oden shoes. Jean did many a little
service around the place, for his auntie made him work for his daily
bread, and he chopped the wood and swept the paths and made the fires
and ran the errands, but he never heard anyone say "Thank you."

Jean's happiest days were at school, and I wonder if he was like our
boys in that? There his playmates wore much better clothes and good
stockings too, and warm top coats, but they never thought of making
fun of Jean, for they all loved to play with him. One morning Jean
started off to school (which was next to the big church), and when he
got there he found the children all so happy and gay and dressed in
their best clothes, and he heard one boy say, "Won't it be jolly
tomorrow with the big tree full of oranges and popcorn and candy, and
the candles burning?" And another added, "Won't it be fun to see the
things in our shoes in the morning, the goodies that boys love?" And
another said, "My, but we have a big, fat goose at our house, stuffed
with plums and just brown to a turn," and he smacked his lips as he
thought of it. And Jean began to wonder about that beautiful tree and
wish that one would grow at his house. And he thought about his wooden
shoes and knew there would be no goodies in them for him in the
morning. Then he heard one boy say, "Don't you love Christmas?" And
Jean said, "Christmas! why, what is Christmas?" But just then the
teacher came in and said, "Boys, come into the church now and hear the
music." And so the boys marched one behind the other just as they do
in school here, and they went into the great church. Jean thought it
was beautiful in there! The soft light, the warm pleasant air, the
flowers, and the marble altar, and then the music! Oh, such music Jean
had never heard, and somehow as he sat on the high-backed bench and
listened, his own heart grew very warm although he could not
understand why, and he loved so to hear them singing: "Peace on earth,
good will to men." And it began to sing itself over and over in his
heart, this sweet, sweet song of "Peace on earth, good will to men."
Then the time came to go home, and the boys all shouted, "Good-bye,
Jean! and Merry Christmas!" And though Jean didn't know about "Merry
Christmas," he kept singing in his little warmed heart, "Peace on
earth, good will to men," and then he was glad the other boys could
have the tree and the goose and the wooden shoes full of goodies even
if he couldn't.

As Jean went home th