The House With Sixty Closets: A Christmas Story for Young Folks and Old Children

by Frank Samuel Child

  III.

  THE PROCESSION OF GOAT, DOG, CAT, BICYCLES, CLOSETS, PORTRAITS, RUTH,AND THE "LITTLE JUDGE."

  " I] THINK it would be real nice for us to take a littleride about the town, don't you?" Ruth was speaking to the Judge and hiswife.

  "Yes, I think I am rested enough to go a short way," was the lady'sreply. "But what shall we do with the Judge and the baby?"

  "Why, take them along with us!" Ruth was always ingenious, and she hadplans for every occasion.

  "I think we might take a ride in the closets."

  "What!" exclaimed Mrs. "Judge."

  "I am going to hitch up the closets and have a procession," exclaimedRuth. "You leave it to me and it'll come out all right. I'll call thecat and the goat and 'Turk,' and tell them to get out the bicycles andfasten them to the closets, all in a row, and then they shall take us toride." On any other occasion or under other circumstances this wouldhave appeared a curious arrangement, but to-night it was quite inkeeping with all that had happened.

  "Here Billy, Billy, Billy, Turk, Turk, come Kitty, come Kitty," criedRuth; and the goat appeared on the minute, and with him Satan the blackcat and with him "Turk," the bird-dog. "You must hitch up the bicycles,and hitch on the closets, and take us a-riding," ordered Ruth. Now,Billy was an obliging goat, although his taste was not of the best; forwhen one of the neighbors died, and crape and flowers were hung on thefront door, he went over and climbed up to the interesting objects, andate both the cloth and the wreath. He lacked taste, but he did enjoyrunning up and down the street. Satan, the black cat, was very fond ofRuth, and would do anything she told him when he didn't want to doanything else, and he knew what she was talking about. Turk was alwayson hand ready for a frolic.

  So Billy, Satan, and Turk got the bicycles fastened together; and thenRuth called out the names of the closets, beginning with the verysmallest in the house. The goat and the cat took a spool of redcotton-thread, and tied all the closets in a row or a tow (just as yousee boats in a row and a tow when a tug pulls them up the river). Whenall was ready, Billy and Satan and Turk took their places at the head ofthe procession, and stood waiting for their passengers.

  "I think we had better put the baby in the first closet," said Ruth."That is the smallest, you know, and he will fit in like a bug in arug."

  "What have you got to put around him?" inquired the lady. There had beena slight fall of snow in the evening, and then it had turned cold. "I'mafraid he will get chilly, you know."

  "Oh! I'll wrap him up in an envelope. Paper is very warm, I've heard.I'll just put him into the envelope, and then cut two holes for hiseyes, and then seal him up like a letter." So the "Little Judge" wasfixed. But it occurred to Mr. Judge at this point that his wife was notprepared for winter. She was a delicate person, and she wore the sameclothes that she had on when her portrait was painted. The cap withfrilled border was very pretty, but it was not warm.

  "My dear," said the Judge to his wife, "you are not properly clad for aride."

  "I've got plenty of clothes and things in my pocket," said Ruth. "Now,here is a nice postage-stamp with a picture of the queen upon it. Thatwill do for a bonnet. I'll stick it on tight." And she did. "Here is alot of red crinkly paper that we use to make lamp-shades. I'll do her uplike a bundle from the store. There, doesn't she look well?" And thechild wound the bright paper all about the matronly form of Mrs."Judge," and fastening it under her chin with a big safety pin, stoodoff and admired the brilliant result. "There won't any cold creep inthrough that red stuff," exclaimed Ruth. "Isn't she pretty?" But theJudge only smiled and looked interested.

  "Now you must be fixed," and Ruth turned toward the Judge. "I'll tiethis handkerchief over your head, and use a piece of red thread for amuffler. And here is a nice white canton-flannel bag in my pocket thatHerbert has used for his marbles. You jump into that, and I'll tie youup."

  "But how shall we get down into the closets?" The Judge seemedperplexed.

  "Fall down, of course," exclaimed the child. "And I'm going to wearmother's feather-bed. Then, if it 'thunders and lightens' I won't beafraid." So at length everything was ready, and they stood on the weightof the clock, and went down to the door which swung open into the westparlor; and then they tumbled out into the room, and made their way tothe front piazza like boys engaged in a bag-race. And there before thehouse stood the procession of the closets.

  "What's become of the old portico?" asked the lady. "You must have madeit into this long sitting-place." She glanced up and down the roomypiazza. "What color do you call this?" she asked, referring to the brownpaint upon the house. "We always had it white."

  "This color doesn't show the dirt," said Ruth. "All the dust of thetown flies this way, mother says." At that moment there was a rumbling,hissing, and flashing in the distance. The house shook and the skybrightened. Was it an earthquake, or what?

  "My dear," whispered Mrs. "Judge," "I feel a little timid. I think it'sbecause I've been in the picture so long. I'm shaking all over. It seemsto me as if something dreadful was going to happen. What is that awfulnoise; and I see strange flames of pale blue light shoot into the sky."

  "Oh, don't be scared!" said Ruth; "that's nothing but the trolley. See,there it comes!" Down the street towards them swept a thing of light,shaking the very earth beneath, and speeding past into the night likesome meteor. It was several seconds before the lady was able to speak.

  "Child, what did you say it was?" and she trembled with fright.

  "Why, it's the trolley-car. We ride on it. It runs by electricity, thesame as lightning." And Ruth popped her head in and out of thefeather-bed as she replied, the feathers sticking to her hair andfluttering about her face in a most comical way.

  "I think we'd better start before another car comes, for Billy and Satanmight run away. Sometimes they're afraid."

  "Yes, let us get right into our places," said the Judge, who was sorryto see his wife distressed. So the baby rolled into the little closetnext to the seven bicycles, and Ruth jumped into the next one, and theJudge and his wife shuffled into the third.

  "I think we must make a real funny show," exclaimed Ruth, as she liftedher head out of the feathers again, and gave orders to Billy and Satanand Turk.

  "Get up there, boys!" she said to this remarkable team. And then theywere all in motion,--the billy-goat and the black cat and the dog, theseven bicycles, the little closet with the baby in the blue envelope,the second closet with Ruth in a feather-bed, the third closet with theJudge in a white flannel-bag and a handkerchief over his head, and Mrs."Judge," done up in red paper, wearing a postage stamp for a bonnet,followed by fifty-seven closets of all shapes, sizes, patterns,conditions. There was a banging of wood, a slamming of doors, a creakingof windows, a dancing of shoes, a rattling of dishes, a rustling ofclothes (starched clothes), a fluttering of sermons, a pounding of potsand kettles and pans, a rolling about of fruit glasses and jelly jarsand canned food, a falling of hams, and a rising of flour, and a declinein vegetables simply frightful.

  "This is a very fine road," observed the Judge. "It's just as smooth asa floor. What an improvement over the roads in our day!"

  "Yes," answered Ruth as she peered out from her feathers, "we are veryproud of our roads. They are--what is it you call them? Adam, cadam, oh!I've got it now, macadam roads. They cost thousands of dollars. Butwe've some very good men in town, just the kind you are, I suppose, andthey've given us miles and miles of it. You ought to see how we skimalong the road now on a bicycle. It would fairly make your head swim."

  "My head does swim," whispered Mrs. "Judge." "It's so long since I tooka ride in the fresh air, and I've staid such a time in the picture andbecome so stiff, that the motion makes me dizzy. I think we'd betterstop for a few minutes."

  "What is this?" exclaimed the Judge. They had gone only to the cornerof the Green. There was a very thin covering of fluffy snow on theground. Suddenly the clouds broke away, and the moon flooded the scenewith light. And there, standing distinct and stately against the
blackbackground, glistening and shimmering in the mild radiance, was thechurch.

  "Where is the old meeting-house?" and the Judge rubbed his eyes, and gotthe handkerchief loose upon his head; and Mrs. "Judge" in her agitationdislocated the postage-stamp that served for a bonnet so that she felt acold draught in her left ear.

  "Why, Judge, we aren't here, are we? We must be somewhere else." ThenRuth uncovered her head, and let a few feathers fly back in the face ofher guest and laughed merrily.

  "That's the new church. Our new stone church. Isn't it lovely? Did youever see anything like it? Whoa, Billy and Satan and Turk! Wait aminute! We want to take a look at things."

  "You don't mean to say you have another meeting-house, do you? What'sbecome of the old one?"

  "Oh! that was set on fire. You ought to've seen it burn. Father said itwas the saddest, beautifulest sight he ever saw. It was like a churchbuilt of fire; and it blazed away,--walls, roof, floor, all gloriouswithout and within, and then it was caught up into heaven, so fathersays. It made us think of Elijah going up in his flaming chariot. Andthen we built this stone church. Don't you like it? Why, of course youdo; why, I heard father say that you wanted a stone church, and gavesomething for one."

  "Like it, child, of course we like it! And we did want a stone church,and we tried to get the folks to build one, but they thought theyweren't rich enough. Like it! why this is one of the happiest moments ofmy life. What a striking building it is!"

  "Yes; and there is some of your money in it, for I've heard father sayso. They got pay for the old church when it burned, and that went rightinto the new. And it was an English company that had to pay theinsurance; and folks said it was no more than right that the Englishshould pay it, for they burned down the one in 1779 when they burnt upthe town, you know."

  "You know a great deal about history and things, don't you?" It was Mrs."Judge" that made the pleasing remark.

  "Yes, I know many things. It's because I ask so many questions, Isuppose. But mother says I lack 'capacity.' I don't know what she means;it's something dreadful, I suppose. Perhaps I'll make it up when I getbig. Wouldn't you like to stop at the church and go inside? I've got akey right here in my pocket. Samuel and I carry keys to abouteverything."

  "I think we might take a little rest here," said the Judge. "Do youthink the team will stand?" And his eyes twinkled curiously as he lookedout upon Billy and Satan and Turk.

  "Oh, yes! they'll be all right. If they get tired of waiting they cantake a short run on the bicycles. Go up there to the front door.'Whoa!'" This was said to the team. When they came to a stop Ruthtumbled out first, then the Judge and his lady followed, scuffing alongas best they could. They unlocked the door; and Ruth rolled back to thefirst closet, picked up the envelope with the baby in it, tucked himinto the feather-bed by her side, and returned to the vestibule. Theyobserved that the church was all lighted and warm. So Ruth slipped offthe feather-bed, although a thousand feathers stuck to her, making thechild appear like a new kind of overgrown fowl. The Judge took the babyon his arm, for he had also slipped out of Herbert's marble bag, andthen Ruth led them through the building. Every part was explained,--thewindows, the organ, the gaslights, the carved pillars, the glass screen,the chapel, the piano, the library, the parlor, the furnaces; everythingwas noted.

  "Why, how lovely it is to be warm in meeting," said Mrs. "Judge." "Youknow we used to have foot-stoves, or hot baked potatoes, or a piece ofstone. That was all."

  "You don't mean to say that they gave you hot baked potatoes with butterin meeting, and that was the way you kept warm?"

  "Oh, we didn't eat them!" interrupted Mrs. "Judge." "We held them in ourhands, or put them to our feet. But the little stoves were better. Andthen finally we had stoves, big stoves, in the meeting-house. I thoughtI should faint dead away when they first used them. It seemed to me sohot and stuffy in the room. And then I remember that my husband laughedat me when I drove home (I always had to ride, child; I wasn't able towalk so far for many years); for he said there hadn't been any fireskindled yet in the new stoves. But I got used to them after a time, andthey were real comfortable. But I should certainly faint away to see theheat coming right up out of the floor, and think that underneath me wasa raging fire."

  "Why that's the way we warm the parsonage," said Ruth. "Didn't you seethe registers?"

  "Have you got one of those fires in the cellar?" asked Mrs. "Judge."

  "Dear me, Judge, I shall never feel safe again so long as we hang on theeast parlor wall. Why, we shall be liable to burn up any moment. Thinkof having one of those awful things, full of fire, right under yourfeet. I'm so sorry that I know anything about it."

  "Oh, you'll get used to it! You have got used to it, haven't you? Therehas been a furnace in the parsonage ever so many years." They were allseated in the minister's pew in church at this time. The Judge was bowedin thought.

  "He looks as if he was going to pray," whispered Ruth, somewhatawe-struck by his expression and the stillness of the place as well asthe solemnity of the occasion. But it was hard for her to keep fromasking questions. "Did you see the man in the moon as we came intochurch?" she turned to Mrs. "Judge."

  "The man in the moon!" exclaimed the lady; "he's the very person that Iwant to speak to. I think it's years since I've seen him."

  "Well, he's out to-night in great style. It must be because it'sChristmas Eve. Did you hang up your stocking when you were a littlegirl?"

  "Do what?" inquired the lady.

  "Hang up your stocking, to be sure, for Santa Claus to fill it withpresents." The Judge's wife looked with astonishment upon the child byher side. It was impossible for her to imagine what was meant.

  "I never heard of such a thing," she replied. Then Ruth enlightened her.

  "You know that Jesus was born on the twenty-fifth of December?"

  "Yes, my child."

  "And you know God gave him to the world?"

  "Yes."

  "Well, don't you think it's nice for us to give things to each other onthat day? and don't you believe that Santa Claus comes down the chimneyand brings us lots of presents?"

  "Why, I never thought of it." And the dear old lady began to think agood deal about it.

  "We keep it right here in church too. We have a Christmas-tree, and singcarols, and all the children get presents and candy, and ever so manynice things; and everybody is just as happy as can be. Don't you thinkthat is a nice way to remember the coming of Jesus and God's gift to allof us?"

  "Well! well! well! and so to-night is the very night, is it? Judge, didyou know that our folks now keep Christmas in their churches and theirhomes? Do you think there is any sin in it?" He was startled out of hisreverie by the question, and Ruth was obliged to explain to him what shehad said to his wife. Then he thought upon it for a little time, andreplied to Mrs. "Judge." It pleased him. He wished to see what it waslike. "Why, I think, my dear, that it might be made a very happy,helpful festival. Why couldn't we have one over at the house to-night?"

  "We are going to have one there in the morning," exclaimed Ruth. "We allget up bright and early, and our stockings are filled, and there is alittle tree, and candles, and oranges, and shiny balls, and beautifulthings; and we dance around, and sing, and have oh! such a happy, happytime. I wish you would stay and see it."

  "My dear," the Judge was now speaking to his wife, "don't you think youcould get up a little party for the children to-night? We can't stayuntil morning, you know. We must go back into the pictures. And theeast wind may rise at any hour."

  "Judge, I'll step out a moment and speak with the man in the moon. He'sout to-night, Ruth says, and perhaps we can arrange something. I'll beback very soon." So she walked down the aisle, and passed into thevestibule with all the liveliness of a young dame.

  "I think this must be the very spot where I used to sit in the meeting."The Judge was talking to himself as much as to Ruth. "I wonder what theydid with the old box pew that belonged to me? How times have changed!But this is very rich
and dignified, and satisfies me." As this wassaid he surveyed the chaste and elegant interior with approving eye. "Iam glad to see it. But I wish it had been in my day. There are someideas that I should like to have embodied in stone on this spot. Strangeworld this." And then he bowed his head in thought again.

  "I'm going to meet Mrs. 'Judge,'" said Ruth, "unless you will stand upand make a speech to me. Do you think you are as good and wise and greatas people say? I've heard father tell how you could speak better'n anyminister or lawyer in New England. Could you? Because I'd like to hearyou if you could." The Judge blushed to hear such praise.

  "I'm out of practice," he replied. "I believe my voice has lost itself.It's very trying on the vocal organs to hang in a picture for a hundredyears or so. But I will say a few words." Then the Judge walked up intothe pulpit, made a very graceful bow, and began to recite psalms. Hisvoice was remarkably rich and sympathetic. He put so much soul into thewords that Ruth sat perfectly still, a thing she had never been knownto do before in all her life. Had it not been for the floating about offeathers as she breathed, and drove them hither and thither, she wouldhave appeared like one dead. When the Judge finished he came down fromthe pulpit, and Ruth was so overcome that she didn't say one word for asmuch as a minute and one half. Then the spell was broken. Mrs. "Judge"came hastily in, saying that she was ready to go, and the team had justreturned from their run on the bicycles; then they all came out ofchurch, and the organ played, and the bell rang, and the gas fixturesjingled, and when the company was fixed in their closets they continuedon the ride.

  "Did you see the man in the moon?" inquired Ruth.

  "Oh, yes!" replied Mrs. "Judge"; "I've made all the arrangements; andwhen we get back the house will be ready, and we'll wake up thechildren, and it will be our first real Christmas party. I am going toinvite only the closets and the children. I want to get the closets allfilled up again for once; and then I want to see every one of youchildren so full of happiness that you'll run over and make other peoplehappy too."

  As they were passing the Town Hall the Judge was again reminded of oldtimes; for that was the very place where he had argued many of hiscases, and won some of his greatest victories.

  "My dear," he said, "I could almost imagine we were set back to the Warof 1812, and I was going over to the Court House to express my views toour citizens."

  "It looks as though they'd done something to the building," remarked thelady. "How they change everything these days!" And then they swung downBeach Lane, and came to the old cemetery.

  "Look at that!" exclaimed Ruth. "Isn't it fine?" She referred to thethick, solid, stone wall enclosing the grounds, and the beautifullich-gate that stood over the entrance.

  "We're right up to the times here," continued the child. "The Daughtersof the American Revolution and some of our ladies did that. We can siton those stone seats hot summer days, and it's just as cool as cool canbe. And it's such a nice place to play 'hide-and-seek' behind thegrave-stones and the wall among the trees."

  "Now, this is what I love to see," observed the Judge. "This shows thetrue spirit of reverence. I am proud of these good Daughters. What didyou say they were called? Daughters of the American Revolution? Why,they must all be dead by this time."

  "Oh, no!" explained Ruth; "these are their daughter's daughters, youknow. And they have such good times. Why, mother is going to theirmeetings a good deal of the time. They talk about the Revolution andthings, and wear flags and pins, and have refreshments and papers, andelect officers, and get up plays, and go to Washington, and keepinviting each other somewhere, and all the while say ever so much aboutWashington's Birthday and the Fourth of July and the Battle ofLexington. Why, we children know so much about history that it seemssometimes as if we'd lived all through the whole fight, and seen thetown burned, and helped drive the British away. Don't you think we'resmart?"

  "I shall have to be very careful how I talk about these things, or youwill catch me in some mistake, I suppose." The Judge looked serious, butthere was that funny twinkle in his eyes. "Suppose we now drive aroundthe new cemetery, and see if everything is as trim and neat there. We'dlike to look at our own graves, and see how things are."

  "Well, I think that's a very unpleasant way to spend Christmas Eve; andI'm sure that Billy and Satan and Turk will be afraid to go into thatplace, and so shall I; and you can't see much from the road; so let'sdrive up to Round Hill, and watch for Santa Claus."

  "Oh! just as you please," continued the Judge. "This is your circus, notmine." And he smiled indulgently upon Ruth. So they turned about on theBeach Road, and slipped up to Round Hill. While they were viewing thescenery, the man in the moon winked at Mrs. "Judge," as much as to saythat the house was all ready, and it was time for the party to return.