The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-18
The Little Match Girl.
(Translated from the German by RAJ
chel Rogers,)

chel Rogers.)
1t was the last night of the year, and
frightfully cold; and, as it began to
grow dark, it commenced to snow. In
the cold and in the darkness, a poor lit
tie girl, with uncovered head and naked
feet, went out upon the street She had
on slippers, to be sure, when she went
out Of the house, but of what good We're
they? They were her mothers, and
We're so very large for the poor child,
that, as she FASTENED to cross the street
at the time two powerful wagons were
being driven swiftly along, she lost
them. One of the slippers was not to
be found. and a boy ran away with the
other, shouting as he went, that he
could wear it in the cradle when he was
a child again.
The poor little girl went now upon
her little, bare feet that were all red
and blue from the cold In an old skirt
she held quantity of matches, a
bunch of which she carried in her hand
She had sold none during the whole
day, and nobody had given her piece
of money. Hungry and halfzfrozen she
orept along, and was very desoate; the
/ poor child The snowfiakes fell in her
| long, golden hair which lay in beauti-
full rnglets on her neck, but surely she
thought not of their beauty.
In a corner between two houses--one
stood further on the street than the
other-she sat down and huddled her.
self together She drew up the little
feet, but she felt the cold still more.
She dared not so home again, for she
had sold no matches; neither had she
received a farthing. Her father would
beat her, and besides, it was also very
cold at home. She had only the roof
over herself, and the wind whistled
therein, Notwithstanding straw and
rags We're crowded between the largest
crevices. Her little hands We're fast be-
coming numb from the cold. oh! sure
ly a match would do good directly.
When now she ventured to draw one
out of the bunch, she struck 1T against
the wall to warm her fingers thereon.
How it sparkled! How 1t burned 1t
gave warm, bright flame, like little
candle when she held her hand around
it; 1t was wonderful light. And now
vision came to the little girl, and she
was sitting before a great, iron stove
with brass feet and brass head-piece.
The fire burned gloriously in it, and the
warmth was splendfd-the child
stretched out her feet to warm them
also-the flame was extinguished, the
stove disappeared, and she sat with
little stump of the burned match in her
hand
She lighted new one 1t burned, it
croy raF1iobt. or yr,La sI ha
wall one could see through it as
through vail. She saw straight into
the room where table, which was COW
cred with a shining. white cloth. and
elegant china stood, and uDon it
roasted goose filled with apples and
prunes, was stearning royalty. And
what was still more splendid, the goose
sprang down from the platter and with
knife and fork in IFS back. waddled on
the floor and came straight up to the
poor little girl. Then the match went
out, and only the thick, cold wass was
to be seen.
She kindled another match Now she
sat under the most splendid Christmas
tree 1t was larger and more gayly |
adorned than that OF the rich merchant, |
which she had had glimpse of |
through the glass doors on Christmas.
Many thousand candles burned upon |
the green branches and many colored |
books, which had decorated the store
exhibited themselves to her
The child stretched up both hands,
then the match was extinguished; the |
lights rose higher, and even
higher, and now she saw that they were
1 - 4
she looked one fell therefrom and
made long trail Of fire on the sky.
Nov somebody has died." said the
child. Her old grandmother, whom
she had loved, but who was now dead,
used to say, when a star falls, so
rises a soul to God on high"
Again she struck a match against the
around her, and in it's luster stood her
Old grandmother, splendid, tender and
owing.
"Grandmotherr cried the child.
ooh, take me with you! I know that
you will also disappear when the match
ourns out, as did the warm stove, the
splendid, roast goose and the great,
beautiful Christmas tree. "She hastily
lighted the remainder of the matches
which were in the bunch. She would
1old her grandmother fast. And the
matches illuminated with such bril-
fancy that it was lighter than the
light day. The grandmother was never
20 beautiful nor so grand. She lifted
he little girl upon her arm, and in
brightness and in joy they flew on high
where they feel no cold. no hunger, no
We're with God.
orner Of the house, the little girl, with
ed cheeks and smiling mouth. still sat.
she was dead; frozen on the last night
f the old year The New Years morn
ng rose over the small dead body,
which with the partly burned matches,
there. She had tried to warm
erself, the people said. Nobody knew
What splendors she had seen, in whose
Inning she with her old grandmother,
we're moving to the New Years joy.