'-o 
half the time you don't know what’s the mat- 
ter. Why, that was only last Christmas? 
Do you remember that night, Mo-ma?” 
“Perfectly.” 
“We were at home in the city,” he con- 
tinued. “You had come up to my room and 
sat by me. I was all covered up with the 
quilt, so you wouldn't see my red eyes. All 
at once we heard some one singing. It was 
only Mamma and Aida. Mamma was play- 
ing the air on the dear violin, Aida accom- 
panying her on the piano and singing, and 
she always gives one a chance to hear the 
words.” 
“Yes, Edwy, I remember. You flew out of 
bed and leaned over the banisters to hear. 
It was from The Oratorio of the ‘Messiah.’ 
You wished they would play and sing it all 
night. You had forgotten all your troubles 
in a moment.” 
“Oh, I can hear it now, even after all these 
months, as the remembrance of it comes 
