"Awake! Arise! And oh, Rejoice! The star leads on, the shepherds rise - They follow till the angel-star Doth stay, and looking down they see When lo, a mother and a Child.... About the mother's youthful head, Upon the shepherds worshipping. "What marvel," said they, "that our Lord Doth come as humble-born as we, As stark, as poor!" And they adored With joy they lingered at his feet, Then to the wondering flocks returned, But oh, the homeward way was sweet, And their glad eyes with visions burned. Thus came the King, Divine and Doomed, Unto His own: and thus we say Ere Christ, the Flower of virtue, bloomed, And for that she the Tidings bright So beautiful upon the height Should woman's feet forever be. HOW SANTA CLAUS WAS SAVED. BY MARY T. VAN DENBURGII. MAMMY and Joe, her husband, had taken care of their Miss Sallie" and her little boy and girl since Marse George went into the army, and the faithful servants had borne many a burden and found a way out of many a difficulty without letting their beloved mistress know how hard it was for them; for she was sad and troubled, and they tried to spare her as much as possible. But now, as mammy prepared the table for the evening meal, sighing over the plain food she must set before Miss Sallie, her heart was full of a new worry, which she could not keep to herself. "Laws, Miss Sallie, I do suttinly dis like ter trubble you, but I don't see nohow what I's gwine do 'bout dem chillun." "Why, mammy, what is the matter? They are usually so good." "Dey's jes de best chillun de sun shines on; dey ain't one mite ob trubble; but Christmus is comin', an' dey shualy expec's some gif's like dey useter have; an' no boxes gwine come from deir aunts an' deir gran'ma dis yeah, an' Marse George he off wid Marse Lee, an' we ain't got no gif's fer dem pore babies. Dey kem in my kitchen, an' dey whispered up de chimbly ter Santy Claus what dey wanted; an', Miss Sallie, dey wants right smart ob things, an' we got nuthin', an' how we gwine git 'em wid de country full ob Yanks? I study an' study, an' 'pears like I don't see no way out." "Well, mammy, I will explain to them; they are so thoughtful and considerate I think they will understand; and when this war is over, if my husband comes back-" While she was washing the dishes, a half-hour later, she thought how little was required, after all, to make the children happy, and she brightened up considerably. However, like many other conspirators, she overdid the matter, and in her auxiety to have the surprise a complete one, she determined to lead the children to expect nothing at all. So when she was putting them to bed she stopped their chatter about Christmas and Santa Claus with "What you all talkin' 'bout? How you think Santy Claus gwine git t'rough dem Yanks' lines? Spec's dey gwine catch him an' kill him, suah;" and she took the light and hurried away to escape their questions. "Oh, brother, how dare they?" came, with a sob, from one little bed. "They won't," in tones that tried to be. manly, came the answer from the other. "But mammy said so." "Well, mammy was wrong about the butterfly-she didn't know it changed from a caterpillar-so she don't know everything: and I don't believe even Yankees are so dreadful bad," asserted the little boy. "But, brother-my gracious, he's asleep!" and poor Ruth tried to shut her eyes up tight and forget her trouble; but she was wide-awake an hour afterward, in spite of her efforts. "Oh." she said, suddenly, "I think we ought to. I think it's our duty. Brother, brother, wake up! We have got to go to the Yankee captain and beg him not to hurt Santa Claus." Why, sister, how could we get away? "Marse George gwine come back, hon- Besides, you would be afraid and cry. ey; he come back suah.” "Then we shall be so happy that they will forget the horrors of this dreadful time. I think we can trim the house with greens, and perhaps have a Christ mas tree; and there is the white sugar I have saved--you may take that and make some candy for them." "Jes a lil' candy fer dem chillun dats had eberything money could buy! But we cyan't do no bettah;" and mammy went to call the two innocent little causes of her dilemma to supper. When are you going?" "We can't tell mammy, 'cause she wouldn't let us go, and mamma would worry; but when we get back and tell them we have saved Santa Claus's life, they will be so glad. I think it's not wrong for us to go." "What are you going to say to the Yankee captain?” "He is a soldier, like papa, and I'm sure my papa would be good to little girls and boys; but we must save Santa Claus anyway." The very next day the opportunity they were watching for came. Their mother had a severe headache, and while mammy was busy caring for her, the two children slipped off. It was a long walk to the Yankee camp, but they trudged bravely on. 66 "How tired papa must be when he marches!" "Yes. Sometimes they walk all day. Oh, Teddy, there are the tents! I think I am afraid." frightened and trembling, but who had no idea of giving up the object of their visit to the camp. "Well, my hearties, what brings you here?" His cheery voice and the twinkle in his eyes reassured the little ones. "Please, we want to see the captain," gasped Teddy. They were led past rows of tents, the other soldiers joking with their guide as they went by, and after a while, they never knew quite how, they found themselves "You promised you were not going to talking with the Yankee captain and telling him their story. cry." "I'm not. That big soldier is coming over here." A tall soldier came to the children, now "The captain had a cold," said Ruth, in telling about it afterward: "he coughed and wiped his eyes, and he said to us: "HOW YOU THINK SANTY CLAUS GWINE GIT T'ROUGH DEM YANKS' LINES?" |