IN THE SOLEMN MIDNIGHT 



for the scroll on which the beautiful music was 

 written, the angels in sorrow tore it in thousands 

 of pieces and scattered it to the four winds of 

 heaven. Thus it was brought to earth, and 

 wherever the precious fragments fell men rushed 

 to pick them up, and each mortal obtained for 

 himself a bit of the heavenly music. 



But alas, about this they quarrelled also. One 

 asserted that he alone possessed the true heavenly 

 music. Another despised the fragment his neigh- 

 bor held. Some interpreted their notes amiss, 

 others added a flourish or two. Oh! it was a 

 clamor, a discord, a din ! 



And so it is yet ; but a day is to come in which 

 the stars shall fall to the earth and the sun into 

 the sea. Then the children of men will crowd 

 eagerly to the gates of heaven, as now our little 

 ones press to our door for a sight of the Christmas 

 tree ; and then will God send the angels to gather 

 up all the fragments of the marvellous music ; and 

 the pieces will be put together once more each 

 in its own place and in its right relation to the 

 others and again the heavenly music shall ring 

 out true and clear. 



And as the wondering children of earth pass in 

 through the open gates of heaven one will whisper 



[89] 



