208 A GARDEN OF PLEASURE 



XIV 



ON CHRISTMAS EVE 

 A Mother's Dream 



CHRISTMAS was with us, almost before we 

 were aware, and the Christmas tree had 

 not yet been cut in the Fir wood. Soon 

 it would be carried home to be decked in 

 burning lights and tinsel toys. And the 

 children began to ask, * Mother, where are 

 we to have the Christmas tree ? ' and she 

 made answer quietly, 'In the wood, to- 

 night.' But the elder children were dis- 

 pleased ; and one said the night was cold, 

 and another said the way was slippery, and 

 none of them would leave the warm fire- 

 side. And so the children agreed they 

 would not go out to find the Christmas 

 tree in the dark wood. Only the little 

 one, the boy with the fair round face and 

 the flowing hair he softly stole his hand 

 into his mother's, and looking up in her 

 eyes, he said, ( I will go with you ! ' So 

 they went out both of them together 



