d we had been told that in case
the "Yankees" should make their appearance during the night, and our
garrison of three be obliged to evacuate the town, the village
church-bell would be rung to apprize the citizens of the situation.

No, we felt sure the enemy _could_ not come on Christmas eve. We even
ventured to hang up our stockings in the accustomed place.

We knelt, my brother and I, by dear old grandmother's knee, and said
our prayers to Him who, she told us, knew what it was to spend His
first Christmas days here under the shadow of the sword, and would not
that one of His little ones should perish. Then tossed by hope and
fear, we slept.

It was a notable fact, but one which escaped comment in the general
anxiety of that night, that Uncle Scipio had not appeared as usual,
after his out-of-door tasks were finished. It had gone pretty hard
with us all not to be able to confide everything to this faithful old
friend; but the strictest injunctions had been laid upon us to keep
the whole matter a secret from the negroes, for many reasons. So he
knew nothing, and went about his tasks all day, singing his most
dirge-like tunes, which meant some pleasant preoccupation of mind. We
had learned that. We knew soon after what it was that occupied his
heart and head that day.

I do not know how long we had slept in our trundle bed, but I know I
had travelled in my dreams over many leagues of fairy land, walking
under endless avenues of lighted Christmas trees, when suddenly, I
thought, from some unseen source, the deep tones of a bell struck
discord on the radiant air. It seemed so out of place in that
enchanted region; and at the sound all the lights on the trees
flickered and went out, and we were lost in the dark. Louder and
nearer the bell still sounded; and then we awoke and our hearts stood
still with terror.

We knew it was the village church-bell, proclaiming its story to the
sleeping town. The enemy were upon us, and our Christmas fires would
be the light of blazing homes. Oh, such awakening after such dreams!
So eloquent was every face, of horrible certainty, that scarcely a
word was spoken. It was only about midnight, but I was dressed by
trembling hands--mother had not been undressed at all. And then we
waited--for what? We could not have told precisely. But after a little
the bell ceased to ring, and then we listened for the tramp of horses
and the quick Northern voices speaking words of command to the men.