"The two aged women, with whom we had spoken, had followed us to the
door of the stable, and, seeing us worshipping there, had run to call
others who were awake in the inn, so that when we arose quite a
company were standing at the door, or just within, gazing upon the
King in his beauty and listening to our thanksgiving with great
wonder.

"Then my father told them all the things that we had heard and
seen--the message of the angel, the song in the air, the glory of the
Lord that had appeared to us--and how we had quickly come to
Bethlehem, and had found things as the angel had told us. 'And it is
even,' he cried, 'as the prophet himself hath spoken: "Thou Bethlehem
Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out
of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel,
whose going forth hast been of old; even from everlasting."'

"All that heard were full of astonishment--all save the mother. I saw
no wonder on her face; the great things that my father told caused her
no astonishment; she listened with a quiet and solemn joy, like one
who was saying in her heart: 'I knew it all before.'

"When my father had finished speaking, we all bowed low again before
the young child; and the mother lifted him in her arms and placed his
cheek against her own, smiling graciously on us, but uttering no word.
And we came forth from the stable and stood again beneath the stars in
the courtyard of the inn. By this time many of the travelers were
awake, and an eager company had gathered around us, all of whom
desired to be told of the sign that had been shown to us. To one and
another we rehearsed our story, lingering long to make known the good
tidings, until the morning star appeared and the dawn began to kindle