p
to the altar without getting in any one's way, take this little silver
piece of mine, and lay it down for my offering, when no one is looking.
Do not forget where you have left me, and forgive me for not going with
you."

In this way he hurried Little Brother off to the city and winked hard
to keep back the tears, as he heard the crunching footsteps sounding
farther and farther away in the twilight. It was pretty hard to lose
the music and splendour of the Christmas celebration that he had been
planning for so long, and spend the time instead in that lonely place in
the snow.

The great church was a wonderful place that night. Every one said that
it had never looked so bright and beautiful before. When the organ
played and the thousands of people sang, the walls shook with the sound,
and little Pedro, away outside the city wall, felt the earth tremble
around them.

At the close of the service came the procession with the offerings to be
laid on the altar. Rich men and great men marched proudly up to lay down
their gifts to the Christ-Child. Some brought wonderful jewels, some
baskets of gold so heavy that they could scarcely carry them down the
aisle. A great writer laid down a book that he had been making for years
and years. And last of all walked the king of the country, hoping with
all the rest to win for himself the chime of the Christmas bells. There
went a great murmur through the church as the people saw the king take
from his head the royal crown, all set with precious stones, and lay
it gleaming on the altar, as his offering to the Holy Child. "Surely,"
every one said, "we shall hear the bells now, for nothing like this has
ever happened before."

But still only the cold old wind was heard in the tower and the people
shook their heads; and some of them said, as they had before, that they
never really believed the story of the chimes, and doubted if they ever
rang at all.

The procession was over, and the choir began the closing hymn. Suddenly
the organist stopped playing; and every one looked at the old minister,
who was standing by the altar, holding up his hand for silence. Not a
sound could be heard from any one in the church, but as all the people
strained their ears to listen, there came softly, but distinctly,
swinging through the air, the sound of the chimes in the tower. So far
away, and yet so clear the music seemed--so much sweeter were the notes
than anything that had been heard before, ris