210 A GARDEN OF PLEASURE 



the branches over head and there was 

 the sound of murmurous music amid 

 the pines. And deeper and further into 

 the deep wood the child and I passed 

 onward, silently hand in hand, and many 

 fair trees we passed by, but found not the 

 tree we sought. And about the middle of 

 the way, the three angels parted from us, 

 and afar off shone a beautiful light, and it 

 seemed to me that we saw very nigh the 

 light of the Christmas tree ! But as we 

 drew more near, behold it was not the tree 

 but a bright star shining low in the wood. 

 And now I knew not any longer where we 

 were, for the trees were about us no 

 more, but only a wide moonlit mountain 

 land. 



Cold moonbeams whitened the flocks 

 upon a thousand hills, and the Star had 

 paled its light in the glory streaming forth 

 from the open door of a lowly ruined hut 

 beneath it. The radiance grew and grew 

 until there was not any more night. And 

 then, with our eyes we beheld the Virgin 

 Mother ; and her Holy Child lay beside 

 her in the manger ; and the ox and the 



