“We had better go to sleep now,” they agreed. They dozed off for a moment. Then the haystack stirred. “Did you hear anything?” it asked. “I thought for a moment I heard voices.” The donkey opened one eye. “You’re dreaming. Go back to sleep.” But the cow nuzzled the hay with her soft nose. “I thought I heard something, too,” she said drowsily. Then they all slept. When they awakened again it was to a strange sense of mystery. The haystack was the first to move. The manger seemed to be filled with a di vine glory which pressed so closely that the hay was almost suffocated with this weight of wonder. “Why, it’s a baby!” it gasped. “A little newborn baby!” The donkey roused from his slum ber, raised one foot and then an other, and gazed around in astonish ment. There was the man and w^oman whom he had brought from Nazareth, bending over the manger and gazing into the upturned face of a newborn babe. The cow opened her sad eyes and suddenly she didn’t seem to be in the stuffy stable any more. She seemed to be out on the low hillsides again, watching shepherds like these in this
Jesus' Birthday Present Olive Mary Stewart "CHVE-YEAR-OLD Lucy was sitting on her daddy’s knee looking at the colored pictures in a Christmas story book. Her father turned to the picture of the little baby Jesus lying in the manger. “Daddy, is Christmas still Jesus’ birthday?” asked Lucy. “Why, yes,” answered Daddy, “you have a birthday party every year to remember your birthday, and we have remembered Jesus’ birthday right down through the years.” “Oh,” said Lucy thoughtfully, “but when I have a birthday everybody gives me presents. Doesn’t Jesus get any birthday presents?” “Well,” Daddy was puzzled. “It is strange, but when Jesus’ birthday comes along we get presents for each other, but ye never seem to get any thing for Jesus.” Lucy jumped down from her father’s lap. “I think I’ll get Jesus a present this year. I’m going to look as hard as I can and find something real useful for Him.” Every day when she went Christmas shopping in the big stores with her mother, her eyes covered the long shining counters in search of a pres ent for Jesus. Nobody seemed to understand her plan. She whispered to one friendly clerk that she wanted to buy a birth day gift for Jesus. The clerk just smiled down at the little blue-eyed girl, looked puzzled, and turned away to wait on another customer. The busy days passed until at last Christmas morning came. It was always so exciting around the Christmas tree with Daddy calling out names and handing out the gifts. At last when every parcel had been opened and the floor was covered with wrapping paper, Daddy said, “Well, Lucy, where is your present for Jesus?” “I am it,” answered Lucy, “I looked very hard and couldn’t find anything real useful, so I thought He would like me. Maybe He can use me.” Daddy looked at Lucy in her white robe, her fair curls topped with a big red bow. He felt very sure that Jesus would love the gift Lucy had chosen. — ;--------- -- “When they [the wise men] were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gilts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh" (Matt. 2:11). TH E K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S ------------------ ★
“Thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins’’ (Matt. 1:21). Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child, Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled, Within my heart, that it may be A quiet chamber kept for Thee. My heart for very joy doth leap, My lips no more can tilence keep, I too must sing, with joyful tongue, That sweetest ancient cradle song, Glory to God in highest Heaven, Who unto man His Son hath given. While angels sing, with pious mirth. A glad New Year to all the earth. — Martin Luther. “I only know,” said the cow, “there is something most unusual about that Baby. All the sadness has gone out of my heart since He has come.” “I only know,” sighed the hay, “that I never felt like this before, even out in the sunshine on my beautiful hill side. I never felt so warm, so com forted, so satisfied. I shall never quite understand it, never.” “And I only know,” interrupted Pen ny, “that I do understand it. And I’m very glad that I am not a sad-faced cow, or a homesick haystack, or a don key with tired feet, but just a little girl who doesn’t have to wonder what it is all about. I know that that Baby was Jesus, the Saviour of the world, and I love Him.” Mother smiled. “And you, Peter?” she asked. “I only know,” said Peter, that I love Him too. Thanks for the help -on viewpoints.”
place, tending their flocks in the f i e l d s of B e t h 1 e - hem. Then she realized t h a t this was the cattle shed all right. But what h a d brought s h e p h e r d s h e r e ? T h e y were stepping s o f t l y across t h e scattered
hay; they Were kneeling before the manger; they were saying things that she could not understand. All that she could understand was that a baby was lying in the pianger where no baby had been before, and somehow she was sorrowful no longer. She lowed contentedly. The three looked at one another, but nobody said anything until the shep herds had left. Then, very softly, so as not to disturb the sleeping baby, they whispered together. “That’s the couple I brought up from Nazareth, just ordinary people, though very nice, to be sure. But this Baby— He seems to be someone different. What was that the shepherds said? Saviour? Christ, the Lord? I’m just a stupid donkey. I don’t know what it’s all about. I only know I’m glad that I carried the good woman from Naza reth. I only know my feet aren’t tired any more.”
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