DECEMBER 21$ 



of blood. Then I turned in anguish 

 to my child. But he had folded his 

 hands unhurt upon his breast, and gazed 

 smiling, with joyful eyes upon those sharp 

 naked thorns. And she knew that the 

 little one perceived only the Divine and 

 pearly radiance, which for her, shone as a 

 dim halo of tears around the crimsoned 

 wreath .... Gathered in her arms 

 the mother held the child for a moment, 

 there, in the dewy twilight of a green 

 Christmas dawn : while far-heard Christ- 

 mas bells awoke the day to love and holy 

 joy. And the night had departed like a 

 by-gone dream. And there, with tender- 

 taken breath slept my little one beside me, 

 and a pure white rose-bud lay upon the 

 pillow. At the window a robin sang a 

 short, sweet carol to the breaking day. 



