Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-12-26
THE ORPHANS CHRISTMAS TREE.
[FRoM THE GERMAN, by BAYARD TAYLOR.

An orphan boy, with weary feet,
On Christmas Eve, alone, benighted,
Went through the town from street to stree
i" see the clustering candles lighted
In hoIucs where happy children meet
Before each house he stood, to mark
ThrplcasaEt rooms tn shon SO lurly;
The tapers lighted spark by spark,
Till all the trees Were bl.zng rarely.
And sad his heart as in the dark.
He wept; he clusp ped his hands and cried
"Ah every child tonight reoices
Their CHRISTMAS presents all divide
Around thci' trees with merry voices;
But Christmas is to mo denied.
"Once with my sister, hand in hand, u.
At home, how did my tree delight me.
No other tapcrs shone so grand;
But nll forget me, none invite me,
Here lonely in the strangers land
"Wi i'll no one let me in to share
The light, to take some corner nigh il?
In all these houses can't they spare
a spot where | may sit in quiet.
A little seat among them there?
"Wil no one let me in tonight?
will not beg for gilt or token;
| onlr ask to see the sigit,
and hear the thanks Of others spoken,
And that will be my wn delight"
H. knocked at every door and gate;
He raped ut window pane and shutter;
But no one heard and babe him wait,
Or came the welcome i'm TO utter;
Their ears were dull to outer fate ,.
Each father looked with eyes tina. smiled
Upon his happy children only;
Their gifts their uluther's heart beguiled
TO think Of them none saw the lonely
Forgotten boy, the orphan child.
80 Christ-child, holy, kind and dear -
/ have no father and no mother,
Nor friend save Thee, to give me cheer
Be Thou my help, there is none other,
Since all forget me, wandering here!'
The poor boy rubbed his hands so blue,
His little hands the frost made chilly:
His tsttered clothes h. closer drew,
And couched within corner Silly,
And prayed and knew not what to do. n
Then, suddenly, there shone light,
Along tn" street approaching nearer,
Another child in garments white,
Spake as he came land clearer, dcarer
His voice made music in the night:
Il AIN the Christ. Have thou no fear!
| WAS child in my probation,
And children unto me are near;
hear and heed thy supplcation,
Though all the rest forget thee here.
MY saving word to all I bear
And equally to each It's given:
bring the promise of my care
Here, in the street beneath the heaven,
As well 81 in the cham ers there.
"And here, poor boy, thy Christmas tree
win ad"rn, and so make gilnmer
Through all this open space, for thee
That those within shall twinkle DINNER,
For bright as thine they cannot be-"
The Christ-child, with his shining hand
Then pointed up, and 10 the lustros
That sparkle there He saw it stand,
a tree u'erhung with starry clusters
On all its branches, wide anu grand.
So far and yet SO near the night IL
WIS blazing with the tapers splendor;
What WIS the orphan Buys delight
How beat his bosom warm and tender
To see his Christmas tree SO bright.
1t seemed t. him happy dream;
Then from the starry branches bending,
The angels stopped, and through the CLEAN
They lifted him to peace unendlng,
Trey folded him in love supreme,
The orphan child is now ut rest;
\ fathers care he needs, nor mothers.
Upon the Christ child's holy breast,
all that is here bestowed on others,
He :hcrc iurgcts. where all is best.
Selected from Folk Songs.