IN COLORS

The angels came through the forest to where the little tree
  stood, and gathering around it, they touched it with
  their hands Frontispiece

For he was so generous that he gave away all these pretty
  things as fast as he made them

So Barbara fell asleep

“But why shouldn’t I be merry?” asked the little mauve
  mouse.  “To-morrow is Christmas, and this is Christmas
  eve”

“‘What sound was that?’ cried Dimas, for he was exceeding
  fearful”

The strange allegory of the lame boy’s speech filled her with
  awe

But, with her babe upon her knee,
Naught recked that Mother of the tree

To seek that manger out and lay
  Our gifts before the child—­
To bring our hearts and offer them
Unto our King in Bethlehem!

IN BLACK-AND-WHITE

Sing, O my heart! 
Sing thou in rapture this dear morn
Whereon the blessed Prince is born!

Oh, hush thee, little Dear-my-Soul,
  And close thine eyes in dreaming

“This must be the house where the prince will stop,”
  thought Barbara

Share thou this holy time with me,
  The universal hymn of love

“Nestle down close, fold your hands, and shut your dear
  eyes!”

“They are killing me!” cried the tree

Christmas
tales and
Christmas
verse

[Illustration: 

    Sing, O my heart! 
    Sing thou in rapture this dear morn
    Whereon the blessed Prince is born!
]

CHRISTMAS HYMN

          Sing, Christmas bells! 
    Say to the earth this is the morn
    Whereon our Savior-King is born;
      Sing to all men,—­the bond, the free,
    The rich, the poor, the high, the low,
      The little child that sports in glee,
    The aged folk that tottering go,—­
          Proclaim the morn
          That Christ is born,
    That saveth them and saveth me!

          Sing, angel host! 
    Sing of the star that God has placed
    Above the manger in the East;
       Sing of the glories of the night,
    The virgin’s sweet humility,
       The Babe with kingly robes bedight,—­
    Sing to all men where’er they be
          This Christmas morn;
          For Christ is born,
    That saveth them and saveth me!

           Sing, sons of earth! 
    O ransomed seed of Adam, sing! 
    God liveth, and we have a king! 
       The curse is gone, the bond are free—­
    By Bethlehem’s star that brightly beamed,
       By all the heavenly signs that be,
    We know that Israel is redeemed;
          That on this morn
          The Christ is born
    That saveth you and saveth me!