f rw «■] ' ^lORW' Glass Book THE TWELFTH CHRISTMAS By the same author TO MOTHER Fifty Cents 9' ,v' 0^\.A2i)o'S2'3 CHARACTERS Mary, the mother of Jesus Marah, a little child The Christ Child PLACE Joseph's Cottage in Nazareth A COTTAGE in Nazareth, tcith a garden about it. It is the twelfth birthday of Jesus. Through the open door at twilight Mary is heard singing at her ivorh. A troop of chil- dren swarm up the road, toward the house, shouting and wrangling. The Christ Child defies them all, protecting a little girl, who makes for shelter in the garden Mary appears at the door, and speaks to them reproachfully. THE CHRIST CHILD Ah, Mother, they did beat the little Marah, Who had not strength enough to run away. A pack of boys did crowd around, like dogs, To snap and snarl and bite their weakly prey. So I did push them back, and bid them cease — Whereon they turned upon me in their wrath — 'T was all that I could do to beat them off While Marah ran to hide within our gates. Mother, they spat on me, and stoned me, too! [Mary puts her arms about Him with sudden tenderness. But to teach peace to all the world of men, This Marah hath a devil, so they say. THE CHRIST CHILD Ah, Mother, if thou could'st have seen her eyes — They were just like some hurted, hunted thing, A little lamb's, before the sacrifice Of Passover, which is led forth to die. Where did she run to. Mother, did'st thou see? MARY Yonder, behind the laurel, 'twas, I think. She's frightened, Mother, can'st thou make her come? Come hither, Marah, thou art safe enough. [An eJf'like child comes toward them.l^ What dost thou in the woods so much alone? MARAH I listen to the grass, and to the trees, And whisper comfort to the bruised reed. MABY Poor child, she hath a sun-spot in her head. THE CHRIST CHILD MAEY Perhaps, my Seer-Child, Thou hast found a flower, Where I had passed along and seen a weed. I must get to my spinning, else the day Will pass but like a shadow that declineth. [She goes into the house and the Christ Child sits ly the door. Marah comes and stands before Him.'] MARAH I love Thee — shall I sing to Thee a song? THE CHRIST CHILD Aye, Marah, sit beside me here, and sing. s^ Just an outcast weed, Sown where all eyes missed it- But the purple flower Changed to thistledown When the sunbeam kissed it. A cramped creature lived In a chrysalis, Hidden in darkness, Where no sun ray cleft it. But the poor dead shell Bloomed a butterfly When the white soul left it. -^^ Must ask the butterfly, for I'll not tell. What did'st Thou up among the hills to- day? THE CHRIST CHILD Witch-child, how did'st thou know I wan- dered there? MAR AH No matter how I knew. What did'st Thou see? THE CHRIST CHILD I saw and smelt the earth all soft with showers ; I saw the hills on every side rejoice, And pastures freshly clothed with fat'ning flocks. And valleys filled with trees all faintly green. With birds a-twitter in the twigs thereof. All this, I saw, and more, O Marah mine, MAEAH The hawks will kill the birds, and priests the sheep ! THE CHRIST CHILD Who tells thee such tales? MAEAH No one tells — they're known To all the blighted children of the sun. But hark — the cricket calls me, I must go. MAHAH I love Thee, and I'll come. [She runs aivay, singingJ] Where the firefly leads I follow, Over dale and through The hollow, Skimming like the light- Winged swallow. Where the bullfrogs croak And wallow. On I fly where willows mourn, And the mildew rots the corn; Where the Black-Witch winds her horn — To the spot where Night is born. {The Christ Child sits alone in the twilight. Mary comes to the door and bends to touch His hair.l m MARY What dost Thou see, my thoughtful, sad- eyed Son? THE CHRIST CHILD Mother, why is it men do hate and kill And torture harmless things? MARY It is because The world is full of sin and unredeemed. THE CHRIST CHILD And will the world be always full of fear? The lion, then, shall lie down with the lamb, All men like brothers shall go hand in hand, And a little Child shall lead them. THE CHRIST CHILD But when, my Mother, will this great day be? MAKY Some day, dear heart, in God's good time 'twill come. [Mary sits down beside her child, and He leans against her breast.l Dost thou not know? Why am I so unlike the children here Who hurt things, and who fight and some- times kill? I am afraid of pain — I am afraid. MASY My Child! [She gathers Him in her arms as if to pro- tect Him, and there is silence save far the night sounds.^ THE CHRIST CHILD Mother, when first I went up to the Temple, Why did old Simeon take me up and say — "My God, I thank Thee I have lived to see Fulfillment of Thy promise ere I die"? And why did Anna of Jerusalem Thank God and kiss my hands and weep and pray? Thou art so young to know Thy holy mission ! See — how the Heavens are rolled like to a scroll, As if some mighty hand did wait to write ! THE CHRIST CHILD Once, Mother, Anna says, long, long ago, An angel came to Joseph in the night. And bade him rise and flee from Bethlehem. The next day Herod's slaves came, in a horde. Butchered and slew the babes and little ones, And only I was saved. God promised men to send His Only Son To live among them, and to bear their sins, And in the end to die, that they might live. And so God chose a woman poor and weak, Whose lot it was to bear this Son of God. She was to love and rear Him as her Son, She was to teach her Child and guide His feet Adown the thorn-strewn way to Calvary. Hers it was to make His mouth a sharp sword, To cut and hew the growth of sin and shame ; Her task it was to fashion and to shape A shaft to pierce the old world's hardened heart. Ah, little Son, that mother strove so hard To day by day grow worthy of her charge. "I And every hour she died upon her tree Of sacrifice and agony! THE CHRIST CHILD But thou— Why dost thou weep so bitterly? MASY I weep Because I love e'en as that mother loved. [The Child soothes her gently.'] THE CHRIST CHILD But, Mother, when will God's son have to die? MARY When men, in whose midst He has spent His life, Whom He has taught and healed and raised again From Death; whom He has loved, and suffered for, Shall stone, deny, revile and spit on Him, And crucify Him on a cross of pain ! THE CHRIST CHILD O Mother — why? MARY Because great love alone redeems the world. And so the Christ and God, His Father, suffer. Aye, and the mother, she must suffer, too, And thus the world is cleansed with tears of blood! THE CHRIST CHILD My Mother, still dost weep? [She lifts her head and looks at Him. Sud- denhj a shadoiv like the burden of the years falls across His face.'] What dost thou mean? Mother, am I the one called Prince of Peace? Am I the little Child who comes to lead them? O Mother, must I be that little Child? Must I alone redeem this great, great world? And then the cross ! O Mother, I'm afraid — Thou wilt not let them take me from thine arms. And crucify me? Mother, hold me close! O Mother, I'm afraid — I am afraid! [Mary holds Him in her arms, weeping,] MARY Then for her sake Who holds Thee close and loves Thee — who doth long To take Thy burden for her own, and save these hands The nail prints and these lips the bitter drink. Thou, Son, must make me worthy of my charge, And brave enough to sacrifice mine all. Together must we learn the scroll of pain. Thou for the world's sake, I for Thine, my Son. [The Child slips from her arms and stands beside her. His hand upon her head. Out of the darliiess a white light groivs about His brow and for the first time the Christ-look dawns upon His face.~\ THE CHRIST CHILD Nay, Mother mine, weep not for me. Hence- forth I'll be a sturdy staff to comfort thee! [He holes off at the moonlit hills and. slowly, with outstretched arms, the Christ speaks.] THE CHRIST O great, wide world, I've come to cleanse and save, world of sorrow, world of sin and night, 1 gladly lay upon thine altar high This life of mine, and may it usher in A dawn of love to flood the universe, And shed its life adown all time. Let me atone, O God, for all men's sins ; Oh, let me free the earth from all its pain ; Oh, let me take the sea's moan and the wind's Wild wail from them and make them mine ! Oh, let me take the cry from human souls ; Oh, let me bear the weight of human shame ; Oh, let me suffer all, that in the end I may, through love, lead back mankind to Thee! O great, white world, kneel thou a peni- tent- Make me thy prayer, and send me back to God! 21 m\ One copy del. to Cat. Div. *"9 21 19/1 S^,^ ^ CONGRESS 018 604 908 TV