It was New Year’s Eve, and a cold, snowy evening. On this night, a poor
little girl walked along the street with naked feet, benumbed with
cold, and carrying in her hand a bundle of matches, which she had been
trying all day to sell, but in vain; no one had given her a single
penny. The snow fell fast upon her pretty yellow hair and her bare
neck; but she did not mind that. She looked wistfully at the bright
lights which shone from every window as she passed along; she could
smell the nice roast goose, and she longed to taste it: it was New
Year’s Eve!
Wearied and faint she laid herself down in a corner of the street, and
drew her little legs under her to keep herself warm. She could not go
home, for her father would scold her for not having sold any matches;
and, even if she were there, she would still be cold, for the house was
but poorly protected, and the wind whistled through many a chink in the
roof and walls. She thought she would try and warm her cold fingers by
lighting one of the matches; she drew one out, struck it against the
wall, and immediately a bright, clear flame streamed from it, like a
little candle.
The little girl looked at the flame, and she saw before her a beautiful
brass stove with a nice warm fire in it! She stretched out her feet to
warm them,--when, lo, the match went out; in a moment the stove and
fire vanished; she sat again in the cold night, with the burnt match in
her hand.
She struck another; the flame blazed on the opposite wall, and she
saw through it into a room where a table was laid out with handsome
dishes,--roast goose, and other nice things were there,--and, what was
still more extraordinary, she saw the goose jump from the dish, knife,
and fork, and all, and come running towards her. But again the match
went out; and nothing but the dark wall and the cold street were to be
seen.
The little girl drew another match; and, as soon as it struck a light,
she saw a most beautiful Christmas tree, much larger and more splendid
than any she had ever seen before. A vast number of lighted candles
hung among the branches; and a multitude of pretty variegated pictures,
like those in the shops, met her eyes. The girl lifted up her little
hands in rapture at the sight; but again the match fell; and in the
same moment one of the blazing candles shot through the sky, like a
falling star, and fell at her feet. “Now some one dies,” cried she; for
she had been told by her good old grandmother, that when a star falls,
a soul returns to God.
Again she struck; and, behold, a bright light shone round about her,
and in the midst of it stood her kind grandmother, looking calmly and
smilingly upon her.
“Dear grandmother,” said she, “take me, oh take me! You will be gone
from me when the match goes out, like the bright stove, the nice
supper, and the Christmas tree;” and saying this, she struck all the
rest of the matches at once, which made a light round her almost like
day. And now the good grandmother smiled still more sweetly upon her;
she lifted her up in her arms, and they soared together, far, far
away; where there was no longer any cold, or hunger, or pain,--they
were in Paradise!
But the poor little match-girl was still in the corner of the street,
in the cold New Year’s morning. She was frozen to death, and a bundle
of burnt matches lay beside her. People said, “She has been trying to
warm herself, poor thing!” But ah, they knew not what glorious things
she had seen; they knew not into what joys she had entered--nor how
happy she was on this festival of the New Year!
_Word Exercise._
calmly (_kām-le_)
fes´ti-val
vanished (_van´isht_)
vā´ri-e-gāt-ed
Par´a-dise
grand´mother
op´po-site (_op´po-zĭt_)
handsome (_han´sum_)
Christmas (_krĭs´mas_)
extraordinary (_eks-tror´dĭ-na-re_)
_Phrase Exercise._
1. _Benumbed_ with cold.--2. She _did not mind_ that.--3.
Looked _wistfully_.--4. Wearied and faint.--5. Poorly
protected.--6. A _clear_ flame _streamed_ from it.--7. A table
_was laid out_.--8. _In rapture_ at the sight.--9. _Soared_ far
away.--10. _Glorious_ things.