No one gave heed, save that the King drew back his royal robes and bade his courtiers clear his pathway of beggars; the great singer asked angrily who was this who dared to interrupt him in his singing, and turned his back upon the child to begin his song anew; the poet saw him not, because his eyes were not lifted from the book, while some, impatient at the interrupted melody, or taking counsel from the king’s frown, jostled him in rude malice.
True, the priest turned on him a kindly glance and would have spoken, but that a sudden movement in the crowd gave hope of the Christ Child’s coming, and he forgot all else to press after the others.
But little Karl, now shivering with cold, had pity, and crept to the stranger boy’s side, and broke his one piece of bread with him and offered him a place in his sheltered doorway.
“It is cold,” Karl said, “and I have lent my cloak, or we could share it with each other, and the bread is old, but it is all I have, and indeed one feels hunger and cold but lightly who watches for the Christ Child and hopes for his blessing.”
When, lo! as the ragged boy broke the bread and ate with Karl, his face became glorified, and a light like soft moonlight played about his fair temples, and the eyes that looked into the very soul of Karl, as he rose in glad amaze, were clear and wonderful as the winter stars, and yet gentle as the eyes of a pet lamb.
And suddenly, as he gazed, Karl fell, worshiping, for he knew that he had had speech with the Christ Child.
Then, while the crowd still surged and quarreled and waited, watching, the Christ Child walked through the soft falling snows, where little Karl led the way. And they sought out the beggar, and the lame man, and the little children, and the great who were also good, and all whose smiles were kindly and whose hearts were like those of little children.
Story of the Ark[34]
Now God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and it repented God that he had made man. But Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation, and Noah walked with God.
And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them, and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.