The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-25
:. Grandfsther,r cried the little ones.

Grandfather" cried the little ones
Al dawn in the hut by the meager fire.
There are no jewe like the SUMS
We knew-but they vanish away, and tire;
May not the Christ-cnild's goodness bring.
\ real feast and song to sing,
And real blessing and real toys 81
And they swallowed their black bread eagerly
As the old man kissed them aud hurried away
Nith tears In his eyes, that they might not see
For The poverty OF their Xmas day!
The mornful song of the soughng pines
And the melody of the swirling snow
Soothed the gnomes in their moody mines,
Aud filled the air with music low:
On the old mans a tiny cry
And ever anon, as the wind moaned by,
1t came again-as an infant wepti
Quick to the rescue he hurried and there
All III the snowdrift at his feet,
Lay nursing with golden hair,
And smile that was strange and diyiuely sweet
came the thought 10 his wildered sense:
:" what if the ohrist-chitd so hath conner"
He snatehed the wall and back through the dense
ana threatening iesest he sped him home!
VI
Grandfather, hastenl The table is spread
-" oh. the grace of this anger childt
See, there's glory about his head.
Tell us, whence came this wondrous one?s
But the old man answered never word
And a me ody died, with the setting sun
Soft as the song of secret bird!"
Up from the grsybeard's loving hold
Rose ana lowered that babe in air,
Blessing the board and the bread SO cold,
Blessing the little ones gathered therei
Into the twilight faded then
The sudden grace OF that heavenly glow
But the grandfather hurried forth again
And followed 1t into the night and snow.
VIII.
out from the forest vast and grim,
over the drift whence the Cbrist-eh lid sprane
Lo the strains OF a heavenly hymn
The thrilling music the shepherds sang
hem On ba
But sudden paused in new surprise;
Blooming there in the Chlds snow bed
Grew wondrous flowers before his eyes!
"Christ's anthems,- As he kpeeis and pravs
he hymns die out in the peaceful night.
How his old face in their golden blaze
There were songs and feast ln the Castle high
on lhe Gins; but the fageot-gieaner's hearth
Olo"ed with the iiessings of the sky
Love and Mercy and Peace on earth"
JOHN PAUL BococK.
DECORATIVE TRADITIONS.
The custom Of employing holly and other
plants Tor decorative purposes at Christmas
is one of considerable antiauity. and has
been regarded as survival of the usages of
the Roman Satufnaiia, or OF an old Teutonic
practice of hanging the interior of dwellings
with evergreens as a refuge for sylvan
spirits from the inclemency of the weather
during the winter season. A Border prov.
erb defines an habitual story-teller as one
that lees never but when the hollen is
green" Several popular superstitions exist
with respect to holly. In the county of
Rutland, or Rutlandshire, England, it is
deemed unlucky TO Introduce it into house
before Christmas eve. In some English
rural districts the prckly and non
prickly kinds are distinguished as "he"
and 4" she" holly, and in Derbyshire
the tradition obtains that according as the
holly brought at Christmas into a house il
smooth or rough, the vile OF the husband
will be master Holly that has adorned
churches at that season is in Worcester
shire and Herefordsliire much esteemed and
cherished, the possession Of small branch
with berries being supposed to bring a
lucky year; and Lonieerus mentions a no.
tlon IN bis time vuigarly prevalent in Ger
many that consecrated twigs OF the plant
hung over door are protection against
thunder