daughter of Eve?" And Mary still waited under
the palm-tree and listened, and she began to feel strange pangs. She
drew her cloak more closely round her, and saw that the stars already
stood in the sky. But still Joseph came not. And from the hill the
singer: "And from the root of Jesse a twig shall spring." And a second
voice: "And all nations shall rise up and sing her praises." So did
the shepherds sing the songs of their old kings and prophets.

At last Joseph came slowly from the town. The enrolment was to take
place to-morrow at nine o'clock; that was all right. But there was
difficulty over the lodging for the night. He had spoken with rich
relations; they would have been very glad, but unfortunately a wedding
feast was going forward, and wanderers in homely garments might easily
feel uncomfortable. He quite understood that. Then he went to his
poorer relations, who would have been even more glad, but it was
deplorable that their house was so small and their hearth so cramped.
All the inns were overcrowded with strangers. They did not seem to
think much here of people from Galilee because all kinds of heathenish
folk lived there--as if any one who was born in Bethlehem could be a
heathen! And so he did not know what to do.

Mary leaned her head on her hand and said nothing.

"Your hands and feet are trembling, Mary," said Joseph.

She shook her head; it was nothing.

"Come, my wife, we will go in together," said Joseph. "We are not
vagabonds to whom they can refuse assistance."

And then they both went into the town. Mine host of the inn was stern.

"I told you already, old man, that there's no place for the like of you
in my house. Take your little daughter somewhere else."

"She's not my daughter, sir, but my true wife, trusted to me by God
that I may protect her," returned Joseph, and he lifted up his
carpenter's hand.

The door was slammed in their faces.

A fruit-seller, who had witnessed the scene, stretched forth his brown
neck and asked for their passport.

"If you show me your papers and three pieces of silver, I'll take you
in for the love of God. For we are all wanderers on the earth."

"We've no passport. We've come from Nazareth in Galilee for the
enrolment, because I am of the house of David," replied Joseph.

"Of the house of David! Why, you don't seem to know whether you're on
your head or your heels," and with a laugh the fruit-seller went his
way.

"It is true