Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: Ten Christmas storiesHale, Edward Everett
General
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: Ten Christmas stories
Hale, Edward Everett
Christmas stories, American; United States -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
And the armorers mended the old armor, and the young men girded on
swords which had never been tried in fight, and the pennons that they
bore were embroidered by their sweethearts and sisters as in the old
days of the Crusades, and with the same device of a sky-lark in
mid-heaven, and the motto, "Nearer, my God, to Thee."
And there came from the great Cathedral the wise men who had come from
all the lands. They found the King, and they said to him, "Your Grace,
we know how to build the new defences for the land, and we will guard
the river ways, that the barbarians shall never enter them."
And when the people knew that the Red Russians were on the way, they met
in the square and marched to the palace, and Robert the Smith mounted
the steps of the palace and called the King. And he said, "The people
are here to bid the King be of good heart. The people bid me say that
they will die for their King and for his land."
And the King took from his wife's neck the blue ribbon that she wore,
with a golden sky-lark on it, and bound it round the blacksmith's arm,
and he said, "If I die, it is nothing; if I live, it is nothing; that is
in God's hand. But whether we live or die, let us draw as near Him as we
may."
And the Blacksmith Robert turned to the people, and with his loud voice,
told what the King had said.
And the people answered in the shout which the Hungarians shout to this
day, "Let us die for our king! Let us die for our king!"
And the King called the Queen hastily, and they and their children led
the host to the great Cathedral.
And the old priest Stephen, who was ninety years old, stood at the
altar, and he read the gospel where it says, "Fear not, little flock, it
is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
And he read the other gospel where the Lord says, "And I, if I be lifted
up, will draw all men unto me." And he read the epistle where it says,
"No man liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." And he chanted
the psalm, "The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer."
And fifty thousand men, with one heart and one voice, joined with him.
And the King joined, and the Queen to sing, "The Lord is my rock, my
fortress, and my deliverer."
And they marched from the Cathedral, singing in the language of the
country, "Propior Deo," which is to say in our tongue, "Nearer, my God,
to Thee."
And the aged braves who had fought with Godfrey, and the younger men who
had learned of arms in the University, went among the people and divided
them into companies for the war. And Robert the Blacksmith, and all the
guild of the blacksmiths, and of the braziers, and of the coppersmiths,
and of the whitesmiths, even the goldsmiths, and the silversmiths, made
weapons for the war; and the masons and the carpenters, and the ditchers
and delvers marched out with the cathedral builders to the narrow passes
of the river, and built new the fortresses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account