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 COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 
 
A 
 CHRISTMAS CAROL 
 
 By SIR NOEL PATON 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 IVAN SOMERVILLE & COMPANY 
 
 PUBLISHERS 
 
COPYRIGHT 1907 BY 
 IVAN SOMERVILLE & COMPANY 
 
 ] t rBnARY of congress) 
 
 NOV d 190^ 
 i 0»pyrta:ht Entry 
 
 CLASS A XXc.No, 
 
 ( ^COPY 0. 
 
 
 Designed and Printed at 
 
 THE VILLAGE PRESS 
 
 New York 
 
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 A CHRISTMAS CAROL 
 
 ^T was the Christ- 
 mas Eve; 
 
 The homeless wind 
 did grieve 
 
 Around the desolate 
 moorland, blind with snow; 
 When at my wattle door- 
 Shelter how frail and poor! 
 I heard the sound of weeping — 
 very low ; 
 And peering forth into the wild 
 and dreary night — lo! on the 
 threshold stood a child. 
 
 
 vv 
 
 v- 
 
II 
 
 His tiny feet were bare, 
 The snow was in his hair, 
 
 The snow was on his fluttering 
 
 raggedness. 
 *Pity a little one 
 Out in the storm alone,' 
 
 He feebly murmured in his 
 
 sore distress. 
 Within my arms I gathered him, 
 And bore with soothing words 
 into my chamber dim. 
 
Ill 
 
 And as I bore him in, 
 There came the silvery din 
 
 Of bells, far-chiming through 
 
 the fitful blore, 
 And from his pallid brow 
 A sweet light seemed to flow. 
 
 And from his tattered garment 
 
 wintry frore; 
 While from his eyes a look there 
 came 
 
 Of love, that thrilled like fire through 
 all my trembling frame. 
 
IV 
 
 I laid him on my bed, 
 
 And water brought and bread- - 
 
 The last scant remnant of my 
 
 hermit fare,- 
 Whereof he took, and slept; 
 While by his side I kept 
 
 Dark vigil, --all my spirit bowed 
 
 in prayer, 
 Towards the dawning of the morn 
 Whereon our blessed Lord and 
 Saviour, Christ, was born. 
 
V 
 
 But, hungered and a-cold, 
 Ere half my beads were told 
 
 The gentle boon of sleep to me 
 
 was given; 
 And in a solemn dream 
 I saw the wondrous gleam 
 
 Of that strange star high in the 
 
 Eastern heaven, 
 That led the Magi on their way. 
 What time the King of Kings 
 within the manger lay. 
 
VI 
 
 I saw the Angel throng, 
 Heard too the Heavenly song 
 
 Beside the shepherds in the 
 
 fields by night, 
 And eager ran with them 
 To where in Bethlehem 
 
 We found the Holy Babe in 
 
 swaddlings white; 
 And, kneeling in the sacred place, 
 I saw--and wept to see--in His 
 my wanderer's face ! 
 
VII 
 
 But they were tears of bliss,— 
 And bending low to kiss 
 
 In loving awe the rosy-tender 
 
 feet— 
 The vision passed; and--strange! 
 What means this mystic change 
 
 On all that doth my rapt observ- 
 
 ancemeet? 
 A blazing Yule-log on the hearth 
 Fills my late darksome cell with 
 light and warmth and mirth ! 
 
VIII 
 
 upon my table bare 
 A golden chalice fair 
 
 Shone brimmed with wine; 
 
 a golden paten held 
 Bread broken; a pale Rood 
 Beside them shadowy stood; 
 
 And from the patient eyes a great 
 
 love welled. . . 
 I turned to rouse my sleeping one; 
 But vacant stood the bed--and I 
 was all alone. 
 
IX 
 
 I sank upon my knees, 
 
 While once more on the breeze 
 
 The Christmas bells came 
 
 sounding joyously; 
 And on a scroll overhead 
 Written in light I read 
 
 The legend; *Thou hast done it 
 
 unto Me!' 
 And I forgot my sins and cares, 
 For then I knew He had been with 
 me unawares. 
 
X 
 
 And from that hour to this 
 My fire unquenched is; 
 
 By daily use unminished, on 
 
 the board 
 Still stand the bread and wine; 
 And this poor cote of mine, 
 
 Yet radiant from the presence 
 
 of the Lord, 
 Is a rich temple, where I bide 
 Awaiting His angel's summons,-- 
 HIS whate'er betide. 
 
NOTE 
 
 This CAROL was written on Christ- 
 mas Eve, 1882, and first published in 
 The New Amphion,the book of the Ed- 
 inburgh University Fancy Fair, 1886. 
 
w'fi «Sil 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS