At that same moment, in a little cottage at the other end of the town, a
sleepless mother rose from her knees beside the kitchen table and passed
slowly up the stairs to her own room. The children and the eldest girl
were long since asleep, but the mother could not rest for thinking of
her wayward boy. Where was he to-night; where at this very moment? And
he had promised, promised faithfully to turn over a new leaf with this
Christmas eve. Christmas eve was here, nay, it was come and gone for
midnight had sounded and it was now Christmas morning. Still, this night
must be for her as all those other nights when she had lain awake hour
after hour listening in silent anguish for the footstep that did not
come. She had hoped much from that promise of his to Father Xavier and
to her, and her disappointment was proportionately bitter.
The mother walked to the window and looked out upon the silent, frosty
night. Low down upon the horizon myriads of stars were twinkling
merrily, but high up in the heavens the moon shone with a brilliant
radiance that totally eclipsed all lesser lights. The night was very
still, very beautiful, but the silence and the beauty failed to bring
peace to the mother's heart. She looked up into the heavens. How
placidly cold the moon looked back at her, the same moon that was
probably shedding its beams upon her boy at that moment and could tell
her where he was if it could but speak.
Pages:
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58