CHRISTMAS IN LEGEND AND STORY

CONTENTS

"THE GRACIOUS TIME"

THE ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS
ST. LUKE, II, 1-16

THE CHILD BORN AT BETHLEHEM
HORACE ELISHA SCUDDER

AS JOSEPH WAS A-WALKING
OLD ENGLISH CAROL

THE PEACEFUL NIGHT
JOHN MILTON

THE CHRISTMAS SILENCE
MARGARET DELAND

NEIGHBORS OF THE CHRIST NIGHT
NORA ARCHIBALD SMITH

CHRISTMAS CAROL
FROM THE NEAPOLITAN

A CHRISTMAS HYMN
RICHARD WATSON GILDER

THE SONG OF A SHEPHERD--BOY AT BETHLEHEM
JOSEPHINE PRESTON PEABODY

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS ROSES
ADAPTED FROM AN OLD LEGEND

THE LITTLE GRAY LAMB
ARCHIBALD BERESFORD SULLIVAN

THE HOLY NIGHT
ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING

THE STAR BEARER
EDMUND CLARENCE STEDMAN

THE VISIT OF THE WISE MEN
ST. MATTHEW, II, 1-12

THE THREE KINGS
HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

THE THREE HOLY KINGS
ADAPTED FROM THE GOLDEN LEGEND, AND OTHER SOURCES

THE THREE KINGS OF COLOGNE
EUGENE FIELD

BABOUSCKA
ADELAIDE SKEEL

THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT
SELMA LAGERLÖF

THE HAUGHTY ASPEN
NORA ARCHIBALD SMITH

THE LITTLE MUD-SPARROWS
ELIZABETH STUART PHELPS

THE CHILDREN OF WIND AND THE CLAN OF PEACE
FIONA MACLEOD

THE CHILD JESUS IN THE GARDEN
AUTHOR UNKNOWN

THE MYSTIC THORN
ADAPTED FROM TRADITIONAL SOURCES

THE BLOOMING OF THE WHITE THORN
EDITH MATILDA THOMAS

LEGEND OF ST. CHRISTOPHER
ADAPTED FROM THE GOLDEN LEGEND

ST. CHRISTOPHER OF THE GAEL
FIONA MACLEOD

THE CROSS OF THE DUMB
FIONA MACLEOD

THE CHRISTMAS SONG OF CAEDMON
H.E.G. PARDEE

GOOD KING WENCESLAS
JOHN MASON NEALE

THE CHRISTMAS AT GRECCIO: A STORY OF ST. FRANCIS
SOPHIE JEWETT

THE SIN OF THE PRINCE BISHOP
WILLIAM CANTON

EARL SIGURD'S CHRISTMAS EVE
HJALMAR HJORTH BOYESEN

A CHRISTMAS LEGEND
FLORENCE SCANNELL

THE LEGEND OF THE CHRISTMAS ROSE
SELMA LAGERLÖF

FÉLIX
EVALEEN STEIN

THE SABOT OF LITTLE WOLFF
FRANÇOIS COPPÉE

THE LITTLE FRIEND
ABBIE FARWELL BROWN

WHERE LOVE IS, THERE GOD IS ALSO
COUNT LYOF N. TOLSTOÏ



CHRISTMAS IN
LEGEND AND STORY



"THE GRACIOUS TIME"


According to tradition, on the Holy Night there fell upon Bethlehem of
Judea a strange and unnatural calm; the voices of the birds were hushed,
water ceased to flow and the wind was stilled. But when the child Jesus
was born all nature burst into new life; trees put forth green leaves,
grass sprang up and bright flowers bloomed. To animals was granted the
power of human speech and the ox and the ass knelt in their stalls in
adoration of the infant Saviour. Then it was that the shepherds abiding in
the field with their flocks heard the angels praising God, and kings of
the Orient watching in their "far country" saw ablaze in the heavens the
long-expected sign. Even in distant Rome there sprang up a well or
fountain which "ran largely" and the ancient prophetess, Sibyl, looking
eastward from the Capitoline hill heard the angel song and saw in vision
all the wonders of that night.

There are many such traditional tales of the nativity, of the "star-led
wizards" and of the marvels wrought by the boy Christ. They tell of the
bees singing their sweet hymn of praise to the Lord, of the palm-tree
bending down its branches that the weary travellers fleeing from the wrath
of Herod might be refreshed by its fruit, of the juniper which opened to
conceal them and of the sweet-smelling balsam which grew wherever the
drops of moisture fell from the brow of the Boy "as He ran about or toiled
in His loving service for His Mother." Quaint fancies some of these,
perhaps, and not all of them worth preserving; but oftentimes beautiful,
and with a germ of truth.

From the centuries between then and now, come stories of holy men, of
bishops and peasant-saints, and of brave men who preached the White Christ
to the vikings of the north or on Iona's isle. As in popular belief, with
each returning eve of the nativity the miracles of the first Christmas
happen again, so in these tales the thorn-tree blossoms anew and wonderful
roses bloom in the bleak forest.

Other stories tell how on each Christmas eve the little Christ-child comes
again to earth and wanders through village or town, while lighted candles
are placed in the windows to guide Him on His way.