He shows Himself in so simple aspect, and dress, that she, who, of all people on the earth, should have known Him best, glancing quickly back through her tears, does not know Him. Takes Him for "the gardener." Now, unless absolute orders had been given to us, such as would have rendered error impossible, (which would have altered the entire temper of Christian probation); could we possibly have had more distinct indication of the purpose of the Master--born first by witness of shepherds, in a cattle-shed, then by witness of the person for whom He had done most, and who loved Him best, in the garden, and in gardener's guise, and not known even by His familiar friends till He gave them bread--could it be told us, I repeat, more definitely by any sign or indication whatsoever, that the noblest human life was appointed to be by the cattle-fold and in the garden; and to be known as noble in breaking of bread? Now, but a few words more. You will constantly hear foolish and ignoble persons conceitedly proclaiming the text, that "not many wise and not many noble are called." Nevertheless, of those who are truly wise, and truly noble, all are called that exist. And to sight of this Nativity, you find that, together with the simple persons, near at hand, there were called precisely the wisest men that could be found on earth at that moment. And these men, for their own part, came--I beg you very earnestly again to note this--not to see, nor talk--but to do reverence. They are neither curious nor talkative, but submissive. And, so far as they came to teach, they came as teachers of one virtue only: Obedience. For of this Child, at once Prince and Servant, Shepherd and Lamb, it was written: "See, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. He shall not strive, nor cry, till he shall bring forth Judgment unto Victory." My friends, of the black country, you may have wondered at my telling you so often,--I tell you nevertheless, once more, in bidding you farewell this year,--that one main purpose of the education I want you to seek is, that you may see the sky, with the stars of it again; and be enabled, in their material light--"riveder le stelle." But, much more, out of this blackness of the smoke of the Pit, the blindness of heart, in which the children of Disobedience blaspheme God and each other, heaven grant to you the vision of that sacred light, at pause over the place where the young Child was laid; and ordain that more and more in each coming Christmas it may be said of you, "When they saw the Star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy." Believe me your faithful servant, JOHN RUSKIN. NOTES [1] Communicated to me by my friend Mr. Rawdon Brown, of Venice, from his yet unpublished work, 'The English in Italy in the 14th Century.' [2] See Carey's translation of the ninth book of Dante's 'Purgatory,' line 105.