Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-12-19
put something in to comfort his misery. :.

put something in to comfort his misery.
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 nothingP
cried the old woman, full of fury upon
seeing him return with but one SHOE
"What have you done with your
other shoe, you little, miserable young
one?''
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. $50 monsieur
unshoes for beggars! So monsieur strips
fine way to do. Oh, well, l will leave
the remaining shoe in the fireplace to-
night, and the Christ child will put i'll
it something to whip you with in the
morning. l will answer for it. And to-
morrow you shall pass the day upon
dry bread and water, and we will see
if the next time you will give your
shoes to the first beggar that comes
along"
The wicked woman, having given the
child two blows, made him go up to the
attic, where under the caves he climbed
into his hard cot, but he was comforted
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 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 a
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, very pleasant thing has hap
pened, and very extraordinary, they
were saying.
''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 child clothed in
white, but with naked feet in spite Of
the great cold, had rested his sleeping
head, the priest had just found circle
of gold imbedded in the hard stone.
All the bystanders crossed themselves
devoutly, comprehending that the beau
tiful child who had dropped asleep there
and who had near him the carpenter S
tools was Jesus of Nazareth, who had
become again for one hour such as he
was when he labored 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" said the people,
''to have the poor and innocent reward
ed and the rich and contemptuous pup
ished! |" - Translation From Francis
Coppee in Romance.