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Show l,MlwaBBMBBManBWBUuBBaBVMMMHMMMaBWMMnniiaataaiianaHndl mil iliinimi '' Sheltered within the hollow of her arm A The 8on of Man lay sleeping. On her cheek v She felt his warm breath stirring, like. M the faint And fragrant breeze that fans the silver leaves & Upon the slopes of Olivet. Her eyes,- V Still shadowed with the pains of moth- j erhood, - p Dwelt tenderly upon the placid brow 1 And cherub features of the Infant Christ, -13 The babe In swaddling clothes, whoso J destiny Led to Golgotha's summit, where the Cross Was yet to groan beneath the sacretl weight TH Of his perfected manhood. All the cave "SL Was luminous with starbeams, and her face, Like some pale Illy, drooplno on Its vrfl stem, And washed with heaven's dews. ? gleamed pearly white M In that strange radiance. Somewhat S apart fj And leaning on his staff, the carpenter, CT Joseph of Nazareth, muting, ttood: M "Lord, who am 17" he marveled In 'J his soul, "That thou shouldst deign from thy exalted place To cast thine eyes upon me and to say t 'Beholdl he shall be warden to this Dear1, . . .J Thlt pearl of perfect womanhod, r. more pure ' jL Than any of the daughters of mankind Jfc From the beginning of the world and down Through to" the ages that are yet to dawnl . X tl Lol shelter she shall find, and sUs- 9 tenance W And one round arm encircled the fair 3 child , I 1 As If the newly-awakened mother love 1 Lay littlest, with transparent fingers ft curved As though fhe clatped some blotsom 1 In her sleep ' . M Some rare, sweet flower she was fain $ ; to keep ( f And cherish always. Joseph took the -5: hand 4 i And held It In his rough, toll-hardcned palm, j Wondering at Its softnest, the blue 1 veins i That threaded all Its whiteness, and . tho bloom V W That made a sea-shell of each finger- , . But he forebore, though tore his heart did yearn, To clatp the little sleeping newborn N Whote golden head lay pillowed on her arm, ' L Thinking!' "It were not well for her or him !That he should waken suddenly. A , sigh Heaved the soft breast of Mary, and her eyes, Like heavenly blue flowers, opened wide, : Meeting the gaze of Jotaph, as he knelt In reverent adoration. Her low tones Thrilled like acollan strains; her tender ten-der smile Flooded his soul like sunshine as she spoke; . "Joseph, my hutband, I have dreamed a dreaml The Angel of the Lord hath been again, Saying; 'Beholdl that which thou hast .-bYstnjnf tVr . - - Thls night is the Redeemer of the World Even Mettlahl'" But a grave voice M As she ceased speaking: "Peace to all wlthlnl" , 1U .'So And, lo, there stood upon the thresh- KS old one Who hore much gold and frankincense and myrrh In his two hands. And Joseph an- swered: "Sir. rf Peace be unto thee, now and ever- morel" u ii And, lo, there came two others bear- And'ec.ou. splcet, who likewise J "Peate and good wllll" And Joseph J made reply: , "Peace unto thee and thine forever- morel" . , v. Then spake the foremost stranger, "Where Is he, .,.!.'. Born King of Jews this night' In Beth lehem? Three kings are we that come to worship wor-ship him, For we have seen his star In the Far East Beyond the deterts. We have Jour. neyed far, Star-led, and, lo, It standeth o'er this roof, A sign celestial!" Then each laid atlde His mantle and his sandatt, bowing low 1 Before the mother and the holy child, Crying! "All hall, Redeemer of the Worldl King cf the Jewt, all hall!" and they did break Boxes of precious ointments, and the air 1 Was heavy with the perfume of rare gumn ! And costly spices, cinnamon and myrrh, And sandalwood and cedar, and the scents a Distilled from blooms In gardens of f the East, r And ambergris and franklneente and nard, And they laid down their offerings of price. Soft yellow bars and bags of shining dust, All Intermixed with amethysts and pearls & And carbuncles and diamonds and the 3 pale Lack-luster topaz. And the foremott 'lI guett J Unctatped the heavy chain of beaten , flold That hung about his swarthy throat s, and showed Its. curious pendant, fathloned In T strange wlte i And hammered from a nugget, soft SL and pure, r For uncouth semblance to a rugged cross, Speaking In awed, low tones of prophecy: "A voice cried In the detert wattes, L 'Arltel JP Take of pure gold a nugget large and 9 bright $i And hammer It Into a mattlve crots Such as the common criminal, con- V demned g To die, yields up his shrinking Y spirit on, And hang It to the chain about thy neck, And when thou comett to the Jour, ney's end W Lay it within the mother's hand, that she i May read therein a sign.'- Lo, I have done j According to the word!" And Mary's 3fo eyes V? Grew wide with terror, as her fingers it doted "5? About the gleaming symbol, for she saw, ' , As In a dream, three crottes on a hill, Y And, nailed between two thieves of rt& aspect vile, r-7 Upon the middle crort, a tortured form That moved her strangely with a L sense of loss And woe unutterable, for multitudes J Surged round the sufferer and scoffed at him, , Crying. In mocking tones: "Hall, King of Jewel" tDut he that hung cast downward pity. Ing eyes, Full of meek pardon and of tender love, Gatplng: "Forgive them, Father! Oh, forgive TlTyTKrTc7rnfTTeyowT)t-wlt.- they dol" P And In those dying orbt companionate f She saw a eemblanee of the holy light r That si one within the eyes of her fair babe, 5 And moaned: "Take It away the cross of goldl I shudder at the phantasies It brings!" At which the strangers out of the Far ' East I Arote and gave their hlestlng to the II ' child V And patted Into the night. And Mary jv slept T The sleep of sweet forgetfujnest, j"? while he k Who stood In place of father to the f babe K Watched the sweet palruntll the morn f awoke g- The songbirds In the clustering olive trees f And tinged with light the roofs of J Bethlehem. LILlTA LEVER. . ft |