The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1915-12-25
"A MERRY CHRISTMAS
THE LEGEND OF THE
CHRIST CHILD AS TOLD
TO GERMAN CHILDREN
Continued from Page 3.


whirling past him and seemed to say,
Hurry on, hurry on, we have no
time to stop. IT'S Christmas eve and
everybody is in a hurry tonight"
Refused Time and Again
Again and again the little child
raped softly at the door or window
pane. At each place he was refused
admission. One mother feared he
might have some ugly disease which
her darlings would catch; another
father said he had only enough for
his own children, and none to spare
for beggar brats. Still another told
him to go home where he belonged,
and not to trouble other folks.
The hours passed: later grew the
night, and colder blew the wind, and
darker seemed the street. Farther
and farther the little one wandered.
There was scarcely anyone left upon
the street by this time, and the lew
who remained did not seem to see
the child, when, suddenly ahead of
him, there appeared a bright, single
ray Of light. It shone through the
; darkness into the child's eyes. He
; looked up smilingly and said, Il will
go where the small light beckons,
perhaps they will share their
Christmas with me.
Hurrying past all the other houses
he soon reached the end OF the street
! and went straight up to the window
from which the light was streaming.
1t was poor, little, low house, but
the child cared not for that. The light
; seemed still to call him in. From
what do you suppose the light came i?
Nothing but a tallow candle which
i had been placed in an old cup with
a broken handle, In the window, as
a glad token of Christmas eve.
There was neither curtain nor
shade to the small square window,
| and as the little child looked in he
saw standing upon a neat, wooden
table a branch Of Christmas tree.
The room was plainly furnished, but
it was very clean. Near the fireplace
/, sat a lovely-faced mother with a
; little two-year old on her knee and
an older child beside her. The two
: children were looking into their
mothers face listening to q story.
She must have been telling them
Christmas story, I think. A few
|! bright Goals were burning in a. fire
place, and all seemed light and warm
within.
Christ Child Crept Closer.
The little Wanderer crept closer and
closer to the window pane. So sweet
was the mothers face, so loving
seemed the little children, that at last
he took courage and tapped gently,
very gently, on the door. The mother
stopped talking, the little children
looked up.
What was that, mother?" asked
| the little girl at her side. II think
it was someone tapping on the door,
replied the mother. run quickly as
you can and onpen it, dear. for it is
; a bitter cold night to keep any one
waiting in this storm" ooh, mother.
L think it. was the bough Of the tree
tapping against the window pane,''
said the little girl. "Do please 20 on
with our story" Again the little
wanderer tapped upon the door. my
child, my child" explained the
mother rising, that certainly was a
rap on the door. Run quickly and
open it. No one must be left out in
the cold on our beautiful Christmas
eve.'
Where He Was Welcome.
The child ran to the door and
threw 1t wide open. The mother saw
the ragged stranger standing without,
cold and shivering, with bare head
and almost bare feet. She held out
both hands and drew him into the
warm. bright room, "You poor dear
child" was all sh5 said. and putting
her arms around him she drew him
close to her breast. HE is very cold,
my Children" she exclaimed. We
must warm him. And, added the girl.
we must love him and give him some
Of our Christmas, too" Yes" said
the mother, "but first let US warm
him."
The mother sat down beside the
fire with the child on her lap, and
her own two little ones warmed his
half-frozen hands in theirs. The
mother smoothed his tangled curls
and bending low over his head, kissed
the child's face. She gathered the
three little ones in her arms and the
candle and the freight shone owe,
them.
! A Brilliant Light Shone
For a moment the room was very
still. BY and by the little girl said
softly to her mother. MAY we not
light the Christmas tree, and let him
see how beautiful it looks?" YES
said the mother. With that she
seated the child on a low stool beside
the fire.: and went herself to fetch thu
few simple ornaments which from
year to, year she had saved for he,
children's Christmas. tree. The.
were, soon sosbusy that they did no
notice the: room had filled with !.
strange and brilliant light. The,
turned and looked lat the spot wher,
the little wanderer4 sat: His ragged
clothes had changed. to garment
white and beautiful. His tangle.
curls seemed like halo of golde,
light about his; head, but most slori
Gus OF all;was his face, which shon,
with q light 80 dazzling. that the,