could find room were lying; some who could not
sleep were sitting up and waiting drearily for the morning. Two aged
women near the entrance, were talking in a low tone.

"'Peace be unto you!' said my father.

"'The Lord be gracious unto thee,' answered the oldest woman, in a
solemn voice, as she looked upon my father's white beard; 'but,' she
quickly added, 'there is scanty cheer in this place for late comers.'

"'We seek not lodging,' said my father; 'but know you whether among
these guests is an infant born this day?'

"'Verily there is,' answered the aged dame; 'a man-child more
beautiful than any my eyes have ever beheld. He is lying in a manger
there in the cave that serves for stable.'

"We hastened to the mouth of the cave, and there beheld our King. The
oxen and the asses were lying near, and a strong man, with a grave and
benignant face, was leaning on his staff above the manger. A beautiful
young mother lay close beside it, her cheek resting on her hands, that
were clasped over the edge of the rock-hewn crib. Into this a little
straw had been thrown, and over it a purple robe had been cast,
whereon the infant lay. A lamp, set upon a projection of the wall of
the cave, burned brightly near. The great eyes of the wonderful child
were wandering about the room; his hand touched his mother's lips. I
waited to hear him open his mouth and speak.

"There was a moment of silence after we entered the cave. My father
broke it with his salutation:

"'Hail, thou blessed among women!' he cried. 'This child of thine is a
Prince and a Savior.'

"And then we all bowed low upon our faces before him and worshipped
him with praise and gladness.

"The two aged women, with whom we had spoken, had followed us to the
door of the stable, and, seeing us worshipping there, had run to call
others who were awake in the inn, so that when we arose quite a
company were standing at the door, or just within, gazing upon the
King in his beauty and listening to our thanksgiving with great
wonder.

"Then my father told them all the things that we had heard and
seen--the message of the angel, the song in the air, the glory of the
Lord that had appeared to us--and how we had quickly come to
Bethlehem, and had found things as the angel had told us. 'And it is
even,' he cried, 'as the prophet himself hath spoken: "Thou Bethlehem
Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out
of thee shall he come forth unto me that