Show 0 the voice of the chimes by katharine eggleston roberts copyright 1320 1920 western newspaper union in a little town in tho the plain of t Braban conne the summer hi twilight llight filled the tt winding hiding streets bilth ith shadows over the alio cobblestones bright bryght checked cheeked alic eked girls in wooden oen slices blue dresses and red kerchiefs trundled their two tivo wheeled curts of flowers the alie scented breeze was cool here and there lights began to gleam behind the windows of the narrow peak goofed house the tower of the cathedral roe ioe against the sunset sky like a misty dream and yet a immovable its sculptured saints smiled on the peaceful land all was quiet in the happy silence that ends a day well lived then with willi the stealth ot of fairies tle tiny notes played in the air softly it t first the magic music d descended 0 h voice of the chimer IS dead till swelling like bubbles of light it burst in a silvery shower everywhere chere green ermi g shutters gh utters operia to tu let h aji 11 the tie winged notes note I 1 reder Tas paused ause za then hastened their steps stepa toward the foot t of the the viburch church there to receive the sweetest benediction of the chimes slowly the music faded melted into the shadows and the perfume of the night the million stars wakening from their daytime sleep winked blinked till their eyes eves were returning the twinkle of the lie lights within the windows now and then they peeked into the houses housea they saw raw a family grouped about the supper slipper table the father tou whose bulging vest made him sit SI e ery ry straight and rather poni pompously gazed with satisfaction at his family about the loaded cloth the mother a woman of complacent curves smiled benignly nt at her well scrubbed children and her contented bus husband band in another part of boin town n burn humbler bler part a small mail square window frati framed wl another picture a brown ailed kitchen where the copper glowed in the rays from a lamp on the red checked table the old man and the lie old worn an nodded in their chairs ills stock hinged feet were stretched upon a foot stool and their wooden slices rested beside him on the floor As hei fingers cast rs loosened from the lie knitting nee needles illes the half made sock slid lid gerl gen aly from her lap the stars checkl chuckled ed and skipped to get out of the way of the new moon who came to watch lie lat part of the drama in the vil lage an and when she saw a girl who wide awake dreamed of a sie sweetheart etheart in a neighboring town own the moon of ro imece took her mesinge me singe to the youth then from the cathedra catli edral tower the midnight melody of the carillon put the girl to sleep but bill that was long ions ago before the german guns roared ou out of the north strong voices that chanted n R fierce harmany of misery and ruin euln evil voices that sent a tempest of terror into the calm minds of the people and bade them thein sob their everlasting fam farar wells now in the plain of lies the villager village mangled and charred its narrow streets find their tortuous way adiong the crumbling walls and summer twilight lays a gray pall over ilie die brokon homes the floi flowers ers that we their s sweetness ire are faded and the ilie tongues of their vendors are dumb lunia sadly the stars gaze through the night mist tear divined eyes that search earch the blind windows in vain the people they knew laugh no more for their dreams their loves and their iv lac ire are withered the waning moon eks the tower and finds but a shattered wreck Nol voiceless celess to utter the birge that hit stirs deep in its henrt heart still some of the stone saints smile hut but the twist of their alp ilp lips Is ironic the bells chat that ba had sung through the bearz ear that had blessed the joy of the people cried their last note in pain ns as they crashed to the foot of the belfry and the ruined village Is mute its tragic doom goes for the voice of the chimes Is dead |