The strange men
plied their axes with cruel vigor, and the tree was hewn to the
ground. Its beautiful branches were cut away and cast aside, and its
soft, thick foliage was strewn to the tenderer mercies of the winds.
"They are killing me!" cried the tree; "why is not the angel here to
protect me?"
But no one heard the piteous cry,--none but the other trees of the
forest; and they wept, and the little vine wept too.
Then the cruel men dragged the despoiled and hewn tree from the
forest, and the forest saw that beauteous thing no more.
But the night wind that swept down from the City of the Great King
that night to ruffle the bosom of distant Galilee, tarried in the
forest awhile to say that it had seen that day a cross upraised on
Calvary,--the tree on which was stretched the body of the dying
Master.
STAR OF THE EAST
Star of the East, that long ago
Brought wise men on their way
Where, angels singing to and fro,
The Child of Bethlehem lay--
Above that Syrian hill afar
Thou shinest out to-night, O Star!
[Illustration:
To seek that manger out and lay
Our gifts before the child--
To bring our hearts and offer them
Unto our King in Bethlehem!
]
Star of the East, the night were drear
But for the tender grace
That with thy glory comes to cheer
Earth's loneliest, darkest place;
For by that charity we see
Where there is hope for all and me.
Star of the East! show us the way
In wisdom undefiled
To seek that manger out and lay
Our gifts before the child--
To bring our hearts and offer them
Unto our King in Bethlehem!
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Christmas Tales and Christmas Verse, by
Eugene Field
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHRISTMAS TALES AND ***
***** This file should be named 17630.
Pages:
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79