, 1878-03-08
The Little Match Girl.

It was dreadfully cold; it was showing
fast, and almost dark; the last evening
of the old year was drawing in. But
cold and dark as it was, poor girl, with
bare head and feet, was still wandering
about the streets. When she left her
home, she had her mothers slippers on
but they had dropped off her feet, while
she was running very fast across the
road, to get out of the way of two car
riages.
So the little girl now walked on, her
bare feet quite red and blue with the
cold. She carried a small bundle OF
matches in her hand, and good many
more in her tattered spron-no one had
bought any of them the lvelong day
No one had given her . single penny
Trembling with cold and hunger, crept
she on, the picture of sorrow; poor little
child
The snow-fakes on her long, fair hair,
which hung in pretty ringlets over her
shoulders; but she thought not of her
own beauty, or of the cold. Lights were
glimmering through every window, and
the SAVIOR OF roast goose reached her from
several houses; it was New Years Eve,
and it was of this she thought.
In corner formed by two houses, one
of which projected beyond the other, she
sat down, drawing her little feet close
under her. but in vain--she could not
warm them. She dared not go home, she
had sold no matches, earned not single
penny, and perhaps her father would
beat her.
Her hands were nearly stiff with cold
one little match from her bundle would
warm them, perhaps, if she dared light
it. She drew out one and struck il
against the wall; bravo it was bright,
warm fame, and she held her hcnds over
1t. 1t was quite an illumination for that
poor little girl, and she stretched out her
feet to warm them also; alas in an in
stant the fame had died away, the girl
sat cold and comfortless, with the burnt
match in her hand.
A second match was struck against
the wall; it kindled and blazed, and
wherever its light fell the wall became
transparent as veil--the little girl could
see into the room within. She saw the
table spread with snow.white damask
cloth, whereon we're arranged shining
China dishes; the roast goose, stuffed
with apples and dried plums, stood at
the end, smoking hot, and, what was
pleasantest Of all to see, the goose with
knife and fork still in her breast, jumped
down from the dish, and waddled along
the floor to her. The match was burnt
out, and only the thick, hard wall was
beside her.
She kindled third match. Again
shot up the flame; and now she was sit.
ting under most beautiful Christmas
tree, far larger, and far more prettily
decked than the one she had seen las
Christmas eve, through the glass door Of
the rich merchants house. Hundreds Of
wax tapers lighted up the green branch
es, and tiny painted figures, such as sh,
had seen in the shop windows, looked
down from the tree upon her.
The child stretched out her hands to
ward them in her delight, and in that mo
nent the light of the match was quench.
ed; still, however, the Christmas candles
burned higher and higher, she behelt
them beaming like stars in heaven; on,
of them fell, the lights streaming behint
it like long, fiery tail.
"Now some one is dying" said tn,
little girl softly, for she had been tolC
by her grandmother--the only person
who had ever been kind to her, and VIII,
was now dead--that whenever star fall
an immortal spirit returns to the Coz
who gave it.
She struck yet another match sgains
the wall; it famed up, and, surrounded
by its light, appeared before her tha
same dear grandmother, gentle and loy
ing as always, but bright and happy a
she had never looked during her lifetime
Grandmother cried the child. "Oh
take me with you'll know you will
leave me as soon as the match goes out
you will vanish like the warm fire in tn
stove, like the beautiful large Christina
treel' and she hastily lighted all the re
naming matches in the bundle, lest tn
grandmother should disappear.
And the matches burned with such
blaEe of splendor that monday coul
scarcely have been brighter Never ha,