Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-04-05

holes had been stopped with straw and
rags. Her little hands were nearly
from with cold. Alas single match
might do her some good, If she might
only draw one out of the bundle, and
rub it against the wall, and warm her
fingers
So at last she drew one out. All how
it sheds sparks, and how it burns 1t
gave out a warm, bright flame, like a
little candle, as she held her hands over
| it,-truly 1t was a wonderful little sight |!
1t really seemed to the little girl as if she
were sitting before large iron stove,
with polished brass feet, and brass shovel
and tongs. The fire burned so brightly,
and warmed so nicely, that the little
creature stretched out her feet to warm
them likewise, when 10! the flame eX-
PRED, the stove vanished, and left moth
ing but the half.bu match in her
hand.
She rubbed another match against the
wall. 1t gave light, and where 1t shone
upon the wall, the latter became as
transparent as veil, and she could see
into the room. A snow.white table. cloth
was spread upon the table, on which
stood splendid china dinner service,
while a roast goose, stuffed with apples
and prunes, sent forth the most savory
fumes. And what was more delightful
still to see, the goose jumped down from
the dish, and waddled along the ground
with knife and fork in its breast, up to
the poor girl. The match then went
out, and nothing remained but the thick.
damp wall.
She lit yet another match. She
now sat under the most magnificent
Christmas tree, that was larger, and
more superbly decked, than even the one
she had seen through the glass door at
the rich merchants. A thousand tapers
burned on its green branches, and gay
pictures, such as one sees on shields,
seemed to be looking down upon her.
She stretched out her hands, but the
match then went out. The Christmas
lights kept rising higher and higher.
They now looked like stars in the sky.
One of them fell down, and left a long
streak of fire. "Somebody is now
dying" thought the little girl,-for her
old grandmother, the only person who
had ever loved her, and who was now
dead, had told her, that, when a star falls,
it is sign that a soul is going up to
heaven.
She again rubbed match upon the
wall, and it was again light all round /;
and in the brightness stood her old
grandmother, clear and shining like a
spirit, yet looking so mild and loving.
"Grandmother," cried the little one,
"oh, take me with you. | know you
will go away when the match goes out,
you will vanish like the warm stove,
and the delicious roast goose, and the
fine, large Christmas.tree And she
made haste to rub the whole bundle of
matches, for she wished to hold her
grandmother fast. And the matches
gave light that was brighter than noon
day. Her grandmother had never ap.
peared so beautiful nor so large. She took
the little girl in her arms, and both flew
upwards. all radiant and joyful, far, far
above mortal ken, where there was
neither cold, nor hunger, nor care TO be
found; where there was no rain, no
snow, or stormy wind, but calm sunny
days the whole year round.
But, in the cold dawn, the poor girl
might been seen leaning against the wall
with red cheeks and smiling mouth; she
had been frozen on the last night of the
old year. The new years sun shone
upon the little dead girl. She sat still
holding the matches, one bundle of
which was burned. People said: "She
tried to warm herself" Nobody dreamed
of the fine things she had seen, nor in
what splendor she had entered, along
with her grandmother, upon the joys of
the New Year.