"Gaspar, Melchior, Balthazar. But where are the gold, frankincense and
myrrh?"

"In our hearts, man," said McCurdie.

The babe cried and stretched its tiny limbs.


[Illustration: INSTINCTIVELY THEY ALL KNELT DOWN.]


Instinctively they all knelt down together to discover, if possible, and
administer ignorantly to, its wants. The scene had the appearance of an
adoration.

* * * * *

Then these three wise, lonely, childless men who, in furtherance of
their own greatness, had cut themselves adrift from the sweet and simple
things of life and from the kindly ways of their brethren, and had grown
old in unhappy and profitless wisdom, knew that an inscrutable
Providence had led them, as it had led three Wise Men of old, on a
Christmas morning long ago, to a nativity which should give them a new
wisdom, a new link with humanity, a new spiritual outlook, a new hope.

And, when their watch was ended, they wrapped up the babe with precious
care, and carried him with them, an inalienable joy and possession, into
the great world.