's wife.

"I dare not," said Ruster, for it was like a purgatory to look
through the beautiful child eyes to the unspotted beauty of their
souls.

Liljekrona's wife laughed loud and joyously. "Then you must
accustom yourself to them, Ruster. You can stay in my house as
schoolmaster this year."

Liljekrona heard his wife laugh and came out of his room.

"What is it?" he said. "What is it?"

"Nothing," she answered, "but that Ruster has come again, and that
I have engaged him as schoolmaster for our little boys."

Liljekrona was quite amazed. "Do you dare?" he said, "do you dare?
Has he promised to give up--"

"No," said the wife; "Ruster has promised nothing. But there is
much about which he must be careful when he has to look little
children in the eyes every day. If it had not been Christmas,
perhaps I would not have ventured; but when our Lord dared to place
a little child who was his own son among us sinners, so can I also
dare to let my little children try to save a human soul."

Liljekrona could not speak, but every feature and wrinkle in his
face twitched and twisted as always when he heard anything noble.

Then he kissed his wife's hand as gently as a child who asks for
forgiveness and cried aloud: "All the children must come and kiss
their mother's hand."

They did so, and then they had a happy Christmas in Liljekrona's
house.

UNCLE REUBEN

There was once, nearly eighty years ago, a little boy who went out
into the market-place to spin his top. The little boy's name was
Reuben. He was not more than three years old, but he swung his
little whip as bravely as anybody and made the top spin so that it
was a pleasure to see it.

On that day, eighty years ago, it was beautiful spring weather. It
was in the month of March, and the town was divided into two
worlds; one white and warm, where the sun shone, and one cold and
dark, where it was in shadow. The whole market-place was in the sun
except a narrow edge along one row of houses.

Now it happened that the little boy, brave as he was, grew tired of
spinning his top and looked about for some place to rest. It was
not hard to find. There were no benches or seats, but every house
was supplied with stone steps. Little Reuben could not imagine
anything better.

He was a conscientious little fellow. He had a vague feeling that
his mother did not like to have him sit on strange people's steps.
His mother was poor, but just on that account it must