IT is Christmas Day, and the old town glistens and sparkles in morning. Ragged children run merrily up and down the bridge, watching the barges on the river, heedless of the piercing wind that blows through their scanty garments.
They know little or nothing of the true import of the day, yet they are glad it is Christmas Day, because it is a holiday, and hold up their little blue hands to clap them in the sunshine.
The bright rays try hard to struggle through each chink and crevice of the blackened and dingy buildings, no matter though windows are cracked and dirty, and rooms dismal and cheerless.
Down they slant into narrow, ill-paved, and loathsome courts and alleys, lighting up each dark corner with a golden radiance.
The sick and the wretched experience a thrill of gladness, and have an indistinct feeling that it is a general holiday.
The snow had been falling silently all night, giving to each house a fair and dazzling roof, with smooth, unbroken edges, bearing the impress here and there of the tiny claws of robins and sparrows that had been hopping about.
The frost had covered each window-pane with all kinds of pretty pictures in tracery—trees, flowers, and fountains, which would have made it rather dark for those inside had not the sun been brightly shining this morning.
Drip, drip, came the drops of water from the evenly-trimmed snow roofs, until they began to wear a jagged appearance, and the icicles, all rainbow-tinted, were fast losing their sharp, hard points.
The court in which Mary lived could not stay clean and white very long, for too many feet hurried up and down it, and the dirty, black, crumbling lumps into which the snow was soon trodden, quite changed the appearance of things.
As Mary came in and sat down by the fire, “It was a happy Christmas-eve," she said, half aloud; and then fell to thinking over the events of the past day.
Yesterday her mother and Willie were sitting watching her make the currant dumpling that was to serve for a pudding, and she was planning a secret expedition to the market to buy a bit of beef, when suddenly carriage-wheels were heard, and in another minute Mrs. Gray and Katie were standing on the threshold.
The child's eyes beamed with delight as she entered, warm and rosy, in her little furred tippet and blue frock.
She held a covered basket tightly and carefully, and going up to Mary, said—
"A happy Christmas to you, Mary! See what we've brought you," continued she, as mamma helped to unpack the basket. "Six eggs, and a real little plum-pudding, and half-a-crown to buy some meat. There, Willie, you will have a nice dinner to-morrow, and an apple into the bargain," said she, as, with a great deal of pulling and squeezing, a rosycheeked apple was extracted from a tiny pocket, and given to the shy, laughing little fellow.
Mary's look of glad surprise greatly delighted Katie, who, without waiting to listen to all the thanks, ran off to catch pussy, who was sitting on the hearth stone, quietly purring.
Then Mrs. Gray sat down beside the old woman, and taking the well-worn Bible from the table, read a few verses.
She spoke sweetly of the love of Jesus in leaving the Father's home of glory to sojourn in a world like this, and of the time when His children should all be gathered in, their glorious home above forever, and have a welcome to the place prepared for those who love Him—a home where they shall go no more out and know neither pain nor weariness again.
And thus a ray of light and a living fragrance were left behind in that humble cottage.
No wonder, then, it was a happy holiday! But how did Katie spend her Christmas? Would you like to know?
The day before Christmas-eve, mamma and Edith might have been seen in the study, surrounded by bright sheets of colored paper and cardboard, and gay little knickknacks of every description to please the children.
In vain did Katie long for one peep through the closed door; she must wait, and to-morrow seemed a long way off.
The boys, at home for the holidays, were in the garden, building a huge snow throne close to the summer-house.
They were in the full enjoyment and delight of being at home again; “It is so jolly," Arthur would say.
“Now we must make the steps," cried George; "and then we will fetch Katie."
So the steps were finished, and then all three boys scampered away to the house, and leave being obtained, Katie was wrapped in her mamma's long fur cloak and carried off in triumph.
They seated her on her sparkling throne, and called the happy child their little queen.
The night before Mrs. Gray paid the usual round of visits to the poor, and, as we have already seen, took Katie with her.
Then in the evening, when papa had come home from his hard day's work, and doors and windows were shut, and fires burnt brightly, the study door was thrown open, and the children invited to enter.
After the servants had been called in, Dr. Gray, taking Katie on his knee, talked to them all about another Christmas night, more than eighteen hundred years ago of the sinless Babe, who was born then; and how in the midst of our happiness this thought should be the center of our gladness, for if Jesus had not come into the world, there could never have been any true joy for sinners.
Katie was fast asleep in her little cot when the waits awoke the inmates of the house with their singing, but the boys heard them, and crept out of bed to peep at the frosty group, barely distinguishable by the pale light that fell on their faces from the flickering lanterns.
But we must not forget our little Geraldine, for I want you to tell me in which of the three homes Christmas holiday was the happiest.
You would not have recognized the great drawing room in Albert Square on the night of Christmas-eve.
Despoiled of furniture and carpet, its brilliant gasaliers shone on a vast number of guests of every age, who spent the night in dancing and merriment, having no fear of God before their eyes. Rom. 3:18.
How many children say,
"I'd like to go to heaven;”
Yet never think that they
Must have their sins forgiven,
Before they can in glory be,
Or Jesus Christ in glory see.
None can to glory go,
Or dwell with God above,
Save they who Jesus know,
And taste a Savior's love;
The holy words of truth declare
No other grounds of entrance there.
But now this “living way"
To all is open free;
And ruined sinners may
Go in and happy be—
May have their sins through Christ forgiven,
The only way to enter heaven.