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Page 8
HOLGER. (_Fighting back his tears_) It'll never be the same again!
To-night the Christ comes. Bertel said--"The Christ!"
WOMAN. Nay, son, pray to the Christ-child, pray that He does not pass
thee by! (_She sits facing the back wall of the hut._ HOLGER _kneels
before her, and drops his head in her lap. She lays her hand gently upon
his hair and makes the sign of the cross above him_)
(_As they have been talking together, the fire on the hearth has
burned itself out and the shadows in the room have crept forward and
closed around them till only a faint outline of_ HOLGER _and the_
WOMAN _can be distinguished in the glimmer of moonlight shining
through the window nearby. There is a long pause broken only by the
boy's sobbing which gradually sinks to silence. As he prays, a faint
light begins to grow behind him. The smoke-grimed back wall of the
hut has vanished and in its place appears a vision of the cathedral
chancel.--One by one objects emerge from the darkness. The light
touches the golden altar, the gleaming appointments upon it, the
jewel-like tones of the stained glass window above, and the rich
carpet under foot; it shows the marble arches at the sides and
shines softly on the robe of the kneeling_ PRIEST. _As the dim
vision grows to clearness, so the music comes nearer and swells
forth softly into the Christmas processional. Unconscious of it all_
HOLGER _looks up at the_ WOMAN, _his face swept with despair_.)
HOLGER. Oh, it's no use! I'd rather be all blind and never see than miss
the vision that the Christ will send!
WOMAN. (_Gazing at the vision_) Look, look what comes!
HOLGER. (_Staring at the woman's face illuminated by the light from the
chancel_) Dame! (_He turns to see where the light comes from and the
vision meets his eye_) Oh-h-h-h! (_He crouches back at the_ WOMAN'S
_feet, held spell-bound by the sight. As the music changes the_ PRIEST
_rises slowly to his feet, faces the congregation and makes a gesture of
approach. The voices of the choir join the music, and from the left side
of the chancel, people begin to enter carrying their gifts_)
(_An imperious looking man, richly dressed in black and gold comes
first, bearing a heavy box. He approaches the altar, kneels and puts
the chest in the_ PRIEST'S _hands, and, that the full value of his
gift may be publicly recognised, he throws back the lid, heaping up
the gold coin with which the box is filled. The_ PRIEST _turns, goes
up the steps to the altar and raises the chest as high as its weight
will permit. The man still kneeling awaits the chimes with superb
selfconfidence. The bells do not ring. Slowly the_ PRIEST _lowers
the gold to the altar, turns, raises his hand in blessing and
dismissal. The rich man rises, looking bewildered at his failure,
crosses to the right and stands near the altar as the pageant moves
on._)
(_The_ PRIEST _turns to the next comer_, A COURTIER _brave in green
and gold, who enters with an air of great elegance, bearing daintily
a gilded jewel casket. He kneels, lays it in the_ PRIEST'S _hands.
The latter turns to go but the_ COURTIER _detains him a second,
raises the lid of the box and holds up string after string of rich
gems. The_ PRIEST _carries the jewels to the altar and offers them.
The bells do not ring. The_ PRIEST _dismisses the_ COURTIER, _and
the young man rises, turns back with assumed lightness of manner and
stands at the left of the chancel, watching with great interest._)
(_A beautiful_ WOMAN _clad in flame colored velvet sweeps proudly up
to the steps of the altar, kneels, takes from her neck a long strand
of pearls and offers it to the_ PRIEST. _The_ PRIEST _receives the
necklace, ascends to the altar and offers the jewels. The woman
smiling listens tensely for the chimes. They do not ring. The smile
fades as the_ PRIEST _turns and blesses her. She rises trying to
hide her chagrin in a look of great hauteur, crosses to the right
and stands near the man in black and gold with whom she exchanges
disdainful smiles over the next arrival._)
(_An old white haired man clad in a scholar's robes totters on,
bearing with difficulty a large vellum bound book. The_ PRIEST
_takes a step forward to relieve the Old Man of his burden, and as
he goes up the altar steps the Sage sinks exhausted to his knees,
listening with straining senses for the bells.--They do not ring.
The_ PRIEST _blesses the old man and helps him to rise. He turns
back and stands near the_ COURTIER _at the left._)
(_A lovely young girl enters, dressed in pale green satin, her arms
filled with a sheaf of white lilies. The very way she carries them
and bends her head to catch their fragrance shows that to her they
are the most beautiful things in the world. Kneeling she gives them
into the hands of the_ PRIEST, _and as he offers them, she listens
with childish confidence for the ringing of the bells.--Still there
is no sound save the organ music and the singing of the choir,
subdued almost to a breath as the gifts are offered. Abashed as the_
PRIEST _blesses and dismisses her, the young girl steps back and
stands near the old Sage._)
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