“This Christmas, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again. Howard W. Hunter

~*~*~*~*~

Another year has ended. Another Christmas is here. Thank you for allowing me to share my love of and faith in Jesus Christ. It many ways, it has been a different December from what I planned – very limited social interactions with others. Yet, in many ways, it has been exactly what I planned. I took my walk with Christ. I served, at times under difficult circumstances, and felt His comfort and Love. Throughout this entire year, through the pain and suffering, I was never alone. He was always near.

~*~*~*~*~

STORY IN RUSSIA

In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. They relate the following story in their own words:

It was nearing the holiday season, 1994, time for our orphans to hear – for the first time -- the traditional story of Christmas. We told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem. Finding no room in the inn, the couple went to a stable, where the baby Jesus was born and placed in a manger. Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word.

Completing the story, we gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins I had brought with me. No colored paper was available in the city. Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel, cut from a worn-out nightgown an American lady was throwing away as she left Russia, were used for the baby's blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt we had brought from the United States.

The orphans were busy assembling their manger as I walked among them to see if they needed any help. All went well until I got to one table where little Misha sat -- he looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. As I looked at the little boy's manger, I was startled to see not one, but two babies in the manger. Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at his completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously. For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the happenings accurately -- until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger.

Then Misha started to ad lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, "And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn't, because I didn't have a gift to give him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift. So I asked Jesus, 'If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?' And Jesus told me, 'If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me.' So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him -- for always."

As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him -- FOR ALWAYS."

~*~*~*~*~

To the Babe of Bethlehem, I celebrate your birth. You gave m e a perfect brightness of hope.  To the Savior, I celebrate the pattern you gave me to live happily and to return to my Father in Heaven. Until next year, may God bless you and keep you safe in the arms of his love.~~~ Marilee

Because he Lives

Because He Lives - YouTube

Because He lives;
Because He rose in mighty triumph from the grave
I put my trust in Him, and seek to follow Him in faith
Because He lives

Because He lives,

I Shall find strength To stand against the tempter’s power

He is my refuge and defense in every troubled hour

Because He lives

chorus:

Because He lives,

I can bear whatever burden may be mine

I am encircled in the arms of love divine Because He lives,

Because He lives

Because He lives,

He will banish every shadow of my pain

Every sorry will be swallowed up in Him

For in his hand is healing for the weary soul

This I know because he lives

Because He lives,

My heart is filled with peace amid a world of fear

And through the blindness of the night,

In Him I rest secure

Because He lives,

Because He lives,

There is no task so great that I cannot endure

I bear no heartache that His tender mercy cannot cure

Because He lives,

(chorus)

Because He lives I will fear no darkness

Because He lives I will walk in light

Because He lives I will praise His kindness

Because He lives hope shines ever bright

Because He lives I will seek His righteousness

Because He lives I’ll follow where He leads

Because He lives I shall conquer even death

And I shall live because He lives!

Because He lives

I will rejoice in Christ and glorify His name

And with the willing voice of gratitude proclaim:

My Savior lives!

Because He lives

He will banish every shadow of my pain

Every sorrow will be swallowed up in Him

For in His hand is healing for the weary soul

This I know because He lives

Many of our memorable and enduring Christmas traditions include different kinds of lights—lights on trees, lights in and on our homes, candles on our tables. May the beautiful lights of every holiday season remind us of Him who is the source of all light. – David A. Bednar

~*~*~*~

Francesca Battistelli - Messiah 

Francesca Battistelli - Messiah (Official Lyric Video) - YouTube

Long awaited precious promise
Son of God and son of man
Heaven's glory in a manger
Has come to us in Bethlehem, ooh

Messiah, Messiah
A baby born to save us all
Messiah, Messiah
On our knees we fall

All we longed for, all we needed
Shining in this child's eyes
Hope forever, death defeated
Because of this one holy night

Messiah, Messiah
A baby born to save us all
Messiah, Messiah
On our knees we fall

O come let us adore him
O come let us adore him
O come let us adore him
Christ the Lord

Long awaited precious promise
Coming back again

Messiah, Messiah
A baby born to save us all
Messiah, Messiah
On our knees we fall
On our knees we fall

~*~*~*~

Oreo Cookie Balls

1 (14 ounce) package chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreo®), crushed

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature

1 (12 ounce) package chocolate candy melts

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix cookie crumbs and cream cheese together in a bowl; roll into balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Chill cookie balls about 1 hour. Melt candy melts in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching. (I melt mine in the microwave). Dip cookie balls in the melted chocolate, removing balls using 2 forks to allow excess chocolate to drip back into double boiler. Arrange coated cookie balls on the baking sheet; refrigerate until coating is firm, about 10 minutes.

~*~*~*~

Games

I love to play trivia games (at least I used to). Here is a link to question and answers for a fun Christmas trivia game night

Christmas Trivia: 50 Fun Questions with Answers (parade.com)

*

Jingle Bell Toss

Grab some red solo cups and jingle bells. Each person takes a turn attempting to toss their jingle bells into cups that are placed on a table in front of them. To make it more challenging, spread out the cups, or enforce the rule that after each jingle bell makes it into a cup, the person takes a step back to make things harder.

*

I Spy with my Christmas Eye

Each person takes a turn choosing a Christmas object of their choice. The rest of the room takes turns asking “yes” or “no” questions until one participant guesses correctly. The correct guesser gets to go next.

~*~*~*~

It’s almost here, another Christmas. Tomorrow will be the final blog. My walk with Christ won’t be done though. It will last every day for the rest of my life. Deborah Whipp said, "Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance -- each beautiful, unique and too soon gone." the lessons I’ve learned about my Savior and myself will never be gone, they will just strengthen and become more precious with each passing year. ~~Marilee

~*~*~*~

Becoming As Little Children --Author Unknown

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, "Hi there." He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment. I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled.

His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. Hi there, baby; Hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster," the man said to Erik. My husband and I exchanged looks, "What do we do?" Erik continued to laugh and answer, "Hi, hi there." Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby.

Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, "Do ya patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo." Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.

We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. "Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik," I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's "pick-me-up" position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man's. Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their relationship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder.

The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, "You take care of this baby." Somehow I managed, "I will," from a throat that contained a stone.

He pried Erik from his chest unwillingly, longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, "God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift." "You see, m'am, I never saw my child grow up. My wife and son were taken from me in an automobile accident when they were both too young. I was never able to get over it."

I said nothing more than a muttered thanks and "I'm sorry to hear that." With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, "My God, my God, forgive me." I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, "Are you willing to share your son for a moment?" when He shared His for all eternity. The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, "To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children."

 

Into the Light

Christmas is not just a time for festivity and merry making. It is more than that. It is a time for the contemplation of eternal things. The Christmas spirit is a spirit of giving and forgiving.” J. C. Penney

~*~*~*~

Celtic Woman - O Holy Night (2020 Version) - YouTube

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appeared and the Spirit felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

Fall on your knees
Oh, hear the angel voices
O night divine, the night when Christ was born
O night divine
O night, O night divine

Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother
And in his name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
With all our hearts we praise His holy name
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we
O night, O Holy Night, O night divine
O night, O Holy Night, O night divine

~*~*~*~

Decorating Tip

For a simple but beautiful centerpiece, set three or five candles of different heights in the middle of the table on a tray, then surround the bases of the candles with seasonal items. Cuttings from your Christmas tree, or from evergreen trimmings in your yard are a great first layer. Then apples, glass ornaments turned hanger side down, pine cones, nuts, wire star garland, leftover ribbon.

*

Wreaths aren't just for front doors. Add a really pretty one to a plain wall or wind tinsel around a frame, attach some tree decorations and hang it somewhere that doesn't usually get decorated like a bathroom or garage.

~*~*~*~

My grandson, Lucas, has figured prominently in many of my Christmas stories. He is one of our 11 adored grandchildren. Lucas joined our family when he was almost 1 year of age. He brought with him many challenges. Lucas is afraid of a LOT of things: loud noises, bees, sunflowers, thunder, lightning, costumes and the dark, to name a few. When he was about 3, Gina and her family joined us for Christmas. Lucas was fascinated by our tree. We turned the lights on and he carefully reached out, touched the closest bulb and said, “Light, Pomma.” He went from one bulb to another, touching them and saying, “Light, Pomma.” At 8, the fear of the dark is not as strong in Lucas as it was at 3, but he still fears the darkness. I fear the dark, too, not so much the absence of light that is there in the quiet of the night, but the darkness that occurs when sadness and confusion fills our world. Lucas and I have both learned that light is good. Daylight enables us to see the real world, with all of its beauty. An even more important source of light comes from the Son of God. As I’ve walked along my path this month, I’ve read the four gospels and completed reading the book of Acts. My life is filled with light, the light of Christ. When Lucas was young, he loved to be sang to at night. His favorite bedtime songs were the songs about Jesus Christ. He went to sleep every night filled with the light of Christ. Walking this path has helped me walk every day in His light as I’ve increased my know ledge of his life. There is a song I love called “Miracles”. This song by Shawna Edwards says “Jesus is a God of miracles. Nothing is at all impossible to Him. But I know this: Of all His miracles, the most incredible must be the miracle that rescues me." ~~ Marilee

The Miracle (A Song for all Christians - by Shawna Edwards) - YouTube

~*~*~*~

A Christmas Prayer
Robert Louis Stevenson

Loving Father,
Help us to remember the birth of Jesus
that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and the worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and
open the door of love all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift and
good desires with every greeting.

Deliver us from evil by the blessing
which Christ brings, and teach us to
be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy
to be Thy children, and the Christmas evening
bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts,
forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake.
Amen

THE MOST PRECIOUS GIFT

by Alice Smith

"Hurry up! We’ve got to get to Nanny’’s house." The children were happy and excited as we started off toward my mother-in-law’’s, a 45 minute drive down the coast.

This particular Christmas Eve was cold and misty, the traffic bumper to bumper. My husband edged our car into the passing lane of the four-lane highway, which was bisected by a median strip. The visibility became increasingly limited; feeling anxious, I looked back at the children sitting calmly in the back seat. They were more precious to me than anything in the world.

Suddenly, it was as if a voice spoke to me saying, "Move over! You’re in the wrong lane," even though I absolutely knew we were not on a two-lane road. I turned to my husband. "Honey, we’re on a two-lane road and you’’e on the wrong side," I said with deadly intensity. "Pull over quick."

He knew, and knew that I knew that we were on a four lane highway. But when I repeated my warning again, he immediately began edging back into the right lane. No sooner had we made it back than cars that had been behind us began careening into the median, anywhere to get out of the passing lane. Horns were blaring, cars pulling off the side of the road. Then we saw why: A car; with its bright lights shining, was racing down the wrong side of the road, the lane we’d been traveling in. My husband and I looked at each other in stunned silence. We could have been involved in a terrible head-on crash.

Extrasensory perception? Maybe. But I choose to think that God sent me a life-saving message.

Our family had a special reason to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus, that memorable Christmas Eve. We had been given the most precious of Christmas gifts––––the gift of life itself.

Do Not Despair

Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you lie a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart … filled it too, with melody that would last forever.  Beth Streeter Aldrich

~*~*~*~

STAR OF BETHLEHEM
written by Sherri O. Bird
Choral Version by Daniel Carter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaiO05bwB0w

lyrics included

The night was long, we traveled far,
at times I looked but could not see the star.
Yet still it shone unveiling then
the way to Bethlehem.

My heart held fear mid puzzled joy,
for I was only a small shepherd boy.
And on a hillside soft and green,
I heard an angel sing.

I saw the midnight sky aflame
with radiant angels bathed in light, holy light.
Bringing word that Christ was born and beckoning to find him,
go and find him.

A sweeter face I neer will see
Than of those loving eyes smiling up at me.
I found a King;
I found a friend that night in Bethlehem.

But life goes on, years beyond one brief night of my youth.
Time clouds my vision of truth, of truth
And tho I stumble and fall I can hear someone call,
"Do not despair, your star is still there."

That Christmas night so long ago has filled my life with love because I
know that he lives now as he did then, a King in Bethlehem,
Whose love never ends. Shine for me again,
Star of Bethlehem.

~*~*~*~

Recipe

Fastest and Best Fudge Ever

4 c. powdered sugar, sifted

2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa

½ t. cinnamon

1/3 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

½ c. margarine or butter, cut into pieces

½ c. chopped pecans or walnuts

Combine powdered sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon in 8-cup glass bowl. Pour in milk and vanilla. Sprinkle margarine over top.

Microwave, uncovered, at High power for 2 minutes. Mix well and pour into aluminum foil lined and greased 8 x 8 x 2" baking pan. Sprinkle pecans over top of fudge and press in lightly. Refrigerate until firm––abt. One hour.

~*~*~*~

I have a song stuck in my mind and my heart today. (Yes, it’s the one the link is to). We sang it in our Christmas Cantata many years ago. I have carried it in my heart ever since. One verse which stands out in my mind from this song about a young shepherd boy who saw the star and heard the angels sing, then saw the Lord:

“But life goes on, years beyond one brief night of my youth.
Time clouds my vision of truth, of truth
And tho I stumble and fall I can hear someone call,
"Do not despair, your star is still there."

This weekend, I looked for opportunities to serve, and felt bad because there are many things which I can no longer do. I began to doubt that I could make a difference, then the phrase came to mind “do not despair, your star is still there”. I knew that Jesus would accept my small offering of serving, because he knows the desires of my heart. One of my readers shared this story with me about an act of service which turned out a little different from what they thought would happen.

From Sandy
I'll never forget the year I delivered a package for a relative. We were visiting my sister and she told me about a family that lived nearby for whom they had prepared a Christmas package. The father in the family was unemployed and they were really struggling. My sister's family decided to take all of the money they would have spent on their own Christmas and provide for this family. She didn't want them to know who the gift was from though and trusted me - a total stranger to the area to deliver the items. My dh and I loaded the food and gifts into our car and headed for the address. After several wrong turns, we found the small home and carried the boxes of gifts to the porch, then rang the doorbell. A tired, sad looking young woman answered the door. As she looked at the boxes and saw they contained food, she began to cry, their cupboards were truly bare. The house was cold because they only heated it enough to keep the pipes from freezing. There was no money for more heat. I noticed that she had taken wrapping paper and cut the shape of a Christmas tree out and taped it to the wall. There were three small gifts under the "tree" which looked like candy bars wrapped up. This mother was trying. Over and over through her tears she kept repeating that she didn't know anyone cared... Then, just as were leaving, she asked once again who the wonderful person was who had done all this for a "single mom" and her family. A single mom? What did she mean? With that we realized we had taken the gifts to the wrong house. We didn't know what to do...there was no way we could take those gifts back. We told her that God knew her needs and to thank him. -That the giver hadn't been sure of sizes, so if anything didn't fit to exchange things for the correct sizes at the local Kmart. My husband pulled out his wallet and gave her money for the power bill, then walked over and turned the heat up and told her that no one should be cold at Christmas. We returned to my sister's not knowing what she'd say or do and told her family what happened. They were stunned, but decided that the gifts had gone to the right people all along, people who needed to know that someone cared. The original family in their neighborhood received many gifts from other people that Christmas. Their stockings were full-and so of course were the stockings of the little family God led us to.

I know that the Lord will lead us to do good. He loves us, all of us.

“That Christmas night so long ago has filled my life with love because I know that he lives now as he did then, a King in Bethlehem, Whose love never ends. Shine for me again, Star of Bethlehem.

~*~*~*~

This Christmas
From The Editors of McCall's Magazine 1959

This Christmas, mend a quarrel.
Seek out a forgotten friend.
Dismiss suspicion, and replace it with trust.
Write a love letter. Share some treasure.
Give a soft answer. Encourage youth.
Manifest your loyalty in word and deed.
Keep a promise. Find the time.
Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy.
Listen. Apologize if you were wrong. Try to understand.
Flout envy. Examine your demands on others.
Think first of someone else. Appreciate.
Be kind; be gentle. Laugh a little. Laugh a little more.
Deserve confidence. Take up arms against malice.
Decry complacency. Express your gratitude.
Go to church. Welcome a stranger.
Gladden the heart of a child.
Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth.
Speak your love. Speak it again. Speak it still once again.

Christmas is celebration, and there is no celebration
that compares with the realization of its true meaning -
with the sudden stirring of the heart that has extended
itself toward the core of life. Then, only then,
is it possible to grasp the significance of the first Christmas -
to savor in the inward ear the wild, sweet music of the angel choir;
to envision the star-struck sky, and glimpse,
behind the eyelids the ray of light that fell athwart
a darkened path and changed the world.

Brotherhood

 

Christmas brings out the best in people. We see the Christmas spirit evident in people's thoughtfulness, courtesy, and graciousness to one another.

~*~*~*~

Little Gretchen and the Wooden Shoe

By Elizabeth Harrison

Once upon a time, so long ago that everybody has forgotten the date, in a city in the north of Europe, with such a hard name that nobody can ever remember it, there was a little seven-year-old boy named Wolff, whose parents were dead, who lived with a cross and stingy old aunt, who never thought of kissing him more than once a year and
who sighed deeply whenever she gave him a bowlful of soup.

But the poor little fellow had such a sweet nature that in spite of everything, he loved the old woman, although he was terribly afraid of her and could never look at her ugly old face without shivering.

As this aunt of little Wolff was known to have a house of her own and an old woollen stocking full of gold, she had not dared to send the boy to a charity school; but, in order to get a reduction in the price, she had so wrangled with the master of the school, to which little Wolff finally went, that this bad man, vexed at having a pupil so poorly dressed and paying so little, often punished him unjustly, and even prejudiced his companions against him, so that the three boys, all sons of rich parents, made a drudge and laughing stock of the little fellow.

The poor little one was thus as wretched as a child could be and used to hide himself in corners to weep
whenever Christmas time came.

It was the schoolmaster’s custom to take all his pupils to the midnight mass on Christmas Eve,
and to bring them home again afterward.

Now, as the winter this year was very bitter, and as heavy snow had been falling for several days, all the boys came well bundled up in warm clothes, with fur caps pulled over their ears, padded jackets, gloves and knitted mittens, and strong, thick-soled boots. Only little Wolff presented himself shivering in the poor clothes he used to wear both weekdays and Sundays and having on his feet only thin socks in heavy wooden shoes.

His naughty companions noticing his sad face and awkward appearance, made many jokes at his expense; but the little fellow was so busy blowing on his fingers, and was suffering so much with chilblains, that he took no notice of them.
So the band of youngsters, walking two and two behind the master, started for the church.

It was pleasant in the church, which was brilliant with lighted candles; and the boys excited by the warmth took advantage of the music of the choir and the organ to chatter among themselves in low tones. They bragged about the fun that was awaiting them at home. The mayor’s son had seen, just before starting off, an immense goose ready stuffed and dressed for cooking. At the alderman’s home there was a little pine-tree with branches laden down with oranges, sweets, and toys. And the lawyer’s cook had put on her cap with such care, as she never thought of taking unless she was expecting something very good!

Then they talked, too, of all that the Christ-Child was going to bring them, of all he was going to put in their shoes which, you might be sure, they would take good care to leave in the chimney place before going to bed; and the eyes of these little urchins, as lively as a cage of mice, were sparkling in advance over the joy they would have when they awoke in the morning and saw the pink bag full of sugar-plums, the little lead soldiers ranged in companies in their boxes, the menageries smelling of varnished wood, and the magnificent jumping-jacks in purple and tinsel.

Alas! Little Wolff knew by experience that his old miser of an aunt would send him to bed supperless, but, with childlike faith and certain of having been, all the year, as good and industrious as possible, he hoped that the Christ-Child would not forget him, and so he, too, planned to place his wooden shoes in good time in the fireplace.

Midnight mass over, the worshippers departed, eager for their fun, and the band of pupils always walking two and two, and following the teacher, left the church.

Now, in the porch and seated on a stone bench set in the niche of a painted arch, a child was sleeping, a child in a white woollen garment, but with his little feet bare, in spite of the cold. He was not a beggar, for his garment was white and new, and near him on the floor was a bundle of carpenter’s tools.

In the clear light of the stars, his face, with its closed eyes, shone with an expression of divine sweetness, and his long, curling, blond locks seemed to form a halo about his brow. But his little child’s feet,
made blue by the cold of this bitter December night, were pitiful to see!

The boys so well clothed for the winter weather passed by quite indifferent to the unknown child; several of them, sons of the notables of the town, however, cast on the vagabond looks in which could be read all the scorn of the rich for the poor, of the well-fed for the hungry.

But little Wolff, coming last out of the church, stopped, deeply touched, before the beautiful sleeping child.

“Oh, dear!” said the little fellow to himself, “this is frightful! This poor little one has no shoes and stockings in this bad weather, and, what is still worse, he has not even a wooden shoe to leave near him to-night while he sleeps,
into which the little Christ-Child can put something good to soothe his misery.”

And carried away by his loving heart, Wolff drew the wooden shoe from his right foot, laid it down before the sleeping child, and, as best he could, sometimes hopping, sometimes limping with his sock wet by the snow,
he went home to his aunt.

“Look at the good-for-nothing!” cried the old woman, full of wrath at the sight of the shoeless boy.
“What have you done with your shoe, you little villain?”

Little Wolff did not know how to lie, so, although trembling with terror when he saw the rage of the old shrew,
he tried to relate his adventure.

But the miserly old creature only burst into a frightful fit of laughter.

“Aha! So my young gentleman strips himself for the beggars. Aha! My young gentleman breaks his pair of shoes for a bare-foot! Here is something new, forsooth. Very well, since it is this way, I shall put the only shoe that is left into the chimney-place, and I’ll answer for it that the Christ-Child will put in something tonight to beat you with in the morning!
And you will have only a crust of bread and water to-morrow. And we shall see if the next time,
you will be giving your shoes to the first vagabond that happens along.”

And the wicked woman having boxed the ears of the poor little fellow, made him climb up into the loft
where he had his wretched cubbyhole.

Desolate, the child went to bed in the dark and soon fell asleep, but his pillow was wet with tears.

But behold! The next morning when the old woman, awakened early by the cold, went downstairs, oh, wonder of wonders, she saw the big chimney filled with shining toys, bags of magnificent bonbons, and riches of every sort, and standing out in front of all this treasure, was the right wooden shoe which the boy had given to the little vagabond, yes, and beside it, the one which she had placed in the chimney to hold the bunch of switches.

As little Wolff, attracted by the cries of his aunt, stood in an ecstasy of childish delight before the splendid Christmas gifts, shouts of laughter were heard outside. The woman and child ran out to see what all this meant, and behold!  All the gossips of the town were standing around the public fountain. What could have happened? Oh, a most ridiculous and extraordinary thing!

The children of the richest men in the town, whom their parents had planned to surprise with the most beautiful presents had found only switches in their shoes!

Then the old woman and the child thinking of all the riches in their chimney were filled with fear. But suddenly they saw the priest appear, his countenance full of astonishment. Just above the bench placed near the door of the church, in the very spot where, the night before, a child in a white garment and with bare feet, in spite of the cold, had rested his lovely head,
the priest had found a circlet of gold imbedded in the old stones.

Then, they all crossed themselves devoutly, perceiving that this beautiful sleeping child with the carpenter’s tools had been Jesus of Nazareth himself, who had come back for one hour just as he had been when he used to work in the home of his parents; and reverently they bowed before this miracle,which the good God had done to reward the faith and the love of a little child.