o a castle near, and was now hastening home to his
little hut. Although he worked very hard, he was poor, gaining barely
enough for the wants of his wife and his four little children. He was
thinking of them, when he heard a faint wailing. Guided by the sound, he
groped about and found a little child, scantily clothed, shivering and
sobbing by itself in the snow.

"Why, little one, have they left thee here all alone to face this cruel
blast?"

The child answered nothing, but looked piteously up in the
charcoal-burner's face.

"Well, I cannot leave thee here. Thou would'st be dead before the
morning."

So saying, Hermann raised it in his arms, wrapping it in his cloak and
warming its little cold hands in his bosom. When he arrived at his hut, he
put down the child and tapped at the door, which was immediately thrown
open, and the children rushed to meet him.

"Here, wife, is a guest to our Christmas Eve supper," said he, leading in
the little one, who held timidly to his finger with its tiny hand.

"And welcome he is," said the wife. "Now let him come and warm himself by
the fire."

The children all pressed round to welcome and gaze at the little
new-comer. They showed him their pretty fir-tree, decorated with bright,
colored lamps in honor of Christmas Eve, which the good mother had
endeavored to make a _fete_ for the children.

Then they sat down to supper, each child contributing of its portion for
the guest, looking with admiration at its clear, blue eyes and golden
hair, which shone so as to shed a brighter light in the little room; and
as they gazed, it grew into a sort of halo round his head, and his eyes
beamed with a heavenly luster. Soon two white wings appeared at his
shoulders, and he seemed to grow larger and larger, and then the beautiful
vision vanished, spreading out his hands as in benediction over them.

Hermann and his wife fell on their knees, exclaiming, in awe-struck
voices: "The holy Christ-child!" and then embraced their wondering
children in joy and thankfulness that they had entertained the Heavenly
Guest.

The next morning, as Hermann passed by the place where he had found the
fair child, he saw a cluster of lovely white flowers, with dark green
leaves, looking as though the snow itself had blossomed. Hermann plucked
some, and carried them reverently home to his wife and children, who
treasured the fair blossoms and tended them carefully in remembrance of
that wonderful Christmas E