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Our two families – the Hamilton’s and Donohues were very touched
at a white wreath. With snow flakes, green leaves,
a solitary red candle with yellow flame. We are glad to see
the names of
new voices signed in
a circle like notes making up a melody. |
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Jane loved the wide range of your
talents she only got a glimpse to see.
She felt that some of you were
going to be conductors, teachers,
musicians and 1st chairs in large orchestras She had kept her
work here a surprise from us until Thanksgiving was to come.
That was her way. Since
we lived on the other side of the great mountains she loved in Vermont,
all we knew was she was very excited
- it was the eager blend of notes and silence she saw on your faces. |
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I can understand your tears for I miss her too. But let me tell you
a story which I believe you will want
to take home and tell your parents when they look upon you as you fall to
sleep. Where Jane used to live was a very flat prairie land – you
could take a baseball it was once told and roll it from one
end of the state to the other. That
is really flat land – I know its hard to imagine looking at your lovely
snow covered mountains. |
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Well we had a very bad flood one year and many people’s houses were
full of more water than any of us can drink.
People were very sad and as Christmas was near nobody but Jane had
done anything about singing. She went from house to house with cookies and asked that people
stop by our home to learn carols like Silent
Night, Holy Night and Jingle
Bells and that one about all those Vermont
reindeers, I’m sorry I don’t know all those reindeers names. |
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When Christmas eve came we had a whole tabernacle choir that had
voices from three towns. The youngest voice was 4 years old and the oldest was 84 –
almost as old as Saint Nicholas.
We sang for hours and later got warm by the fireplace with hot apple
cidar and cinammon stick candy. |
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Do you see why our families are not sad? – we are happy she came
among you next even if only for a moment a single chord was enough to make
her smile.If you forget the sound of her voice asking you sing
and play your best, it
is somewhere between the sound of those geese flying south and the warm
purr of a cat sleeping. |
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Jane’s house will be empty for a while until some other family
comes to live among you -
Welcome these new people – who like Jane were strangers for awhile.
In the meantime could you sing one carol, possibly two at her door?
Our family has big ears and we will hear your voices from
Irasburg, Vermont clear over to the wet plains of Chicago. |
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Thank you again Mr. Hayes and Cindy for your gift from the children. |
