The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-12-24

auraole around his white forehead
Bnt it would have made you grfeve
to see the child's feet blue with the
cold that cruel December night
The pupils SO well clothed and shod
for the winter passed indifferently be-
fore the unknown child Some OF them
cast upon the little vagabond a look in
which could be read all the common
contempt of the rich for the poor-of
the well fed for the hungry.
But little Wolff came out Of the
church the last Of all and stopped, very
much moved. before the beautiful sleep
ing child.
Alas, . said the orphan, lit is fright
ful for the poor little one to 90 without
shoes when the weather is 50 cold. And
it is still worse not to have either sli2-
pers or shoes to put before him while
he sleeps on this Of all evenings, so that
the Christ CHILD might have a place to
put something in to comfort his misery 7
Carried away by his good heart Wolff
drew off the wooden shoe from his right
foot and softly put it before the sleep
ing boy. Then. as best he could hop
ping on one foot. soaked with snow wa
ter, footsore and forlorn. he returned
to his aunt's house.
Look at him, the good for nothing r.
cried the old woman, full of fury upon
seeing him return with but one shoe.
what have You done with you-
other shoe, you little. miserable young
ones''
Wolff did not know how to lie, and
though he trembled and stammered
with fright he tried to relate his adven-
ture
But the old woman broke out into
gruff, frightful laughter. SO monsieur
unshoes for beggarsl SO monsieur strips
off his covering for a barefoot This is
a fine way to do Oh, we'll. I will leave
the remaining shoe in the fireplace to-
night and the Christ child viii put III
it something to whip you with in the
morning. / will answer for it. And to-
morrow you shall pass the day upon
dry bread and water, and we viii SEQ
if the next time you viii give your
shoes to the first beggar that comes
along. =
The wicked woman, having given tho
child two blows, made him 90 up to the
attic, where under the caves he climbed
into his hard cot, but he was conforted
with the sleep of the innocent, though
in his sorrow he had soaked his scanty
pillow with bitter tears
The next morning, when the old aunt
was awakened by the cold, she descended
to her lower room.
Oh. marvell She saw the great chin
ney full of sparkling playthings, bags
of magnificent bOnbons, riches Of all
Sorts and in front Of that wealth of
treasure the shoe that her nephew had
given the sleeping child. 1t was close
beside its mate, which she had left
there, intending to put therein a bun
die Of whips before calling Wolff
Now. when he ran to her, awakened
by her cries and in ecstasies at seeing
the beautiful gifts Of the Christ child,
the attention Of both was called to
noise in the street. They ran to learn
what was the matter and saw all the
gossips of the neighborhood assembled
at the fountain IN the public square.
'+Oh, a very pleasant thing has hap
pened, and very extraordinary, = they
were saying.
s'All the rich peoples children. whose
parents wished to surprise them by sus-
pending from trees the most beautiful
gifts, had found nothing but whips in
their shoes. The beautiful things had
all disappeared. =
Then the old woman and the child,
remembering the marvellous presents in
their chimney place. were full Of fright
Suddenly there was seen approach
ing Father Zwingh, the benevolent faced
priest.
Behind the bench at the church
door in the same place where on the
previous evening a child clothed in
white, bat with naked feet in spite Of
the great cold, had rested his sleeping
head, the priest had just found a circle
of gold imbedded IN the hard stone.
All the bystanders crossed themselves
devoutly, comprehending that the beau
tiful child who bad dropped asleep there
and who had near him the carpenters
tools was Jesus Of Nazareth, who had
become again for one hour such as he
was when he sabored in the house Of
his earthly parents, Mary and Joseph.
They bowed before the miracle which
the good God wished to perform to rec
ompense the confidence and charity Of
a child.
"Ah, it was good, = eaid the people.
ITO have the poor and innocent reward
ed and the rich and contemptuous pun
ishedf' - Translation From Francis
Coppee in Romance.