CHRISTMAS IN LEGEND AND STORY
Some say that ever 'gainst that season comes
Wherein our Saviour's birth, is celebrated,
The bird of dawning singeth all night long:
And then, they say, no spirit dares stir abroad;
The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike,
No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm,
So hallow'd and so gracious is the time.
SHAKESPEARE.
CHRISTMAS
IN
LEGEND AND STORY
A BOOK FOR BOYS AND GIRLS
COMPILED BY
ELVA S. SMITH
CARNEGIE LIBRARY
PITTSBURGH
AND
ALICE I. HAZELTINE
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ST. LOUIS
ILLUSTRATED
FROM
FAMOUS PAINTINGS
1915
CHRISTMAS IN LEGEND AND STORY
PREFACE
In our experience in library work with children we have learned that it is
very difficult to find Christmas stories and legends which have literary
merit, are reverent in spirit, and are also suitable for children. This
collection has been made in an endeavor to meet this need, and thus to be
of service to parents, teachers, and librarians.
Most of the stories and poems in this book are of the legendary type. They
have been chosen from a wide variety of sources and represent the work of
many writers. There are other stories also, which, although not strictly
traditional, have the same reverent spirit and illustrate traditional
beliefs and customs. These have been included for their literary value and
their interest for young people.
In the arrangement of the selections we have followed the natural order of
the events in preference to grouping the stories for boys and girls of
different ages.
Although no attempt has been made to adapt the legends for story-telling,
most of them may be used for that purpose. Many of the selections are also
well suited for reading aloud.
Above all it is hoped that this book may bring real joy to the boys and
girls for whom it has been compiled.
ELVA S. SMITH,
CATALOGUER OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS,
CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH.
ALICE I. HAZELTINE,
SUPERVISOR OF CHILDREN'S WORK,
ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The compilers wish to thank Mrs. Margaret Deland for permission to use
"The Christmas Silence;" Mrs. Etta Austin McDonald for her adaptation of
Coppée's "Sabot of Little Wolff" from "The Child Life Fifth Reader;"
Josephine Preston Peabody for "The Song of a Shepherd-Boy at Bethlehem;"
Mrs. William Sharp for "The Children of Wind and the Clan of Peace," by
Fiona Macleod; Nora Archibald Smith and the editors of the _Outlook_ for
"The Haughty Aspen;" and the editors of _Good Housekeeping Magazine,_
Little, Brown & Company and Mrs. Velma Swanston Howard for her translation
of "The Legend of the Christmas Rose," by Selma Lagerlöf, taken from _Good
Housekeeping Magazine_, copyright, 1907. Copyright, 1910, by Little, Brown
& Company.
Thanks are also due to the following publishers for permission to reprint
poems and stories on which they hold copyright: The Century Company for
four selections from _St. Nicholas_, "The Little Gray Lamb" by A.B.
Sullivan, "A Christmas Legend" by Florence Scannell, "Félix" by Evaleen
Stein, "The Child Jesus in the Garden;" The Churchman Company for "The
Blooming of the White Thorn" by Edith M. Thomas; Doubleday, Page & Company
for "Neighbors of the Christ Night" by Nora Archibald Smith; E.P. Dutton &
Company for "The Sin of the Prince Bishop" by William Canton; Ginn &
Company for "Christmas Carol" from "Open Sesame;" Mr. William Heinemann
for "The Flight into Egypt" by Selma Lagerlöf; Houghton Mifflin Company
for "The Child Born at Bethlehem" by H.E. Scudder, "The Christmas Song of
Caedmon" by H.E.G. Pardee, "The Little Mud-Sparrows" by Elizabeth Stuart
Phelps.
"St. Christopher of the Gael" and "The Cross of the Dumb" are included
through the courtesy of Messrs. Duffield & Company. From "Poems and
Dramas" by Fiona Macleod, copyright, 1901, 1903, 1907, by Thomas B.
Mosher; 1910 by Duffield & Company.
The selection "Christmas at Greccio" from "God's Troubadour" by Sophie
Jewett is included by special arrangement with T.Y. Crowell Company. "The
Little Friend" by Abbie Farwell Brown, "Christmas Hymn" by R.W. Gilder,
"The Three Kings" by H.W. Longfellow, and "The Star Bearer" by E.C.
Stedman are included by special arrangement with Houghton Mifflin Company;
and "The Three Kings of Cologne" by Eugene Field, and "Earl Sigurd's
Christmas Eve" by H.H. Boyesen, by special arrangement with Charles
Scribner's Sons.
The story of St. Christopher is taken chiefly from the "Golden Legend,"
but a few suggestions for its adaptation were obtained from a version by
Olive Logan.
CONTENTS
"THE GRACIOUS TIME"
THE ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS
ST. LUKE, II, 1-16
THE CHILD BORN AT BETHLEHEM
HORACE ELISHA SCUDDER
AS JOSEPH WAS A-WALKING
OLD ENGLISH CAROL
THE PEACEFUL NIGHT
JOHN MILTON
THE CHRISTMAS SILENCE
MARGARET DELAND
NEIGHBORS OF THE CHRIST NIGHT
NORA ARCHIBALD SMITH
CHRISTMAS CAROL
FROM THE NEAPOLITAN
A CHRISTMAS HYMN
RICHARD WATSON GILDER
THE SONG OF A SHEPHERD--BOY AT BETHLEHEM
JOSEPHINE PRESTON PEABODY
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS ROSES
ADAPTED FROM AN OLD LEGEND
THE LITTLE GRAY LAMB
ARCHIBALD BERESFORD SULLIVAN
THE HOLY NIGHT
ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING
THE STAR BEARER
EDMUND CLARENCE STEDMAN
THE VISIT OF THE WISE MEN
ST. MATTHEW, II, 1-12
THE THREE KINGS
HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW
THE THREE HOLY KINGS
ADAPTED FROM THE GOLDEN LEGEND, AND OTHER SOURCES
THE THREE KINGS OF COLOGNE
EUGENE FIELD
BABOUSCKA
ADELAIDE SKEEL
THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT
SELMA LAGERLÖF
THE HAUGHTY ASPEN
NORA ARCHIBALD SMITH
THE LITTLE MUD-SPARROWS
ELIZABETH STUART PHELPS
THE CHILDREN OF WIND AND THE CLAN OF PEACE
FIONA MACLEOD
THE CHILD JESUS IN THE GARDEN
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
THE MYSTIC THORN
ADAPTED FROM TRADITIONAL SOURCES
THE BLOOMING OF THE WHITE THORN
EDITH MATILDA THOMAS
LEGEND OF ST. CHRISTOPHER
ADAPTED FROM THE GOLDEN LEGEND
ST. CHRISTOPHER OF THE GAEL
FIONA MACLEOD
THE CROSS OF THE DUMB
FIONA MACLEOD
THE CHRISTMAS SONG OF CAEDMON
H.E.G. PARDEE
GOOD KING WENCESLAS
JOHN MASON NEALE
THE CHRISTMAS AT GRECCIO: A STORY OF ST. FRANCIS
SOPHIE JEWETT
THE SIN OF THE PRINCE BISHOP
WILLIAM CANTON
EARL SIGURD'S CHRISTMAS EVE
HJALMAR HJORTH BOYESEN
A CHRISTMAS LEGEND
FLORENCE SCANNELL
THE LEGEND OF THE CHRISTMAS ROSE
SELMA LAGERLÖF
FÉLIX
EVALEEN STEIN
THE SABOT OF LITTLE WOLFF
FRANÇOIS COPPÉE
THE LITTLE FRIEND
ABBIE FARWELL BROWN
WHERE LOVE IS, THERE GOD IS ALSO
COUNT LYOF N. TOLSTOÏ
CHRISTMAS IN
LEGEND AND STORY
"THE GRACIOUS TIME"
According to tradition, on the Holy Night there fell upon Bethlehem of
Judea a strange and unnatural calm; the voices of the birds were hushed,
water ceased to flow and the wind was stilled. But when the child Jesus
was born all nature burst into new life; trees put forth green leaves,
grass sprang up and bright flowers bloomed. To animals was granted the
power of human speech and the ox and the ass knelt in their stalls in
adoration of the infant Saviour. Then it was that the shepherds abiding in
the field with their flocks heard the angels praising God, and kings of
the Orient watching in their "far country" saw ablaze in the heavens the
long-expected sign. Even in distant Rome there sprang up a well or
fountain which "ran largely" and the ancient prophetess, Sibyl, looking
eastward from the Capitoline hill heard the angel song and saw in vision
all the wonders of that night.
There are many such traditional tales of the nativity, of the "star-led
wizards" and of the marvels wrought by the boy Christ. They tell of the
bees singing their sweet hymn of praise to the Lord, of the palm-tree
bending down its branches that the weary travellers fleeing from the wrath
of Herod might be refreshed by its fruit, of the juniper which opened to
conceal them and of the sweet-smelling balsam which grew wherever the
drops of moisture fell from the brow of the Boy "as He ran about or toiled
in His loving service for His Mother." Quaint fancies some of these,
perhaps, and not all of them worth preserving; but oftentimes beautiful,
and with a germ of truth.
From the centuries between then and now, come stories of holy men, of
bishops and peasant-saints, and of brave men who preached the White Christ
to the vikings of the north or on Iona's isle. As in popular belief, with
each returning eve of the nativity the miracles of the first Christmas
happen again, so in these tales the thorn-tree blossoms anew and wonderful
roses bloom in the bleak forest.
Other stories tell how on each Christmas eve the little Christ-child comes
again to earth and wanders through village or town, while lighted candles
are placed in the windows to guide Him on His way.
These various legends and traditional tales, which sprang up among the
people like flowers by the wayside and became a part of the life of the
Middle Ages, are still of interest to us of to-day and have a distinct
charm of their own. And when the childlike faith and beauty of thought of
the finest of these have found expression in literary form they seem
particularly suited for our reading at "the gracious time."
THE ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS
ST. LUKE, II, 1-16
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from
Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into
Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; because he was
of the house and lineage of David:
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished
that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling
clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in
the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping
watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord
shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is
Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in
swaddling clothes, 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, good will toward men.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven,
the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and
see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto
us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying
in a manger.
THE CHILD BORN AT BETHLEHEM
HORACE ELISHA SCUDDER
About six miles to the south of Jerusalem is the village of Bethlehem,
lying along the slope and on the top of a gray hill, from the steep
eastern end of which one looks over a broad plain, toward a range of high
hills beyond. At any time, as one drew near the place, coming from
Jerusalem, he would pass by rounded hills, and now and then cross little
ravines with brooks, sometimes full of water, sometimes only beds of
stone; and, if it were spring-time, he would see the hills and valleys
covered with their grass, and sprinkled abundantly with a great variety of
wild flowers, daisies, poppies, the Star of Bethlehem, tulips and
anemones--a broad sheet of color, of scarlet, white and green. Perhaps,
very long ago, there were trees also where now there are none; and on
those hills, gray with the stone that peeped out through the grass, stood
the mighty cedars of Lebanon, stretching out their sweeping branches, and
oaks, sturdy and rich with dark foliage, green the year round. At any
rate, then, as now, we may believe that there were vineyards upon the
sunny slopes, and we know that the wind blew over corn-fields covering the
plains that lay between the ranges of hills.
It is of the time long since that we are thinking, when there were no
massive buildings on Bethlehem hill, such as are to be seen in the town as
it now appears. Instead, there were low houses, many of mud and sunburnt
brick, some so poor, doubtless, that the cattle were stalled, if not in
the same room with the people of the house, yet so near that they could be
heard through the partition, stamping, and crunching their food. There was
an inn there, also; but we must not think of it as like our modern
public-houses, with a landlord and servants, where one could have what he
needed by paying for it. Rather, it was a collection of buildings for the
convenience and accommodation of travelers, who brought with them whatever
they required of food, and the means of preparing it, finding there only
shelter and the roughest conveniences. The larger inns of this sort were
built in the form of a great courtyard surrounded by arcades, in which
people stayed, and kept their goods, if they were merchants.
The inn at Bethlehem was not probably one of these great
caravanserais,--as they are called now in the East, because caravans stop
at them; and it is even possible that the stables about the inn were
simply caves scooped out of the soft chalk rock, for the country there
has an abundance of these caves used for this very purpose.
From the hill on which Bethlehem stands, one can see travelers
approaching, and at that time, long ago, no doubt the people who lived
there saw companies of travelers, on foot or mounted, coming up to the
village. For it was a busy time in Judea. The Emperor at Rome, the capital
of the world, had ordered a tax to be laid upon his subjects, and first it
had to be known just who were liable to be taxed. Nowadays, and in our
country, people have their names taken down at the door of their own
houses, and pay their tax in the town where they live. But then, in Judea,
it was different. If a man had always lived in one place, and his parents
before him, well and good: there his name was taken down, and there he was
taxed. But if he was of a family that had left another place, he went back
to the old home, and there his name was registered. There were many, it
may be, who at this time were visiting Bethlehem for this purpose.
At least, we know of two amongst these travelers; devout and humble people
they were; Joseph, a carpenter, living in Nazareth, a village of Galilee,
sixty miles or more to the northward, and Mary, his wife. Together they
were coming to Bethlehem, for while Nazareth was now their home, they were
sprung from a family that once lived in Bethlehem, and though they were
now poor and lowly, that family was the royal family, and King David, the
greatest king that ever sat on the Jewish throne, was their ancestor.
Perhaps, as they climbed the hill, they thought of Ruth, who had gleaned
in the corn-fields just where they were passing, and no doubt they thought
of Ruth's great-grandson, King David, who was born here, and here kept his
father's sheep,--such sheep as even now they could see on the hillsides,
watched by the watching shepherds.
They came, like the rest, to the caravanserai, but found it already filled
with travelers. They could not have room with other men and women, and yet
there was shelter to be had, for the place where the horses and beasts of
burden stood was not all taken up. It may be that many of those now
occupying the inn had come on Joseph's errand, and, not being merchants,
had come unattended by the beasts that bore the goods of merchants, who
were there occupying the inn; and what were they there for? We can only
guess. All is forgotten of that gathering; men remember only the two
travelers from Nazareth who could find no room in the inn, and made their
resting-place by a manger.
For there, away from the crowd, was born to Mary a child, whom she wrapped
in swaddling-clothes and laid in the manger. She was away from home; she
was not even in a friend's house, nor yet in the inn; the Lord God had
made ready a crib for the babe in the feeding-place of cattle. What
gathering of friends could there be to rejoice over a child
born in this solitary place?
Yet there were some, friends of the child and of the child's mother, who
welcomed its birth with great rejoicing. It may be that when Mary was
laying Him upon His first hard earthly resting-place, there was, not far
off, such a sight as never before was seen on earth. On the hilly slopes
about Bethlehem were flocks of sheep that, day and night, cropped the
grass, watched by shepherds, just as, so long before, young David, in the
same place, had watched his father's sheep. These shepherds were devout
men, who sang, we may easily believe, the songs which the shepherd David
had taught them; and now, in the night-time, on the quiet slopes, as they
kept guard over their flocks, out of the darkness appeared a heavenly
visitor: whence he came they knew not, but round about him was a
brightness which they knew could be no other than the brightness of His
presence which God cast about His messengers. Great fear fell upon
them--for who of mortals could stand before the heavenly beings? But the
angel, quick to see their fear, spoke in words which were the words of men
and fell in peaceful accents:--
"Fear not!" said he, "for see, I bring you glad tidings of a great joy
that shall be to all the people. For there has been born to you, this very
day, a Saviour, who is the Holy Lord, born in the city of David; and this
shall be its sign to you: ye shall find a child wrapped in
swaddling-clothes lying in a manger."
And now, suddenly, before they could speak to the heavenly messenger, they
saw, not him alone, but the place full of the like heavenly beings. A
multitude was there; they came not as if from some distant place, but as
angels that ever stood round these shepherds. The eyes of the men were
opened, and they saw, besides the grassy slopes and feeding sheep, and
distant Bethlehem, and the stars above, a host of angels. Their ears were
opened, and besides the moving sheep and rustling boughs, they heard from
this great army of heavenly beings a song, rising to God and falling like
a blessing upon the sleeping world:--
"Glory to God in the highest
And on earth peace,
Good will to men."
In the lowly manger, a little child; on the hillside pasture, a heavenly
host singing His praises! Then it was once more quiet, and the darkness
was about the shepherds. They looked at one another and said,--"Let us go,
indeed, to Bethlehem, to see this thing that has come to pass, which the
Lord hath made us know."
So, in all haste, with the sound of that hymn of glory in their ears, they
left the pasture and sought the town. They went to the inn, but they
looked not there for the child; where the mangers were, there they sought
Him, and found Him lying, and by Him Joseph and Mary. There were others by
the new-born child, some who had doubtless come out from the inn at
hearing of the birth. "Whence are these shepherds?" they might have said
to themselves, "and what has brought them to this birthplace?"
To all by the manger, the shepherds, their minds full of the strange sight
they had witnessed, recount the marvel. They tell how one appeared with
such brightness about him as in old times they had heard gave witness that
the Lord God would speak to His people; how their fear at his presence was
quieted by his strange and joyful words; and how, when he had said, "Ye
shall find a child wrapped in swaddling-clothes, lying in a manger," they
suddenly were aware of a host of angels round about them sounding praise,
to which God also listened.
Those to whom they told these things were amazed indeed at the
strangeness. What did the marvel mean, they wondered. They could
know no more than the shepherds had told them, and as for these men, they
went away to their flocks again, praising God, for now they too, had seen
the child, and it was all true, and with their human voice they caught up
the song of rejoicing which had fallen from angelic lips.
There was one who heard it all, and we may think did not say much or ask
much, but laid it away in her heart. It was Mary, and she had, in the
treasure-house where she put away this wonder, other thoughts and
recollections in company with it. There, in her inmost heart, she kept the
remembrance of a heavenly visitor who had appeared to her when she was
alone, and had quieted her fear by words that told her of this coming
birth, and filled her soul with the thought that He whom she should bear
was to have the long-deserted throne and a kingdom without end. She
remembered how, when she visited her cousin Elizabeth, she was greeted
with a psalm of rejoicing that sprang to the lips of that holy woman, and
from her own heart had come a psalm of response.
And now the child was born--born in the place of David, yet born to be
laid in a manger. A name had been given it by the angel, and she called
the child Jesus; for Jesus means Saviour, and "He shall," said the angel,
"save His people from their sins."
AS JOSEPH WAS A-WALKING
OLD ENGLISH CAROL
As Joseph was a-walking
He heard an angel sing:--
"This night there shall be born
Our heavenly King.
"He neither shall be born
In housen, nor in hall,
Nor in the place of Paradise,
But in an ox's stall.
"He neither shall be clothèd
In purple nor in pall;
But in the fair, white linen,
That usen babies all.
"He neither shall be rockèd
In silver nor in gold,
But in a wooden cradle
That rocks on the mould.
"He neither shall be christened
In white wine nor in red,
But with fair spring water
With which we were christened."
Mary took her baby,
She dressed Him so sweet,
She laid Him in a manger,
All there for to sleep.
As she stood over Him
She heard angels sing,
"O bless our dear Saviour,
Our heavenly King."
THE PEACEFUL NIGHT
JOHN MILTON
But peaceful was the night
Wherein the Prince of Light
His reign of peace upon the earth began.
The winds with wonder whist,
Smoothly the waters kist,
Whispering new joys to the mild Ocean,--
Who now hath quite forgot to rave,
While birds of calm sit brooding on the charmed wave.
The stars, with deep amaze,
Stand fixed in steadfast gaze,
Bending one way their precious influence;
And will not take their flight,
For all the morning light,
Or Lucifer that often warned them thence;
But in their glimmering orbs did glow,
Until their Lord himself bespake, and bid them
go.
And, though the shady gloom
Had given day her room,
The sun himself withheld his wonted speed,
And hid his head for shame,
As his inferior flame
The new-enlightened world no more should need:
He saw a greater Sun appear
Than his bright throne or burning axletree could bear.
THE CHRISTMAS SILENCE
MARGARET DELAND
Hushed are the pigeons cooing low
On dusty rafters of the loft;
And mild-eyed oxen, breathing soft,
Sleep on the fragrant hay below.
Dim shadows in the corner hide;
The glimmering lantern's rays are shed
Where one young lamb just lifts his head,
Then huddles 'gainst his mother's side.
Strange silence tingles in the air;
Through the half-open door a bar
Of light from one low-hanging star
Touches a baby's radiant hair.
No sound: the mother, kneeling, lays
Her cheek against the little face.
Oh human love! Oh heavenly grace!
'Tis yet in silence that she prays!
Ages of silence end to-night;
Then to the long-expectant earth
Glad angels come to greet His birth
In burst of music, love, and light!
NEIGHBORS OF THE CHRIST NIGHT
NORA ARCHIBALD SMITH
Deep in the shelter of the cave,
The ass with drooping head
Stood weary in the shadow, where
His master's hand had led.
About the manger oxen lay,
Bending a wide-eyed gaze
Upon the little new-born Babe,
Half worship, half amaze.
High in the roof the doves were set,
And cooed there, soft and mild,
Yet not so sweet as, in the hay,
The Mother to her Child.
The gentle cows breathed fragrant breath
To keep Babe Jesus warm,
While loud and clear, o'er hill and dale,
The cocks crowed, "Christ is born!"
Out in the fields, beneath the stars,
The young lambs sleeping lay,
And dreamed that in the manger slept
Another, white as they.
These were Thy neighbors, Christmas Child;
To Thee their love was given,
For in Thy baby face there shone
The wonder-light of Heaven.
CHRISTMAS CAROL
FROM THE NEAPOLITAN
When Christ was born in Bethlehem,
'T was night, but seemed the noon of day;
The stars, whose light
Was pure and bright,
Shone with unwavering ray;
But one, one glorious star
Guided the Eastern Magi from afar.
Then peace was spread throughout the land;
The lion fed beside the tender lamb;
And with the kid,
To pasture led,
The spotted leopard fed;
In peace, the calf and bear,
The wolf and lamb reposed together there.
As shepherds watched their flocks by night,
An angel, brighter than the sun's own light,
Appeared in air,
And gently said,
Fear not,--be not afraid,
For lo! beneath your eyes,
Earth has become a smiling paradise.
A CHRISTMAS HYMN
RICHARD WATSON GILDER
Tell me what is this innumerable throng
Singing in the heavens a loud angelic song?
These are they who come with swift and shining feet
From round about the throne of God the Lord of Light to greet.
Oh, who are these that hasten beneath the starry sky,
As if with joyful tidings that through the world shall fly?
The faithful shepherds these, who greatly were afeared
When, as they watched their flocks by night, the heavenly host appeared.
Who are these that follow across the hills of night
A star that westward hurries along the fields of light?
Three wise men from the east who myrrh and treasure bring
To lay them at the feet of him their Lord and Christ and King.
What babe new-born is this that in a manger cries?
Near on her lowly bed his happy mother lies.
Oh, see the air is shaken with white and heavenly wings--
This is the Lord of all the earth, this is the King of kings.
THE SONG OF A SHEPHERD--BOY AT BETHLEHEM
JOSEPHINE PRESTON PEABODY
Sleep, Thou little Child of Mary:
Rest Thee now.
Though these hands be rough from shearing
And the plough,
Yet they shall not ever fail Thee,
When the waiting nations hail Thee,
Bringing palms unto their King.
Now--I sing.
Sleep, Thou little Child of Mary,
Hope divine.
If Thou wilt but smile upon me,
I will twine
Blossoms for Thy garlanding.
Thou'rt so little to be King,
God's Desire!
Not a brier
Shall be left to grieve Thy brow;
Rest Thee now.
Sleep, Thou little Child of Mary.
Some fair day
Wilt Thou, as Thou wert a brother,
Come away
Over hills and over hollow?
All the lambs will up and follow,
Follow but for love of Thee.
Lov'st Thou me?
Sleep, Thou little Child of Mary;
Rest Thee now.
I that watch am come from sheep-stead
And from plough.
Thou wilt have disdain of me
When Thou'rt lifted, royally,
Very high for all to see:
Smilest Thou?
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS ROSES
ADAPTED FROM AN OLD LEGEND
The sun had dropped below the western hills of Judea, and the stillness of
night had covered the earth. The heavens were illumined only by numberless
stars, which shone the brighter for the darkness of the sky. No sound was
heard but the occasional howl of a jackal or the bleat of a lamb in the
sheepfold. Inside a tent on the hillside slept the shepherd, Berachah, and
his daughter, Madelon. The little girl lay restless,--sleeping, waking,
dreaming, until at last she roused herself and looked about her.
"Father," she whispered, "oh, my father, awake. I fear for the sheep."
The shepherd turned himself and reached for his staff. "What nearest thou,
daughter! The dogs are asleep. Hast thou been burdened by an evil dream?"
"Nay, but father," she answered, "seest thou not the light? Hearest thou
not the voice?"
Berachah gathered his mantle about him, rose, looked over the hills toward
Bethlehem, and listened. The olive trees on yonder slope were casting
their shadows in a marvellous light, unlike daybreak or sunset, or even
the light of the moon. By the camp-fire below on the hillside the
shepherds on watch were rousing themselves. Berachah waited and wondered,
while Madelon clung to his side. Suddenly a sound rang out in the
stillness. Madelon pressed still closer.
"It is the voice of an angel, my daughter. What it means I know not.
Neither understand I this light." Berachah fell on his knees and prayed.
"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall
be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a
Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye
shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
The voice of the angel died away, and the air was filled with music.
Berachah raised Madelon to her feet. "Ah, daughter," said he, "It is the
wonder night so long expected. To us hath it been given to see the sign.
It is the Messiah who hath come, the Messiah, whose name shall be called
Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace. He it is who shall reign on the throne of David, he it is who
shall redeem Israel."
Slowly up the hillside toiled the shepherds to the tent of Berachah, their
chief, who rose to greet them eagerly.
"What think you of the wonder night and of the sign?" he queried. "Are we
not above all others honored, thus to learn of the Messiah's coming!"
"Yea, and Berachah," replied their spokesman, Simon, "believest thou not
that we should worship the infant King! Let us now go to Bethlehem, and
see this thing which has come to pass."
A murmur of protest came from the edge of the circle, and one or two
turned impatiently away, whispering of duty toward flocks, and the folly
of searching for a new-born baby in the city of Bethlehem. Hardheaded,
practical men were these, whose hearts had not been touched by vision or
by song.
The others, however, turned expectantly toward Berachah, awaiting his
decision. "Truly," said Jude, "the angel of the Lord hath given us the
sign in order that we might go to worship Him. How can we then do
otherwise? We shall find Him, as we have heard, lying in a manger. Let us
not tarry, but let us gather our choicest treasures to lay at His feet,
and set out without delay across the hills toward Bethlehem."
"Oh, my father," whispered Madelon, "permit me to go with thee." Berachah
did not hear her, but turned and bade the men gather together their gifts.
"I, too, father?" asked Madelon. Still Berachah said nothing. Madelon
slipped back into the tent, and throwing her arms around Melampo, her
shepherd dog, whispered in his ear.
Soon the shepherds returned with their gifts. Simple treasures they
were,--a pair of doves, a fine wool blanket, some eggs, some honey, some
late autumn fruits. Berachah had searched for the finest of his flock,--a
snow-white lamb. Across the hills toward Bethlehem in the quiet, star-lit
night they journeyed. As they moved silently along, the snow beneath their
feet was changed to grass and flowers, and the icicles which had dropped
from the trees covered their pathway like stars in the Milky Way.
Following at a distance, yet close enough to see them, came Madelon with
Melampo at her heels. Over the hills they travelled on until Madelon lost
sight of their own hillside. Farther and farther the shepherds went until
they passed David's well, and entered the city. Berachah led the way.
"How shall we know?" whispered Simon. And the others answered, "Hush, we
must await the sign."
When at last they had compassed the crescent of Bethlehem's hills, they
halted by an open doorway at a signal from their leader. "The manger,"
they joyfully murmured, "the manger! We have found the new-born King!"
One by one the shepherds entered. One by one they fell on their knees.
Away in the shadow stood the little girl, her hand on Melampo's head. In
wonder she gazed while the shepherds presented their gifts, and were
permitted each to hold for a moment the newborn Saviour.
Melampo, the shepherd dog, crouched on the ground, as if he too, like the
ox and the ass within, would worship the Child. Madelon turned toward the
darkness weeping. Then, lifting her face to heaven, she prayed that God
would bless Mother and Baby. Melampo moved closer to her, dumbly offering
his companionship, and, raising his head, seemed to join in her petition.
Once more she looked at the worshipping circle.
"Alas," she grieved, "no gift have I for the infant Saviour. Would that I
had but a flower to place in His hand."
Suddenly Melampo stirred by her side, and as she turned again from the
manger she saw before her an angel, the light from whose face illumined
the darkness, and whose look of tenderness rested on her tear-stained
eyes.
"Why grievest thou, maiden?" asked the angel.
"That I come empty-handed to the cradle of the Saviour, that I bring no
gift to greet Him," she murmured.
"The gift of thine heart, that is the best of all," answered the angel.
"But that thou mayst carry something to the manger, see, I will strike
with my staff upon the ground."
Wonderingly Madelon waited. From the dry earth wherever the angel's staff
had touched sprang fair, white roses. Timidly she stretched out her hand
toward the nearest ones. In the light of the angel's smile she gathered
them, until her arms were filled with flowers. Again she turned toward the
manger, and quietly slipped to the circle of kneeling shepherds.
Closer she crept to the Child, longing, yet fearing, to offer her gift.
"How shall I know," she pondered, "whether He will receive this my gift as
His own?"
Berachah gazed in amazement at Madelon and the roses which she held. How
came his child there, his child whom he had left safe on the hillside? And
whence came such flowers! Truly this was a wonder night.
Step by step she neared the manger, knelt, and placed a rose in the Baby's
hand. As the shepherds watched in silence, Mary bent over her Child, and
Madelon waited for a sign. "Will He accept them?" she questioned. "How,
oh, how shall I know?" As she prayed in humble silence, the Baby's eyes
opened slowly, and over His face spread a smile.
THE LITTLE GRAY LAMB
ARCHIBALD BERESFORD SULLIVAN
Out on the endless purple hills, deep in the
clasp of somber night,
The shepherds guarded their weary ones--
guarded their flocks of cloudy white,
That like a snowdrift in silence lay,
Save one little lamb with its fleece of gray.
Out on the hillside all alone, gazing afar with
sleepless eyes,
The little gray lamb prayed soft and low, its
weary face to the starry skies:
"O moon of the heavens so fair, so bright,
Give me--oh, give me--a fleece of white!"
No answer came from the dome of blue, nor
comfort lurked in the cypress-trees;
But faint came a whisper borne along on the
scented wings of the passing breeze:
"Little gray lamb that prays this night,
I cannot give thee a fleece of white."
Then the little gray lamb of the sleepless eyes
prayed to the clouds for a coat of snow,
Asked of the roses, besought the woods; but
each gave answer sad and low:
"Little gray lamb that prays this night,
We cannot give thee a fleece of white."
Like a gem unlocked from a casket dark, like
an ocean pearl from its bed of blue,
Came, softly stealing the clouds between, a
wonderful star which brighter grew
Until it flamed like the sun by day
Over the place where Jesus lay.
Ere hushed were the angels' notes of praise
the joyful shepherds had quickly sped
Past rock and shadow, adown the hill, to kneel
at the Saviour's lowly bed;
While, like the spirits of phantom night,
Followed their flocks--their flocks of white.
And patiently, longingly, out of the night,
apart from the others,--far apart,--
Came limping and sorrowful, all alone, the
little gray lamb of the weary heart,
Murmuring, "I must bide far away:
I am not worthy--my fleece is gray."
And the Christ Child looked upon humbled
pride, at kings bent low on the earthen floor,
But gazed beyond at the saddened heart of the
little gray lamb at the open door;
And he called it up to his manger low and laid
his hand on its wrinkled face,
While the kings drew golden robes aside to
give to the weary one a place.
And the fleece of the little gray lamb was blest:
For, lo! it was whiter than all the rest!
* * * * *
In many cathedrals grand and dim, whose windows
glimmer with pane and lens,
Mid the odor of incense raised in prayer, hallowed
about with last amens,
The infant Saviour is pictured fair, with
kneeling Magi wise and old,
But his baby-hand rests--not on the gifts, the
myrrh, the frankincense, the gold--
But on the head, with a heavenly light,
Of the little gray lamb that was changed to white.
THE HOLY NIGHT
ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING
We sate among the stalls at Bethlehem;
The dumb kine from their fodder turning them,
Softened their horned faces
To almost human gazes
Toward the newly Born:
The simple shepherds from the star-lit brooks
Brought visionary looks,
As yet in their astonied hearing rung
The strange sweet angel-tongue:
The magi of the East, in sandals worn,
Knelt reverent, sweeping round,
With long pale beards, their gifts upon the ground,
The incense, myrrh, and gold
These baby hands were impotent to hold:
So let all earthlies and celestials wait
Upon thy royal state.
Sleep, sleep, my kingly One!
THE STAR BEARER
EDMUND CLARENCE STEDMAN
There were seven angels erst that spanned
Heaven's roadway out through space,
Lighting with stars, by God's command,
The fringe of that high place
Whence plumèd beings in their joy,
The servitors His thoughts employ,
Fly ceaselessly. No goodlier band
Looked upward to His face.
There, on bright hovering wings that tire
Never, they rested mute,
Nor of far journeys had desire,
Nor of the deathless fruit;
For in and through each angel soul
All waves of life and knowledge roll,
Even as to nadir streamed the fire
Of their torches resolute.
They lighted Michael's outpost through
Where fly the armored brood,
And the wintry Earth their omens knew
Of Spring's beatitude;
Rude folk, ere yet the promise came,
Gave to their orbs a heathen name,
Saying how steadfast in men's view
The watchful Pleiads stood.
All in the solstice of the year,
When the sun apace must turn,
The seven bright angels 'gan to hear
Heaven's twin gates outward yearn:
Forth with its light and minstrelsy
A lordly troop came speeding by,
And joyed to see each cresset sphere
So gloriously burn.
Staying his fearless passage then
The Captain of that host
Spake with strong voice: "We bear to men
God's gift the uttermost,
Whereof the oracle and sign
Sibyl and sages may divine:
A star shall blazon in their ken,
Borne with us from your post.
"This night the Heir of Heaven's throne
A new-born mortal lies!
Since Earth's first morning hath not shone
Such joy in seraph eyes."
He spake. The least in honor there
Answered with longing like a prayer,--
"My star, albeit thenceforth unknown,
Shall light for you Earth's skies."
Onward the blessed legion swept,
That angel at the head;
(Where seven of old their station kept
There are six that shine instead.)
Straight hitherward came troop and star;
Like some celestial bird afar
Into Earth's night the cohort leapt
With beauteous wings outspread.
Dazzling the East beneath it there,
The Star gave out its rays:
Right through the still Judean air
The shepherds see it blaze,--
They see the plume-borne heavenly throng,
And hear a burst of that high song
Of which in Paradise aware
Saints count their years but days.
For they sang such music as, I deem,
In God's chief court of joys,
Had stayed the flow of the crystal stream
And made souls in mid-flight poise;
They sang of Glory to Him most High,
Of Peace on Earth abidingly,
And of all delights the which, men dream,
Nor sin nor grief alloys.
Breathless the kneeling shepherds heard,
Charmed from their first rude fear,
Nor while that music dwelt had stirred
Were it a month or year:
And Mary Mother drank its flow,
Couched with her Babe divine,--and, lo!
Ere falls the last ecstatic word
Three Holy Kings draw near.
Whenas the star-led shining train
Wheeled from their task complete,
Skyward from over Bethlehem's plain
They sped with rapture fleet;
And the angel of that orient star,
Thenceforth where Heaven's lordliest are,
Stands with a harp, while Christ doth reign,
A seraph near His feet.
THE VISIT OF THE WISE MEN
ST. MATTHEW, II, 1-12
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the
king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his
star in the east, and are come to worship him.
When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all
Jerusalem with him.
And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people
together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by
the prophet,
And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the
princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule
my people Israel.
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them
diligently what time the star appeared.
And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the
young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may
come and worship him also.
When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they
saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the
young child was.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary
his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened
their treasures, they presented 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.
THE THREE KINGS
HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW
Three Kings came riding from far away,
Melchior and Gaspar and Baltasar;
Three Wise Men out of the East were they,
And they travelled by night and they slept by day,
For their guide was a beautiful, wonderful star.
The star was so beautiful, large, and clear,
That all the other stars of the sky
Became a white mist in the atmosphere,
And by this they knew that the coming was near
Of the Prince foretold in the prophecy.
Three caskets they bore on their saddle-bows,
Three caskets of gold with golden keys;
Their robes were of crimson silk with rows
Of bells and pomegranates and furbelows,
Their turbans like blossoming almond-trees.
And so the Three Kings rode into the West,
Through the dusk of night, over hill and dell,
And sometimes they nodded with beard on breast,
And sometimes talked, as they paused to rest,
With the people they met at some wayside well.
"Of the child that is born," said Baltasar,
"Good people, I pray you, tell us the news;
For we in the East have seen his star,
And have ridden fast, and have ridden far,
To find and worship the King of the Jews."
And the people answered, "You ask in vain;
We know of no king but Herod the Great!"
They thought the Wise Men were men insane,
As they spurred their horses across the plain,
Like riders in haste, and who cannot wait.
And when they came to Jerusalem,
Herod the Great, who had heard this thing,
Sent for the Wise Men and questioned them;
And said, "Go down unto Bethlehem,
And bring me tidings of this new king."
So they rode away; and the star stood still,
The only one in the gray of morn;
Yes, it stopped,--it stood still of its own free will,
Right over Bethlehem on the hill,
The city of David, where Christ was born.
And the Three Kings rode through the gate and the guard,
Through the silent street, till their horses turned
And neighed as they entered the great inn-yard;
But the windows were closed, and the doors were barred,
And only a light in the stable burned.
And cradled there in the scented hay,
In the air made sweet by the breath of kine,
The little child in the manger lay,
The child, that would be king one day
Of a kingdom not human but divine.
His mother Mary of Nazareth
Sat watching beside his place of rest,
Watching the even flow of his breath,
For the joy of life and the terror of death
Were mingled together in her breast.
They laid their offerings at his feet:
The gold was their tribute to a King,
The frankincense, with its odor sweet,
Was for the Priest, the Paraclete,
The myrrh for the body's burying.
And the mother wondered and bowed her head,
And sat as still as a statue of stone;
Her heart was troubled yet comforted,
Remembering what the Angel had said
Of an endless reign and of David's throne.
Then the Kings rode out of the city gate,
With a clatter of hoofs in proud array;
But they went not back to Herod the Great,
For they knew his malice and feared his hate,
And returned to their homes by another way.
THE THREE HOLY KINGS
ADAPTED FROM THE GOLDEN LEGEND, AND OTHER
SOURCES
In a far country, in the days before Jesus was born in Judea, there were
great astrologers who studied the heavens by night and by day, for they
knew of the prophecy which said that a star shall be born or spring out of
Jacob, and a man shall arise of the lineage of Israel. And twelve of them
were chosen to take heed, who every year ascended upon a mountain which
was called the Hill of Victory. Three days they abode there, and prayed
our Lord that He would show to them the star that Balaam had said and
prophesied.
Now it happened on a time, that they were there on the day of the Nativity
of Jesus Christ, and a star came over them upon this mountain, which had
the form of a right fair child, and under his head was a shining cross,
and from this cross came a voice saying: "To-day is there born a King in
Judea."
Now in Arabia, the land in which the soil is red with gold, there reigned
a king called Melchior. And in Saba, where frankincense flows from the
trees, the king Balthasar ruled. And in the land where myrrh hangs from
the bushes, the kingdom of Tharsis, reigned a third king, called Caspar.
These three kings also saw the star and heard the voice, and they each
made ready to go on a journey. And no one of the three knew that the
others intended thus to make a pilgrimage. And they gathered together
their treasures to present to the king whom they should seek, and summoned
those who should attend them. So each set out with a great company and
great estate. And as they journeyed they found the mountains made level as
the plains, while the swollen rivers became as dry land. And never did
they lose sight of the star, which shined upon them as the sun, always
moving before them to guide them on their way.
But when they were come within two miles of Jerusalem, the star
disappeared, a heavy fog arose, and each party halted; Melchior, as it
fell out, taking his stand on Mount Calvary, Balthasar on the Mount of
Olives, and Caspar just between them. And when the fog cleared away, each
was astonished to see two other great companies besides his own, and then
the kings first discovered that all had come upon the same errand, and
they embraced with great joy, and rode together into Jerusalem.
And when they came into the city, Herod and all the people were troubled,
because of their so great company like unto an army. Then they demanded in
what place the King of the Jews was born, for, said they, "We have seen
His star in the Orient, and therefore we come to worship Him." And when
Herod had heard this, he was much troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Then Herod called all the priests of the law, and the doctors, and
demanded of them where Jesus Christ should be born. And when he had
understood them that He should be born in Bethlehem, he called the three
kings apart and demanded of them diligently the time that the star
appeared to them. And he said to them that as soon as they should have
found the Child and have worshipped Him, that they should return and show
it to him, feigning that he would worship Him also, though he thought that
he would go to slay Him.
And as soon as the kings were entered into Jerusalem, the sight of the
star was taken from them. But when they were issued out of the city, the
star appeared again and went before them, until it came above the place in
Bethlehem where the Child was. And they had journeyed now full thirteen
days.