Show THE LEGEND OF THE CUBIST CHRIST CHILD adapted from tile the german I 1 want avant to tell you tonight a story which aich has been told to little children in ili germany for many hund hundreds ed of years once upon a time a long long time ago on the night before christmas christinas a little child was wandering all alone lion through the streets of a great city there bere ere many people on the street fathers and mothers mother sisters and brothers uncles unc es and aunts and even gray haired grandfathers and grandmothers grand mathers all or of whom were hurrying home with bundles or of presents for each other and for their little ones fine carriages rolled by express wagons rattled past even old carts were pressed into service tind ill all things seemed in a hurry and glad with e expectation of tho the coming christmas morning from some of the wind windows bright lights were aheady beginning to stream until it wa was almost as bright as day but the little child seel seemed lied to have lave no home and Nan wandered dered about listlessly listlessly from street to street no one took any notice of him except perhaps jack frost who bit his bate baie to and made the ends of ills his fingers tingle the noich coith wind too seemed to notice the hie child for it blew against him and pierced his ragged garments garni ent through and through causing him to shiver with nith cold iloine home after home he passed looking with longing eyes through the windows in upon the glad happy children childre nj most of whom were helping to triny trim the christmas trees for the coming morrow surely said the child to himself where there here is so much gladness and happiness some of it may be for tile me so with ith timid steps he approached a large and it handsome and house through the windows he could see a tall and stately christmas Chiist mas tree already lighted many presents hung upon it its green boughs were trini trimmed med with gold and ornaments slowly he climbed up tip the broad steps and gently rapped at the door it was opened by a large manservant man servant servalia ile he had a kindly face although his bocc was deep and gruff ile he looked at the little child for a moment then sadly shook his head and said go down oft the steps step there is no room here for such as you ile ho looked sorry ai as he spoke possibly lie he remembered his own little ones at home and was glad that they were not out in it this cold and bitter night light through the open ogen door a bright light shone and the warm air filled with the fragrance of the christmas mas pine rushed out from the inner room and greeted the little wanderer with a i kiss As the child tinned back into the cold and darkness ie ae wondered why the footman had spoken thus for surely thought he those little children would love to have another companion join them in their joyous christmas festival but the little chil dien inside did not even know that lie ho hall knocked at the door the street grew colder and darker as the child passed on ile he went sadly forwald for waid saying to himself ills Is there no one in all this great city who will share the christmas with tile me farther bartlie and farther down the street he ii wandered an dered to where here tile the homes were not so large and beautiful there chefe seemed I 1 to be little children inside of nearly all the houses they were dan 1 cing and frolicking about trees could be seen in nearly every window with beautiful dolls and trumpets and picture books and balls and tops and other dainty toys hung upon them in one window the child noticed a little lamb made of soft white wool around its neck was tied a red ribbon it had evidently been hung on the tree for one of the children the little stranger stopped before this window and looked long and earnestly at tile the beautiful things inside but most of all was lie he dra drawn towards the white lamb at last creeping ill up to tile the window pane lie gently tapped upon it A little gill camo came to the window and looked out into the dark street where the snow had now be begun un to fall she saw the child but bill she only fro frowned ined and shook her head and sald said go away and come some other time we are too busy to take care of you now back into the dark cold sit street act lie he turned again the wind was iN whirling hIrling past him and seemed to say hurry on hurry on ve ue have no time to stop christmas eve and everybody is in a hurry tonight to night again and again the little child rapped softly at door or window pane at each place lie he was refused admission one mother feared lie he might have some ugly disease which her darlings would patch catch another father said he had only enough tor for his own children and none to spare for beggar brats still another told him to go home lie belonged and not to trouble other folks the houis passed later grew the night and colder blew the wind and darker seemed the street farther aud and farther the little one wandered there was scarcely anyone left upon the street by this time and the few who remained did not seem to see fee f ee the child bild iv when hen suddenly ahead ot of him appeared a blight single ray of 0 light it shone through the darkness into the childs eyes ile he looked up tip smilingly and said 1 I will go where the small light beckons perhaps they will share their christmas with roe me Hurry hurrying fing past all tile the other houses he soon reached the end of the street and went straight up tip to tic the window from which the light was f creaming it was a poor pool little low house but ile ho child cared not for that the light seemed still to call him in from what do you suppose the light came nothing but a tallow candle which had been placed in fit an all old cup with a broken handle in the window as a glad token of christmas eve there was neither chi tain or shade to the small square window and as the little child looked in he saw standing upon a neat wooden table a branch of a christinas Christi tree the room was plainly I 1 furnished but bill it was very clean near the fireplace fire place sat a lovely faced mother 1 with nith a little two year old on her knee and an older child beside her the two children were looking into their mothers face and listening to a story she must have been telling them a christmas story I 1 think A few bright coals burning in the fireplace fire place and all seemed light and warm within the little wanderer crept closer and closer elaser 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 1 I think it was some one tapping on the door replied the mother run as quickly as you can and open it deir dear for it is a bitter cold night to keep any one waiting in this storm oh mother I 1 think it was the boush bough of the tree tapping against the window pane said the little girl do plea please go on with our story A again g in the little C wan beier tapped upon the door my Y child my child exclaimed the mother alsing alsin that certainly was a rap mi on the door run quickly and open it no one must be left out in the cold on our beautiful christmas eve the child ran to the door and threw it 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 I 1 you poor dear child w was as all the he said and putting her arms around him she drew him close to her breast lie ile is very iery cold my children site exclaimed we must warm him and added the little girl it we must love halil him and give him some of our Chri christinas too yes said the mother but first let us warm hira him the mother sat down beside the file with the child on oil her lap and her own little ones warmed ills his half frozen hands in theirs the mother smoothed his tangled curls and bonding bending low over his head kissed the childs face she gathered the three little ones in her arms and the candle and the firelight shone over them for a moment the room was very still dy by and by tile the little girl said softly to her mother hay we not light the 06 Christ 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 the few simple ornaments oina ments which from year to year she had saved for her childrens christmas tree they were soon so busy that they did not notice the room had filled with a strange and brilliant light they turned and looked at the spot where the little wanderer sat ilis his ragged clotil es had chIn changed ged to garments white and beautiful lils his tangled curls seemed like a halo of golden light around ills his lead head but most glorious of all was ills his face which shone with a light so dazzling that they could scarcely look lipon kilion it i in silent wonder they gazed at the child their little room seemed to g glow ow larger and larger until it was as ii htide ide as the whole world the root roof of their low lov house seemed to expand and rise until it reached to the sky wui alii a sweet and gentle smile the wonderful child looked upon them for a moment and then slowly rose and floated through the air above the tree tops beyond the church spire higher even than the clouds themselves until lie he appeared to them to be a shining star in the sky above at last he disappeared from sight the astonished children tinned in hushed awe to their mother and said in a whisper oil oh mother it wai was the CHRIST CHILD was it il not and the mother answered in a low tone yes and it is said dear children chil dlen that each christmas eve the little christ child wanders through some town or village and those who receive him and take him unto their homes and hearts have given to them this marvelous vision which is denied to others |