BLIND JULIANA GOES TO CHURCH II9 



a stamping of feet on the sanded floor stamping 

 to shake off the frozen snow ; then hand in hand 

 the two came in. 



Blind Juliana was at home now ; she knew her 

 way about the church, for in the days before her 

 blindness she had dusted the benches and set them 

 straight, and sanded the floor, and lighted the stove, 

 and stacked the hymn-books all tidily. She walked 

 to her seat with a confident tread, dragging by the 

 hand this strange, furtive, peering sister from the 

 north. They sat there side by side, the heathen 

 woman staring with open mouth while the missionary 

 read and prayed and spoke. And when the hymns 

 were sung, blind Juliana stood with beaming face, 

 joining in the well-known tunes with her strong con- 

 tralto voice, and maybe thinking of the time when 

 she led the altos in the choir and even sang solos 

 on special days. And the heathen woman : while 

 they sang she sat huddled, awed by the strange 

 sound, and looking around in a frightened way, 

 waiting for the time when she might lead Juliana 

 home again. 



And that is how blind Juliana went to church. 



