Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-12-19
CHRISTMAS MIRACLE.

Once upon time-it was so long ago
that everybody has forgotten the date
there was little boy named Wolff.
He was years old. He had neither
father nor mother and was left to the
care of an old aunt, who was SO cold
hearted that she never embraced her
nephew except on New Years day and
was so penurious that she heaved deep
sigh every time she served him to a
dish of soup. The poor little fellow was
naturally so good that he loved the old
dame, only he had such dreadful fear
of her that he could not look at her
without trembling.
Because Wolff's aunt was known to
have a house upon good street and a
stocking full of gold she did not dare
to send her nephew to the school for
the poor, but she had so haggled with a
teacher for a reduction in her prices
that the teacher was vexed to have a
scholar who brought her in so little.
Little Wolff was also dressed so poorly
that the FOOLS cap was often unjustly
inflicted upon him or Ounce was writ
ten upon his back, and his comrades
were unreasonably prejudiced against
him.
All the other pupils were sons of rich
citizens and made the orphan the butt
of their jokes or the object of their
malice. The poor child was wretchedly
unhappy and would often hide himself
away in corners to weep.
The time of the Christmas festival
approached. On Christmas eve the
schoolteacher conducted all of the pu-
pills to midnight mass and afterward led
them back to their homes.
AS the winter was extremely rigorous
that year, and as for several days a
great quantity of snow had fallen, the
children all came warmly bundled and
muffled in fur caps which turned down
over their ears double and triple coats,
knit gloves and mittens and good heavy
boots that had iron nails and thick
soles.
Wolff alone presented himself, shiver-
ing in the same clothes that he wore
every day and Sunday, summer and
winter, and his feet were covered with
only the low wooden shoes of Stras-
burg.
His naughty companions, seeing his
poor appearance, made thousand jests
at his expense, but the orphan was so
occupied in breathing upon his cold fin
gers and by the aching chilblains that
he did not heed them.
Soon the band of boys marching two
by two, with the schoolmaster magis-
terially at their head, started for the
priests house.
It was good to reach the church,
which was brilliant with lighted can
dies. The children, excited by the gen.
tie heat, sweet perfumes and glittering
snow, profited by the organs din and
the swelling chants to prattle in low
voice.
Each boasted of the delights which
awaited him in his own family circle.
The burgomaster' son had seen be-
fore his departure monstrous goose,
with truffies spotted with marks like a
leopard At the house of an alderman
was spruce tree, all planted in box,
from which were suspended oranges
sugar toys and jumping jacks, and the
notary's cook had fastened behind her
head with pin the streamers of her
cap, which she never did except on days
of inspiration, when she was sure to
succeed in her famous sweet dishes.
And then the pupils also talked of
what the Christ child would bring
them, what he would put in their
shoes, which all would take care to
leave at the fireplace before going to
bed
In the eyes of all sparkled the antici-
patton of joy. They thought Of the pa
per roses, the bags Of nuts, the trumpets
and drums, the laden soldiers arranged
in battalions, menageries smelling of
the vanished wood and purple puppets
that could tumble and jump.
Little Wolff knew very well from ex-
perience that his old avaricious aunt
would have him go to bed without any
supper, but innocently he hoped that
the Christ child would not forget him,
for had he not been all the year as good
and hardworlzing as possible? He, too,
planned to put his pair of wooden shoes
close to the ashes in the fireplace.
The midnight mass terminated, the
faithful went away impatient for the
treats which were to follow, and the
troup of pupils, always two by two and
following the teacher, left the church.
But under the porch, sitting on a
stone bench surmounted by a stone
niche, a child was sleeping-a child
covered with white woolen robe, but
with naked feet, Notwithstanding the
cold. He was not a beggar, for the robe
was clean and new, and near him upon
the pavement Of the vestibule, wrapped
i'll coarse cloth, were square, plane,
hatchet, polisher and the other tools
of carpenters apprentice.
Lighted by the stars, the child's face,
with its closed eyes, had an expression
of divine gentleness, and his heavy red
brown ringlets seemed to shine like an
aureole around his white forehead.
But it would have made you grieve
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 look in
which could be read,all the common
contempt of the rich for the poor-of
the we'll 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, sit is fright
full for the poor little one to go without
shoes when the weather is so cold. And
it is still worse not to have either slip
pers or shoes to put before him while
he sleeps on this of all evenings, so that
tas Christ child might have plsce ss