A Christmas Story

Once upon a time, a good many years go, there was a traveler, and he set out ipon a journey. It was a niagic journey, nd was to seem very long wlien he began it, and very short wlien he got half way through. fie traveled along a very dark path br orne littte lime, without meeting anyliinj.', until at last he carne to a beautitul hild. ''What do you do here?'' And the liild said "I am alvvays at play. Come nd lay with me." So he played with that child the whole ay long, and they were very merry. 'Ue sky was so blue, the sun was so right, the water so sparkling, the leaves Creen, the llowers were so lovely, and ley heard such singing birds, and saw 10 ínany butterflies, that everything was leautiful. This was in fine weather. Vhen it rained they loved to watch the alling drops, and to smell the fresh cents. Wheu it blew, it was dellghtful o listen to the wlnd and fancy what it aid, as it carne rustling from its home - here was that, they wondered! - whistng and bowling, driving the clouds bebre it, bending the trees, rumbling in ie chimneys, shaking the house, and lakingthe sea roar in fury. But when it nowed, that was best of all ; for they liked othing so well as to look up at the white akes falling fast and thick, like down rom the breasts of millions of white )irds; and to see how smooth and deep he drift was; and to listen to the hugh pon the paths and the roads. They had plenty of the finest toys in ie world, and the most astonishing icture books; all about scimitars and lippers and turbans, and dwarfs, and jiants, and gcnü, and t'üiries. and blue)eard, and bean-stUWs, and riches, and averns, and foresta, and Valentines and rsons: and all new and all true: But, one day, of a sudden, the traveler osl the child. He called to him over and ver again, but got no answer. So he went upon his road, and on for a üttle while without meeting anything, until at ast he carne to a handsome boy. So he aid to the boy: "What do you do here?" nd the boy said: "I am always learning. ome and learn with me." 80 he learned with that boy about upiter and Juno, and the Greeks, and he liomans, and I don't know what, and earned more than I could teil- or he ither, for he soon forgot a great deal of t. But they were not always learning; hey had the merriest games that ever were played. They rowed upon the iver iu summer, and skated upon the ice 11 winter; they were active afoot, and active on horseback; at cricket and all ames of ball ; at prisoner's base, and ïare and hound, follow my leader, and nore sports than I can think of; nobody could beat them. They hud holidayis oo, and Twelfth cakes, and parties where they danced till midnight, and real theatres where they saw palaces of real jold and silver rise out of real earth, and saw all the wonders of the eartli at once. As to friends, they had such dear friends and so many ol them, that I want the time to reckon them up. They were all young, like the handsome boy, and were never to be strange to ono another all their lives through. Still, one day in the mid.-t of all these pleasures, the traveler lost the boy as he had lost the child, and after calling to him in vain, went 011 upon his journey. So he went on for a little while without seeing anything, until at last he carne to a young man : "What do you do here?" And tha young man said, "I am always in love. Come and love with me." 80 he went with the young man and presently they carne to one of the prettlest yomig girls that ever was seen - just like Fanny, and hair like Fanny, and dimples like Fanny's, and she laughed and colered just as Fanny does while I am talking about her. So the young man feil in love directly - just as Somebody 1 won't mention, the first time he carne here, did with Fanny. WellI He was teased sometimes - just as somebody used to be by Fanny ; and they quarreled sometimes - just as Somebody and Fanny used to quarrel; and they made it up, and sut in the dark, and wrote letters every day, and never were happy asunder, and were always looking out for one another and pretendinr not to, and were engaged at Christmas time, and sat close to one another by the tire, and were g(ing to be married very soon - all exactly like Somebody I won't mention and Fanny. But, the traveler lost them one day, af he had lost the rest of his friends, and after calling to them to come back, which they never did, went on upon his journey. So, he went on for a little while without seeing anything, until at last he cime to a middle-aged gentleman. So, he said to the gentleman, " What are you doing here?," And his answer was, "I am always busy. Come and be busy with me." 80, he began to be very busy with that gentleman, and they went on through the wood together. The whole journey was through a wood, only it had been open and green at first, like a wood in spring; and now began to be thick and dark, like a wood in summer, some of the little trees that had come out earliest were even turning brown. The gentleman was not alone, but had a lady of about the same age with him, who was his wife; and they had children, who were with them too. So, they all wenl on through the wood, cutting down the tree?, and niaking a path through the branches and the tallen leaves, and car rying thejburdens, and working hard. Sometimes, they carne to a long green avenue that openeJ toto deeper woods Thcn they would hear a very little distant voice crying, " Father, father, I am another child! Stop for me!" Anc presently they would see a very little figure, growing larger as it carne along running to join them. Wlien it carne up, they all crowded round it and kisset and wclcomed it; and then they went 01 together. Sometimes, they camc to several ave nues at once, and then they all stood stlll and one of the children said, " Father. am going to the sea," and another said " Father, I am going to 6eek my fortun where I can," and another said, " I am going to Heaven!" So, with many tear ut parting, they went, solitary, down thoae avenues, each child upon its way and the child who went to Heaven, ros into the golden air and vanished. Whenever these partings happened, th traveler looked at the gentleman, am saw him glance up at the sky above th trees, where the day was bezinning to de cline, and the sunset to come on. H saw, too, that his hair was turninggray But they never could rest long, for the; had their journey to perform, and it wa necessary fjr them to be always busy. At Iaat, there had been so many partïngs that there were no children lett, and oniy the traveler, the gentleman, anti the lady, went upon their way in company. And now the wood was yellow and now brown; and the leavesf, eyen of he foreat trees began to fall. So, they came to an avenue that was darker than the rest, and were piessiii" orward on their jonrney, without look" ng down it when the lady stopper!. "My uusband," said the lady, "I am called." ïhey listened, and they heard a voice a long way down the avenue, suy, "Mothr, mother." It waa the voice of the firat chile] vho ïad said, "I'm going to Heaven!" and he father aaid, "I pray not jet. ïhe unaet is very near. I pray not yet." But, theyoice cried "Mother, mother!" without mindlng hlm, though his bair was now quite white, and tears were on iis face. Theu the mother who was already rawii into the shade of the dark avenue nd moving away with her arms still ound his neck, kissed him, and said, My dearest, I am summoned, and I go !" And she was gone. And the traveler nd he were left alone together. And they went on together, until they ame to very near the end of the wooil : o uear, that that they could see the sunet shining red before them tnrouMi the rees. Yet, once more, while he broke his way mong the branches, the traveltr lost is fnend. He called nd called, but there as no reply, and when he passed out of ie wood, and saw the peacetul sun going own upon a white purple prospect, he ame to an old man sitting on a fallen ee. 80, he said to the old man, " "Wliat o you do here ? " And the old man said ith a calm smile, "I am always remeinering. Come and remember with me! " 80 thet traveler sat down by the side of hat old man, face to face with the serene unset; and all his frieiuls came softly ack and stood around him. ïhe beuuüliild, the handsome boy, the young man n love, the father, mother and children: very one was there, and he had lost otning. So, he loved them all, and was ind and forbearing with them all, and was always pleased to watch them II, nd they all honored and loved hlm. And think the traveler must be youiself, ear grandfather, because this is what ou do to us, and what we do to you.