The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1869-03-04

done good thing, so they said. And 80 h
and his had come to this deserted stable
Where, then, was Wild Stephen z The bel
rang out, the organ sounded, the people san
pious songs in the church, and the goo
priest stood before the altar and chanted
"Glory be to God on high, and on earth t
men be good will" lis4 a.f
Up in the old castle, in comfortless room
. man OF dark, ferbiddihg aspect sat near tn
long cxtinguished fire. He was the lord 4
the castle, a hard hearted mau, feared b
l every one within the limits of his estate. tn
Flight before him on the table burnt low; hi
| face looked stiff and lnotiouless, his eve
were closed. It seemed like sleep, only h
looked SO very pale. Now, while in the out
buildings Of the court yard servants hurrie,
to snd fro, man was stealing up the stair
and through the gloomy corridor He softly
opened the door of the great room, crep
lightly in, and up to the arm chair where tn,
landlord slept. The strangers eyes CLEANED
with PASSIONS sneering disfgured his wealth
er-beaten face. He cast one look stealthly
round the room A knife glistcned in one
hand, the other graspcd that of the sleepine
landlord. The blade quivered-
"Christ is born" sang the people in the
church below. is7 jsa5 ~.
Wild Stephen shrank back for the hand
was icy cold He had touched corpse.
"Christ is born" cried the wardcr from the
tower for Mass was over, aud the people
were fastening home.
Stephens knife fell from bis hand. He
looked again at the dead man, and it seemed
as if the cold eyes were opening to blast him
Covering his face with both hands, he fed from
the ROOM Ne one had seen him glide into
the house; no one saw him now pause DO
fore tho old stable and look in at the window
no one but the thorn-bueh. Ashy pale,
Stephen gazed into the stable. There he saw
his wife kneeling metionless as the dead man
in the castle yonder, but more lovely and
gentle and pure as innocence, the child in
the mangcr. Then Stephen, running forward,
not knowing whittier, rushed through the
open church door, and sank scnseless on the
steps of the altar
Now the pastor was just going home. He
came to the thorn-bush and saw two little
boys sitting beneath it in tie snow They
were shivering, and hiding their little rags
TAKE them with thee" said the thorn
bush to the pastor "They are Wild stcph-
ems children; they dare not go indoors for
fear their father may beat them because they
come home empty handed, Take them with
thee. | cannot warm them; | am so poor
and naked" ii A.
We know not whether it was the PASTORS
heart or the thorn-bush that spoke; but he
took the children home with him.
$50, now have one care the less p said
the thorn-bush to itself "Now they are be
ginning to light up the Christmas tree there
and there and again over yonder. What
a pity that I'm SO stationed under the Windows,
for here in this dreary stable there will be
nothing to see."
But the thorn bush was wrong, for Just
then interior Of the stable grew bright
with piercing light. Still knclt the poor
woman with closed eyes, but the sick child
walked up and stretched cut its little arms
laughing; for the roof opened, and down
futtcred, surrounded by light cloud, two
lovely angels, one of them bearing little
Christmas tree cleaning with countless lights,
the other bringing costly gifts. And it grew
warm in the stable, and the light threw such
a gleam into the street that the thorn bush
wondered within itself -
''There is no hut SO poor but Christ is
there tonight" it said. s.sss..s
The angels futtered down, and while one
offered the Christmas tree, the other went to
the sick child and laid his hand hcalingly
upon its breast Then they few upward
again and vanished; but the light remained
in the stable. In the mean time, Wild
Stephen lay upon the cold altar-steps At
last his consciousness returned, and he raised
his head from the stone. A wonderful vision
had appeared to him in dream, for he had
seen two beautiful spirits who, blessing him
walked By his side; and now, on awakening,
he saw them standing by him, and felt each
lay little warm hand in his and lead him
from the church. .as
It seemed to Stephen as if he still dreamed
IS if it were in sleep that the two little angels
led him from the church to the stable where
he knew his poor wife and sorrowing children
were. Willingly he let himself be guided;
but when they reached the wretchcd dwelling,
and everything within looked 80 warm and
bright and pleasant, when be saw the Christ
mas presents, he rubbed his eyes and looked
down at the angels who had brought him there
and were still standing by his side. Then
Stephen recognized his two elder boys, grand
y and beautifully dressed as he had never
seen them before. 4 @1el s1.
Still it seemed like vision He raised
both children in his arms he held them close
and kissed them-no, it could not be dream
"Christ is born, cried the Waterman from
the tower. "Aye, born is, and within my
own soul toor' exclaimed Stephen, and, still
holding the two children, sprang to his wife,
He drew her toward him and held her to lis
breast. "Jenny," he said, "wako up, Christ
is indeed born /" ass
And she lifted her eyes and looked around
cd Is it really thou, Stephen ?--and all
this light here! Is my dream true Isaw.
two angels bringing Christmas present. and
one Of them laid his hand healingly upon my
baby's breast Yes, yes, it is true, for he is
alive, she exclaimed, taking the smiling child
from the manger and clasping it to her bosom
s'It is true, Stephen" she said, and laid the
baby n his arms. ''Our Saviour is born and
he will not let nay child die" rlt9
And while they were all looking at the
Christmas presents the pastor stepped from
behind the tree, for he it was who had sent
the gifts through two good children of his
parish he it was who had seen Wild Stephen
sink down upon the altar steps; he twas who
had dressed the little boys SO beautifully, and
led them to their father in the church.
"Christ is born" said the pastor "and it
il his will that EVAN tha noorast dwnlli n %