The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1873-12-27
From scrlbner's MagazineI
WHAT THE CHILD-CHRlST BRUUGHT'
a CHRISTMAS STORY.
BY II. LOCKWOOD.
BY II. LOCKWOOD.


the third floor windows of No. ~ Op
prnheimer Strasse, in Berlin, very
early on the morning OF Decent bel
a, 1870, you would have been aston
ished at the stir and excitement or th'
orderly little household. Notwith
standing the bitter cold, the children
were dressed and stirring before tn,
sun was fairly risen. Soon, Frau Hoif
man, the gentle housemother, quietins
the laughing children, gathered heI
flock around the breakfast table, ant
after Fritzel, The youngest, had sait
grace, the children began to eat, more
from sense of duty than from any de
sire for breakfast on this particular
morning.
81 have so much on my mind" sait
twelve-year-old Paul, and with an all
of importance, "that ! have hardly
time to eat. With your permission
good little mother, will slip bit II
my pocket to satisfy myself III case
feel hungry. Let me see: have sew
eral purchases to make, all engagement
to 70 skating, then the poem am II
recite to papa, and"
"Gently, my Paul." said the mother
"There is abundance of time Tor all
and while you are eating-for gooo
breakfast is needed with such long
DAVIS work before you'll will explain
: f | would have you do for me-"
-Ah,n said fair-haired maiden OF
fourteen, eldest daughter of the house,
I" how little we thought our Christmas
would be so happy, when dear, papa
went to war last summer. How thank
ful we should feel that he is comming
home, since so many poor children In
Berlin are without any father to-day"
and tears of pity came into innocent
blue her eyes, as she thought OF the OF
orphans made by the cruel war then
raging beyond the Rhine.
Children" said the mother, :" we
have indeed cause to be thankful, and
we ought to show our tharkfulness by
deeds, not by by words only so l
think, if you all agree, we will take a
portion of our Christmas money, in
stead of spending it on cur bon-bons
and cakes, and buy little tree, with
nuts, and apples, and tapers, for the
poor Hcyscs, in the next street. Faul
Shall go now for it, and carry it to
their mothers, if you consent. Then
each of my little girls and tritzel may
choose achild to whom you would IKE
to send something, and Olga and l
will carry it, in your names"
'sYes! yes! mother,' cried Paul,
"and am all ready to go!
1.-THE Heyses will be 80 pleased" "
cried little Olga, and all the children
expressed delight at their mothers
suggestion, but it was some time before
the plan was fully laid out, made, and
eaci one had handed to the mother, out
of his or her little store, the money for
the purchase of the gifts. lin the mean
time, Paul darted off for his fur cap
and gloves, and after whispering lit
tie plan of his own into his mothers
ear, and getting her nod of approval,
started on his way to the Jahrmarkt,
This Christmas Jahrmarkt was a IA
miliar place to the young Hofimanns,
and would, / am sure, be greatly els
loved by American children, with hol-
iday money in their pockets. What a
splendid place! A great city square or
"markt," as it is called, is 1iled WIN
streets and streets of temporary booths;
here every imaginable Christmas ware
is sold, from the small forests of Christ
mas trees in the corners Of the square
great, stately cedars and spruces, as
well as the twig boughs fastened to
cross bits of wood hardly big enough to
bear the weight of half dozen gilt
nuts and apples-down to thc glass
balls and gay tapers, and funny little
"Knecht Ruprcchts," made of dried
prunes stuck on cross sticks, in rude
representation of q man. One Of these
is always placed on the Christmas tree
ON the gayest as well as on the bum
blest There are little shows in some
of the booths, where for few .groschen
one can see wonderful and delightful
things-puppets and dioramas, or even
;lwarfs and giants.
One can hardly imagine a German
child's Christmas complete without
this charming Jahrmarkt. 1T is like
fairv-land for two weeks, in the brown
old square, so dull for the rest of the
wear, so bewidering now with its lines
of glittering booths, tempting III their
display of treasures, all soon TO vanish
back to Knecht Ruprechts kingdomi to
be kept safe there for another year.
One might easily mistake those COM
ical, weakened little men, who KEEP
the booths, in their shaggy coats and
old fur caps, for servants of the Jolly
Christmas elf--the Christ-child'ssmes-
senger; and, as the legends say, dis
peuser of his bounty. Knecht Ruprecht
Is none other than our Kriss kringle OF
Santa Claus, not much changed for the
the worst, as he crosses the West
ern seas, nor much less in favor
with our young folks at home than with
the little fair-haired Germans.
Paul knew Just where to buy his
modest little tree, with its ornaments
and added, with his own money, a gener.
Gus package of the biggest and sweetest
bon bons he could findin the "markt.'
Finally, laden with his bounty, the
little messenger of tine Christ-child-fol
such, OH these occasions, he had beer
taught to consider himself-started fol
the Heyses' humble dwelling, to bt
the bountiful Christ-child visited in M
other open, visible way.
Meanwhile, at home, the children
had retreated ntoprivate corners, eaci
busy and mysterious over Christmas
preparations. Eight-years-old Olga
behind the big porcelain stove in thu
dwelling room, was straining he
pretty brown eyes over a beautiful
smoking cap, Which must be finished
before dinner, and ready to go Oh Pa
pas gift table. These little GermaI
maidens are wonderfully skillful will
the needle; Carlotta was knitting ava,
in another corner-her tiny fingers ply
ing with astonishing deftness, asith
bright needles glittered through tn
scarlet worsted.
Her present was for Mamma, VIII
must'not see it Oil any account. Evel
Fritzel was desperately busy with some
thing, which nobody in the world mus
guess anything about while tn
mother and Gretchen, the fair-haire1
spfaker at breakfast, had retired int
lie salon, where they were, oh ! so bus
with a wonderful Christmas tree, whicl
every one knew was locked up I'm th
silent, dark room, though nobody men
toned the fact, except In whispers.
The father of this happy little band
a professor at the Polytechnic Schoo
had gone with the army In July on II
march to the Rhine. He was privat
in the gallant Konigin Elizabeth Reg
ment, Of the army corps in which \
d.