STATELY mansion,

bright and gay

With festal light, made

darkness day

Far up and down the dusky

street

That Christmas night, while hurry-

ing feet

Sped swiftly by, nor scarce de-

layed

For all the dulcet sounds that

strayed

In merry measures from within,

Where harp and flute and violin,

In soft accordance, wild and sweet,

Made music for the dancers' feet.

All silken-clad those feet that kept

That time and tune, or lightly stept

Her eager ears still drinking in

The strains of flute and violin;

And still, as sped the moments past,

Colder and colder swept the blast.

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But little heed had she, or care:

Her glance upon one vision fair,

One vision, one, beyond the rest—

A girl with roses on her breast,

And with a look upon her face,

The sweet girl-face of Heaven's own grace,

As through the dance she smiling led

Her youthful guests, with airy tread.

"Ah, would she smile on me like this

And would she give me kiss for kiss

If I could stand there at her side?"

The wistful watcher softly cried.

Even as she spoke she closer crept,

Upon the broad low terrace stept,

And nearer leaned.—Just then, just there,

A street light sent a sudden glare

Across her face.—One startled glance,

And from the changes of the dance.

With beating heart and eyes dilate.

The girlish mistress of the fÊte

Sprang swiftly forth.—A moment more

And through the window's opened door

Another guest was ushered in.

Her lip was pale, her cheek was thin,

No costly robe of silk and lace

Apparelled her, and 011 her face

And in her dark bewildered eyes

A shock of fear and shamed surprise

Did wildly, desperately gleam,

While here and there, as in a dream,

She vaguely heard, yet did not hear,

The sound of voices far and near.

She tried to speak: some word she said

Of all her troubled doubt and dread,

Some childish word—"what would they

do?"

Then all at once a voice rang through

Her troubled doubt, her troubled fear,

"What will they do, why, this—and this!"

And on her cold lips dropped a kiss,

And found her frozen figure crept

A tender clasp.—She laughed and wept

And laughed again, for this and this,

This tender clasp, this tender kiss,

Wras more than all her dream come true:

Was earth with Heaven's light shining through;

Was Christ's own promise kept aright—

His word fulfilled on Christ-day night!

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