The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1893-12-23
told him to go home where he belonged,

told nm to &c home where he belonged,
and not to trouble other folks.
The hours passed; later grew the
night, and colder grew the wind, and
darker seemed the street. Farther and
farther the little n wandered. There
was scarcely anyone left upon the
street by this time, and the few who
remained did not seem to see the child.
when suddenly ahead of him there APP
pcared a bright. single ray of light. 1t
shone through the darkness into the
J child's eyes. lie. looked up smiling and
said: Il will go where the light beck
ons; perhaps they will share their
Christmas w it'll me-"
Hurrying past all the other houses
he soon reached the end of the street
and went straight mp to the window
from which the light was streaming.
1t vas a poor, little, low house, but the
child cared not for that. The light
seemed still to call him in. What do
you suppose the light came from?
Nothing but a tallow candle which had
been placed in an old cup with n broken
handle, in the window, as a glad token
VI u bNi- itlt was HtlliltT
curtain nor shade to the little square
window, and rs the little child looked
in he saw standing upon a small wooden
table n branch of a Christmas tree. The
room was plainly furnished. but was
very clean. Near the fireplace sat a
lovely-faced mother with Il little two
year-old on her knee and an older child
beside her. The two children were
looking into their mothers face and
listening 10 a story. She must have
been telling them a Christmas story. |
think. A few bright Goals were burn
ing in the fireplace, and all seemed
light and warm within.
The little wanderer crept closer and
closer to the window pane. So sweet
seemed the mothers face, So loving
seemed the little children, that at last
he took courage and tapped gently.
very gently, on the door. The mother
stopped talking, the little children
looked up. what was that, mother?'
asked the little girl at her side. al
think it was some n tapping on the
door" replied the mother. Run as
quickly as You can and open it, dear,
for it is Il bitter cold night To keep any
one waiting in this storm" ''Oh, moth
er, l think it was the bough of the
tree tapping against the windnw-pane,"
said the little girl. DO please go on
with our story" Again the little
wanderer tapped upon the door. my
child, my child" exclaimed the moth
er, rising, that certainly was a rap on
the door. Run quickly and open it
No one must be left out in the cold on
our beautiful Christmas Eve"
The chill | ran to the door and threw |
it wide open. The mother saw the
ragged stranger standing without, cold
and shivering, with bare head and al
most bare feet. She held out both
hands and drew him into the warm,
bright room. 'Oh, you poor, dear child,
warm. Where did you come from and
are You going? Have You no
home? Have you no mamma? Have
you no Christmas to celebrate?'
The mother put her arms around the
strange child, and drew him close to her
lie is very cold, my children"
said she. ''Wc must warm him and
feed him, and give him some Clothes" J
And" added the little girl. I'VE must
love him and give some of u Christ
mas, too" Yes" said the mother,
but first let us warm him
So she sat down beside the fire with
the child on her lap, and her own two
little ones warmed his half-frozen
hands in their own and the mother
'moothed his tangled curls. and bend
ng low over his head kissed the child's
lace. She gathered the three little
mes together in her arms and the can
lie and the irelight shone over them,
for a few moments the room was
-ery still. Then the mother whispered
o the little girl, and the child ran
into the next room and o re-
urned with a roll of bread and a bowl
# milk which had been set aside for
ler own breakfast the next morning.
The little t~wo-year-old, who had
away from his mothers side,
vas happy that he, too, could help the
title stranger by bringing the wooden
pooh from the table. BY and by the
title girl said softly to her mother:
May we not light the Christmas tree,
nd let this little child see how beauti-
III it will iook?' Yes" said tine
With that she seated the
hid on a low stool beside the fire and.
tent herself to fetch the few simple
Inamsnts which from year to year she
for her childcen,s Christmas q