New-York tribune., 1919-12-24
Books

Once there lived near Bethlehem a
man named Simon and his wife Deborah.
And Deborah dreamed a curious dream,
dream SO vivid that it might better
be called vision. 1t was not yet day
break, but she reused her husband and
told him that an angel had come to her
III the vision and had said, as she re-
membered it, "To-morrow night in Both
lehem the King of the World will be
born.' The rest was not so vivid in
Dcborah's mind, but she told Simon that
wise men and kings were already on
their way to Bethlehem, bringing gifts
for the wonder child
"When he is born" she said. "the
wise men and the kings who bring these
gifts will see the stars dance in the
heavens and hear the voices of angels.
You and T must send presents, too, for
this child will be the greatest man in all
the world
Simon objected that there was moth
ing Of enough value in the house to take
to such a child, but Deborah replied
"The King of the World will under
stand" Then, although it was not yet
light, she got up and began to bake a
cake, and Simon went beyond the town
to the hills and got holly and made a
wreath. Later in the day husband and
wife looked over all their belongings.
but the only suitable gift they could
. find was one old toy, somewhat bat
tered wooden duck that had belonged to
their eldest son, who had grown up and
married and gone away to live in Galilee
Simon painted the toy duck as we'll as
he could, and Deborah told him to take
it and the cake and the wreath of holly
and go to Bethlehem. cts not much"
she said, "but the King will understand"
1t was almost sunset when Simon
started down the winding road that
led to Bethlehem. Deborah watched him
round the first turn and would have
watched longer except that he was walk
ing straight toward the sun and the
light hurt her eyes. She went back
into the house and an hour had hardly
passed when she heard Simon whistling
in the garden. He was walking very
slowly. At the door he hesitated for al
most a minute. She looked up when he
came in. He was empty handed.
"You haven't been to Bethlehem" said
Deborah.
"No," said Simon.
"Then where is the cake, and the
holly wreath, and the toy duck ?"
"Im sorry" said Simon, 81 couldn't
help it somehow. 1t just happened"
What happened?" ?" asked Deborah,
sharply.
Well" said Simon, "just after I went
around the first turn in the road |
found a child sitting on that big white
rock, crying. He was about two or three
years old, and | stopped and ask him
why he was crying. He didn't answer.
Then told him not to cry like that, and
| patted his head, but that didn't
do any good. | hung around, trying to
think up something, and decided to put
the cake down and take him up in my
arms for minute. But the cake slipped
out of my hands and hit the rock and a
piece Of the icing Clipped off. Well, I
thought that baby in Bethlehem
won't miss a little piece of icing, and |
gave it to the child and ne stopped
crying. But when he finished he began
to cry again. | just sort of squeezed
another little piece of icing off, and
that was all right for a little while;
but then had to give him another piece,
and things went on that way, and all OF
sudden l found that there wasn't any
cake left. After that he looked as if
he might cry again, and didn't have
any more cake and SO I showed him the
duck and he said 'Ta-ta-' just meant to