CHAPTER IXLOVE SPEAKS.
Hush! Kitty heard a sound. It was at first like that of the wind rising; it grew more distinct, and it was that of a hustling and a bustling. Little feet running, little feet shuffling; their airy tread sounded in every direction; it came from the right, it came from the left, it came from all around.
Nearer and nearer, quicker and quicker they seemed to come, those eager, running, scampering, flying feet. And presently Kitty saw the children. Hosts of children; any number of children, leaping, rushing headlong toward where Love was standing.
Out of the fog they came; out of falsehood’s net, torn cobwebs hanging about their necks, their hair, clinging to their clothes; tired children, bleeding and footsore, from DisobedienceMaze; selfish children, white and hoary with icicles; cruel children, with tear-stained faces anxiously turned toward Love; passionate children, bruised and disfigured; greedy children, heavy-eyed and sallow; the vain children, with open-eyed gaze fixed upon the white lady; lazy children, in their unmended rags; it was quite astonishing to see how fast their stumpy legs could carry them. From all parts they came, nearer and nearer, quicker and quicker. Still they came, calling, crying, sobbing, entreating, “Give us the kiss of forgiveness.” They pressed toward Love, closer and closer; littlearms outstretched, little faces upturned, little mouths pursed up for a kiss, and on all sides that sobbing cry, “Give us the kiss of forgiveness.”
And Love stretched out her arms and gathered the children into them, and kissed them one by one. As she kissed them the cobwebs fell from those who had escaped from falsehood’s net; the wounded feet of the disobedient were healed; the icicles melted and dropped away from the selfish children, who seemed dissolved into a rain of tears; the passionate children lost their disfigurement; the greedy children grew rosy; the vain children cried out with glee as, looking around, their own faces no longer popped out to greet them; the rags of the slovenly, idle children were mended; their legs and hands grew supple.
It was a wonderful sight to see the children after they received Love’s kiss. Their eyes shone; they danced for joy; their hair seemed to stand out in a crest of light about their heads. Kitty fancied some bright presence must be hovering above them.
Then Love folded Kitty in her arms and kissed her on the forehead.
That kiss was the strangest, sweetest kiss Kitty ever received.
It was sweeter than any comfit; it was pleasanter than any music to which her feet had danced; it brought a feeling of peace like that that came to her when her mother kissed her in the dark night; but this kiss also brought to her a sense of pain.
Something like fire touched Kitty’s heart, and stirred a memory that had lain asleep all this time. She had forgotten something. What was it? Vaguely she remembered the blue rose, the bullfinch, then suddenly her mother and Johnnie.
She had forgotten Johnnie. Johnnie, who was ill unto death, whose illness had come through her fault. She remembered it all now: how she had crept downstairs, and then she thought of the doctor’s words: “Christmas Eve would decide if he were to live or die.”
Why had she gone away from him? Wouldshe ever get back in time for Christmas Day? Would Johnnie be alive or dead when she reached home? As she stood there, asking herself these questions with a yearning homesick feeling overflowing her heart, Kitty felt something brushing tears from her cheek. She looked up. A tiny child, with little pinkwings, was hovering about her. He was clothed in a tunic made of a bit of rainbow, and his face was the face of Johnnie. He had rosier cheeks, and he did not carry a crutch, for his little legs were straight.
“Who are you?” asked Kitty.
The rosy-winged child laughed, and the laugh was Johnnie’s laugh. Kitty heard Love’s voice speaking.
“I have given you each a guardian child. It was born of my kiss. But another companion also goes with you.”
Over every child Kitty now saw that there hovered a tiny figure on rosy wings, clothed in rainbow drapery. She saw with surprise also that every child had another attendant crouching on its left shoulder, a small elfish figure, which every now and then appeared to her to be half-animal, half-child, and in a strange fashion to take the form of an animal that bore some likeness to the child itself.
“You do not know,” Love went on, “and it is no wonder you should not, for you are all so young, that you have each a higher and a lowernature. To-night is Christmas Eve: good and evil sprites are abroad, fairies and elves. Strange sights are seen. To-night the lower nature—the naughty self—of each of you here has taken the shape of a little goblin, and goes about with you in visible form.”
Kitty looked fearfully round to her own left shoulder, and there, sure enough, was a little kitten-like creature with pointed ears and roguish eyes. It sat up with a defiant air as it peeped round at her with a sidelong glance. It appeared quite playful, but as Kitty looked at it the brown creature lost its kittenish air, and it was a face like her own, but quite small, that she saw looking back at her with her naughtiest expression.
Kitty started; then she heard Love’s voice still speaking:
“You are going on a journey. You are all going home!”
“Home! home!” cried Kitty, and all the children skipped with joy.
“Your guardian child goes with you; but remember that other attendant,” Love said, andher voice was anxious. “Take care! It will always be on the side of temptation and against your guardian child. If you mind this sprite, which is your naughty self, it will grow stronger and stronger, and will drive away your guardian child.”
“We will not mind it,” cried all the children in a chorus.
“Your homeward journey will be difficult,” resumed Love. “It lies through a wood.”
“A wood!” echoed Kitty and all the children in tones of dismay. “How shall we find our way?”
“A star will guide you,” said Love.
She raised her fair hand, and Kitty and the children looked whither she pointed. A star shone through the mist. It was as bright as a diamond.
“Keep your eyes upon the star,” said Love. “Never lose sight of it, and you will reach home by Christmas morning. It will guide you aright through the perils of the wood. It is a difficult wood to go through; and it is easy when you are in it to fall back into Punishment Land.”
“Punishment Land!” moaned the children.
“You will all start together, yet when you reach the wood you will find yourselves alone. Each must go through that wood alone.”
“Oh!” sighed the children again, all huddling a little closer to each other.
“There is no danger,” said Love, “if you keep your eyes on the star. Your guardian child will help you through the difficulties of your journey. Listen to what he says to you. He is my little ambassador. Do not listen to your naughty self. Do not dally on the way. Do not put off. If you quit the path, at first it may be easy to find it again, but it will grow more and more difficult, till it may be become impossible.” Then Love grew very solemn, and she lifted her hand in warning. “Do not play with the sprite. If you play with it you will hurt your guardian child, who may then leave you. Do not,” she repeated urgently, “play with the self-sprite.”
“We will not, we will not,” cried the children eagerly.
“No, indeed,” said Kitty, giving a little shoveto her left shoulder. “I shall listen only to my guardian child. Dear guardian child, with the face like Johnnie.”
“If you disobey your guardian child it will grow faint, and remember you may kill it. Come,” she went on, “I shall go with you as far as the boundary of Punishment Land.” Love walked on toward the wall of mist, where shone the star. The children followed.
It was a strange sight to see those children following her, with eyes fixed on the star, and on the right shoulder of each little pilgrim the tiny rosy-winged, rainbow-dressed figure; and on the left the queer little half-animal creature. And as they approached the prison wall of that dreary land the star began to quiver and move. It looked like a bird of fire with quivering wings setting forth on its trackless sky-way.
“We come! we come!” cried the children. Run, run—what a hurly-burly of little feet rushing out of Punishment Land, setting forth on their journey home.
They turned and waved their little hands to Love. “Farewell! farewell!” she cried, wavingher fair hand in answer. “Watch the star; obey your guardian child. Do not play with your naughty sprite, and you will reach home safe by Christmas morning, and win a Christmas blessing.” She smiled wistfully as she spoke.
The fog closed over Love’s figure, and Kitty suddenly found herself standing at the entrance of a great wood. She was alone. The children had all disappeared. And still through the fog floated Love’s voice—“Watch the star. Obey your guardian child. Do not play with your naughty sprite.”