The mother continued in the soft, tender voice that began to tremble with her in her ecstasy. "This day is thy birthday. Twelve years ago this eventide, when thou camest into the world of men, men came to worship and praise God for thee,--the lowliest and the highest,--as a token that thou wert to be not only Son of God but Son of Man as well. Poor, ignorant shepherds crowded about us in that little stable where we lay, and left the sweet savor of their prayers, and tears, and rejoicings. And great, wise kings from another part of the earth came also." From beneath the folds of her robe she drew forth by a fine-spun chain an intricately chased casket of soft, yellow gold. The boy took it dreamily into his hands, and as his fingers opened it, there floated forth upon the air of the hills of Nazareth the sacred odor of incense mingled with a perfume indescribably delicate and precious. "Read!" whispered the mother. The boy held his breath suddenly. There, on the lower surface of the lid, graven in rude characters, as if on the inspiration of the moment, stood the single word LOVE She flung wide her arms as if to embrace the universe. "Love! Love! Love!" she cried in her rich mother's voice. "It is the greatest thing in the world! It is the message of the Messiah!" The heavens over the sea were of molten gold, and a golden glow seemed to radiate from the boyish face that confronted them. In their trance-like ecstasy the wonderful eyes gazed full into the blinding west--gazed on and on until day had passed into night. One iterant sound alone, as it drew closer, stirred the silence of that evening: it was the voice of one crying in the wilderness. * * * * * THE END * * * * * Transcriber's notes. 1. There is an editorial error in the original edition of this book: "The Star Song" by Robert Herrick is listed in the Table of Contents but not included in the text. For this edition "The Star Song" was removed from the Table of Contents. 2. In the "Inexhaustibility of the Subject of Christmas" by Leigh Hunt the following sentence: "There are two p's, observe, in plenipotential; and so there are in plum-pudding. We love an exquisite fitness,--a might and wealth of adaptation). is transcribed: (There are two p's, observe, in plenipotential; and so there are in plum-pudding. We love an exquisite fitness,--a might and wealth of adaptation). 3. In "Christmas Holly:" I sing the holly, and who can breathe Aught of that that is not good? Then sing to the holly, the Christmas holly, That hangs over peasant and king; was changed as follows to correct an error and to preserve the symmetrical verse structure [4,8,8,8,4]: I sing the holly, and who can breathe Aught of that that is not good? Then sing to the holly, the Christmas holly, That hangs over peasant and king; 4. In "Sery" by Richard Watson Gilder: