ite shoes; and after them
another class in white, with purple scarfs across their shoulders.

These boys--they were real handsome little fellows--stood themselves
around the altar. Then came two men, all in black and white, and after
them four others, dressed like kings and princes, all in scarlet and
gold, and lace and precious stones.

These men knelt down on the steps of the altar. Then everybody in the
meeting-house knelt too. After a few minutes they got up, and out from
somewhere in the meeting-house, a low roar of music burst over us, and
with it came a rush of voices singing out, "Lord, have mercy on us!
Lord, have mercy on us."

Then there was a lull, and after that a whole torrent of gushing music,
with an undertone of rolling sounds, and out of the noise came these
words that seemed to catch up one's heart and fly away with it:

"Glory to God on high, peace and good-will to men!"

Oh, how this rush of sound rose and swelled, and glorified itself! It
seemed as if you could see Christ rising from the sepulchre, and all the
angels of heaven rejoicing over it.

Then came more music. I cannot tell you what it was like, only it made
my heart stir and throb, as if it wanted to break loose and mount
upwards, singing as it went.

At last a low voice sung, all alone, clear and high as a bird in the
air. After that, deep, deep silence settled on the whole congregation,
and everybody dropped down on their knees. Then one of the men in
scarlet and gold went a step higher on the altar, and took from it a
gold cup, which he held high up in one hand. Out of this cup he lifted a
round thing that looked more like a cracker than anything else, and held
it up between his thumb and finger. I was going to ask E. E. what it was
all about, but she was bending forward, with her face almost on the
floor, and everybody around us was taking an extra kneel, which I did
not understand. Everything kept still, the congregation bent close to
the floor, and everybody seemed to be thinking to themselves for as much
as ten minutes. Then the whole congregation lifted its head. The boys
in red and white frocks swung the brass lamps, which sent clouds of
sweet, white smoke up amongst the flowers, and out came another burst of
music, louder, sweeter, and more triumphant than anything I had heard
yet. It just carried me right off from my feet.

After this, one of the crimson and gold men on the altar turned round,
and spread out his arms. T