Page:The art of story-telling, with nearly half a hundred stories, y Julia Darrow Cowles .. (IA artofstorytellin00cowl).pdf/268

 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