Upon the hill-side, too, slept the
shepherd's flock. I had counted them again and again; I had stolen
across their gentle faces and brought them pleasant dreams of green
pastures and of cool water-brooks. I had kissed old Benoni, too, as he
lay slumbering there; and in his dreams he seemed to see Israel's King
come upon earth, and in his dreams he murmured the promised Messiah's
name.
"'Ah, is it you, little moonbeam?' quoth the violets. 'You have come
in good time. Nestle here with us, and see wonderful things come to
pass.'
"'What are these wonderful things of which you speak?' I asked.
"'We heard the old olive-tree telling of them to-night,' said the
violets. 'Do not go to sleep, little violets,' said the old
olive-tree, 'for this is Christmas night, and the Master shall walk
upon the hill-side in the glory of the midnight hour.' So we waited
and watched; one by one the lambs fell asleep; one by one the stars
peeped out; the shepherd nodded and crooned, and crooned and nodded,
and at last he, too, went fast asleep, and his crook slipped from his
keeping. Then we called to the old olive-tree yonder, asking how soon
the midnight hour would come; but all the old olive-tree answered was
'Presently, presently,' and finally we, too, fell asleep, wearied by
our long watching, and lulled by the rocking and swaying of the old
olive-tree in the breezes of the night.
"'But who is this Master?' I asked.
"'A child, a little child,' they answered. 'He is called the little
Master by the others.
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