But when they had gone and the night was still,
Her hut seemed lonely, and dark, and chill,
And she almost wished she had followed them
In search of the Babe of Bethlehem.

And then as the longing stronger grew,
She said, "I will find Him," but no one knew,
Where was the cradle in which He lay
When He came to earth upon Christmas day,
For the kings and their trains were long since gone,
And none could tell of the Babe, new born.

Then filling a basket with toys, she said,
As over the wintry moor she sped,
"I will go to the busy haunts of men,
There I shall find the kings, and then,
Together we'll go that Child to meet,
And jewels and toys we'll lay at His feet.

The kings with their trains have long been clay.
The hut on the moor has mouldered away,
But old and feeble, worn and gray,
Every year upon Christmas day,
It matters not though the winds blow chill,
Old Babousca is seeking still.

And every year when the joy-bells chime,
To tell of the blessed Christmas time,
When in Holland they tell to the girls and boys,
Of good Saint Nicholas and his toys,
In Russia, the little children say,
"Old Babousca has passed this way."

* * * * *

=A Christmas Garden.=

(A prose recitation, or suggestion for composition.)

There is a story told of a magician who conjured up a garden in the
winter time. The wand of the wizard, however, is not necessary to
disclose even in a northern climate in the cold months the beautiful
contents of Nature's world. The varieties of evergreen, pine, hemlock,
fir, cedar, and larch provide a variety of green foliage through the
dreary weather. The rich, clustering berries, besides their ornamental
character, furnish food for the snowbirds. The Christmas rose,
wax-like in its white purity, will bloom out of doors long after frost
if a glass is turned over the plant on cold nights. The ivy remains
glossy, its green berry another addition to our winter bouquet.

Farther south, but still within our United States, the scarlet holly
grows in luxuriance. So full of holiday association is this tree that
its branches are carefully transported a thousand miles for use during
Christmas week. Its crisp leaves, lively color, and happy sentiment
make the holly, pre-eminent as a winter ornament, prince in our
Christmas garden.

A contrast is furnished by the delicate sprays of the mistletoe
growing upon t