out: "Ah, Granny, you don't talk enough to the stars." With this she
seized the shoe, and opening the door, hurried out to place it on the
window-sill. It was very dark without, and something soft and cold
seemed to gently kiss her hair and face. Gretchen knew by this that it
was snowing, and she looked up to the sky, anxious to see if the stars
were in sight, but a strong wind was tumbling the dark, heavy
snow-clouds about and had shut away all else.
"Never mind," said Gretchen softly to herself, "the stars are up there,
even if I can't see them, and the Christmas angels do not mind
snow-storms."
Just then a rough wind went sweeping by the little girl, whispering
something to her which she could not understand, and then it made a
sudden rush up to the snow-clouds and parted them, so that the deep,
mysterious sky appeared beyond, and shining down out of the midst of it
was Gretchen's favorite star.
"Ah, little star, little star!" said the child, laughing aloud, "I knew
you were there, though I couldn't see you. Will you whisper to the
Christmas angels as they come by, that little Gretchen wants so very
much to have a Christmas gift to-morrow morning if they have one to
spare, and that she has put one of Granny's shoes upon the window-sill
ready for it?"
A moment more and the little girl, standing on tiptoe, had reached the
window-sill and placed the shoe upon it, and was back in the house
again beside Granny and the warm fire. The two went quietly to bed, and
that night as little Gretchen knelt to pray to the Heavenly Father, she
thanked him for having sent the Christ Child into the world to teach
all mankind how to be loving and unselfish, and in a few moments she
was quietly sleeping, dreaming of the Christmas angels.
The next morning, very early, even before the sun was up, little
Gretchen was awakened by the sound of sweet music coming from the
village. She listened for a moment and then she knew that the
choir-boys were singing the Christmas carols in the open air of the
village street. She sprang out of bed and began to dress herself as
quickly as possible, singing as she dressed. While Granny was slowly
putting on her clothes, little Gretchen, having finished dressing
herself, unfastened the door and hurried out to see what the Christmas
angels had left in the old wooden shoe.
The white snow covered everything--trees, stumps, roads, and
pastures--until the whole world looked like fairyland. Gretchen climbed
up on a large stone which was beneath the window and carefully lifted
down the wooden shoe. The snow tumbled off of it in a shower over the
little girl's hands, but she did not heed that; she ran hurriedly back
into the house, putting her hand into the toe of the shoe as she ran.
"Oh, Granny! Oh, Granny!" she exclaimed, "you didn't believe the
Christmas angels would think about us, but see, they have, they have!
Here is a dear little bird nestled down in the toe of your shoe! Oh,
isn't he beautiful!"
Granny came forward and looked at what the child was holding lovingly
in her hand. There she saw a tiny chick-a-dee, whose wing was evidently
broken by the rough and boisterous winds of the night before, and who
had taken shelter in the safe, dry toe of the old wooden shoe. She
gently took the little bird out of Gretchen's hands, and skilfully
bound his broken wing to his side, so that he need not hurt himself by
trying to fly with it. Then she showed Gretchen how to make a nice warm
nest for the little stranger, close beside the fire, and when their
breakfast was ready she let Gretchen feed the little bird with a few
moist crumbs.
Later in the day Gretchen carried the fresh, green boughs to the old
sick man by the mill, and on her way home stopped to see and enjoy the
Christmas toys of some other children whom she knew, never once wishing
that they were hers. When she reached home she found that the little
bird had gone to sleep. Soon, however, he opened his eyes and stretched
his head up, saying just as plain as a bird could say, "Now, my new
friends, I want you to give me something more to eat." Gretchen gladly
fed him again, and then holding him in her lap, she softly and gently
stroked his gray feathers until the little creature seemed to lose all
fear of her. That evening Granny taught her a Christmas hymn and told
her another beautiful Christmas story. Then Gretchen made up a funny
little story to tell to the birdie. He winked his eyes and turned his
head from side to side in such a droll fashion that Gretchen laughed
until the tears came.
As Granny and she got ready for bed that night, Gretchen put her arms
softly around Granny's neck, and whispered: "What a beautiful Christmas
we have had to-day, Granny! Is there anything in the world more lovely
than Christmas?"
"Nay, child, nay," said Granny, "not to such loving hearts as yours."
VIII.
THE LEGEND OF THE CHRIST CHILD.[3]
A STORY FOR CHRISTMAS EVE.
I want to tell you to-night a story which has been told to little
children in Germany for many hundreds of years.
[3] Adapted from the German.
Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, on the night before Christmas,
a little child was wandering all alone through the streets of a great
city. There were many people on the street, fathers and mothers,
sisters and brothers, uncles and aunts, and even gray-haired
grandfathers and grandmothers, all of whom were hurrying home with
bundles of presents for each other and for their little ones. Fine
carriages rolled by, express wagons rattled past, even old carts were
pressed into service, and all things seemed in a hurry, and glad with
expectation of the coming Christmas morning.
From some of the windows bright lights were already beginning to stream
until it was almost as bright as day. But the little child seemed to
have no home, and wandered about listlessly from street to street. No
one took any notice of him, except perhaps Jack Frost, who bit his bare
toes and made the ends of his fingers tingle. The north wind, too,
seemed to notice the child, for it blew against him and pierced his
ragged garments through and through, causing him to shiver with cold.
Home after home he passed, looking with longing eyes through the
windows, in upon the glad, happy children, most of whom were helping to
trim the Christmas trees for the coming morrow.
"Surely," said the child to himself, "where there is so much gladness
and happiness, some of it may be for me." So with timid steps he
approached a large and handsome house. Through the windows he could see
a tall and stately Christmas tree already lighted. Many presents hung
upon it. Its green boughs were trimmed with gold and silver ornaments.
Slowly he climbed up the broad steps and gently rapped at the door. It
was opened by a large man-servant. He had a kindly face, although his
voice was deep and gruff. He looked at the little child for a moment,
then sadly shook his head and said, "Go down off the steps. There is no
room here for such as you." He looked sorry as he spoke; possibly he
remembered his own little ones at home, and was glad that they were not
out in this cold and bitter night. Through the open door a bright light
shone, and the warm air, filled with the fragrance of the Christmas
pine, rushed out from the inner room and greeted the little wanderer
with a kiss. As the child turned back into the cold and darkness, he
wondered why the footman had spoken thus, for surely, thought he, those
little children would love to have another companion join them in their
joyous Christmas festival. But the little children inside did not even
know that he had knocked at the door.
The street grew colder and darker as the child passed on. He went sadly
forward, saying to himself, "Is there no one in all this great city who
will share the Christmas with me?" Farther and farther down the street
he wandered, to where the homes were not so large and beautiful. There
seemed to be little children inside of nearly all the houses. They were
dancing and frolicking about. Christmas trees could be seen in nearly
every window, with beautiful dolls and trumpets and picture-books and
balls and tops and other dainty toys hung upon them. In one window the
child noticed a little lamb made of soft, white wool. Around its neck
was tied a red ribbon. It had evidently been hung on the tree for one
of the children. The little stranger stopped before this window and
looked long and earnestly at the beautiful things inside, but most of
all was he drawn toward the white lamb. At last, creeping up to the
window-pane, he gently tapped upon it. A little girl came to the window
and looked out into the dark street where the snow had now begun to
fall. She saw the child, but she only frowned and shook her head and
said, "Go away and come some other time. We are too busy to take care
of you now." Back into the dark, cold street he turned again. The wind
was whirling past him and seemed to say, "Hurry on, hurry on, we have
no time to stop. 'Tis Christmas Eve and everybody is in a hurry
to-night."
Again and again the little child rapped softly at door or window-pane.
At each place he was refused admission. One mother feared he might have
some ugly disease which her darlings would catch; another father said
he had only enough for his own children, and none to spare for beggar
brats. Still another told him to go home where he belonged, and not to
trouble other folks.
The hours passed; later grew the night, and colder blew the wind, and
darker seemed the street. Farther and farther the little one wandered.
There was scarcely any one left upon the street by this time, and the
few who remained did not seem to see the child, when suddenly ahead of
him, there appeared a bright, single ray of light. It shone through the
darkness into the child's eyes. He looked up smilingly, and said, "I
will go where the small light beckons, perhaps they will share their
Christmas with me."
Hurrying past all the other houses he soon reached the end of the
street and went straight up to the window from which the light was
streaming. It was a poor, little, low house, but the child cared not
for that. The light seemed still to call him in. From what do you
suppose the light came? Nothing but a tallow candle which had been
placed in an old cup with a broken handle, in the window, as a glad
token of Christmas Eve. There was neither curtain nor shade to the
small, square window, and as the little child looked in he saw standing
upon a neat, wooden table a branch of a Christmas tree. The room was
plainly furnished, but it was very clean. Near the fireplace sat a
lovely faced mother with a little two-year-old on her knee and an older
child beside her. The two children were looking into their mother's
face and listening to a story. She must have been telling them a
Christmas story, I think. A few bright coals were burning in the
fireplace, and all seemed light and warm within.
The little wanderer crept closer and closer to the window-pane. So
sweet was the mother's face, so loving seemed the little children, that
at last he took courage and tapped gently, very gently, on the door.
The mother stopped talking, the little children looked up. "What was
that, mother?" asked the little girl at her side. "I think it was some
one tapping on the door," replied the mother. "Run as quickly as you
can and open it, dear, for it is a bitter cold night to keep any one
waiting in this storm." "Oh, mother, I think it was the bough of the
tree tapping against the window-pane," said the little girl. "Do please
go on with our story." Again the little wanderer tapped upon the door.
"My child! my child," exclaimed the mother, rising, "that certainly was
a rap on the door. Run quickly and open it. No one must be left out in
the cold on our beautiful Christmas Eve."
The child ran to the door and threw it wide open. The mother saw the
ragged stranger standing without, cold and shivering, with bare head
and almost bare feet. She held out both hands and drew him into the
warm, bright room. "You poor dear child," was all she said, and putting
her arms around him, she drew him close to her breast. "He is very
cold, my children," she exclaimed. "We must warm him." "And," added the
little girl, "we must love him and give him some of our Christmas,
too." "Yes," said the mother, "but first let us warm him."
The mother sat down beside the fire with the child on her lap, and her
own two little ones warmed his half-frozen hands in theirs. The mother
smoothed his tangled curls, and bending low over his head, kissed the
child's face. She gathered the three little ones in her arms and the
candle and the fire light shone over them. For a moment the room was
very still. By and by the little girl said, softly, to her mother, "May
we not light the Christmas tree, and let him see how beautiful it
looks?" "Yes," said the mother. With that she seated the child on a low
stool beside the fire, and went herself to fetch the few simple
ornaments which from year to year she had saved for her children's
Christmas tree. They were soon so busy that they did not notice the
room had filled with a strange and brilliant light. They turned and
looked at the spot where the little wanderer sat. His ragged clothes
had changed to garments white and beautiful; his tangled curls seemed
like a halo of golden light about his head; but most glorious of all
was his face, which shone with a light so dazzling that they could
scarcely look upon it.
In silent wonder they gazed at the child. Their little room seemed to
grow larger and larger until it was as wide as the whole world, the
roof of their low house seemed to expand and rise, until it reached to
the sky.
With a sweet and gentle smile the wonderful child looked upon them for
a moment, and then slowly rose and floated through the air, above the
treetops, beyond the church spire, higher even than the clouds
themselves, until he appeared to them to be a shining star in the sky
above. At last he disappeared from sight. The astonished children
turned in hushed awe to their mother, and said, in a whisper, "Oh,
mother, it was the Christ Child, was it not?" And the mother answered
in a low tone, "Yes."
And it is said, dear children, that each Christmas Eve the little
Christ Child wanders through some town or village, and those who
receive him and take him into their homes and hearts have given to them
this marvelous vision which is denied to others.
IX.
A CHRISTMAS SONG.
The following anonymous poem so exquisitely expresses the true
Christmas thanksgiving and joy that we give it with this collection of
Christmas thoughts, regretting that we are not able to give the name of
the author also.
"There is a song so thrilling,
So far all songs excelling,
That he who sings it sings it oft again;
No mortal did invent it,
But God by angels sent it,
So deep and earnest yet so sweet and plain.
"The love that it revealeth
All earthly sorrows healeth,
They flee like mist before the break of day;
When, oh, my soul, thou learnest
This song of songs in earnest
Thy cares and sorrows all shall flee away."
X.
BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF JESUS.
THE SHEPHERDS AND THE ANGELS.
Now it came to pass there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that
all the world should be enrolled. And all went to enroll themselves,
every one to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of
the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, to the city of David, which is called
Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David; to enroll
himself with Mary. And it came to pass, while they were there she
brought forth her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in
swaddling-clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room
for them in the inn.
And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the field, and
keeping watch by night over their flock. And an angel of the Lord stood
by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they
were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for
behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the
people: for there is born to you this day in the city of David a
Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this is the sign unto you; ye
shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling-clothes, and lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God, and saying:
Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace
Among men in whom he is well pleased.
And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven,
the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem,
and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known
unto us. And they came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and
the babe lying in the manger. And when they saw it, they made known
concerning the saying which was spoken to them about this child. And
all that heard it wondered at the things which were spoken unto them by
the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her
heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all
the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto
them.
And when eight days were fulfilled his name was called
JESUS.
THE WISE MEN FROM THE EAST.
Now when Jesus was born, behold, Wise Men from the east came to
Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we
saw his star in the east, and are come to worship him. And when Herod
the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And
gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he
inquired of them where the Christ should be born. And they said unto
him, In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet:
_And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no wise least among the
princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come forth a governor, which
shall be shepherd of my people Israel._ Then Herod privily called
the Wise Men, and learned of them carefully what time the star
appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search out
carefully concerning the young child; and when ye have found him, bring
me word, that I also may come and worship him. And they, having heard
the king, went their way; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east,
went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child
was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great
joy. And they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary his
mother; and they fell down and worshiped him; and opening their
treasures they offered unto him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to
Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
PRINTED BY R. R. DONNELLEY
AND SONS COMPANY, AT THE
LAKESIDE PRESS, CHICAGO, ILL.