And through the beautiful white pathway of the snow a herald rode, and cried that to-night the dear Christ Child would walk through the streets, and even as the falling snow made all barren and ugly things lovely, so would the Christ Child’s coming glorify the souls of them that met him aright, and they would be forever blest who should gain speech with him.
No wonder that a million candles lighted the streets. No wonder that great and proud, rich and poor, the sick, the old, and the lame thronged the white beauty of the streets and wandered up and down, wondering and waiting.
The King came forth in royal robes with a throng of courtiers at his back. He bore himself proudly, and proudly he waited.
The priest was there, bearing the blessed cross, and lifting prayerful eyes to the white sky.
The great singer came, singing his loveliest songs in tones so sweet that all who heard him wondered, and said, “Surely he will have speech with the Christ Child.”
The poet came with his book, and soldiers with gleaming swords, boasting of battles they had won, and all looked with eager eyes up and down the streets, each longing to be the first to see the Christ Child in all his beauty.
So, in their eagerness they pressed now this way and now that, heeding nothing but their one desire. The shivering beggar was jostled, the lame man was trampled under foot, and lay moaning in a doorway, and children were thrust aside from their eager gazing, and fell, weeping and disappointed, or fled from the stern presence of some blustering soldier, to hide in alleyways, praying that the little Christ Child would find them there, waiting to worship him.
Among the children was one braver than the others—little Karl. He had gone out with a glad heart, saying to his mother, “I will not come back, though I walk the streets all night, until I will see the Christ Child and gain a blessing for you and for me.” But his mother kissed him fondly, saying, “Go my son, but do not grieve if you do not see the Christ Child, for there is blessing even in seeking him.”
So little Karl, seeing so many crushed and crowded back, though fearing that the Christ Child should pass while he spent the time, lifted the lame man to a place of safety, apart from the crowd, followed the shivering beggar and lent him his cloak, and comforted the weeping children.
And meanwhile the crowd pushed and jostled and threatened, and no one gave heed to a ragged boy who pressed slowly through the throng, going from street to street, and saying now and again, “I hunger. Will one give me a crust of bread?”