Page:The grandmother; a story of country life in Bohemia.pdf/210

204 not so young as they once had been, so Barunka came down to the rest of the party.

On All Saints' day the children, as usual, going out to meet Grandmother coming from church, said: "To-day we shall get some candles from church." And Grandmother brought the candles.

"When we cannot go to the graveyard to offer them for the souls, we will light them at home," she said. Thus in their own home each year they celebrated the festival for the dead. On All Souls' day, in the evening, they set up the candles on the table, and as they were lighting them named the souls for whom they were offered. At last they lighted several without any name saying: "Let those burn for the souls that are un-remembered."

"Grandma, may I light one for that unfortunate wedding in Hertin forest?" asked Barunka.

"Yes, yes, my child; our prayer will be accept able to them." One more was lighted. Grandmother and the children knelt around the table and prayed as long as the candles burned. Grandmother ended the prayer with the words: "Let the Eternal Light shine for them, and may their souls rest in peace!" to which the children said: "Amen."

A week after All Souls' day, when Grandmother called the children in the morning, she told them that St. Martin had come upon a white horse. They jumped out of bed and ran to the windows, and lo! everything was white. Not a single trace of green leaves was seen upon the hill side, nor on the willows by the river, nor on the alders by the pond. The only green things in the woods were