For a while after the beautiful song had died away and the light had failed, the shepherds stood with bowed heads.  Then each one gathered his cloak around him and took his staff in his hand and they started together to find the place and the Child about which they had heard.

Hastening into Bethlehem they came to the inn and found Joseph and Mary, and the babe, lying in the manger, just as the angel said they would.  They worshipped the Child and returned to their duties, praising God and glorifying Him.

After that Joseph and Mary went away to another place and took the child Jesus with them, and many others came to worship Him.  Among them were three Wise Men who had come from separate places and all from a great distance.

They followed the star which was set in the heavens to guide them and they too found the One they sought.

As they came into the place where He was, each one bowed in worship and they laid before Him the gifts they had brought—­gold, frankincense and myrrh.

What a wonderful story it is, and how our hearts swell with love as we think about it!  It is fitting that tonight we should dwell upon it, for we, too, have come to worship our King.  It is His birthday and we have come together to bring Him our gifts.  We have brought “white gifts” because they are the expression of our pure, unselfish love.

The Wise Men brought gold, and we have brought our gifts of substance—­money and food and clothing and things that will help to make others comfortable and happy.

The Wise Men brought frankincense, and we bring gifts of service; for each one of us desires to do some one thing all during the year that will make for good and make us worthy followers of Him.

The Wise Men brought myrrh, and we bring devotion; for we bring the gift of self.  If we have not already given ourselves to the Master, we want to do so now; and if we have done so, we want to reconsecrate our lives to Him.

THE STAR[*]

By Florence M. Kingsley

Once upon a time in a country far away from here, there lived a little girl named Ruth.  Ruth’s home was not at all like our houses, for she lived in a little tower on top of the great stone wall that surrounded the town of Bethlehem.  Ruth’s father was the hotel-keeper—­the Bible says the “inn keeper.”  This inn was not at all like our hotels, either.  There was a great open yard, which was called the courtyard.  All about this yard were little rooms and each traveler who came to the hotel rented one.  The inn stood near the great stone wall of the city, so that as Ruth stood, one night, looking out of the tower window, she looked directly into the courtyard.  It was truly a strange sight that met her eyes.  So many people were coming to the inn, for the King had made a law that every man should come back to the city where his father used to live to be counted and to