1: so brave, oh rot protested Bob faintly. Had to do it.
• 1:03:01
  Speaker 1: My fault anyway, Christmas Eve. Couldn't see a kid hurt
• 1:03:06
  Speaker 1: on Christmas Eve. He called the attendant and asked for
• 1:03:10
  Speaker 1: the pocket book, which had been in his coat at
• 1:03:12
  Speaker 1: the time of the accident. Putting it into the woman's hand,
• 1:03:16
  Speaker 1: he said, good bye, Get Johnny something really jolly for Christmas.
• 1:03:23
  Speaker 1: I'm afraid the dog is about all in. Get him
• 1:03:26
  Speaker 1: a new one. But Johnny refused to have a new dog.
• 1:03:31
  Speaker 1: It was the poor shapeless, flanton animal, which remained the
• 1:03:34
  Speaker 1: darling of his heart for many a moon. All this
• 1:03:39
  Speaker 1: of past and future, Miss Terry knew through the Angel's power.
• 1:03:44
  Speaker 1: When once more the library lightened and she saw the
• 1:03:47
  Speaker 1: pink figure smiling at her from the mantle, she spoke
• 1:03:50
  Speaker 1: of her own accord. It was my fault, because I
• 1:03:55
  Speaker 1: put the dog in the way. I caused all that trouble. Trouble,
• 1:04:00
  Speaker 1: said the angel, puzzled. Do you call it trouble? Do
• 1:04:05
  Speaker 1: you not see what it has done for that heartless youth.
• 1:04:09
  Speaker 1: It brought his good moment. Perhaps he will be a
• 1:04:12
  Speaker 1: different man after this. And as for the child, he
• 1:04:17
  Speaker 1: was made happy by something that would otherwise have been wasted,
• 1:04:21
  Speaker 1: and he has gained a friend who will not forget him. Trouble,
• 1:04:25
  Speaker 1: And do you think you did it? He laughed knowingly.
• 1:04:30
  Speaker 1: I certainly did, said Miss Terry firmly. But it was I, yes,
• 1:04:37
  Speaker 1: I the Christmas Spirit who put it into your head
• 1:04:41
  Speaker 1: to do what you did. You may not believe it,
• 1:04:44
  Speaker 1: but so it was you too. Even you Angelina could
• 1:04:50
  Speaker 1: not quite escape the influence of the Christmas Spirit. And
• 1:04:54
  Speaker 1: so these things have happened. But now let us see
• 1:04:58
  Speaker 1: what became of the third experiment, Chapter ten, Noah. Again,
• 1:05:08
  Speaker 1: in the street of candles, a woman dressed all in
• 1:05:10
  Speaker 1: black had picked up the poor old Noah's Ark and
• 1:05:14
  Speaker 1: was looking at it wildly. She was a widow who
• 1:05:17
  Speaker 1: had just lost her only child, a little son, and
• 1:05:21
  Speaker 1: she was in a state of morbid bitterness bordering on distraction.
• 1:05:27
  Speaker 1: When the second woman with the two little ones came
• 1:05:29
  Speaker 1: up and begged for the toy, something hard and sullen
• 1:05:33
  Speaker 1: and cruel rose in the widow's heart, and she refused
• 1:05:37
  Speaker 1: angrily to give up the thing. She hated those two
• 1:05:41
  Speaker 1: boys who had been spared when her own was taken.
• 1:05:44
  Speaker 1: She would not make them happy. No, you shall not
• 1:05:48
  Speaker 1: have it, she cried, clutching the Noah's Ark fiercely. I
• 1:05:53
  Speaker 1: will destroy it. The poor woman and the children followed
• 1:05:57
  Speaker 1: her wistfully. The little boy were crying. They were cold
• 1:06:02
  Speaker 1: and hungry and disappointed. They had come so near to
• 1:06:06
  Speaker 1: something pleasant, They had almost been lucky, but the luck
• 1:06:11
  Speaker 1: had passed over their heads to another. The woman in
• 1:06:15
  Speaker 1: mourning strode on rapidly, the thoughts within her no less
• 1:06:19
  Speaker 1: black than the garments which she wore. She hated the world,
• 1:06:24
  Speaker 1: She hated the people who lived in it. She hated
• 1:06:27
  Speaker 1: Christmas time, when everyone seemed merry except herself. And yes, yes,
• 1:06:34
  Speaker 1: most of all, she hated children. She clenched her teeth wickedly,
• 1:06:39
  Speaker 1: her mind reeled. Suddenly, somewhere a chorus of happy voices
• 1:06:46
  Speaker 1: began to sing the words of an old carol, Holy Night,
• 1:06:52
  Speaker 1: peaceful night, all is dark, save the light yonder where
• 1:07:01
  Speaker 1: they sweet vigil keep er the babe who in silent
• 1:07:07
  Speaker 1: sleep rests in heavenly peace. Softly and sweetly, the childish
• 1:07:24
  Speaker 1: voices ascended from the street. The woman in black stopped short,
• 1:07:29
  Speaker 1: breathing hard. She saw the band of choristers standing in
• 1:07:33
  Speaker 1: a group on the sidewalk and in the snow, their
• 1:07:37
  Speaker 1: hats pulled down over their eyes, their collars turned up
• 1:07:41
  Speaker 1: around their ears, their hands deep in pockets. In their
• 1:07:46
  Speaker 1: midst rose the tall wooden cross, carried by a little
• 1:07:49
  Speaker 1: fellow with yellow hair. They sang as simply and as
• 1:07:53
  Speaker 1: heartily as a flock of birds out in the snow.
• 1:07:58
  Speaker 1: The woman gave a great sob. Her little lad had
• 1:08:01
  Speaker 1: been a choir boy. Perhaps these were his one time comrades.
• 1:08:07
  Speaker 1: The second verse of the carol rang out, sweetly, Holy Night,
• 1:08:14
  Speaker 1: peaceful night. Only for shepherd's sight came blessed visions of
• 1:08:23
  Speaker 1: angel throngs with their loud hallelujah songs, saying Jesus Is Come. Suddenly,
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 1: it seemed to the distracted mother that her own boy's
• 1:08:48
  Speaker 1: voice blended with those others. He too, was singing in
• 1:08:53
  Speaker 1: honor of that child, happy and ever young. He was
• 1:08:57
  Speaker 1: bidding her rejoice in the day which made all childhood sacred,
• 1:09:02
  Speaker 1: and for his sake, she had been hating children. With
• 1:09:07
  Speaker 1: a sudden revulsion of feeling, she turned to see what
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 1: had become of the poor mother and her boys. They
• 1:09:14
  Speaker 1: were not far behind, huddling in the shadow. The black
• 1:09:19
  Speaker 1: woman strode quickly up to them. They shrank pitifully at
• 1:09:23
  Speaker 1: her reproach, and she felt the shame of it. They
• 1:09:27
  Speaker 1: were afraid of her. Here, she said, thrusting the Noah's
• 1:09:32
  Speaker 1: ark into the hands of the larger boy. Take it.
• 1:09:36
  Speaker 1: It belongs to you. The child took it timidly. The
• 1:09:41
  Speaker 1: mother began to protest thanks, trying to control the shake
• 1:09:46
  Speaker 1: in her voice. The dark lady spoke again, have you
• 1:09:50
  Speaker 1: prepared a Christmas for your children? The woman shook her head.
• 1:09:56
  Speaker 1: I have nothing, she sighed, a roof over our head.
• 1:10:00
  Speaker 1: That's all your husband. My man died a month ago.
• 1:10:07
  Speaker 1: So other folk had raw sorrows too. The mourner had
• 1:10:11
  Speaker 1: forgotten that there is no one expecting you at home again.
• 1:10:17
  Speaker 1: The woman shook her head dolefully. Come with me, said
• 1:10:22
  Speaker 1: the dark lady impulsively. You shall be my guests tonight
• 1:10:27
  Speaker 1: and tomorrow. I will make a Christmas for the children.
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 1: The house shall put off its shadow. I too will
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 1: light candles. I have toys, her voice broke, and clothing,
• 1:10:40
  Speaker 1: many things which are being wasted. That is not right.
• 1:10:45
  Speaker 1: Something led you to me, or me to you something.
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 1: Perhaps it was an angel whoever dropped that Noah's ark
• 1:10:54
  Speaker 1: in the street. An angel might do that, I believe.
• 1:10:59
  Speaker 1: Come with me. The woman and her sons followed her,
• 1:11:03
  Speaker 1: rejoicing greatly in the midst of their wonder. There were
• 1:11:09
  Speaker 1: tears in the eyes through which Miss Terry saw once
• 1:11:12
  Speaker 1: more the Christmas Angel. She wiped them hastily, but still
• 1:11:17
  Speaker 1: the angel seemed to shine with a fairer radiance. You see,
• 1:11:23
  Speaker 1: was all he said, and Miss Terry bowed her head.
• 1:11:27
  Speaker 1: She began to understand. End of Part three recording by
• 1:11:36
  Speaker 1: Jan mc gillivray. The music heard in this recording is
• 1:11:41
  Speaker 1: Silent Night by Franz Gruber and is in the public domain.
• 1:11:51
  Speaker 1: Part four of The Christmas Angel. This LibriVox recording is
• 1:11:56
  Speaker 1: in the public domain recording by Jan mcilivray. The Christmas
• 1:12:03
  Speaker 1: Angel by Abbey Farwell Brown, Chapter eleven. Miranda, again, once
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 1: more on the wings of vision. Miss Terry was out
• 1:12:16
  Speaker 1: in the snowy street. She was following the fleet steps
• 1:12:20
  Speaker 1: of a little girl who carried a white paper package
• 1:12:22
  Speaker 1: under her arm. Miss Terry knew that she was learning
• 1:12:26
  Speaker 1: the fate of her old doll, Miranda, whom her own
• 1:12:30
  Speaker 1: hands had thrust out into a cold world. Poor Miranda,
• 1:12:35
  Speaker 1: after all these years to become the property of a thief.
• 1:12:39
  Speaker 1: Mary was the little thief's name. Hugging the tempting package close,
• 1:12:44
  Speaker 1: Mary ran and ran until she was out of breath.
• 1:12:48
  Speaker 1: Her one thought was to get as far as possible
• 1:12:51
  Speaker 1: from the place where the bundle had lain, for she
• 1:12:54
  Speaker 1: suspected that the steps where she had found it led
• 1:12:57
  Speaker 1: up to the dolls home. That was why, in her
• 1:13:01
  Speaker 1: own eyes also she was a little thief. But now
• 1:13:04
  Speaker 1: she had run so far and had turned so many corners,
• 1:13:08
  Speaker 1: that she could not find her way back if she would.
• 1:13:12
  Speaker 1: There was triumph in the thought. Mary chuckled to herself
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 1: as she stopped running and began to walk leisurely in
• 1:13:19
  Speaker 1: the neighborhood with which she was more familiar. She pinched
• 1:13:23
  Speaker 1: the package gently. Yes, there could be no doubt about it.
• 1:13:28
  Speaker 1: It was a doll, not a very large doll, but
• 1:13:32
  Speaker 1: Mary reflected that she had never thought she should care
• 1:13:35
  Speaker 1: for a large doll. Undoubtedly it was a very nice one,
• 1:13:40
  Speaker 1: had she not found it in a swell part of
• 1:13:42
  Speaker 1: the city on the steps of a swell looking house.
• 1:13:47
  Speaker 1: Mary gloated over the doll as she fancied it, with
• 1:13:50
  Speaker 1: real hair, and eyes that opened and shut, with four
• 1:13:54
  Speaker 1: little white teeth, and hands with dimples in the knuckles.
• 1:13:59
  Speaker 1: She had seen such dolls in the windows of the
• 1:14:02
  Speaker 1: big shops, but she had never hoped to have one
• 1:14:05
  Speaker 1: for her very own. Maybe it will have on a
• 1:14:08
  Speaker 1: blue silk dress and white kid's shoes like that one
• 1:14:12
  Speaker 1: I saw this morning, she mused rapturously. She pinched the
• 1:14:17
  Speaker 1: spot where she fancied the doll's feet ought to be Yes,
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 1: she's got shoes, sure enough. I bet they're white too.
• 1:14:26
  Speaker 1: They feel white. Oh, what fun I shall have with her.
• 1:14:30
  Speaker 1: She hugged the doll fondly. If uncle and aunt don't
• 1:14:34
  Speaker 1: take her away, The sudden thought made her stand still
• 1:14:38
  Speaker 1: in horror. They sold mother's little clock for rum, she
• 1:14:43
  Speaker 1: said bitterly. They sold the ring with the red stone
• 1:14:47
  Speaker 1: that father gave me on my birthday when I was seven.
• 1:14:50
  Speaker 1: They sold the presents that I got at Sunday School
• 1:14:52
  Speaker 1: last year. Oh, wouldn't it be dreadful if they should
• 1:14:56
  Speaker 1: sell my new doll? And I know they will want
• 1:14:59
  Speaker 1: to if they see her. She squeezed the bundle closer
• 1:15:03
  Speaker 1: with the prescient pang of parting. Maybe they'll be out somewhere.
• 1:15:09
  Speaker 1: With this faint hope, she reached the tenement and crept
• 1:15:12
  Speaker 1: up the dingy stairs. She peeped in at the door
• 1:15:17
  Speaker 1: alas her uncle and aunt were in the kitchen through
• 1:15:20
  Speaker 1: which she had to pass. They had company, some dirty
• 1:15:25
  Speaker 1: looking men and women, and there were a jug and
• 1:15:28
  Speaker 1: glasses on the table before them. Mary's heart sank, but
• 1:15:32
  Speaker 1: she nodded bravely to the company and tried to slip
• 1:15:36
  Speaker 1: through the crowd to the other room. But her aunt
• 1:15:39
  Speaker 1: was quick to see that she carried something under her coat.
• 1:15:43
  Speaker 1: What you got there? A Christmas present? She sneered. Mary flushed, No,
• 1:15:51
  Speaker 1: she said, slowly, just something I found found. Hello, what
• 1:15:57
  Speaker 1: is it? A package? Her uncle advanced and snatched it
• 1:16:01
  Speaker 1: from her. Please, pleaded Mary, Please, I found it. It
• 1:16:08
  Speaker 1: is mine. I think it is only a doll. A doll. Humph,
• 1:16:14
  Speaker 1: who needs a doll? Hiccupped her uncle. We want something
• 1:16:18
  Speaker 1: more to drink. We'll sell it. A bellow of laughter
• 1:16:22
  Speaker 1: resounded through the room, the paper being torn roughly away.
• 1:16:27
  Speaker 1: Poor Miranda stood, revealed in all her faded beauty. The pallid,
• 1:16:32
  Speaker 1: waxen face, straggling hair, and old fashioned dress presented a
• 1:16:37
  Speaker 1: sorry sight to the greedy eyes which had expected to
• 1:16:40
  Speaker 1: find something exchangeable for drink. A sorry sight she was
• 1:16:45
  Speaker 1: to Mary, who had hoped for something so much lovelier.
• 1:16:50
  Speaker 1: A flush of disappointment came into her cheek and tears
• 1:16:54
  Speaker 1: to her eyes. Here, take your old doll, said her uncle,
• 1:16:59
  Speaker 1: roughly thrusting it into her arms. Take your old doll
• 1:17:03
  Speaker 1: and get away with her. If that's the best you
• 1:17:06
  Speaker 1: can find, you'd better steal something next time. Steal something.
• 1:17:12
  Speaker 1: Had she not in fact stolen it, Mary knew very
• 1:17:16
  Speaker 1: well that she had, and she flushed. Pinker yet to
• 1:17:20
  Speaker 1: think what a fool she had made of herself for nothing.
• 1:17:24
  Speaker 1: She took the despised doll and retreated into the other room,
• 1:17:28
  Speaker 1: followed by a chorus of jeers and comments. She banged
• 1:17:32
  Speaker 1: the door behind her and sat down with poor Miranda
• 1:17:35
  Speaker 1: on her knees, crying as if her heart would break.
• 1:17:39
  Speaker 1: She had so longed for a beautiful doll. It did
• 1:17:44
  Speaker 1: seem too cruel that when she found one, it should
• 1:17:47
  Speaker 1: turn out to be so ugly. She seized poor Miranda
• 1:17:51
  Speaker 1: and shook her fiercely. You horrid old thing, she said,
• 1:17:57
  Speaker 1: Ain't you ashamed to fool me so? Ain't you ashamed
• 1:18:01
  Speaker 1: to make me think you was a lovely doll with
• 1:18:03
  Speaker 1: pretty clothes and white kid's shoes, Ain't you? She shook
• 1:18:08
  Speaker 1: Miranda again until her eyeballs rattled in her head. The
• 1:18:12
  Speaker 1: doll fell to the floor and lay there with closed eyes.
• 1:18:16
  Speaker 1: Her face was pallid and ghastly. Her bonnet had fallen off,
• 1:18:21
  Speaker 1: and her hair stuck out wildly in every direction. Her
• 1:18:25
  Speaker 1: legs were doubled under her in the most helpless fashion.
• 1:18:29
  Speaker 1: She was the forlornest figure of a doll imaginable. Presently,
• 1:18:34
  Speaker 1: Mary drew her hands away from her eyes and looked
• 1:18:37
  Speaker 1: down at Miranda. There was something in the doll's attitude
• 1:18:41
  Speaker 1: as she lay there which touched the little girl's heart.
• 1:18:45
  Speaker 1: Once she had seen a woman who had been injured
• 1:18:47
  Speaker 1: in the street, she would never forget it. The poor
• 1:18:51
  Speaker 1: creature's eyes had been closed, and her face under the
• 1:18:55
  Speaker 1: fallen bonnet was of this same pasty color. Mary shuddered.
• 1:19:01
  Speaker 1: Suddenly she felt a warm rush of pity for the doll.
• 1:19:05
  Speaker 1: You poor old thing, she exclaimed, looking at Miranda almost tenderly.
• 1:19:11
  Speaker 1: I'm sorry I shook you. You look so tired and
• 1:19:15
  Speaker 1: sad and homesick. I wonder if somebody is worrying about
• 1:19:20
  Speaker 1: you this minute. It was very wicked of me to
• 1:19:23
  Speaker 1: take you away on Christmas Eve too. I wish I
• 1:19:28
  Speaker 1: had left you where I found you. Maybe some little
• 1:19:31
  Speaker 1: girl is crying now because you are lost. Mary stooped
• 1:19:36
  Speaker 1: and lifted the doll gently upon her knees. As she
• 1:19:39
  Speaker 1: took Miranda up, the blue eyes opened and seemed to
• 1:19:43
  Speaker 1: look full at her. Miranda's one beauty was her eyes.
• 1:19:48
  Speaker 1: Mary felt her heart grow warmer and warmer toward the
• 1:19:51
  Speaker 1: quaint stranger. You have lovely eyes, she murmured, I think
• 1:19:58
  Speaker 1: after all, you are almost pretty. Perhaps I should grow
• 1:20:01
  Speaker 1: to like you. Awfully, you are not a bit like
• 1:20:05
  Speaker 1: the doll I hoped to have, But that is not
• 1:20:07
  Speaker 1: your fault. A thought made her face brighten. Why if
• 1:20:13
  Speaker 1: you had been a beautiful doll, they would have taken
• 1:20:16
  Speaker 1: you away and sold you for rum. Her face expressed
• 1:20:19
  Speaker 1: utter disgust. She hugged Miranda close with a sudden outburst
• 1:20:24
  Speaker 1: of affection. Oh you dear old thing, she cried. I
• 1:20:30
  Speaker 1: am so glad you are just like this. I am
• 1:20:34
  Speaker 1: so glad for now I can keep you always and always,
• 1:20:37
  Speaker 1: and no one will want to take you away from me.
• 1:20:41
  Speaker 1: She rocked to and fro, holding the doll tightly to
• 1:20:44
  Speaker 1: her heart. Mary was not one to feel a half
• 1:20:48
  Speaker 1: passion about anything. I will make you some new dresses,
• 1:20:52
  Speaker 1: she said, fingering the old fashioned silk with a puzzled air.
• 1:20:57
  Speaker 1: I wonder why your mother dressed you so quick. She
• 1:21:01
  Speaker 1: was not much of a sewer if she made this
• 1:21:03
  Speaker 1: bonnet scornfully, She took off the primitive bonnet and smoothed
• 1:21:08
  Speaker 1: out the tangled hair. I wonder what you have on underneath,
• 1:21:13
  Speaker 1: she said, with gentle fingers. She began to undress Miranda
• 1:21:19
  Speaker 1: off came the green silk dress with its tight bask
• 1:21:22
  Speaker 1: and overskirt. Off came the ruffled petticoat and little chemise
• 1:21:27
  Speaker 1: edged with fine lace. And Miranda stood in shapeless, kid
• 1:21:31
  Speaker 1: bodied ugliness. Which stage of evolution the doll of her
• 1:21:35
  Speaker 1: day had reached? But there was something more Around her neck.
• 1:21:40
  Speaker 1: She wore a ribbon. On the ribbon was a cardboard medal,
• 1:21:45
  Speaker 1: and on the medal a childish hand had scratched the
• 1:21:48
  Speaker 1: legend Miranda Terry. If lost, please return to her mother,
• 1:21:54
  Speaker 1: Angelina Terry eighty seven overlooked Terrace. It was such a
• 1:22:00
  Speaker 1: card as Miss Terry herself had worn in the days
• 1:22:02
  Speaker 1: when her mother had first let her and Tom go
• 1:22:05
  Speaker 1: out on the street without a nurse. Mary stared hard
• 1:22:09
  Speaker 1: at the bit of cardboard eighty seven overlooked Terrace. Yes,
• 1:22:15
  Speaker 1: that was where she had found the doll, she remembered,
• 1:22:18
  Speaker 1: now seeing the name on a street corner, Miranda. What
• 1:22:23
  Speaker 1: a pretty name for a doll, Angelina Terry. So that
• 1:22:29
  Speaker 1: was the name of the little girl who had lost Miranda.
• 1:22:32
  Speaker 1: Angelina must be feeling very sorry now. Perhaps she was
• 1:22:37
  Speaker 1: crying herself to sleep, for it was growing late. Her
• 1:22:41
  Speaker 1: two girl cousins came romping into the bedroom. They had
• 1:22:45
  Speaker 1: been having a hilarious evening. Hello, Mary, they cried, We
• 1:22:50
  Speaker 1: heard about your great find. Playing with your old doll.
• 1:22:54
  Speaker 1: Are you going to hang up her stocking and see
• 1:22:57
  Speaker 1: if Santa Claus will fill it? Huh, Santa Claus won't
• 1:23:01
  Speaker 1: come to this house, I guess. Mary had almost forgotten
• 1:23:06
  Speaker 1: that it was Christmas Eve. There had been nothing in
• 1:23:09
  Speaker 1: the house to remind her. Perhaps Angelina Terry had hung
• 1:23:13
  Speaker 1: up a stocking for Miranda and eighty seven overlooked Terrace,
• 1:23:17
  Speaker 1: but there would be no Miranda to see it. The
• 1:23:19
  Speaker 1: next morning, her cousins teased her for some time while
• 1:23:24
  Speaker 1: they undressed, and Mary grew sulky. She sat in her
• 1:23:28
  Speaker 1: corner and answered them shortly, but presently the room was
• 1:23:33
  Speaker 1: quiet for the girls slept easily. Then Mary crept into
• 1:23:37
  Speaker 1: her little cot with the doll in her arms. She
• 1:23:41
  Speaker 1: loved Miranda so much that she would never part with her. No, indeed,
• 1:23:46
  Speaker 1: not even though she now knew where Miranda belonged. Eighty
• 1:23:51
  Speaker 1: seven overlooked Terrace. The figures danced before her eyes maliciously.
• 1:23:57
  Speaker 1: She wished she could forget them, and the thought of
• 1:24:00
  Speaker 1: Angelina Terry kept coming to her, Poor Angelina. She ain't poor, Angelina,
• 1:24:08
  Speaker 1: argued Mary to herself. She's rich, Angelina, doesn't. She live
• 1:24:13
  Speaker 1: in a big house in the swell part of the city.
• 1:24:17
  Speaker 1: I suppose she has hundreds of dolls much handsomer than Miranda,
• 1:24:21
  Speaker 1: and lots of other toys. I guess she won't miss
• 1:24:24
  Speaker 1: this one queer old doll. I guess she'd let me
• 1:24:28
  Speaker 1: keep it if she knew I hadn't any of my own.
• 1:24:31
  Speaker 1: I guess it ought to be my doll. Anyway, I'm
• 1:24:35
  Speaker 1: going to keep her. I don't believe Angelina loves Miranda
• 1:24:39
  Speaker 1: so much as I do. She laid her cheek against
• 1:24:43
  Speaker 1: the doll's cold waxen one and presently fell asleep. But
• 1:24:48
  Speaker 1: she slept uneasily. In the middle of the night, she
• 1:24:52
  Speaker 1: awoke and lay four hours, tossing and unhappy in the
• 1:24:55
  Speaker 1: stuffy little room. The clock struck one, two, three. At last,
• 1:25:03
  Speaker 1: she gave a great sigh, and, cuddling Miranda in her arms,
• 1:25:07
  Speaker 1: turned over with peace in her heart. I will play
• 1:25:11
  Speaker 1: your mine, my very own dolly, for just this one night,
• 1:25:15
  Speaker 1: she whispered in Miranda's ear. Tomorrow will be Christmas Day,
• 1:25:20
  Speaker 1: and I will take you back to your little mother,
• 1:25:23
  Speaker 1: Angelina Terry, I can't do a mean thing at Christmas time,
• 1:25:28
  Speaker 1: not even for you, dear Miranda. Thereupon she fell into
• 1:25:33
  Speaker 1: a peaceful sleep. Chapter twelve. The Angel again, Will she
• 1:25:43
  Speaker 1: bring it back? Asked Miss Terry eagerly, When once more
• 1:25:47
  Speaker 1: she found herself under the gaze of the Christmas Angel.
• 1:25:51
  Speaker 1: He nodded brightly. Tomorrow morning, you will see, he said,
• 1:25:56
  Speaker 1: It will prove that all I have shown you is
• 1:25:59
  Speaker 1: really true. A pretty child, said Miss Terry, musingly. A
• 1:26:05
  Speaker 1: very nice child. Indeed, I believe she looks very much
• 1:26:09
  Speaker 1: as I used to be myself. You see she is
• 1:26:13
  Speaker 1: not a thief after all. Not yet, said the angel.
• 1:26:18
  Speaker 1: What a pity that she must live in that sad
• 1:26:21
  Speaker 1: home with such terrible people. A sensitive child like her,
• 1:26:26
  Speaker 1: craving sympathy and affection. What chance has she for happiness?
• 1:26:32
  Speaker 1: What would you yourself have been in surroundings like hers? Yes,
• 1:26:38
  Speaker 1: she is very like what I was. Of course I
• 1:26:41
  Speaker 1: shall let her keep the doll. Miss Terry hesitated. The
• 1:26:46
  Speaker 1: Angel looked at her steadily, and his glance seemed to
• 1:26:49
  Speaker 1: read her half formed thoughts. Surely, he said, it seems
• 1:26:55
  Speaker 1: to belong to her, does it not? But is this all?
• 1:27:00
  Speaker 1: I wonder? If something more does not belong to her?
• 1:27:05
  Speaker 1: What more? Asked Miss Terry. Shortly a home, cried the angel.
• 1:27:12
  Speaker 1: Miss Terry groped in her memory for a scornful ejaculation,
• 1:27:16
  Speaker 1: which she had once been fond of using, but there
• 1:27:19
  Speaker 1: was no such word to be found. Instead, there came
• 1:27:23
  Speaker 1: to her lips the name Mary. The angel repeated it softly. Mary.
• 1:27:32
  Speaker 1: It is a blessed name, he said, blessed the roof
• 1:27:36
  Speaker 1: that shelters a Mary in her need. There was a
• 1:27:40
  Speaker 1: long silence in which Miss Terry felt new impulses stirring
• 1:27:44
  Speaker 1: within her, impulses drawing her to the child whose looks
• 1:27:48
  Speaker 1: recalled her own childhood. The angel regarded her with beaming eyes.
• 1:27:55
  Speaker 1: After some time, he said, quietly, now let us see
• 1:27:59
  Speaker 1: what became of your life last experiment, Miss Terry started.
• 1:28:04
  Speaker 1: It seemed as if she had been interrupted in pleasant dreaming.
• 1:28:08
  Speaker 1: You were the last experiment, She said, I know what
• 1:28:12
  Speaker 1: became of you. Here you are. Yet more may have
• 1:28:16
  Speaker 1: happened than you guessed, replied the angel meaningly, I have
• 1:28:21
  Speaker 1: tried to show you how often that is the case.
• 1:28:25
  Speaker 1: Look again, Without moving from her chair, Miss Terry seemed
• 1:28:30
  Speaker 1: to be looking out on her sidewalk, where so it
• 1:28:33
  Speaker 1: seemed she had just laid the pink figure of the Angel.
• 1:28:38
  Speaker 1: She saw the drunken man approach. She heard his coarse laugh,
• 1:28:43
  Speaker 1: saw his brutal movement as he kicked the Christmas token
• 1:28:46
  Speaker 1: into the street in sick disgust. She saw him reel
• 1:28:50
  Speaker 1: away out of sight. She saw herself run down the steps,
• 1:28:55
  Speaker 1: rescue the image and bring it into the house. Surely
• 1:28:59
  Speaker 1: the story was finished, What more could there be? But
• 1:29:04
  Speaker 1: something bade her vision follow the steps of the wretched
• 1:29:07
  Speaker 1: man down the street. He reeled, singing a blasphemous song
• 1:29:13
  Speaker 1: with a whoop. He rounded a corner and ran into
• 1:29:16
  Speaker 1: a happy party, which filled sidewalk and street as it
• 1:29:19
  Speaker 1: hurried in the direction from which he came. Good naturedly,
• 1:29:23
  Speaker 1: they jostled him against the wall, and he grasped a
• 1:29:27
  Speaker 1: railing to steady himself as they swept by. It was
• 1:29:31
  Speaker 1: the choir on their way to carol. In the next street.
• 1:29:35
  Speaker 1: Before them went the cross bearer, lifting high his simple
• 1:29:39
  Speaker 1: wooden emblem. The eyes of the drunken man caught sight
• 1:29:43
  Speaker 1: of this and wavered. The presence of the crowd conveyed
• 1:29:47
  Speaker 1: no meaning to his dazed brains, but there was something
• 1:29:51
  Speaker 1: in the familiar symbol which held his vision. He looked
• 1:29:55
  Speaker 1: and crossed himself, remembering the traditions of his childhood. Some
• 1:30:01
  Speaker 1: of the boys were humming as they went, the stirring
• 1:30:03
  Speaker 1: strains of an ancient Christmas march known to all nations,
• 1:30:08
  Speaker 1: a carol which began some say as a rousing, drinking chorus.
• 1:30:14
  Speaker 1: The familiar strain touched some chord in the sodden brain.
• 1:30:18
  Speaker 1: The man gave a feeble whinny, trying to follow the melody.
• 1:30:23
  Speaker 1: He pulled himself together and lurched forward in a sudden
• 1:30:26
  Speaker 1: impulse to join the band of pilgrims. But by the
• 1:30:30
  Speaker 1: time he had taken three steps, they had vanished, miraculously,
• 1:30:35
  Speaker 1: as it seemed to him Begoda, They're gone, he cried,
• 1:30:41
  Speaker 1: Who were they? Were they real folks? What was it
• 1:30:46
  Speaker 1: they was singing? He sank back helplessly on a flight
• 1:30:50
  Speaker 1: of steps. They need oar ormus, he croaked in a
• 1:30:59
  Speaker 1: quick waving basso, and his tangled mind went through strange processes.
• 1:31:06
  Speaker 1: Suddenly there came to him, in a flash of exaggerated memory,
• 1:31:10
  Speaker 1: the figure of the Christmas angel, which not ten minutes
• 1:31:14
  Speaker 1: earlier he had kicked into the street. A pious horror
• 1:31:18
  Speaker 1: fell upon him. Mother a mercy, he cried, again, crossing himself,
• 1:31:25
  Speaker 1: What have I been and done? It was a holy image?
• 1:31:29
  Speaker 1: And what did I do to it? Let me go
• 1:31:32
  Speaker 1: back and find it and take it up out of
• 1:31:35
  Speaker 1: the street. Greatly sobered by his fear, he staggered down
• 1:31:40
  Speaker 1: the block and around the corner to the steps of
• 1:31:43
  Speaker 1: Miss Terry's house. This is the place, he mused, I
• 1:31:48
  Speaker 1: know it. Here's where the friendly lamp post held me
• 1:31:52
  Speaker 1: in its arms. I'd remember there was a dark house
• 1:31:55
  Speaker 1: for ninst me. Here's where it lay on the sidewalk,
• 1:31:59
  Speaker 1: all pink and pretty, and I kicked it into the street.
• 1:32:04
  Speaker 1: Where is it now? Where gone? Holy Mother? Here's the
• 1:32:09
  Speaker 1: spot where it fell. Look now the shape of its
• 1:32:12
  Speaker 1: little body and the wings of it in the snow.
• 1:32:16
  Speaker 1: But tis gone entirely. He rubbed his eyes and crossed
• 1:32:20
  Speaker 1: himself again. Tis flown away, he muttered, Tis gone back
• 1:32:27
  Speaker 1: to heaven to tell merry Mother. O the wicked thing
• 1:32:29
  Speaker 1: I done this night? Oh tis a miracle that's happened,
• 1:32:34
  Speaker 1: And oh the wicked man. I am drunk and disorderly
• 1:32:38
  Speaker 1: on the holy eve. Oh come all, ye faithful, joyful
• 1:32:46
  Speaker 1: and triumphant. Once more he heard the familiar strain taken
• 1:32:52
  Speaker 1: up lustily by many voices. Hear all the world singin
• 1:32:57
  Speaker 1: on the way to Bethlehem, he said, and the stoopor
• 1:33:01
  Speaker 1: seemed to leave his brain. He no longer staggered. I'll
• 1:33:06
  Speaker 1: run and join em, and I won't drink another drop
• 1:33:10
  Speaker 1: this night. He looked up at the starry sky. Maybe
• 1:33:15
  Speaker 1: the Angel hears me, Maybe he'll help me to keep
• 1:33:18
  Speaker 1: straight tomorrow. It might be my guardian angel himself that
• 1:33:23
  Speaker 1: I treated. So Saints forgive me. With head bowed humbly,
• 1:33:29
  Speaker 1: but no longer reeling, he moved away towards the sound
• 1:33:33
  Speaker 1: of music. You were his guardian angel, said Miss Terry,
• 1:33:39
  Speaker 1: when once more she saw the figure on the mantel shelf,
• 1:33:43
  Speaker 1: and she spoke with reverent gentleness. The angel smiled brightly.
• 1:33:49
  Speaker 1: The Christmas Spirit is a guardian angel to many, he said.
• 1:33:54
  Speaker 1: Never again, despise me, Angelina, never again make light of
• 1:33:59
  Speaker 1: my influence. Never again, murmured Miss Terry, half unconsciously. I
• 1:34:07
  Speaker 1: wish it were not too late. It is never too late,
• 1:34:11
  Speaker 1: said the Christmas Angel, eagerly, as if he read her
• 1:34:14
  Speaker 1: unspoken thought. Oh never too late, Angelina. End of Part
• 1:34:22
  Speaker 1: four recording by Jan mc gillivray. The music heard in
• 1:34:28
  Speaker 1: this recording is audste Fidelis, which is in the public domain.
• 1:34:39
  Speaker 1: Part five of The Christmas Angel. This LibriVox recording is
• 1:34:44
  Speaker 1: in the public domain. Recording by Jan mc gillivray. The
• 1:34:50
  Speaker 1: Christmas Angel by Abbey Farwell Brown, Chapter thirteen, The Christmas Candle.
• 1:35:01
  Speaker 1: Suddenly there was a sound, a dull, reverberating sound. It
• 1:35:06
  Speaker 1: seemed to Miss Terry to come from neither north, south, east,
• 1:35:10
  Speaker 1: nor west, but from a different world. Ah, she recognized
• 1:35:16
  Speaker 1: it now. It was somebody knocking on the library door.
• 1:35:20
  Speaker 1: Miss Terry gave a long sigh and drew herself up
• 1:35:23
  Speaker 1: in her chair. It must be Norah. Just come back,
• 1:35:28
  Speaker 1: she said to herself. I had forgotten Norah completely. It
• 1:35:32
  Speaker 1: must be shockingly late. Come in, she called. As she
• 1:35:37
  Speaker 1: glanced at the clock. She rubbed her eyes and looked again.
• 1:35:42
  Speaker 1: A few minutes after nine, she had thought it must
• 1:35:46
  Speaker 1: be midnight. Nora entered to find her mistress staring at
• 1:35:50
  Speaker 1: the mantel where the clock stood. She saw lying beside
• 1:35:54
  Speaker 1: the clock the pink angel, which had fallen from the
• 1:35:57
  Speaker 1: box as she brought it in, the box now empty
• 1:36:00
  Speaker 1: by the fire law, Miss she said, have you burned
• 1:36:05
  Speaker 1: them all up? But him? I'm glad you saved him.
• 1:36:09
  Speaker 1: He's so pretty, Norah, said Miss Terry with an effort.
• 1:36:15
  Speaker 1: Is that clock right, yes'm, said Nora. I said it
• 1:36:20
  Speaker 1: this morning. I came back as soon as I could. Miss,
• 1:36:24
  Speaker 1: she added apologetically. It isn't that, answered Miss Terry, drawing
• 1:36:30
  Speaker 1: her hand across her forehead dazedly. I did not mind
• 1:36:34
  Speaker 1: your absence, but I thought it must be later. Oh no,
• 1:36:39
  Speaker 1: I wouldn't stay out any later when you was alone here, Miss,
• 1:36:43
  Speaker 1: said Norah penitently. I felt ashamed after I had gone.
• 1:36:48
  Speaker 1: I ought not to have left you so on Christmas Eve.
• 1:36:51
  Speaker 1: But oh, Miss, the singing was so beautiful, and the
• 1:36:56
  Speaker 1: houses looked so grand with the candles in the windows,
• 1:37:00
  Speaker 1: it is like a holy night. Indeed, Miss Terry stooped
• 1:37:04
  Speaker 1: and picked up something from the floor. It was the
• 1:37:07
  Speaker 1: bit of candle end which had escaped the holocaust. Are
• 1:37:12
  Speaker 1: the candles still lighted, Norah, she asked, eyeing the bit
• 1:37:16
  Speaker 1: of wax in her hand. Yes'm, some of them, answered
• 1:37:21
  Speaker 1: the maid. It is getting late, and a good many
• 1:37:24
  Speaker 1: have burned out, but some houses are still as bright
• 1:37:27
  Speaker 1: as ever. Perhaps it is not too late, then, murmured
• 1:37:32
  Speaker 1: Miss Terry, as if yielding a disputed point. Let us hurry, Norah.
• 1:37:39
  Speaker 1: She rose, and, going to the mantel shelf, gently took
• 1:37:42
  Speaker 1: up the figure of the Angel, while Norah looked on
• 1:37:45
  Speaker 1: in amazement. Norah said Miss Terry, with an eagerness which
• 1:37:51
  Speaker 1: made her voice tremble, I want you to hang the
• 1:37:54
  Speaker 1: Christmas Angel in the window there. I too have a
• 1:37:58
  Speaker 1: fancy to burn a candle to night. If it is
• 1:38:01
  Speaker 1: not too late, I'd like to have a little share
• 1:38:03
  Speaker 1: in the Christmas spirit. Norah's eyes lighted. Oh yes'm she said,
• 1:38:10
  Speaker 1: I'll hang it right away, and I'll find an empty
• 1:38:13
  Speaker 1: spool to hold the candle. She bustled briskly about, and
• 1:38:18
  Speaker 1: presently in the window appeared a little device unlike any
• 1:38:22
  Speaker 1: other in the block. Against the darkness. Within, the figure
• 1:38:27
  Speaker 1: of the Angel, with arms outstretched towards the street, shone
• 1:38:31
  Speaker 1: in a soft light from the flame of a single
• 1:38:34
  Speaker 1: tiny candle, such as blossom on Christmas trees. It caught
• 1:38:39
  Speaker 1: the attention of many home goers, who said, smiling, how simple,
• 1:38:45
  Speaker 1: how pretty, how quaint. It is a type of the
• 1:38:49
  Speaker 1: Christmas spirit which is abroad to night. You can feel
• 1:38:52
  Speaker 1: it everywhere, blessing the city. For some minutes before the
• 1:38:57
  Speaker 1: candle was lighted, a man in a heavy overcoat had
• 1:39:01
  Speaker 1: been standing in a doorway opposite Miss Terry's house. He
• 1:39:06
  Speaker 1: was tall and grizzled, and his face was sad. He
• 1:39:10
  Speaker 1: stared up at the gloomy windows, the only oblongs of
• 1:39:14
  Speaker 1: blackness in the illuminated block, and he shivered, shrugging his shoulders.
• 1:39:20
  Speaker 1: The same as ever, he said to himself, I might
• 1:39:25
  Speaker 1: have known she would never change any one else. On
• 1:39:28
  Speaker 1: Christmas Eve, after the letter I wrote her would have
• 1:39:31
  Speaker 1: softened a little. But I might have known she as
• 1:39:35
  Speaker 1: hard as nails. Of course, it was my fault in
• 1:39:39
  Speaker 1: the first place to leave her as I did. But
• 1:39:42
  Speaker 1: when I acknowledged it, and when I wrote that letter
• 1:39:45
  Speaker 1: on Christmas Eve, I thought Angelina might feel differently. He
• 1:39:50
  Speaker 1: looked at his watch. Nearly half past nine, he muttered,
• 1:39:56
  Speaker 1: I may as well go home. She said she wanted
• 1:39:59
  Speaker 1: to be let a alone. That Christmas meant nothing to her.
• 1:40:03
  Speaker 1: I don't dare to call on my only sister. I
• 1:40:07
  Speaker 1: suppose she is there all alone, And here I am
• 1:40:11
  Speaker 1: all alone too, What a pity if I saw the
• 1:40:16
  Speaker 1: least sign. Just then there was the spark of a
• 1:40:20
  Speaker 1: match against the darkness, framed in by the window. Opposite,
• 1:40:25
  Speaker 1: A hand and arms shone in the flicker of light
• 1:40:27
  Speaker 1: across the upper sash. A tiny spark, tremulous at first,
• 1:40:33
  Speaker 1: like a bird alighting on a frail branch, paused, steadied,
• 1:40:38
  Speaker 1: and became fixed in the light of a small taper.
• 1:40:42
  Speaker 1: The man caught a glimpse of a pale, long face
• 1:40:45
  Speaker 1: and a frame of silver hair. It faded into the background,
• 1:40:50
  Speaker 1: but above the candle he now saw, with arms outstretched,
• 1:40:54
  Speaker 1: as it seemed toward himself, a pink little angel with
• 1:40:58
  Speaker 1: gauzy wings. The man's heart gave a leap. Sudden memories
• 1:41:04
  Speaker 1: thronged his brain, making him almost dizzy. At last they
• 1:41:09
  Speaker 1: formulated into one smothered cry, the Christmas Angel. It is
• 1:41:15
  Speaker 1: the very same pink angel that Angelina and I used
• 1:41:18
  Speaker 1: to hang on our Christmas tree. In three great leaps,
• 1:41:22
  Speaker 1: like a schoolboy, he crossed the street and ran up
• 1:41:25
  Speaker 1: the steps of number eighty seven. The Christmas Angel seemed
• 1:41:30
  Speaker 1: to smile with ineffable sweetness as he gave the bell
• 1:41:33
  Speaker 1: a vigorous pull Chapter fourteen, Tom. Miss Terry was leaning
• 1:41:44
  Speaker 1: on the mantel shelf, looking into the fire when the
• 1:41:47
  Speaker 1: bell pealed furiously. She started and turned pale. Lorda mercy
• 1:41:54
  Speaker 1: ejaculated Norah, who was still admiring the effect of the
• 1:41:57
  Speaker 1: window decoration. What's that? Who can be calling here to
• 1:42:03
  Speaker 1: night making such a noise? Go to the door, Nora
• 1:42:07
  Speaker 1: said Miss Terry, with a strange note in her voice.
• 1:42:11
  Speaker 1: It may be someone to see me. It is not
• 1:42:14
  Speaker 1: too late, yes'm said Nora, obedient but bewildered. Presently, the
• 1:42:22
  Speaker 1: library door opened and a figure strode in, a tall,
• 1:42:26
  Speaker 1: broad shouldered man in a fur overcoat. For a moment,
• 1:42:30
  Speaker 1: he stood just inside the door, hesitating, Miss Terry took
• 1:42:34
  Speaker 1: two steps forward from the fireplace. Tom. She said, faintly,
• 1:42:41
  Speaker 1: you came after all? After all? Angelina? He said yes,
• 1:42:49
  Speaker 1: because I saw that he waved his hand toward the window.
• 1:42:54
  Speaker 1: That gave me courage to come in. It is our Christmas,
• 1:42:58
  Speaker 1: angel I remember all about it. Does it mean anything? Angelina?
• 1:43:05
  Speaker 1: Miss Terry held out a moment longer, then she faltered forward.
• 1:43:10
  Speaker 1: Oh Tom, She sobbed as she felt his brotherly strong
• 1:43:15
  Speaker 1: arms about her. Oh, Tom, and so he has brought
• 1:43:20
  Speaker 1: you back to me and me to you. He Angelina girl,
• 1:43:26
  Speaker 1: who he smoothed her silver hair with rough kind fingers.
• 1:43:32
  Speaker 1: Why the Christmas Angel, our guardian angel, Tom? All these
• 1:43:37
  Speaker 1: years I kept him in the play box, and I
• 1:43:39
  Speaker 1: was going to burn him up, but I couldn't do it. Tom,
• 1:43:44
  Speaker 1: how wonderful it is. They sat down before the fire,
• 1:43:48
  Speaker 1: and she began to tell him the whole story, but
• 1:43:52
  Speaker 1: she interrupted herself to send for Nora, who came to
• 1:43:55
  Speaker 1: her mystified and half scandalized by the greeting which she
• 1:43:59
  Speaker 1: had seen those to oldsters exchange. This is my brother Tom, Nora,
• 1:44:04
  Speaker 1: who has come back. She said. I believe it is
• 1:44:08
  Speaker 1: not too late to make some preparation for Christmas Day.
• 1:44:12
  Speaker 1: The stores will still be open. Run out and order
• 1:44:15
  Speaker 1: things for a grand occasion. Norah, And oh Norah. A
• 1:44:20
  Speaker 1: sudden remembrance came to her. If you have time, will
• 1:44:24
  Speaker 1: you please get some toys and pretty things, such as
• 1:44:27
  Speaker 1: a little girl would like a little girl of about
• 1:44:30
  Speaker 1: ten with my complexion, I mean, with yellow hair and
• 1:44:34
  Speaker 1: blue eyes. We may have a little guest tomorrow. Yes'm
• 1:44:40
  Speaker 1: said Norah, moving like one in a dream. A guest,
• 1:44:45
  Speaker 1: exclaimed Tom, and Miss Terry told him about Mary. I
• 1:44:50
  Speaker 1: love little girls, said Tom, especially little girls with yellow
• 1:44:55
  Speaker 1: hair and blue eyes, such as you used to have Angelina.
• 1:45:00
  Speaker 1: You will like Mary, then said Miss Terry, with a
• 1:45:04
  Speaker 1: pretty pink flush of pleasure in her cheeks. I shall
• 1:45:08
  Speaker 1: like her if she comes, amended Tom, who man like
• 1:45:14
  Speaker 1: received with reservations the account of a vision vouchsafed not
• 1:45:18
  Speaker 1: unto him. She will come, said Miss Terry, with her
• 1:45:22
  Speaker 1: old positiveness, glancing towards the window where the Christmas Angel hung.
• 1:45:28
  Speaker 1: Then arose the sound of singing outside the house. The
• 1:45:32
  Speaker 1: passing choristers had spied the quaint window, now the only
• 1:45:36
  Speaker 1: one in the street which remained lighted when Christ was
• 1:45:41
  Speaker 1: born of Mary free in Bethlehem, in that fair city,
• 1:45:50
  Speaker 1: angel sang with mirth and glee. In ex Chelsea's Gloria,
• 1:46:03
  Speaker 1: chapter fifteen, Christmas Day and Mary came. The brother and
• 1:46:11
  Speaker 1: sister were at breakfast, the happiest which either of them
• 1:46:15
  Speaker 1: had known for years, when there came a timid pull
• 1:46:18
  Speaker 1: at the front door bell. Miss Angelina laid down her
• 1:46:22
  Speaker 1: knife and fork and looked across the table at Tom.
• 1:46:26
  Speaker 1: She has come. Mary has come, she said, Norah, if
• 1:46:32
  Speaker 1: it is a little girl with a package under her arm,
• 1:46:35
  Speaker 1: bring her in here, yes'm, gasped Nora, who believed she
• 1:46:40
  Speaker 1: was living in a dream where everything was topsy turvy.
• 1:46:45
  Speaker 1: When had a child entered Miss Terry's dining room, Norah
• 1:46:49
  Speaker 1: disappeared and presently returned, ushering in a little girl of
• 1:46:53
  Speaker 1: ten with blue eyes and yellow hair under her arms.
• 1:46:58
  Speaker 1: She carried a white paper package, very badly rapped. Miss
• 1:47:03
  Speaker 1: Terry exchanged with her brother a glance which said I
• 1:47:06
  Speaker 1: told you so. The child seemed bashful and afraid to
• 1:47:11
  Speaker 1: speak no wonder. Tom's kind heart yearned to her. Good morning.
• 1:47:19
  Speaker 1: Wish you a merry Christmas, Mary, he said, smiling. The
• 1:47:23
  Speaker 1: child gave a start. Why how did you know my name?
• 1:47:28
  Speaker 1: She cried. Tom looked confused, how indeed did he know?
• 1:47:34
  Speaker 1: But Miss Angelina, with a readiness that surprised herself, came
• 1:47:39
  Speaker 1: to his rescue. We were talking of a little girl
• 1:47:43
  Speaker 1: named Mary, she said, and you looked just like her.
• 1:47:47
  Speaker 1: What did you come for, dear? The little girl hung
• 1:47:51
  Speaker 1: her head and turned Crimson. I I came to see
• 1:47:56
  Speaker 1: Angelina Terry, she whispered. I I've got a doll that
• 1:48:01
  Speaker 1: belongs to her. There was a pause, then Miss Terry said, well,
• 1:48:07
  Speaker 1: go on. I I found her on the steps of
• 1:48:12
  Speaker 1: this house last night, and I ought to have brought
• 1:48:15
  Speaker 1: her right here then, but I didn't. I took her home.
• 1:48:19
  Speaker 1: I hope Angelina was not very unhappy last night. Miss
• 1:48:24
  Speaker 1: Terry smiled upon Tom, who gave a kind, low laugh. No,
• 1:48:30
  Speaker 1: said Miss Terry. Angelina did not worry about her lost doll.
• 1:48:35
  Speaker 1: She was thinking about something else, the nicest Christmas present
• 1:48:40
  Speaker 1: that ever anybody had. But you were a good girl
• 1:48:43
  Speaker 1: to bring back the doll. No, I'm not a good girl,
• 1:48:49
  Speaker 1: said Mary, and her voice trembled. I was a wicked girl.
• 1:48:54
  Speaker 1: I meant to keep Miranda for myself because I thought
• 1:48:57
  Speaker 1: she would be a lovely, big doll, and when I
• 1:49:00
  Speaker 1: found she was old and homely. Somehow I still wanted
• 1:49:04
  Speaker 1: to keep her, but it was stealing and I couldn't. Please,
• 1:49:09
  Speaker 1: will you give her to Angelina and tell her I
• 1:49:12
  Speaker 1: am so sorry. She took Miranda out of the wrapping
• 1:49:16
  Speaker 1: and held her towards Miss Terry, without looking at the doll.
• 1:49:20
  Speaker 1: It was as if she were afraid of being tempted.
• 1:49:23
  Speaker 1: Once more, Miss Terry did not take the doll. I
• 1:49:28
  Speaker 1: am Angelina, she said, The doll was mine, you Angelina.
• 1:49:37
  Speaker 1: The child's face was full of bewilderment. Mechanically, she drew
• 1:49:41
  Speaker 1: Miranda to her and clasped her close. Yes, I am
• 1:49:46
  Speaker 1: Angelina and that was my doll, Miranda said Miss Terry gently.
• 1:49:52
  Speaker 1: Thank you for returning her. But Mary, your name is Mary.
• 1:49:57
  Speaker 1: The child nodded, I wanted you to keep her for me.
• 1:50:02
  Speaker 1: What would you say? Mary's eyes still dwelt upon Miss
• 1:50:07
  Speaker 1: Terry with a puzzled look. This gray haired Angelina was
• 1:50:11
  Speaker 1: so different from the one she had pictured. She did
• 1:50:14
  Speaker 1: not answer the question. Miss Terry drew the child to
• 1:50:18
  Speaker 1: a chair beside her. Tell me all about yourself, Mary,
• 1:50:23
  Speaker 1: she said, after some coaxing and prompting from what they
• 1:50:28
  Speaker 1: already guessed, Mary told the story of her sad little life.
• 1:50:33
  Speaker 1: She was an orphan, recently left to the care of
• 1:50:36
  Speaker 1: her uncle and aunt, who had received her grudgingly. They
• 1:50:40
  Speaker 1: were her sole relatives, and the shame of their degraded
• 1:50:44
  Speaker 1: lives was plain through the outlines of the vague picture
• 1:50:47
  Speaker 1: which Mary sketched of them. You do not love them,
• 1:50:51
  Speaker 1: Mary asked Miss Terry kindly. No, answered the child. They
• 1:50:57
  Speaker 1: always speak crossly to me when they have been drinking.
• 1:51:01
  Speaker 1: They beat me. Tom rose from the table with a
• 1:51:05
  Speaker 1: muttered word and began to pace the floor. His blue
• 1:51:09
  Speaker 1: eyes were full of tears. Mary said, Miss Terry, will
• 1:51:15
  Speaker 1: the people at home be worried if you do not
• 1:51:17
  Speaker 1: come back to dinner. Mary shook her head wonderingly. No,
• 1:51:23
  Speaker 1: she said, they will not care. I am often away
• 1:51:27
  Speaker 1: on holidays. I go to the museums. Then I want
• 1:51:32
  Speaker 1: you to stay with us to day, said Miss Terry.
• 1:51:36
  Speaker 1: We are going to have a Christmas celebration and we
• 1:51:39
  Speaker 1: need you for a guest. Will you stay? You and Miranda.
• 1:51:45
  Speaker 1: Mary looked down at the doll in her arms and
• 1:51:48
  Speaker 1: up at the two kind faces bent toward her. Yes,
• 1:51:52
  Speaker 1: she said impulsively, I will stay. How good you are.
• 1:51:58
  Speaker 1: I don't want to go home. Don't go home, burst out, Tom.
• 1:52:03
  Speaker 1: Stay with us always and be our little girl. Mary
• 1:52:08
  Speaker 1: looked from one to the other, half frightened at the
• 1:52:11
  Speaker 1: new idea. Miss Terry bent and pecked her cheek with
• 1:52:16
  Speaker 1: a thrill at the new sensation. Yes, we mean it,
• 1:52:21
  Speaker 1: she said, and her voice was almost sweet. We believe
• 1:52:26
  Speaker 1: that the Christmas Angel has brought you to us. Mary.
• 1:52:30
  Speaker 1: You have the Christmas name. But you seem to us
• 1:52:33
  Speaker 1: like the little girl we both knew best, little Angelina
• 1:52:37
  Speaker 1: with blue eyes and yellow hair, who was Miranda's mother.
• 1:52:42
  Speaker 1: Will you stay with us, Mary, Angelina? Would you like
• 1:52:46
  Speaker 1: to stay? Mary looked up with a wistful smile. You
• 1:52:51
  Speaker 1: are so good, she said again. I wish I could stay,
• 1:52:56
  Speaker 1: But uncle and aunt are so I am afraid of
• 1:52:59
  Speaker 1: what they might do to us. All if they thought
• 1:53:02
  Speaker 1: you wanted me, they would not let me go. I
• 1:53:06
  Speaker 1: will fix uncle and Aunt, said Tom, going for his coat.
• 1:53:11
  Speaker 1: Leave them to me. I know an argument that settles
• 1:53:15
  Speaker 1: uncles and aunts of that sort. You need not go
• 1:53:18
  Speaker 1: back to their house, I promise you, Mary, my dear
• 1:53:22
  Speaker 1: Mary gave a great sigh of relief. Oh I am
• 1:53:26
  Speaker 1: so glad, she said. It was such a wicked house,
• 1:53:30
  Speaker 1: and here it is so good. Good. Miss Terry echoed
• 1:53:35
  Speaker 1: the word with a sigh. Come with me, Mary, she said.
• 1:53:41
  Speaker 1: She led her little guest through the hall to the library,
• 1:53:45
  Speaker 1: where a great fire was blazing, with sundry, mysterious packages
• 1:53:49
  Speaker 1: and white paper piled on the table beside it. But
• 1:53:53
  Speaker 1: Miss Terry did not stop at the fireplace. She drew
• 1:53:57
  Speaker 1: Mary to the window, which looked out on the sidewalk
• 1:54:01
  Speaker 1: above the lower sash, Mary saw the remains of a
• 1:54:04
  Speaker 1: burned out Christmas candle, and over it hung a pink
• 1:54:08
  Speaker 1: paper machet angel, stretching out open arms towards her. This
• 1:54:14
  Speaker 1: is the Christmas Angel, Mary said, Miss Terry. He is
• 1:54:18
  Speaker 1: as old as Miranda. He is as old as Christmas,
• 1:54:23
  Speaker 1: interrupted Tom, looking in from the hall. When we were children,
• 1:54:28
  Speaker 1: Tom and I we hung him on our Christmas tree,
• 1:54:32
  Speaker 1: went on, Miss Terry. We think he brought you to us.
• 1:54:37
  Speaker 1: We believe he has changed the world for us, has
• 1:54:41
  Speaker 1: brought us peace, good will and happiness. He is going
• 1:54:45
  Speaker 1: to be the guardian angel of our house. You must
• 1:54:48
  Speaker 1: love him, Mary, How beautiful he is, said Mary, reverently.
• 1:54:55
  Speaker 1: His face shines like the babies that I saw once
• 1:54:58
  Speaker 1: in the church. Oh, Miss Angelina, he is like the
• 1:55:03
  Speaker 1: Christ Child himself. Call me Aunt Angelina, said Miss Terry,
• 1:55:08
  Speaker 1: with a quick breath. Aunt Angelina cried the child, throwing
• 1:55:14
  Speaker 1: her arms about Miss Terry's neck. Tom came and put
• 1:55:18
  Speaker 1: his great furry coat sleeves about them both. And Uncle Tom,
• 1:55:23
  Speaker 1: he said, dear Uncle Tom, whispered the child shyly. There
• 1:55:30
  Speaker 1: were tears in the eyes of all three Now we
• 1:55:34
  Speaker 1: shall live happy ever after, said Tom, and the Christmas
• 1:55:39
  Speaker 1: Angel beamed upon them. End of Part five recording by
• 1:55:47
  Speaker 1: Jan mc gilivray. The music heard in this recording is
• 1:55:52
  Speaker 1: when Christ was Born of Mary Free, which is in
• 1:55:56
  Speaker 1: the public domain. End of the Chris miss Angel by
• 1:56:01
  Speaker 1: Abbey Farwell Brown