Christmas-Tide

STORY FOR LI

l when I first had it told to me as a child, varied of course by different tellers, but always leaving that sweet, tender impression of God

ded for miles and miles to the north. This little house, made of heavy hewn logs, had but one room in it. A rough pine door gave entrance to this room, and a small square window admitte

if the children could only have read aright, would have told them of many years of cheerful, happy, self-sacrifice, of loving, anxious watching beside sick-beds, of quiet endurance of pain, of many a day of hunger and cold, and of a thousand deeds of unselfish love for other people; but, of course, they could not read this strange handwriting. They only knew that she was old and wrinkled, and that she stooped as she walked. None of them seem

ad to climb onto the wooden bench to do it. After carefully pinning it under Granny's chin, she gave her a good by kiss, and Granny started out for her morning's work in the forest. This work was nothing more nor less than the gathering up of the twigs and branches which the autumn winds and winter frosts had thrown upon the ground. These were carefully gathered into a large bundle which Granny tied together with a strong li

g they never thought of having. It cost too much money. Still, Granny and Gretchen were very happy, because they loved each other dearly. Sometimes Gretchen would be left alone all day long in the hut because Granny would have some work to do in the village after selling her bundle of sticks and twigs. It was during these long days that little Gretchen had taught he

ore Christmas, and Gretchen's eyes were delighted by the sight of the lovely Christmas trees which stood in the window of the village store. It seemed to her that she would never tire of looking at the knit dolls, the woolly lambs, the litt

er own small wooden stool and placed it very near Granny's feet and sat down upon it, folding her hands on her lap. Granny knew that this meant she wanted to talk about something

slowly, "it's almost C

now," and then she sighed, but little Gretchen wa

et this Christmas?" said she, look

ng her head, "you'll have no Christmas

all the beautiful toys we saw in the village to-day. Su

or people who can pay money for them, and we

eat house on the hill at the other end of the village will be willing to share some of

heart is full of love. You would be glad to bring a Christmas to every child; but their heads are so full of what

ents that do not cost money, and some of them may surprise me Christmas morning with a present. And, Granny, dear," added she, springing up from her low stool, "can't I gather so

ou can to make the Christmas bright and happy,

ight the beautiful Christ Child was born! They are so loving and good that they will not forget any little child. I shall ask my dear stars to-night to tell them of us. You

about her to show Granny how the wind had made the snow dance that day. She looked so droll and funny that Granny forgot her cares and worries and laughed with little Gretchen over her new snow-dance. The days passed on, and the morning before Christmas Eve came. Gretchen having tidied up the little room-for Granny had taught her to

Granny came trudging wearily home that night, she found

ed to give you a Christmas welcome. Don't you see, the branches of evergreen make it look a

r and more flexible branches of the pine-trees. A small bouquet of red mountain-ash berries stood at each side of the fireplace, and these, together with the trimmed posts of the bed, gave the plain old room quite a festival look. Gretchen laughed and c

hild; how the night that he was born the beautiful angels had sung their wonderful song, and how the whole sky had become bright with a strange and glorious light, never seen by the people of e

them to go to bed. She slowly took off her heavy wooden shoes, such as are worn in that country, and placed them beside the hearth. Gretchen looked t

id Granny, "I don't

take one of your wooden shoes, and put it on the window sill outside, so that they may see

getting ready for a disappointment. To-morrow morning there w

oor, hurried out to place it on the window-sill. It was very dark without, and something soft and cold seemed to gently kiss her hair and face. Gretchen knew by this that it w

he stars are up there, even if I can't see them,

ot understand, and then it made a sudden rush up to the snow-clouds and parted them, so that the deep,

you whisper to the Christmas angels as they come by, that little Gretchen wants so very much to have a Christmas gift to

and the warm fire. The two went quietly to bed, and that night as little Gretchen knelt to pray to the Heavenly Father, she thanked him for having sent the Ch

e choir-boys were singing the Christmas carols in the open air of the village street. She sprang out of bed and began to dress herself as quickly as possible, singing as she dressed. While Gr

a large stone which was beneath the window and carefully lifted down the wooden shoe. The snow tumbled off of it in a shower over the lit

angels would think about us, but see, they have, they have! Here is a dea

ad taken shelter in the safe, dry toe of the old wooden shoe. She gently took the little bird out of Gretchen's hands, and skilfully bound his broken wing to his side, so that he need not hurt himself by trying to

however, he opened his eyes and stretched his head up, saying just as plain as a bird could say, "Now, my new friends, I want you to give me something more to eat." Gretchen gladly fed him again, and then holding him in her lap, she softly and gently stroked his gray feathers until the little creature seemed

around Granny's neck, and whispered: "What a beautiful Christmas we have ha

Granny, "not to such l