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 a
fine time he had receiving, in the first place, four little love taps
and then four kisses from each member of the family in turn.
Norah had entirely recovered from her illness, and had baked a cake
especially for him, lighted by four wax candles, which was placed in
front of Ralph's plate at breakfast time. His father gave him that toy
most delightful to the average boy--a mechanical engine. Jack's gift
was a basket of fruit, his mother's a humming top, and Winnie's a little
autograph album, in which she had copied the following verse, written by
Aunt 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 verse
in 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 were
at dinner, labeled "From Grandma, Aunt Kitty and Uncle Fred." It was a
handsome 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 on
it, and when Aunt Kitty came to take him and Winnie to the park, it
was with great difficulty that he could be prevailed upon to leave it
behind. Finally they effected a compromise by allowing him to take his
humming top, which he insisted on stopping to spin every few rods,
much to the amusement of Aunt Kitty and the intense though unexpressed
disgust and mortification of Winnie.
When they reached the park they sat down on one of the benches to rest
awhile, and watched Ralph feed the swans with some crumbs from the cake
which he had brought. After that Aunt Kitty took them to the pretty
dock, and, having selected a boat, rowed them around the lake, to the
great interest of some boys, who called out to each other, "Come and see
a girl row a boat!"
Suddenly Ralph gave one of his tremendous howls, and Winnie grasped him
just in time to keep him from pitching headlong into the water. He had
dropped his top in the lake, and was trying in vain to seize it before
it sank.
It was some time before he could be pacified, and it was not till his
aunt 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 very
pleasant, and they supposed the child had forgotten all about the loss
of his top. When they went home to supper, however, and Mr. Burton
asked: "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 the
unexpected reply.
"Fortunate child!" exclaimed Aunt Kitty, catching Ralph up, and
laughing. "How happy the rest of us would be if we could dispose of our
yearly reminders of the lapse of time in the same way! We might fancy
ourselves blessed with the gift of eternal youth if it were not for our
birthdays."
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 special
occasion, and as there was an opportunity for him to have a treat, she
thought it only right for them to take advantage of it. There was to be
a stereopticon entertainment at their Sunday-school, and they were all
going. Ralph had not been told until supper was over, and even then,
short as the time was until they should start out, he could hardly
restrain his impatience.
[Illustration: They watched Ralph feed the swans.--See page 42.]
Aunt Kitty took him on her lap and told him the story of Red Riding-Hood
and the Fair One with the Golden Locks, and repeated "Mother Goose"
jingles to him, and thus managed to keep him somewhat contented until
time to start.
The walk through the lighted streets was a great pleasure to the
little fellow. They went down Central Avenue, and, all the stores being
lighted, it seemed to the child a different and mysterious world, more
full of lights and people than the one he had been accustomed to.
"Now, Ralph," said his father, "we are going to see a great many
beautiful things to-night. But this is different from most times; for
generally, the more light we have, the better we can see; but these
pictures can be seen better in the dark, and they put out all the
lights. When that happens, some foolish boy or girl may cry, but I want
my little man to keep hold of papa's hand and not say one word till he
sees the beautiful pictures."
"I doesn't twy, papa!" said Ralph, indignantly. "I'se a big boy now--not
a dreat big boy, but a little big boy. And I hasn't twied--oh, not for
twenty-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 few
people already there were laughing and chatting and having a pleasant
time. This was very much to Ralph's disapproval. He did not attend
church often, but when he did go, he had been talked to so much about
keeping still, particularly by Winnie, that he thought it very naughty
to 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, if
you 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 she
went away with them, and Miss Benton stepped across the aisle to
speak to some friends. This secession grieved Ralph very much. "I sink
auntie'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 Aunt
Kitty came back and sat down beside Ralph. Two men entered and placed a
big screen in the front part of the church. The organist began to play
something slow and sweet and solemn, which made one think of things sad
but not unhappy.
The lights were suddenly turned out, and Ralph had just time to draw his
breath 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 that
he might see it better.
On the screen they saw a lonely, desolate mountain, which two persons
were slowly ascending, one of them bearing an armful of wood. One
represented an old man; the other was a young, slender boy. The organ
was now giving forth minor strains, in queer, broken time, full of
heartache.
The next picture showed Abraham binding Isaac on the altar, and the look
of surprise and terror on the face of the boy was equalled only by the
intense but submissive expression of sorrow on the face of the old man.
The organ was still sounding its sad tones, when the picture changed
again, and this time the angel was staying Abraham's hand. And now the
organ pealed forth tones of joy and gladness.
The next views thrown on the screen appeared to be scenes in
Switzerland. These Ralph did not seem to be at all interested in, until
they saw a representation of Lake Lucerne, showing some children rowing
a 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 make
up for its loss."
The next picture was that of Jacob's Dream; a tall ladder, reaching to
the sky, with the bright-winged "angels ascending and descending on
it," as the narrative so simply tells us. Jacob lay with his head on
its stony pillow, a wondering but happy look on his face, and his arms
outstretched as if he would fain seize the lovely vision.
The dreamy tones of Schumann's "Traumerie" stole upon the air, and
changed from that, with skillful modulations, into a grand anthem, and
the big chorus choir, which till now had been silent, burst into joyful
but majestic strains: "The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble."
Ralph knew this picture quite well. He had seen it many times in the big
family Bible, and it was always a favorite with him, and now he clapped
his little hands. This was an unintentional signal, and there was such a
round of applause that the whole thing was repeated.
The next picture showed Jacob wrestling with the angel; and in the
following one, Jacob, kneeling, receives the desired blessing. Then came
a series of comic pictures, which made everybody laugh. Then the words
"Good-night" were thrown on the screen in immense letters, and it grew
light in the church as suddenly as it had before grown dark, making
everybody rub his eyes on account of the sudden glare.
The people all began to hurry out as if it were necessary to reach home
without a moment's delay. Winnie soon joined her family, and in a short
time the "Green Line" had taken them all home.
Ralph rubbed his sleepy eyes as he said his evening prayer, but was not
too sleepy to thank God for his nice birthday.