The Portland daily press., 1870-12-24
Poetry.
The Ei,rist1n as sl,eaE.
BY PHOEBE CARY.

BY PHOEBE CARY.
Snow. good wire, bring your precious hoard"
The Norland farmer cried,
= nd heap the health and heap Tue poio'
For the blessed Christmas-nde.
And bid the children fetch he sail,
The last rire sheaf OF wheat,
And set it on tue ROOT oerhead
That the BIRDS may come and eat
And this we do tor His dear sake,
The Master ii ID and good,
Who of the loaves lie best and brake
For all the multitude"
Then Ere lrica. aud Franz. and Paul,
when hey heard their fathers words,
Pat no the sheat, and one and all
Seemed merry as the bros.
Then suddenly tt c maiden sighed,
Tne Toys were husbed in 1ear
As covering al her ace, she cried,
"lf Hansel we're but here!
And when at dark, about the hearth
hey gathered sill and slow,
You heard no more the childish nirth
So loud an hour ago.
An on their tender cheeks the tears
shone in the flick aring light;
For they were tour in other years
Who ave out three to- night.
Aud tears are in the mothers tone;
As she speaks she tremb es too;
SCENE chiidr. Il, come, for the suFper's done,
And your father waits Tor you."
Then Fredrica, and Franz aui Paul.
Stood each beside his chal;
Tle boys were comely lads and tall,
The girl was good and tsir
The fathers hand was raised to crave
grace before the meat.
When the 1augh fer spake; her wo-ds were LraSe,
But her voice was low ana sweet:
SD ar lather SHOULD we give the wheat
EAro all The birds of the air?
s all we let the kite and the raren eat
Such choice and dainty fare?
For if Tomorrow from our store
We DIVE them not away,
The good little birds will get no more
Than the evil birds of prey"
"Nay, nay, my child" he gravey said,
"You have spoken 10 your shame,
For the good, good Father overhead
Feeds all the birds the same.
Hs hears the ravens when they cry
He keeps the fowls of the air;
And single sparrow cannot lie
On the ground without His care"
'"Yea, father, yea; and tell me this
Her words came fast and wild
'Are not a thousand sparrows less
To Him than single child?
Even though it snued and strayed from home ?''
The father groaned in pain
As she cried, 'Oh, let our Hansel come
And live with US again!
know he did what was not right"
Sadly he shook his head.
'lt lie knew l0hged TOR him tonight,
He would Lot come" he said.
He went from me in wrath and pride;
Gou! shield hin tenderly!
For hear The wild wind cry outside
Like a soul in agony"
''Nay, 'tis soul!" oh, eagerly,
The maiden answered then;
Sand father, what if it should be he,
Come back to us again!''
She stops; the portal open flies;
Her fear is turned to 10y.
'Hansel!" the startled father cries;
And the mother sobs, "My boy!"
Iis a bowed and humbled man they greet,
With loving lips and eyes,
Who tain would kneel at his fathers telt,
But he softly bids him rise;
And he says, 81 bless thee. o mine own;
Yea, and thou shalt be blest!"
While the happy mother holds her son
Like baby on her breast.
Their house and love again to share
The r odigal has come;
And now there viii! be no empty chair
Nor empty heart in their home.
An6 they think, as they see their joy and pride,
safe la k in tine shelerng told,
or the Child that was born at Christmas-tiie
In Bethlehem of old.
And all the hours glide swi away
With loving. hopeful words,
Till the Christmas sheat at break of day
Is alive with happy brds
tNoTE.-In Norway the last sheaf from the har
Vest field is never thresheJ, hut it is always
till Chrstmaseve, when it is set up on the root as
feast for the hungry brds.l