Produced by Chris Curnow, Greg Bergquist and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) Christmas Light [Illustration] Christmas Light BY ETHEL CALVERT PHILLIPS _With Illustrations_ [Illustration] BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge 1922 COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY ETHEL CALVERT PHILLIPS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The Riverside Press CAMBRIDGE MASSACHUSETTS PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. TO MY MOTHER Light of the world, the world is dark about Thee; Far out on Judah's hills the night is deep. Not yet the day is come when men shall doubt Thee, Not yet the hour when Thou must wake and weep; O little one, O Lord of Glory, sleep! Love of all heaven, love's arms are folded round Thee, Love's heart shall be the pillow for Thy cheek. Not yet the hour has come when hate shall wound Thee, Not yet for shelter vainly must Thou seek. Rest, little one, so mighty and so weak. Lie still and rest, Thou Rest of earth and heaven; Rest, little hands--our Hope of bliss ye keep; Rest, little heart--one day shalt Thou be riven; O newborn Life, O Life eternal, sleep! Far out on Judah's hills the night is deep. [Illustration] [Illustration] Contents I. Naomi's Garden 1 II. One Sabbath 20 III. The Trip to Jerusalem 37 IV. In the Dark 60 V. All the World Comes Visiting 73 VI. The Shepherds 88 VII. In a Manger 101 VIII. The Light of the World 116 [Illustration] Christmas Light CHAPTER I NAOMI'S GARDEN It was in a little garden in the village of Bethlehem, many and many a year ago, that four scarlet poppies stood side by side and swayed gently back and forth upon their slim green stalks in the soft afternoon wind. A little girl came running over the grass and halted before the poppies. "How beautiful you are!" said the little girl, whose name was Naomi, and who was eight years old. She clasped her hands before her in delight, and stood smiling down upon the flowers that seemed to nod courteously in reply. This little Jewish girl had dark curling hair and gentle brown eyes. Her cheeks were as rosy as the poppies, and she wore a gay little robe of scarlet and yellow striped stuff, while upon her bare brown feet were tied soft leather sandals. "How beautiful you are!" said Naomi again to the poppies. "You are mine, for I made you grow, and you are the most beautiful flowers in all our lovely garden." And she looked as proudly round the tiny garden plot as if it were as spacious and as wonderful as the famous gardens of the wicked King Herod, or even those of the Temple High Priest himself.