Mrs. Dulcie read in the local newspaper that the Adult School was starting classes to train angelsfor the Christmas show.
"Isn't that nice，" Mrs. Dulcie thought. "They must be having a specia1 Christmas show this year."
On the next page of the newspaper she read a request from the local hospital. Women were needed to help crippled children. Mrs. Dulcie put the newspaper down and went to her calendar. She marked down the hours she could help the children.
Later that week， Mrs. Dulcie had a visitor.It was Mr. Bruckner， head of the Adult School.
"Mrs. Dulcie，" he said. "I once heard someone call you an angel. And it seems to me that you should join the training classesfor the Christmas show."
Mrs. Dulcie looked at him， surprised， but pleased. "Why Mr. Bruckner，" she said， "I don't think that I would make a good angel."
"The class cannot start without you." said Mr. Bruckner. "We need fourteen students to get state-aid. We have only thirteen. I must ask you to help me. The classes start next Tuesday."
Mrs. Dulcie looked at her calendar，thenatthe clock. It was time for her to go next door to give medicinetoa sick lady. She got her coat and quickly toldMr.Bruckner she would go to the angel classes.The next Tuesday， Mrs. Dulcieappearedat the Adult School. Shequietly sat down in the back of the classroom. The teacher， Mrs. Periwink， made an announcement： "We have received fourteen pairs of angel wings. Now we can start the class！"
The ladies tried on the wings. After much talk， each lady finally got a pair that would fit. Mrs. Periwink then told the ladies what they would do during the Christmasshow.
"But now，" she said， "it is time to practice."
And so the fourteen ladies tried their wings. They walked and skippedand danced on their toes.
"Rome wasn't builtin a day，" said MrsPeriwink. "Practice does it."
Mrs. Dulcie stayed in her seat， protecting her angel wings from possible damage.
"Come， Mrs. Dulcie，" said Mrs. Periwink， "All of us must practice. We must learn how to rise on our toes."
Mrs. Dulcie got up. She spread out her arms. To the surprise of all the ladies， including Mrs. Dulcie herself， she rose above the floor. Her wings must have been lifted by a breeze and she rose up and away. Immediately， Mrs. Dulciefelt ashamed for doing this. She came gently down and folded her wings.
The ladies ran to her. "How did you do it， Mrs. Dulcie？ Pleaseshow us again！"
"Not tonight…… .please…… .not tonight，" Mrs. Dulcie said.
"Very well，" said Mrs. Perwink "But the rest of us must try now that we have seen how it is done."
The ladies again skipped and danced and bounced on their toes. But not one was able to do what Mrs. Dulcie had done. "How did you do it， Mrs. Dulde？" they whispered.
The class ended for the night. One of the ladies helped Mrs. Dulcie take her wings off. Mrs. Dulcie was silent. She believed she had done something unforgivable. Perhaps some kind of dance step by accident that helped lift her off the floor. And so， she hurried home saying she had to bake a fruit cake for the family.
At the next class， Mrs. Dulcie was very quiet.
"But you must show us again，" said Mrs. Periwink.
Mrs. Dulcie stood up and flapped her wings. Again she rose off the floor and landed gently across the stage. The ladies again ooohed and aaahed and said， "Please tell us how you do it."
Mrs. Dulcie tried to explain. "I guess it's the way you feel inside……when you swim you expect the water to hold you up. If you trust the air……"
"Trust the air？ How foolish！"
The ladies jumped and bounced across the stage. They danced and skipped and moved their wings like the birds do. Nothing happened. Not one rose off the floor.
"It's a way of thinking，" said Mrs. Dulcie. "Maybe it's a question of faith…… ."
"Show us once more， Mrs. Dulcie，" said Mrs. Periwink.
Mrs. Dulcie let her wings lift her. Gently she rose up to the top of the high hall. She turned and flew across the hall， her wings moving smoothly up and down.
"There， see how easy it is when you have faith，" said Mrs. Periwink. "We must all practice faith and trust our wings as Mrs. Dulcie does."
"Not only wings…… ."whispered Mrs.Dulcie. But no one heard her.
There was no change at the next class. One of the ladies said she had been angry with her neighbors for a long time. Could that be the reason why she had little faith？
Another said she was angry with her husband. Perhaps that was why she hadn't been a good angel. Mrs.Dulcie had no answer.
"Are you angry with anyone， Mrs. Dulcie？" The ladies asked.
"I don't think so，" Mrs. Dulcie said.
"There is only one answer ladies，" said Mrs. Periwink. "The only way to become an angel is to be an angel. Wings alone are not enongh."
The classes continued， but some of the ladies stopped coming. Mrs. Dulcie felt guilty about this， especially when Mr. Bruckner threatened to end the classes.
"Don't end them yet，" Mrs. Periwink said. "I will phone the ladies and tell them they have only to leam a few dance steps. Perhaps I have been too demanding. But we still need you， Mrs. Dulcie. Thirteen is not a lucky number."
"I'll come." Mrs. Dulcie said.
Every seat in the large town hall was filled. Christmas carols rang through the hall. The fourteen angels fluttered their wings gently as they stood before a row of poinsettia plants. The electric lights were turned low and red candles brightened the stage.
Mrs. Dulcie felt happy. She enjoyed the smell of the flowers and the pine tree branches as she stood with the other angels.
But later， when the choir began to sing loudly， she began to feel strange. Her legs felt weak. The smoking candles burned her nose. She felt sad She needed fresh air.
Just then， she saw Mr. Bruckner rise from his seat in the hall. He went to one of the windows and with a long stick opened it from the top.
Without knowing what she was doing， Mrs. Dulcie began to move her wings. She rose up above the stage. The wings gently lifted her small body high above the People in the hall. Her white angel-dress flowed smoothly as she flew toward the window.
The People looked at her， not believingwhat they saw. And then they clapped their hands： "What a wonderful way to end the Christmas show，" they thought.
But then， Mrs. Dulcie was out of the window. The night breezes blew softly agninst her. She looked up and saw a bright light. "Is that the star the shepherds saw？" she wondered.
Her lungs took in the fresh， cool air and her wings moved as if they belonged to her.
"But，" she thonght as she flew up and up， "I have no right to be flying away like this with wings that belong to the school."
However， she already was halfway there. She had for gotten the end now and her heart began to race as she joined an angel from the sky singing， "A Peace on Earth……"