CONTENTS"THE GRACIOUS TIME"THE ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS ST. LUKE, II, 1-16THE CHILD BORN AT BETHLEHEM HORACE ELISHA SCUDDERAS JOSEPH WAS A-WALKING OLD ENGLISH CAROLTHE PEACEFUL NIGHT JOHN MILTONTHE CHRISTMAS SILENCE MARGARET DELANDNEIGHBORS OF THE CHRIST NIGHT NORA ARCHIBALD SMITHCHRISTMAS CAROL FROM THE NEAPOLITANA CHRISTMAS HYMN RICHARD WATSON GILDERTHE SONG OF A SHEPHERD--BOY AT BETHLEHEM JOSEPHINE PRESTON PEABODYTHE FIRST CHRISTMAS ROSES ADAPTED FROM AN OLD LEGENDTHE LITTLE GRAY LAMB ARCHIBALD BERESFORD SULLIVANTHE HOLY NIGHT ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNINGTHE STAR BEARER EDMUND CLARENCE STEDMANTHE VISIT OF THE WISE MEN ST. MATTHEW, II, 1-12THE THREE KINGS HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOWTHE THREE HOLY KINGS ADAPTED FROM THE GOLDEN LEGEND, AND OTHER SOURCESTHE THREE KINGS OF COLOGNE EUGENE FIELDBABOUSCKA ADELAIDE SKEELTHE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT SELMA LAGERLÖFTHE HAUGHTY ASPEN NORA ARCHIBALD SMITHTHE LITTLE MUD-SPARROWS ELIZABETH STUART PHELPSTHE CHILDREN OF WIND AND THE CLAN OF PEACE FIONA MACLEODTHE CHILD JESUS IN THE GARDEN AUTHOR UNKNOWNTHE MYSTIC THORN ADAPTED FROM TRADITIONAL SOURCESTHE BLOOMING OF THE WHITE THORN EDITH MATILDA THOMASLEGEND OF ST. CHRISTOPHER ADAPTED FROM THE GOLDEN LEGENDST. CHRISTOPHER OF THE GAEL FIONA MACLEODTHE CROSS OF THE DUMB FIONA MACLEODTHE CHRISTMAS SONG OF CAEDMON H.E.G. PARDEEGOOD KING WENCESLAS JOHN MASON NEALETHE CHRISTMAS AT GRECCIO: A STORY OF ST. FRANCIS SOPHIE JEWETTTHE SIN OF THE PRINCE BISHOP WILLIAM CANTONEARL SIGURD'S CHRISTMAS EVE HJALMAR HJORTH BOYESENA CHRISTMAS LEGEND FLORENCE SCANNELLTHE LEGEND OF THE CHRISTMAS ROSE SELMA LAGERLÖFFÉLIX EVALEEN STEINTHE SABOT OF LITTLE WOLFF FRANÇOIS COPPÉETHE LITTLE FRIEND ABBIE FARWELL BROWNWHERE LOVE IS, THERE GOD IS ALSO COUNT LYOF N. TOLSTOÏCHRISTMAS INLEGEND AND STORY"THE GRACIOUS TIME"According to tradition, on the Holy Night there fell upon Bethlehem ofJudea a strange and unnatural calm; the voices of the birds were hushed,water ceased to flow and the wind was stilled. But when the child Jesuswas born all nature burst into new life; trees put forth green leaves,grass sprang up and bright flowers bloomed. To animals was granted thepower of human speech and the ox and the ass knelt in their stalls inadoration of the infant Saviour. Then it was that the shepherds abiding inthe field with their flocks heard the angels praising God, and kings ofthe Orient watching in their "far country" saw ablaze in the heavens thelong-expected sign. Even in distant Rome there sprang up a well orfountain which "ran largely" and the ancient prophetess, Sibyl, lookingeastward from the Capitoline hill heard the angel song and saw in visionall the wonders of that night.There are many such traditional tales of the nativity, of the "star-ledwizards" and of the marvels wrought by the boy Christ. They tell of thebees singing their sweet hymn of praise to the Lord, of the palm-treebending down its branches that the weary travellers fleeing from the wrathof Herod might be refreshed by its fruit, of the juniper which opened toconceal them and of the sweet-smelling balsam which grew wherever thedrops of moisture fell from the brow of the Boy "as He ran about or toiledin His loving service for His Mother." Quaint fancies some of these,perhaps, and not all of them worth preserving; but oftentimes beautiful,and with a germ of truth.From the centuries between then and now, come stories of holy men, ofbishops and peasant-saints, and of brave men who preached the White Christto the vikings of the north or on Iona's isle. As in popular belief, witheach returning eve of the nativity the miracles of the first Christmashappen again, so in these tales the thorn-tree blossoms anew and wonderfulroses bloom in the bleak forest.Other stories tell how on each Christmas eve the little Christ-child comesagain to earth and wanders through village or town, while lighted candlesare placed in the windows to guide Him on His way.