Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-01-04
The Little Match Girl.

"a New-year's Story by Hans Christian Andersen.l
1t was so terribly cold-it showed, aud the
evening began to be dark it was also the last
evening in the year-New-year's eve. On
this cold, dark evening poor little girl went
into the street with bare head and naked
feet. 1t is true she had shoes on when she
went from home but Of what use we're they
They were very large shoes her mother had
last worn them they were too large, and the
little one lost them in hurrying over the street
as two carriages passed quickly by. One shoe
was not to be found, and the other boy ran
away with, saying that he could use it for
cradle when he got children himself. The
little girl now went on her small naked feet,
which were red and blue with cold-she car
ried number of matches in an old apron, and
held one bundle in her hand. No one had
bought of her the whole day, no one had Civ.
en- her farthing. Poor thing she was hun
CRY and benumbed with cold and looked so
downcast The snow flakes fell on her yell
low hair, which curled so prettily round her
neck, but she did not heed that
The lights shone out from all the windows,
and there was such delicious smell of roast
beef in the street-it was New years eve, and
she thought of that
She sat down in a corner between two
houses-the one stood a little more forward
in the street than the other-and drew her
legs up under her to warm herself, but she
was still colder and she burst not go home
she had not sold any matches or got a single
farthiug Her father would beat her-and
it was also cold at home they had only the
roof directly over them, and there the wind
whstled in, although straw and rags were
stuffed in the largest creyices.
Her little hands were also benumbed with
cold. All ! a little match might do some good,
burst she only draw one out of the bundle,
strike il on the wall, and warm her fingers.
She drew one out, ritohl how it burnt! it was
a warm clear flame like that of little candle,
when she held her hand round tit was a
strange light
The little girl thought she sat by a large
iron stove with brass balls on the top, the fire
burned 30 nicely and warmed SO well. Nay,
what was that The little girl stretched out
her feet to warm them, too when the fame
went out the stove vsnished-she sat with a
stump of the burnt match in her hand. An
other was struck ii burnt, it shone and
| where the light shone on the wall it became
as transparent as Grape she looked directly
into the room where the roasted goose stuffed
with apples and prunes steamed 80 charm
| ingly on the table, which was laid out, and
covered with a shining white cloth and fine
| porcelain service. What was still more splen
did, the goose sprung of the dish, and wad-
| ulou hlOuB tue nOOI Win hnlAb anu AhAh IL 40
back it came directly up to the poor girl
| Then the match went out, and there was only
the thick, cold wall to be seen.
She struck another match. Then she sat
under the most charming Christmas tree it
was still larger and more ornamental than that
she had seen through the glass door at the
rich merchants the last Christmas. thous-
and candles burnt on the green branches !
aud motley pictures, like those which orna-
ment the shop windows, looked down at her
The little girl lifted up both her hands-then
the match was extingnished-th many
Christmas candles rose higher and higher (;
che saw that they we're bright stars-one OF
them fell aud made fiery stripe in the sky.
Now one dies !" said the poor girl, for old
grandmother, who alone had been kind to her,
but who was now dead, had told her that
when star falls a soul goes up to God
She again struck match against the wall f;
it shone all around, and her old grandmother