She held Jules's hand in hers, as
if with it she grasped the other Jules, the little brother of the olden
days for whom this child had been named. And she told him stories of his
grandfather and his father. Then Jules found that this Aunt Desire had
known his mother; had once sat on the vine-covered porch while he ran
after fireflies on the lawn in his little white dress; had heard the
song the voice still sang to him in his dreams:
"Till the stars and the angels come to keep
Their watch where my baby lies fast asleep."
When she told him this, with her hand stroking his and folding it tight
with many tender little claspings, he felt that he had found a part of
his old home, too, as well as Aunt Desire.
One by one the tapers began to glow on the great tree, and when it was
all ablaze the doors were opened for the children to flock in. They
stood about the room, bewildered at first, for not one of them had ever
seen such a sight before; a tree that glittered and sparkled and shone,
that bore stars and rainbows and snow wreaths and gay toys. At first
they only drew deep, wondering breaths, and looked at each other with
shining eyes. It was all so beautiful and so strange.
Joyce flew here and there, helping to distribute the gifts, feeling her
heart grow warmer and warmer as she watched the happy children.
Pages:
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124