CHAPTER IX.
RALPH'S BIRTHDAY.
A few days after the events narrated in the last chapter, a bright,sunshiny morning ushered in Ralph's fourth birthday anniversary, and afine time he had receiving, in the first place, four little love tapsand then four kisses from each member of the family in turn.
Norah had entirely recovered from her illness, and had baked a cakeespecially for him, lighted by four wax candles, which was placed infront of Ralph's plate at breakfast time. His father gave him that toymost delightful to the average boy--a mechanical engine. Jack's giftwas a basket of fruit, his mother's a humming top, and Winnie's a littleautograph album, in which she had copied the following verse, written byAunt Kitty:
"Many tiny sunbeams fill the world with light, Tiny drops of water make the ocean's might; Tiny bits of goodness, that tiny laddies do, Fill our homes with gladness and make our hearts glad, too."
Ralph was much pleased at having a little book all his own, with a versein it made on purpose for him, and he had Winnie read it over and over,until presently he could say it himself.
But the crowning gift of all was sent to the house just as they wereat dinner, labeled "From Grandma, Aunt Kitty and Uncle Fred." It was ahandsome velocipede, just the right height to fit the little short legs.Strange to say, Ralph learned to manage it at once and rode right off onit, and when Aunt Kitty came to take him and Winnie to the park, itwas with great difficulty that he could be prevailed upon to leave itbehind. Finally they effected a compromise by allowing him to take hishumming top, which he insisted on stopping to spin every few rods,much to the amusement of Aunt Kitty and the intense though unexpresseddisgust and mortification of Winnie.
When they reached the park they sat down on one of the benches to restawhile, and watched Ralph feed the swans with some crumbs from the cakewhich he had brought. After that Aunt Kitty took them to the prettydock, and, having selected a boat, rowed them around the lake, to thegreat interest of some boys, who called out to each other, "Come and seea girl row a boat!"
Suddenly Ralph gave one of his tremendous howls, and Winnie grasped himjust in time to keep him from pitching headlong into the water. He haddropped his top in the lake, and was trying in vain to seize it beforeit sank.
It was some time before he could be pacified, and it was not till hisaunt had him sit beside her and take hold of one oar and help her row,that he could be comforted. The remainder of the boat ride was verypleasant, and they supposed the child had forgotten all about the lossof his top. When they went home to supper, however, and Mr. Burtonasked: "Well, my little man, what have you done with your birthday?"
"I took it to the park and lost it in the lake, papa!" was theunexpected reply.
"Fortunate child!" exclaimed Aunt Kitty, catching Ralph up, andlaughing. "How happy the rest of us would be if we could dispose of ouryearly reminders of the lapse of time in the same way! We might fancyourselves blessed with the gift of eternal youth if it were not for ourbirthdays."
But Ralph was not yet through celebrating. It was very seldom that Mrs.Burton allowed him to go out in the evening, but this was a specialoccasion, and as there was an opportunity for him to have a treat, shethought it only right for them to take advantage of it. There was to bea stereopticon entertainment at their Sunday-school, and they were allgoing. Ralph had not been told until supper was over, and even then,short as the time was until they should start out, he could hardlyrestrain his impatience.
They watched Ralph feed the swans.--See page 42.]
Aunt Kitty took him on her lap and told him the story of Red Riding-Hoodand the Fair One with the Golden Locks, and repeated "Mother Goose"jingles to him, and thus managed to keep him somewhat contented untiltime to start.
The walk through the lighted streets was a great pleasure to thelittle fellow. They went down Central Avenue, and, all the stores beinglighted, it seemed to the child a different and mysterious world, morefull of lights and people than the one he had been accustomed to.
"Now, Ralph," said his father, "we are going to see a great manybeautiful things to-night. But this is different from most times; forgenerally, the more light we have, the better we can see; but thesepictures can be seen better in the dark, and they put out all thelights. When that happens, some foolish boy or girl may cry, but I wantmy little man to keep hold of papa's hand and not say one word till hesees the beautiful pictures."
"I doesn't twy, papa!" said Ralph, indignantly. "I'se a big boy now--nota dreat big boy, but a little big boy. And I hasn't twied--oh, not fortwenty-ten days, I dess."
"Very well," said papa, "be sure to remember that by and by."
When they reached the church it was still quite early, and the fewpeople already there were laughing and chatting and having a pleasanttime. This was very much to Ralph's disapproval. He did not attendchurch often, but when he did go, he had been talked to so much aboutkeeping still, particularly by Winnie, that he thought it very naughtyto make a noise in church, so now he said in a loud whisper:
"Papa, I sink dose people is very naughty, to talk out loud in church."
"But this isn't Sunday, Ralph," his father said; "you may talk, too, ifyou like."
Ralph was so surprised at this that he had nothing to say for some time.
Presently some of the girls of Winnie's Sunday-school class came and shewent away with them, and Miss Benton stepped across the aisle tospeak to some friends. This secession grieved Ralph very much. "I sinkauntie's weal mean, to go and stay wiz dose ozzer people!" he said.
"Aunt Kitty will come back in a few moments, Ralph," said mamma.
By and by all the people stopped talking and took their seats, and AuntKitty came back and sat down beside Ralph. Two men entered and placed abig screen in the front part of the church. The organist began to playsomething slow and sweet and solemn, which made one think of things sadbut not unhappy.
The lights were suddenly turned out, and Ralph had just time to draw hisbreath quickly, and seize his father's hand and snuggle up close to him,when a picture appeared on the screen, and his father lifted him up thathe might see it better.
On the screen they saw a lonely, desolate mountain, which two personswere slowly ascending, one of them bearing an armful of wood. Onerepresented an old man; the other was a young, slender boy. The organwas now giving forth minor strains, in queer, broken time, full ofheartache.
The next picture showed Abraham binding Isaac on the altar, and the lookof surprise and terror on the face of the boy was equalled only by theintense but submissive expression of sorrow on the face of the old man.
The organ was still sounding its sad tones, when the picture changedagain, and this time the angel was staying Abraham's hand. And now theorgan pealed forth tones of joy and gladness.
The next views thrown on the screen appeared to be scenes inSwitzerland. These Ralph did not seem to be at all interested in, untilthey saw a representation of Lake Lucerne, showing some children rowinga boat. This reminded Ralph of the loss of his humming-top, and he said,quite loudly, "Do you sink, papa, that little boy lost his birfday,too?"
"If he did," said Aunt Kitty, "he will probably find another one to makeup for its loss."
The next picture was that of Jacob's Dream; a tall ladder, reaching tothe sky, with the bright-winged "angels ascending and descending onit," as the narrative so simply tells us. Jacob lay with his head onits stony pillow, a wondering but happy look on his face, and his armsoutstretched as if he would fain seize the lovely vision.
The dreamy tones of Schumann's "Traumerie" stole upon the air, andchanged from that, with skillful modulations, into a grand anthem, andthe big chorus choir, which till now had been silent, burst into joyfulbut majestic strains: "The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble."
Ralph knew this picture quite well. He had seen it many times in the bigfamily Bible, and it was always a favorite with him, and now he clappedhis little hands. This was an unintentional signal, and there was such around of applause that the w
hole thing was repeated.
The next picture showed Jacob wrestling with the angel; and in thefollowing one, Jacob, kneeling, receives the desired blessing. Then camea series of comic pictures, which made everybody laugh. Then the words"Good-night" were thrown on the screen in immense letters, and it grewlight in the church as suddenly as it had before grown dark, makingeverybody rub his eyes on account of the sudden glare.
The people all began to hurry out as if it were necessary to reach homewithout a moment's delay. Winnie soon joined her family, and in a shorttime the "Green Line" had taken them all home.
Ralph rubbed his sleepy eyes as he said his evening prayer, but was nottoo sleepy to thank God for his nice birthday.