The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-12-16
THE VISIT OF THE CHRIST aH,l.@.


.HE VISIT OF THE CHRIST aH,l.@.
"a Legend Of the Black For, by
Ida CoIe.)
Father is late tonight" said -
tel, wistfully, as she stood by the
small window, peering forth into the
night.
Little Philip crept to her SIDE,
standing tiptoe to peep out.
"Schwann! Schwann!" ne piped
shrilly. pointing chubby chubby
finger up at the large snow flakes
drifting against his sisters face.
Yes, they are the fairy swans"
said the sister. Then she closed the
wooden shutter and gathered the wee
boy to her motherly heart. She was
but Il years of age, and her form was
already STOPPING With toll; still, there
was not happier heart in the Black
Forest than that of Gretel, the foster
mother to five little brothers and
little sister. The mother of the
brood had died last Eastertide. The
father chopped wood and carted it to
the castle. And it was no secret that
the little family in the wood chop
per's cottage was hungry most of the
time. Gretel looked into the pot that
was bubbling on the fire. Although
1t was Christmas eve, the meal would
be the same. She wished. oh, how
Size wished, that they might have
something sweet for the children that
night. Then she thought of the rose
that had bloomed just without the
door last year; a few roses would
look SO nice in the center of the sup
per table, but the severe weather
had nipped the buds and the leaves
were brown. She washed Philips
face until it shone.
These has roses, liebster," she
whisered, and smiled cheerily again.
The door burst open and in dashed
the brothers, the little sister and the
father
"Holla! I'm hungry as a wolff"
cried Carl.
I've fine green branch for thee,
sister Gretel," said Rudolph.
Its Christmas Eve!' whined Peter.
AS if Gretel does not know"
broke in Minna, kissing her sister
She OWNED what was in Greters
mind.
Ludwig lifted his fathers ak and
placed it in the corner of the room
He was already sharing some of the
labor and bore himself with an air Of
superiority in the home.
The father was unusually silent.
He took his place at the head Of the
table and the boys scrambled for
theirs On the long bench that ran
along the wall. Minna took little
Philip on her lap. How hungry were
the eyes of the boys, poor fellows;
/ Eat slowly" said the father, wish
ing to stretch the meal as far as
possible; ut is bad for the stomach
to eat hastily" Then he fell to tell
ing some old tales to divert their
minds from their sharp appetites.
"And the cunning dwarf, what hap
! pened to him?" asked Philip, breath
lessly, when the story came to an
/ end.
At the same moment the latch was
! lifted and a child entered. He was
about Philips age, and the thin
/ clothes were in tatters.
Il seek a nights shelter and food, .
he said very sweetly.
/ Gretel rose and placed the boy on
/ her stool A bowl was set before the
| little guest.
Alas, there was naught in the pot.
| Gretel looked at the boys, and they,
! poor fellows, broke their bread and
shared it with the stranger. Then
/ tie milk was shared, and the child ate
! dainty. The meal over, the boy
arose, and as he stood before them
/ his shabby garments changed to sill
1 very white, and halo shone around
his curly head.
q thank We for the good will and
4 generosity" he said, and his smile
/, was full of divine love. Then he van
ished like vision.
{ "The Christ Child! The Christ
| Child" cried the children, clasping
| their hands. ut is the Holy Child"
/ Christmas Day was cold and clear.
1 The father proposed that all of the
children, even Philip, Should go to
church. When they opened the door
! they were astonished to see. blooming
| beside the doorstone, a bush with
| beautiful flowers, white as the snow
| itself, and dark green foliage. It
| grew on the spot where the child had
| stood when he lifted the latch the
| night before. The father gath
cred some of the flowers and
| placed them in the cracked jug, and
| the children tended them faithfully,
| giving fresh water every day. and
they lasted the winter through But
the bush by the doorstone flourish
ed for many years after.
This flower was the chrysanthem-
UNI which you all know so well. An
| in tie region of the Black Forest,
| Germany, every family, rich Or poor
| alike, have a plenty Of the snow
white chrysanthemums wn1ch they
|