Elizabeth Harrison 
Legend of the Christ Child 
A Story for Christmas Eve; Adapted From the German

The street seemed colder and darker to the child than before, and he went sadly forward, saying tohimself. Is there no one in all this great city who will share this Christmas with me? Farther and farther down the street he went, to where the homes were not so large and beautiful. There seemed to be little children inside of nearly all the houses. They were dancing and frolicking about. There were Christmas trees in nearly every window, with beauti ful dolls and trumpets and picture books, and balls, and tops, and other nice toys hung upon them. In one window the child noticed a little lamb made of soft white wool. Around its neck was tied a red rib bon. It had evidently been hung on the tree for one of the children. The little wanderer stopped before this window and looked long and earnestly at the beautiful things inside, but most of all was he drawn to wards this white lamb. At last, creeping up to the window pane he gently tapped upon it. A little girl came to the window and looked out into the dark street where the snow had now begun to fall. She saw the child, but she only frowned and shook her head and said, Go away and come some other time. We are too busy to take care of you now. Back into the dark, cold street he turned again. The wind was whirling past him and seemed to say, Hurry on, hurry on, we have no time to stop. ’tis Christmas eve and everybody is in a hurry to-night. Again and again the little child rapped softly at door, or window pane. At each place he was refused admission, One mother feared he might have some ugly disease which her darlings would catch another father said he had only enough for his own children, and none to spare for beggar brats. Still another toldhim to go home where he belonged, and not to trouble other folks. The hours passed later grew the night, and colder blew the wind, and darker seemed the street. Farther and farther the little one wandered. There was scarcely anyone left upon the street by this time, and the few who