good will to men!" And he saw a vision of the little sleeping boy,
that grew into a tall and gentle man with a radiant face who walked to
and fro in Jean's dream, singing with him "Peace on earth, good will
to men!" Then morning came and outside his window, Jean heard the
voices of children singing, "Glory to God in the highest, on earth
peace, good will to men!" And he heard a very strange sound too, for
his auntie's voice, soft and gentle, said, "Jean, wake up, and come
down and see what has happened," and Jean came down the ladder and lo!
there was a wonderful tree just like the other boys were having today,
and a goose, and by the fireplace his own wooden shoe, and beside it
the mate that he had given to the sleeping child, and far in the
distance Jean heard the children's voices singing as they ran down the
street, "Peace, peace on earth, good will to men!" Then the room grew
very still and peaceful and Jean's heart did too--and through the
silence there came a voice so tender and loving--so gentle that the
auntie's eyes were full of tears, and Jean wanted to listen forever,
and the voice said, "Jean, inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least
of these, my brethren, ye did it unto ME."

[*] Adapted from the French of Francois Coppee, by Nannie-Lee-Frayser.




HOW THE FIR TREE BECAME THE CHRISTMAS TREE[*]

By Aunt Hede, in "Kindergarten Magazine"


This is the story of how the fir tree became the Christmas tree.