“‘Come away!’ called the night wind; ’I know a beauteous sea not far hence, upon whose bosom you shall float, float, float away out into the mists and clouds, if you will come with me.’

“But I hid under the violets and amid the tall grass, that the night wind might not woo me with its pleading.  ‘Ho, there, old olive-tree!’ cried the violets; ’do you see the little Master coming?  Is not the midnight hour at hand?’

“‘I can see the town yonder,’ said the old olive-tree.  ’A star beams bright over Bethlehem, the iron gates swing open, and the little Master comes.’

“Two children came to the hill-side.  The one, older than his comrade, was Dimas, the son of Benoni.  He was rugged and sinewy, and over his brown shoulders was flung a goatskin; a leathern cap did not confine his long, dark curly hair.  The other child was he whom they called the little Master; about his slender form clung raiment white as snow, and around his face of heavenly innocence fell curls of golden yellow.  So beautiful a child I had not seen before, nor have I ever since seen such as he.  And as they came together to the hill-side, there seemed to glow about the little Master’s head a soft white light, as if the moon had sent its tenderest, fairest beams to kiss those golden curls.

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

“‘Have no fear, Dimas,’ said the little Master.  ’Give me thy hand, and I will lead thee.’

“Presently they came to the rock whereon Benoni, the shepherd, lay; and they stood under the old olive-tree, and the old olive-tree swayed no longer in the night wind, but bent its branches reverently in the presence of the little Master.  It seemed as if the wind, too, stayed in its shifting course just then; for suddenly there was a solemn hush, and you could hear no noise, except that in his dreams Benoni spoke the Messiah’s name.

[Illustration:  “‘What sound was that?’ cried Dimas, for he was exceeding fearful.”]

“‘Thy father sleeps,’ said the little Master, ’and it is well that it is so; for that I love thee Dimas, and that thou shalt walk with me in my Father’s kingdom, I would show thee the glories of my birthright.’

“Then all at once sweet music filled the air, and light, greater than the light of day, illumined the sky and fell upon all that hill-side.  The heavens opened, and angels, singing joyous songs, walked to the earth.  More wondrous still, the stars, falling from their places in the sky, clustered upon the old olive-tree, and swung hither and thither like colored lanterns.  The flowers of the hill-side all awakened, and they, too, danced and sang.  The angels, coming hither, hung gold and silver and jewels and precious stones upon the old olive, where swung the stars; so that the glory of that sight, though I might live forever, I shall never see again.  When Dimas heard and saw these things he fell upon his knees, and catching the hem of the little Master’s garment, he kissed it.