Fraternity-Testvériség, 1961 (39. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1961-12-01 / 12. szám

FRATERNITY

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF HUNGARIAN REFORMED FEDERATION OF AMERICA Edited by the Officers of the Federation

Published monthly. — Subscription for non-members in the U. S. A. and Canada $2.00, elsewhere $3.00 a year.

Office of Publication: Expert Printing Co., 4627 Irvine St., Pittsburgh 7, Pa.

Editorial Office:

Suite 1201, Dupont Circle Bldg., 1346 Connecticut Ave., Washington 6, D. C. Volume XXXIX DECEMBER 1961 Number 12

THE NIGHT THE STARS SANG

BY DOROTHY CANFIELD FISHER

At odd, quiet hours in her day, almost every mother wonders about her child’s immortal soul. When will it emerge from the little ragamuffin who has just left his wet lollipop on the davenport? When will the person inside come to the surface? Will anyone be there to see, and to wonder?

I know a mother who was there, who did see and who did wonder. She told me about it, and I don’t think she will mind if I tell you. It all began a few weeks before Christmas . . .

“Well”, she said cheerily one afternoon to David, her eight-year-old and two of his friends, “what Christmas songs are your learning in your classroom this year?”

Looking down at his feet, David answered sadly, “Teacher says we can’t sing good enough. She’s only going to let kids sing in the entertainment who carry a tune.”

Inwardly the mother broke into a mother’s rage at a teacher. “So that’s what she says, does she? What’s she for, if not to teach children what they don’t know?”

She drew in a deep breath, then said quietly, “Well, how’d you like to practice your song with me?”

Together the four went into the living room to the piano. “What song is your class to sing?”

“It came upon the midnight . . .” said the three boys, speaking at once.

“That’s a nice one”, she commented, reaching for the battered song- book on top of the piano. “This is the way it goes.” She played the air and sang the first two lines.

They opened their mouths and sang out lustily:

“It came upon the midnight clear That glorious song of old . . .”

At the end of that phrase, David’s mother stopped abruptly, and for an instant bowed her head over the keys. Her feeling about Teacher made a right-about turn.

She finally lifted her head, turned a smiling face on the three waiting children. “I tell you what”, she said, “the way, really, to learn