CHRISTMAS MORNING

    The angel host that sped last night,
      Bearing the wondrous news afar,
    Came in their ever-glorious flight
      Unto a slumbering little star.

    “Awake and sing, O star!” they cried. 
      “Awake and glorify the morn! 
    Herald the tidings far and wide—­
      He that shall lead His flock is born!”

    The little star awoke and sung
      As only stars in rapture may,
    And presently where church bells hung
      The joyous tidings found their way.

[Illustration: 
    Share thou this holy time with me,
    The universal hymn of love.
]

    “Awake, O bells! ’t is Christmas morn—­
      Awake and let thy music tell
    To all mankind that now is born
      What Shepherd loves His lambkins well!”

    Then rang the bells as fled the night
      O’er dreaming land and drowsing deep,
    And coming with the morning light,
      They called, my child, to you asleep.

    Sweetly and tenderly they spoke,
      And lingering round your little bed,
    Their music pleaded till you woke,
      And this is what their music said: 

    “Awake and sing! ’tis Christmas morn,
      Whereon all earth salutes her King! 
    In Bethlehem is the Shepherd born. 
      Awake, O little lamb, and sing!”

    So, dear my child, kneel at my feet,
      And with those voices from above
    Share thou this holy time with me,
      The universal hymn of love.

December 25, 1890.

MISTRESS MERCILESS

This is to tell of our little Mistress Merciless, who for a season abided with us, but is now and forever gone from us unto the far-off land of Ever-Plaisance.  The tale is soon told; for it were not seemly to speak all the things that are in one’s heart when one hath to say of a much-beloved child, whose life here hath been shortened so that, in God’s wisdom and kindness, her life shall be longer in that garden that bloometh far away.

You shall know that all did call her Mistress Merciless; but her mercilessness was of a sweet, persuasive kind:  for with the beauty of her face and the music of her voice and the exceeding sweetness of her virtues was she wont to slay all hearts; and this she did unwittingly, for she was a little child.  And so it was in love that we did call her Mistress Merciless, just as it was in love that she did lord it over all our hearts.