,,the ,,two ,,christmas ,,celebrations1 
,a4,d4 ,i4 and ,,mdccclv4   ,a          
,christmas ,story for ,,mdccclvi4  ,by  
,theodore ,parker1  ,minister of the    
#bhth ,congregational ,society of       
,boston4      ,two ,christmas           
,celebrations4   ,a great many years    
ago1 ,augustus ,caesar1 then ,emperor of
 ,rome1 ordered his mighty realm to be  
taxed2 and so1 in ,judea1 it is said1   
men went to the towns where their       
families belonged1 to be registered for 
assessment4 ,from ,nazareth1 a little   
town in the north of ,judea1 to         
,bethlehem1 another little but more     
famous town in the south1 there went one
 ,joseph1 the carpenter1 and his wife   
,mary1--obscure and poor people1 both of
 them1 as the story goes4 ,at ,bethlehem
 they lodged in a stable2 for there were
 many persons in the town1 and the      
tavern was full4 ,then and there a      
little boy was born1 the son of this    
,joseph and ,mary2 they named him       
,,jehoshua1 a common ,hebrew name1 which

 we commonly call ,joshua2 but1 in his  
case1 we pronounce it ,,jesus4 ,they    
laid him in the crib of the cattle1     
which was his first cradle4 ,that was   
the first ,christmas1 kept thus in a    
barn1 #ahef years ago4 ,nobody knows the
 day or the month2 nay1 the year itself 
is not certain4  ,after a while the     
parents went home to ,nazareth1 where   
they had other sons1--,james1 ,joses1   
,simon1 and ,judas1--and daughters also2
 nobody knows how many4 ,there the boy  
,,jesus grew up1 and it seems followed  
the calling of his father2 it is said1  
in special1 that he made yokes1 ploughs1
 and other farm-tools4 ,little is known 
about his early life and means of       
education4 ,his outside advantages were1
 no doubt1 small and poor2 but he       
learned to read and write1 and it seems 
became familiar with the chief religious
 books of his nation1 which are still   
preserved in the ,old ,testament4  ,at  
that time there were three languages    
used in ,judea1 beside the ,latin1 which

 was confined to a few officials3 #a4   
,the ,syro-,chaldaic1--the language of  
business and daily life1 the spoken     
language of the common people4 #b4 ,the 
,greek1--the language of the courts of  
justice and official documents2 the     
spoken and written language of the      
foreign traders1 the aristocracy1 and   
most of the more cultivated people in   
the great towns4 #c4 ,the old           
,hebrew1--the written and spoken        
language of the learned1 of theological 
schools1 of the priests2 the language of
 the ,old ,testament4 ,it seems ,jesus  
understood all three4  ,at that time the
 thinking people had outgrown the old   
forms of religion1 inherited from their 
fathers1 just as a little girl becomes  
too stout and tall for the clothes which
 once fitted her babyhood2 or as the    
people of ,new ,england have now become 
too rich and refined to live in the     
rough log-cabins1 and to wear the       
coarse1 uncomfortable clothes1 which    
were the best that could be got two     

hundred years ago4 ,for mankind         
continually grows wiser and better1--and
 so the old forms of religion are always
 getting passed by2 and the religious   
doctrines and ceremonies of a rude age  
cannot satisfy the people of an         
enlightened age1 any more than the      
wigwams of the ,pequod ,indians in #afef
 would satisfy the white gentlemen and  
ladies of ,boston and ,worcester in     
#ahef4 ,the same thing happens with the 
clothes1 the tools1 and the laws of all 
advancing nations4 ,the human race is at
 school1 and learns through one book    
after another1--going up to higher and  
higher studies continually4 ,but at that
 time cultivated men had outgrown their 
old forms of religion1--much of the     
doctrine1 many of the ceremonies2 and   
yet they did not quite dare to break    
away from them1--at least in public4 ,so
 there was a great deal of pretended    
belief1 and of secret denial of the     
popular form of religion4 ,the best and 
most religious men1 it seems likely1    

were those who had least faith in what  
was preached and practised as the       
authorized religion of the land4  ,in   
the time of ,david1 many years before   
the birth of ,jesus1 the ,hebrew nation 
had been very powerful and prosperous2  
afterwards there followed long periods  
of trouble and of war1 civil and        
domestic2 the union of the tribes was   
dissolved1 and many calamities befell   
the people4 ,in their times of trouble1 
religious men said1 ,god will raise us  
up a ,,great ,,king like ,,david1 to    
defend and deliver us from our enemies4 
,he will set all things right4 ,for the 
,hebrews looked on ,david as the        
,americans on ,,washington1 calling him 
a man after ,god's own heart1--that is1 
thinking him first in war1 first in     
peace1 and first in the hearts of his   
countrymen4 ,sometimes they called this 
expected ,deliverer1 the ,,messiah1 that
 is the ,,anointed ,,one1--a term often 
applied to a king or other great man4   
,sometimes it was thought this or that  

special man1 a king1 or general1 would  
be the ,messiah1 and deliver the nation 
from its trouble4 ,thus1 it seems1 that 
once it was declared that ,king         
,,hezekiah would perform this duty2 and 
indeed ,,cryus1 a foreigner1 a king of  
,persia1 was declared to be the         
,,messiah1 the ,anointed ,one4 ,but1 at 
other times1 they1 who declared the     
,deliverer would come1 seem to have had 
no particular man in their mind1 but    
felt sure that somebody would come4 ,at 
length the expectation of a ,messiah    
became quite common2 it was a fixed fact
 in the public opinion4 ,but some       
thought the ,deliverer1 the ,redeemer1  
the second ,david1 would be one thing1  
some another2 just as men now call their
 favorite candidate for the presidency a
 second ,washington2 but some think he  
will be a ,whig1 and support the        
,fugitive ,slave ,bill2 some1 a         
,democrat1 and favor the enslavement of 
,kansas2 while others are sure he will  
be a ,republican1 and prohibit the      

extension of ,slavery2 while yet others 
look for some ,anointed ,politician to  
abolish that wicked institution clear   
out of the land4  ,when the nation was  
in great peril1 the people said1 the    
,messiah will soon come and restore all 
things2 but probably they had no very   
definite notion about the ,deliverer or 
the work he was to do4  ,when ,jesus was
 about thirty years old1 he began to    
speak in public4 ,he sometimes preached 
in the ,meeting-,houses1 which were     
called ,synagogues1--but often out of   
doors1 wherever he could gather the     
people about him4 ,he broke away from   
the old established doctrines and forms4
 ,he was a come-outer from the ,hebrew  
church4 ,he told men that religion did  
not consist in opinions or ceremonies1  
but in right feelings and right actions2
 that goodness shown to men was worth   
more than sacrifice offered to ,god4 ,in
 short he made ,religion consist in     
,piety1 which is ,love to ,god1 and     
,benevolence1 which is ,love to ,men4   

,he utterly forbid all vengeance1 and   
told his followers love your enemies1   
bless them that curse you1 do good to   
them that hate you1 and pray for them   
which despitefully use you and persecute
 you4 ,he taught that the soul was      
immortal1--a common opinion at that     
time1--and declared that men who had    
been good and kind here would be        
eternally happy hereafter1 but the      
unkind and wicked would be cast into    
everlasting fire prepared for the devil 
and his angels4 ,he did not represent   
religion as a mysterious affair1 the    
mere business of the priesthood1 limited
 to the temple and the ,sabbath1 and the
 ceremonies thereof2 it was the business
 of every day1--a great manly and       
womanly life4  ,men were looking for the
 ,,anointed1 the ,messiah1 and waiting  
for him to come4 ,jesus said1 ,i am the 
,messiah2 follow me in the religious    
life1 and all will be well4 ,god is just
 as near to us now1 as of old time to   
,moses and ,elias4 ,a greater than      

,solomon is here4 ,the ,kingdom of      
,heaven1 a good time coming1 is close at
 hand6  ,no doubt he made mistakes4 ,he 
taught that there is a devil1--a being  
absolutely evil1 who seeks to ruin all  
men2 that the world would soon come to  
an end1 and a new and extraordinary     
state would miraculously take place1 in 
which his followers would be abundantly 
rewarded1 and his twelve most           
conspicuous friends would sit sit on    
twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes
 of ,israel4 ,strange things were to    
happen in this good time which was      
coming4 ,but spite of that1 his main    
doctrine1 which he laid most stress     
upon1 was1 that religion is piety and   
benevolence2 for he made these the chief
 commandments1--,thou shalt love the    
,lord thy ,god with all thy heart1 and  
with all thy soul1 and with all thy     
mind2 thou shalt love thy neighbor as   
thyself4  ,he went about in various part
 of the country1 talking1 preaching1    
lecturing1 making speeches1 and         

exhorting the people to love each other 
and live a noble1 manly life1--each     
doing to all as he would wish them to do
 to him4 ,he recommended the most entire
 trust in ,god4 ,the people came to him 
in great crowds1 and loved to hear him  
speak2 for in those days nobody preached
 such doctrines1--or indeed any         
doctrines with such power to convince   
and persuade earnest men4 ,the people   
heard him gladly1 and followed him from 
place to place1 and could not hear      
enough of him and his new form of       
religion1--so much did it commend itself
 to simple-hearted women and men4 ,some 
of them wanted to make him their king4  
,but while the people loved him1 the    
great men of his time--the great        
,ministers in the ,hebrew church1 and   
the great ,politicians in the ,hebrew   
state--hated him1 and were afraid of    
him4 ,no doubt some of these ministers  
did not understand him1 but yet meant   
well in their opposition2 for if a man  
had all his life been thinking about the

 best manner of circumcision1 or about  
the mode of kneeling in prayer1 he would
 be wholly unable to understand what    
,jesus said about love to ,god and to   
man4 ,but no doubt some of them knew he 
was right1 and hated him all the more   
for that very reason4 ,when they talked 
in their libraries1 they admitted that  
they had no faith in the old forms of   
religion2 but when they appeared in     
public they made broad their            
phylacteries1 and enlarged the borders  
of their garments2 and when they        
preached in their pulpits1 they laid    
heavy burdens on men's shoulders1 and   
grievous to be borne4 ,the same thing   
probably took place then which has      
happened ever since2 and they who had no
 faith in ,god or man1 were the first to
 accuse this religious genius with being
 an infidel6  ,so1 one night they seized
 ,jesus1 tried him before daylight next 
morning1 condemned him1 and put him to  
death4 ,the seizure1 the trial1 the     
execution1 were not effected in the     

regular legal form1--they did not occupy
 more than twelve hours of time1--but   
were done in the same wicked way that   
evil men also used in ,boston when they 
made ,mr4 ,simms and ,mr4 ,burns slaves 
for life4 ,but ,jesus made no           
resistance2 at the trial there was no   
defence2 nay1 he did not even feel angry
 with those wicked men2 but1 as he hung 
on the cross1 almost the last words he  
uttered were these1--,father1 forgive   
them1 for they know not what they do4   
,such wicked men killed ,jesus1 just as 
in ,old ,england1 three hundred years   
ago1 the ,catholics used to burn        
,protestants alive2 or as in ,new       
,england1 two hundred years ago1 our    
,protestant fathers hung the ,quakers   
and whipped the ,baptists2 or as the    
,slaveholders in the ,south now beat an 
,abolitionist1 or whip a man to death   
who insists on working for himself and  
his family1 and not merely for men who  
only steal what he earns2 or as some in 
,massachusetts1 a few years ago1 sought 

to put in jail such as speak against the
 wickedness of ,slavery4  ,after ,jesus 
was dead and buried1 some of his        
followers thought that he rose from the 
dead and came back to life again within 
three days1 and showed himself to a few 
persons here and there1--coming suddenly
 and then vanishing1 as a ghost is said 
to appear all at once and then vanish1  
or as the souls of other dead men are   
thought to appear to the spiritualists1 
who do not1 however1 see the ghosts1 but
 only hear and feel them4 ,very strange 
stories were told about his coming to   
men through closed doors1 and talking   
with them1--just as in our time the     
mediums say the soul of ,dr4 ,franklin1 
or ,dr4 ,channing1 or some great man    
comes and makes spiritual communication4
 ,they say1 that at last1 he was parted 
from them1 and carried up into heaven1  
and sat on the right hand of ,god4  ,his
 friends and followers went about from  
place to place1 and preached his        
doctrines2 but gradually added many more

 of their own4 ,they said that he was   
the ,anointed1 the ,messiah1 the        
,christ1 who was foretold in the ,old   
,testament1 and that did strange things 
called ,miracles2 that at a marriage    
feast1 where wine was wanted1 he changed
 several barrels of water into wine of  
excellent quality2 that he fed five     
thousand men with five loaves1 walked on
 the water1 opened the eyes1 ears1 and  
mouths of men born blind1 deaf1 and     
dumb1 and at a touch or a word brought  
back a maimed limb4 ,they called him a  
,,saviour1 sent from ,god to redeem the 
,jews1 and them only1 from eternal      
damnation2 next1 said that he was the   
,saviour of all mankind1--,jews and     
,gentiles too2 that he was a ,sacrifice 
offered to appease the wrath of ,god1   
who had become so angry with his        
children that he intended to torment    
them all forever in hell4 ,by and by his
 followers were called                  
,,christians1--that is1 men who took    
,jesus for the ,christ of the ,old      

,testament2 and in their preaching they 
did not make much account of the noble  
ideas ,jesus taught about man1 ,god1 and
 religion1 or of his own great manly    
life2 but they thought his ,,death was  
the great thing1--and that was the means
 to save men from eternal torment4 ,then
 they went further1 and declared that   
,jesus was not the son of ,joseph and   
,mary1 but ,,the ,,son ,,of ,,god and   
,mary1--miraculously born2 next1 that he
 was ,,god',s ,,only ,,son1 who had     
never had any child before1 and never   
would have another2 again1 that he was a
 ,,god who had lived long before ,jesus 
was born1 but for the then first time   
took the human form2 and at last1 that  
he was ,,the ,,only ,,god1 the ,creator 
and ,providence of all the universe2 but
 was man also1 the ,,god-,,man4 ,thus1  
gradually1 the actual facts of his      
history were lost out of sight1         
overgrown with a great mass of fictions1
 poetic and other stories1 which make   
him a mythological character2 the ,jesus

 of fact was well-nigh forgot1--the     
,christ of fiction took his place4      
,well1 after the death of ,jesus1 his   
followers went from town to town1 from  
country to country1 preaching ,christ   
and him crucified2 they taught that the 
world would soon end1 for ,jesus would  
come back and judge the world1 raising  
the dead1--and then all who had believed
 in him would be saved1 but the rest    
would be lost forever2 a new world would
 take the place of the old1 and the     
,christians would have a good time in   
that ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,this new     
spiritual world would contain some      
extraordinary things2 thus1 every       
grape-vine would have ten thousand      
trunks1 every trunk ten thousand        
branches1 every branch ten thousand     
twigs1 every twig ten thousand clusters1
 every cluster ten thousand grapes1 and 
every grape would yield twenty-five     
kilderkins of wine4  ,but everywhere    
they recommended a life of sobriety and 
self-denial1 of industry and of kind    

deeds1--a life of religion4 ,everywhere 
the ,christians were distinguished for  
their charity and general moral         
excellence4 ,but the ,jews hated them1  
and drove them away2 the ,heathens hated
 them1 and put many to death with       
dreadful tortures2 all the magistrates  
were hostile4 ,but when the common      
people saw a man or a woman come out and
 die rather than be false to a religious
 emotion or idea1 there were always some
 who said1 ,that is a strange thing1--a 
man dying for his ,god4 ,there must be  
something in that religion6 ,let us also
 become ,christians4 ,so the new        
doctrine spread wide2 not the simple    
religion of ,jesus1--piety and morality2
 but what his followers called          
,christianity1--a mixture of good and   
evil4 ,in two or three hundred years it 
had gone round the civilized world4     
,other forms of religion fell to pieces1
 one by one4 ,judaism went down with the
 ,hebrew people1 ,heathenism went down1 
and ,christianity took heir place4 ,the 

son of ,joseph and ,mary1 born in a     
stable1 and killed by the ,jews1 was    
worshipped as the ,,only ,,god all round
 the civilized world4 ,the new form of  
religion spread very much as            
,,spiritualism has done in our time1    
only in the midst of worse persecution  
than the ,mormons have suffered4 ,at    
this day there are some two hundred and 
sixty millions of people who worship    
,jesus of ,nazareth2 most of them think 
he was ,god1 the only ,god4 ,but a small
 number of men believe that he was no   
,god1 no miraculous person1 but a good  
man with a genius for religion4 ,all the
 ,christians think he was full of all   
manner of loving kindness and tender    
mercy4 ,so all over the world to-day1   
among the two hundred and sixty millions
 of ,christians1 there is great         
rejoicing on account of his birth1 which
 it is erroneously supposed took place  
on the #beth of ,december1 in the year  
,,one4 ,they sing psalms1 and preach    
sermons1 and offer prayers1 and make a  

famous holiday4 ,but the greater part of
 the people think only of the festival1 
and very little of the noble boy who was
 born so long ago in a tavern-barn in   
,judea4 ,and of all the ministers who   
talk so much about the old ,christ1     
there are not many who would welcome a  
new man who should come and do for this 
age the great service which ,jesus did  
for his own time4 ,but1 as on the       
,fourth of ,july1 slaveholders1 and     
border ruffians1 and kidnappers1 and men
 who believe there is no higher law1    
ring their bells1 and fire their        
cannons1 and let off their rockets1     
making more noise than all those who    
honor and defend the great ,principles  
of ,humanity which make ,independence   
,day famous1--so on ,christmas1 not only
 religious people1 but ,scribes1 and    
,pharisees1 and ,hypocrites make a great
 talk about ,christ and him crucified2  
when1 if a man of genius for religion   
were now to appear1 they would be the   
first to call out ,infidel6 ,infidel6   

and would kill him if it were possible  
or safe4    ,well1 one rainy ,sunday    
evening1 in #ahee1 just twelve days     
before ,christmas1 in the little town of
 ,soitgoes1 in ,worcester ,county1      
,mass41 ,aunt ,kindly and ,uncle ,nathan
 were sitting in their comfortable      
parlor before a bright wood-fire4 ,it   
was about eight o'clock1 a stormy night2
 now it snowed a little1 then it rained1
 then snowed again1 seeming as if the   
weather was determined on some kind of  
storm1 but had not yet made up its mind 
for snow1 rain1 or hail4 ,now the wind  
roared in the chimney1 and started out  
of her sleep a great tortoise-shell cat1
 that lay on the rug which ,aunt ,kindly
 had made for her4 ,tabby opened her    
yellow eyes suddenly1 and erected her   
smellers1 but finding it was only the   
wind and not a mouse that made the      
noise1 she stretched out a great paw and
 yawned1 and then cuddled her head down 
so as to show her white throat1 and went
 to sleep again4  ,uncle ,nathan and    

,aunt ,kindly were brother and sister4  
,he was a little more than sixty1 a     
fine1 hale1 hearty-looking1 handsome man
 as you could find in a summer's day1   
with white hair and a thoughtful1       
benevolent face1 adorned with a full    
beard as white as his venerable head4   
,aunt ,kindly was five-and-forty or     
thereabouts2 her face a little sad when 
you looked at it carelessly in its      
repose1 but commonly it seemed cheerful1
 full of thought and generosity1 and    
handsome withal2 for1 as her brother    
told her1 ,god administered to you the  
sacrement of beauty in your childhood1  
and you will walk all your life in the  
loveliness thereof4  ,uncle ,nathan had 
been an ,india merchant from his        
twenty-fifth to about his fiftieth year1
 and had now1 for some years1 been      
living with his sister in his fine1     
large house1--rich and well educated1   
devoting his life to study1 works of    
benevolence1 to general reform and      
progress4 ,it was he who had the first  

anti-slavery lecture delivered in the   
town1 and actually persuaded ,mr4       
,homer1 the old minister1 to let ,mr4   
,garrison stand in the pulpit on a      
,wednesday night and preach deliverance 
unto the captives2 but it could be done 
only once1 for the clergymen of the     
neighborhood thought anti-slavery a     
desecration of their new wooden         
meeting-houses4 ,it was he1 too1 who    
asked ,lucy ,stone to lecture on woman's
 rights1 but the communicants thought it
 would not do to let a woman speak in   
the church1 and so he gave it up4 ,all  
the country knew and loved him1 for he  
was a natural overseer of the poor1 and 
guardian of the widow and the orphan4   
,how many a girl in the ,normal ,school 
every night put up a prayer of          
thanksgiving for him2 how many a bright 
boy in ,hanover and ,cambridge was      
equally indebted for the means of high  
culture1 and if not so thankful1 why1   
,uncle ,nathan knew that gratitude is   
too nice and delicate a plant to grow on

 common soil4 ,once1 when he was        
twenty-two or three1 he was engaged to a
 young woman of ,boston1 while he was a 
clerk in a commission store4 ,but her   
father1 a skipper from ,beverly or ,cape
 ,cod1 who continued vulgar while he    
became rich1 did not like the match4 ,it
 won't do1 said he1 for a poor young man
 to marry into one of our fust families2
 what is the use of aristocracy if no   
distinction is to be made1 and our      
daughters are to marry ,tom1 ,dick1 and 
,harry8 ,but ,amelia took the matter    
sorely to heart2 she kept her love1 yet 
fell into a consumption1 and so wasted  
away2 or1 as one of the neighbors said1 
she was executed on the scaffold of an  
upstart's vulgarity4 ,nathan loved no   
woman in like manner afterwards1 but    
after her death went to ,india1 and     
remained years long4 ,when he returned  
and established his business in ,boston1
 he looked after her relations1 who had 
fallen into poverty4 ,nay1 out of the   
mire of infamy he picked up what might  

have been his nephews and nieces1 and1  
by generous breeding1 wiped off from    
them the stain of their illicit birth4  
,he never spoke of poor ,amelia2 but he 
kept a little locket in one end of his  
purse2 none ever saw it but his sister1 
who often observed him sitting with it  
in his hand1 hand hour by hour looking  
into the fire of a winter's night1      
seeming to think of distant things4 ,she
 never spoke to him then1 but left him  
alone with his recollections and his    
dreams4 ,some of the neighbors said he  
worshipped it2 others called it a       
talisman4 ,so indeed it was1 and by its 
enchantment he became a young man once  
more1 and walked through the moonlight  
to meet an angel1 and with her enter    
their kingdom of heaven4 ,truly it was a
 talisman2 yet if you had looked at it1 
you would have seen nothing in it but a 
little twist of golden hairs tied       
together with a blue silken thread4     
,aunt ,kindly had never been married2   
yet once in her life1 also1 the right   

man seemed to offer1 and the blossom of 
love opened with a dear prophetic       
fragrance in her heart4 ,but as her     
father was soon after struck with palsy1
 she told her lover they must wait a    
little while1 for her first duty must be
 to the feeble old man4 ,but the        
impatient swain went off and pinned     
himself to the flightiest little        
humming-bird in all ,soitgoes1 and in a 
month was married1 having a long life   
before him for bitterness and           
repentance4 ,after the father died1     
,kindly remained at home2 and when      
,nathan returned1 years after1 they made
 one brotherly and sisterly household   
out of what might else have gladdened   
two connubial homes4 ,not every bud     
becomes a flower4  ,uncle ,nathan sat   
there1 his locket in his hand1 looking  
into the fire2 and as the wind roared in
 the chimney1 and the brands crackled   
and snapped1 he thought he saw faces in 
the fire2 and when the sparks rose up in
 a little cloud1 which the country      

children call the people coming out of  
the meeting-house1 he thought he saw    
faces in the fire2 they seemed to take  
the form of the boys and girls as he had
 lately seen them rushing out of the    
,union ,school-house1 which held all the
 children in the village2 and as he     
recognized one after the other1 he began
 to wonder and conjecture what would be 
the history of this or that particular  
child4 ,while he sat thus in his waking 
dream1 he looked fixedly at the locket  
and the blue thread which tied together 
those golden rays of a summer sun1 now  
all set and vanished and gone1 but which
 was once the morning light of all his  
promised days2 and as his eyes1 full of 
waking dreams1 fell on the fire again1 a
 handsome young woman seemed to come    
forth from between the brands1 and the  
locks of her hair floated out and turned
 into boys and girls1 of various ages1  
from babyhood to youth2 all looking     
somewhat like him and also like the fair
 young woman4 ,but the brand rolled     

over1 and they all vanished in a little 
puff of smoke4  ,aunt ,kindly sat at the
 table reading the ,bible4 ,i don't know
 why she read the ,gospels1 for she knew
 them all four by heart1 and could      
repeat them from end to end4 ,but       
,sunday night1 when none of the         
neighbors were there1 and she and       
,nathan were all alone1 she took her    
mother's great squared ,bible and read  
therein4 ,this night she had been       
reading1 in chapter xxxi4 of ,proverbs1 
the character of a noble woman2 and1    
finishing the account1 turned and read  
the #bhth verse a second time1--   ,her 
children rise up and call her blessed4  
,i do not know why she read that verse1 
nor what she thought of it2 but she     
repeated it to herself three or four    
times1--   ,her children rise up and    
call her blessed4   ,as she was taking  
up the venerable old volume to lay it   
away for the night1 it opened by        
accident at ,luke xiv41 and her eye fell
 on verses #ab1 #ac--   ,but when thou  

makest a dinner or a supper1 call not   
thy friends not thy brethren1 neither   
thy kinsmen nor thy rich neighbor1 lest 
they also call thee again1 and a        
recompense be made thee4 ,but when thou 
makest a feast1 call the poor1 the      
maimed1 the lame1 the blind2 and thou   
shalt be blessed2 for they cannot       
recompense thee4   ,she sat a moment    
recollecting that ,jesus said1--        
,suffer little children to come unto me1
 and forbid them not1 for of such is the
 kingdom of heaven2 and had also        
denounced woe on all such as cause these
 little ones to offend1 and declared    
that in heaven their angels continually 
behold the face of the ,father4  ,after 
a few minutes she turned to ,nathan1 who
 had replaced the brands in hopes to    
bring back the vision by his faculty    
divine1 and said1--,brother1 ,i wonder  
if it would not be better to make a     
little change in our way of keeping     
,christmas4 ,it is a good thing to call 
together the family once a year1--our   

brothers and sisters and nephews and    
nieces1--we all of us love the children 
so much1 and have a good time4 ,i would 
not give that up4 ,the dinner is very   
well2 but the evening goes off a little 
heavy2 that whist playing1 we both      
dislike it2 so much talk about such     
trifles4 ,what if we should have a      
,child's ,festival on ,christmas night1 
and ask all the little folks in the town
 to your nice ,new ,hall1--it will be   
done before that time1 won't it8 ,it    
will be a good christening for it2 and  
,mr4 ,garrison1 whom you have asked to  
speak there on ,new-,year's day1 will   
like it all the better if baptized by   
these little ones1 who 'are of the      
kingdom of heaven4' ,surely little      
children may run before the great       
,liberator4  ,just what ,i was thinking 
of1 said ,uncle ,nathan2 as ,i looked at
 the sparks of fire1 ,i was saying to   
myself1 ',i have not quite done my duty 
to the boys and girls in ,soitgoes4'    
,you and ,i1 said he1 rather sadly1     

putting the locket in his purse and     
pressing the gold ring gently down on   
it1 you and ,i have no children4 ,but ,i
 sometimes feel like adopting all the   
boys and girls in the parish2 and when  
,i saw that great troop of them come out
 of the school-house last week1 ,i felt 
a little reproach1 that1 while looking  
after their fathers and mothers1 ,i had 
not done more for the children4  ,i am  
sure you gave the town that great new   
school-house1 said ,kindly4  ,yes1      
that's nothing4 ,i furnished the money  
and the general idea2 ,eliot ,cabot drew
 the plan1--capital plan it is too2 and 
,jo ,atkins took the job4 ,i paid the   
bills4 ,but how will you arrange it for 
,christmas8  ,well1 said ,kindly1 who   
had an organizing head1 we'll have a    
,children's ,party4 ,i'll ask all under 
fifteen1 and if some older ones come in1
 no matter2 ,i hope they will4 ,of      
course the fathers and mothers are to   
come and look on1 and have a real good  
time4 ,we will have them in the ,new    

,hall4 ,i wonder why they call it the   
,new ,hall2 there never was any old one4
 ,we will have some plain cake and      
lemonade1 music1 dancing1 little games1 
and above all a ,,christmas ,,tree4     
,there shall be gifts on it for all the 
children under twelve4 ,the people who  
are well to do will give something to   
buy the gifts for the children of their 
own standing1 and you and ,i will make  
up what is wanting for the poor ones4   
,we'll have little games as well as a   
dance4 ,mrs4 ,toombs1--,sally ,wilkins  
that used to be1--the minister's wife1  
has a deal of skill in setting little   
folks to play2 she has not had much use 
for it1 poor thing1 since her marriage1 
six or seven years ago4 ,what a wild    
romp she used to be6 but as good as     
,sunday all the time4 ,sally will manage
 the games2 ,i'll see to the dancing4   
,the children can't dance1 said ,uncle  
,nathan2 you know there never was a     
dancing-school in town4  ,yes they can1 
said ,kindly4 ,the girls will dance by  

nature1 and the boys will fall in1      
rather more clumsily of course4 ,but it 
will do well enough for us4 ,besides1   
they have all had more practice than you
 think for4 ,you shall get the          
pine-tree1 or hemlock1 and buy the      
things1--,i'll tell you what1 to-morrow 
morning1--and ,i will manage the rest4  
,the next morning it was fine1 bright   
weather2 and the garments blossomed     
white on the clotheslines all round the 
village2 and with no small delight the  
housewives looked on these perennial    
hanging-gardens1 periodically blooming1 
even in a ,new ,england winter4 ,uncle  
,nathan mentioned his sister's plan to  
one of his neighbors1 who said1         
,never'll go here6 ,but why not8 ,oh1   
there's ,deacon ,willberate and ,squire 
,allen are at loggerheads about the     
allusion to slavery which ,rev4 ,mr4    
,freeman made in his prayer six months  
ago4 ,they had a quarrel then1 you know1
 and have not spoken since4 ,if the     
,deacon likes it1 the ,squire won't1 and

 vice versa4 ,then1 ,colonel ,stearns   
has had a quarrel and a lawsuit with    
,john ,wilkinson about that little patch
 of meadow4 ,they won't go2 each is     
afraid of meeting the other4 ,half the  
parish has some miff against the other  
half4 ,i believe there never was such a 
place for little quarrels since the     
,dutch took ,holland4 ,there's a tempest
 in every old woman's teapot4 ,widow    
,seedyweedy won't let her daughters     
come1 because1 as she says1 you are a   
temperance man1 and said1 at the last   
meeting1 that rum made many a widow in  
,soitgoes1 and sent three quarters of   
the paupers to the almshouse4 ,she      
declared1 the next day1 that you were   
'personal1 and injured her feelings2 and
 'twas all because you was rich and she 
was a poor lone widow1 with nothing but 
her ,god to trust in4'  ,oh1 dear me1   
said ,uncle ,nathan1 it is a queer      
world1--a queer world2 but after all    
it's the best we've got4 ,let us try to 
make it better still4  ,aunt ,kindly    

could not sleep much all night for      
thinking over the details of the plan4  
,before morning it all lay clear in her 
mind4 ,monday afternoon she went round  
to talk with the neighbors and get all  
things ready4 ,most of them liked it2   
but some thought it was queer1 and      
wondered what our pious fathers would   
think of keeping ,christmas in ,new     
,england4 ,a few had religious scruples1
 and would do nothing about it4 ,the    
head of the ,know-nothing lodge said it 
was a ,furrin custom1 and ,i want none  
o' them things2 but ,ameriky must be    
ruled by ',mericans2 and we'll have no  
,disserlutions of the ,union1 and no    
,popish ceremonies like a ,christmas    
,tree4 ,if you begin so1 you'll have the
 ,pope here next1 and the fulfilment of 
the seventeenth chapter of ,revelations4
  ,hon4 ,jeduthan ,stovepipe also       
opposed it4 ,he was a rich hatter from  
,boston1 and a great ,democrat2 who1 as 
he said1 had lately purchased grounds in
 ,soitgoes1 intending to establish a    

family4 ,he would not like to have      
,cinderella ,jane and ,edith ,zuleima   
mix themselves up with widow ,wheeler's 
children1--whose father was killed on   
the railroad five or six years          
before1--for their mother takes in      
washing4 ,no1 ,sir1 said he2 it will not
 do4 ,you have no daughters to marry1 no
 sons to provide for4 ,it will do well  
enough for you to talk about 'equality1'
 about 'meeting the whole neighborhood1'
 and that sort of thing2 but ,i intend  
to establish a family2 and ,i set my    
face against all promiscuous assemblages
 of different classes of society4 ,it is
 bad enough on ,sundays1 when each man  
can sit buttoned up in his own pew2 but 
a festival for all sorts and conditions 
of children1--its is contrary to the    
genius of our republican institutions4  
,his wife thought quite differently2 but
 the poor thing did not dare say her    
soul was her own in his presence4 ,aunt 
,kindly went off with rather a heavy    
heart1 remembering that ,jeduthan was   

the son of a man sent to the ,state     
,prison for horse stealing1 and born in 
the almshouse at ,bankton ,four         
,corners1 and had been bound out as     
apprentice by the selectmen of the town4
  ,at the next house1 ,miss ,robinson   
liked it2 but hoped she would not ask   
that family o'niggers1--that would make 
it so vulgar2 and she took a large pinch
 of ,scotch snuff1 and waddled off to   
finish her ironing4 ,mrs4 ,deacon       
,jackson--she was a second wife1 with no
 children--hoped that ,sally ,bright    
would not be asked1 because her father  
was in the ,state ,prison for passing   
counterfeit money2 and the example would
 be bad1 not friendly to law and order4 
,but as ,aunt ,kindly went out1 she met 
the old ,deacon himself1--one of those  
dear1 good1 kind souls1 who were born to
 be deacons of the ,christian religion1 
looking like one of the eight           
beatitudes2 and as you stopped to       
consider which of that holy family he   
most resembled1 you found he looked like

 all of them4 ,well6 said he1 now ma'am1
 ,i like that4 ,that will be a          
,christian ,christmas1--not a ,heathen  
,christmas4 ,of course you'll ask all   
the children of 'respectable people2'   
but ,i want the poor ones1 too4 ,don't  
let anybody frighten you from asking    
,sip ,tidy's children4 ,i don't know    
that ,i like colored folks particularly1
 but ,i think ,god does1 or he would not
 have colored 'em1 you know4 ,then do   
let us have all of ,jo ,bright's little 
ones4 ,when ,i get into the ,state      
,prison1 ,i hope somebody'll look after 
my family4 ,i know you will4 ,i don't   
mean to go there2 but who knows8 ',if   
everybody had his deserts1 who would    
escape a flogging8' as the old saying   
is4 ,here's five dollars towards        
expenses2 and if that ain't enough1     
,i'll make it ten4 ,elizabeth will help 
you make the cake1 c4 ,you shall have as
 many eggs as you want4 ,hens hain't    
laid well since ,thanksgiving2 now they 
do nothing else4  ,captain ,weldon let  

one iron cool on the anvil1 and his     
bellows sigh out its last breath in the 
fire and burn the other iron1 while he  
talked with ,aunt ,kindly about it4 ,the
 ,captain was a widower1 about fifty    
years old1 with his house full of sons  
and daughters4 ,he liked it4 ,patty1 his
 oldest daughter1 could help4 ,there    
were two barrels of apples1 three or    
four dollars in money1 and more if need 
be4 ,that is what ,i call the democracy 
of ,christianity1 said the good man4 ,i 
shall see half the people in the        
village2 they'll be in here to get their
 horses corked before the time comes1   
and ,i'll help the thing along a little4
 ,i'll bring the old folks1 and we'll   
sing some of the old tunes2 all of us   
will have a real old-fashioned good     
time4 ,almira1 his daughter1 about      
eighteen years old1 ran out to talk with
 ,kindly1 and offered to do all sorts of
 work1 if she would only tell her what4 
,perhaps ,edward will come1 too1 said   
,kindly4 ,do you want him8 asked        

,almira4 ,oh1 certainly2 want all the   
,,lovers1 replied she1--not looking to  
see how her face kindled1 like a        
handsome morning in ,may4  ,one sour old
 man1 who lived off the road1 did not   
like it4 ',twas a ,popish custom2 and   
said1 ,i always fast on ,christmas4 ,his
 family knew they did1 and many a day   
besides2 for he was so covetous that he 
grudged the water which turned his own  
mill4  ,mr4 ,toombs1 a young minister1  
who had been settled six or seven years1
 and loved the commandments of religion 
much better than the creed of theology1 
entered into it at once1 and promised to
 come1 and not wear his white cravat4   
,his wife1 ,sally ,wilkins that used to 
be1 took to it with all her might4  ,so 
all things were made ready4 ,farmers    
sent in apples and boiled chestnuts2 and
 there were pies1 and cookies1 and all  
manner of creature comforts4 ,the       
,german who worked for the cabinet-maker
 decorated the hall1 just as he had done
 in ,wittenberg often before2 for he was

 an exile from the town where ,martin   
,luther sleeps1 and his ,katherine1     
under the same slab4 ,there were        
branches of ,holly with their red       
berries1 ,wintergreen and ,pine boughs1 
and ,hemlock and ,laurel1 and such other
 handsome things as ,new ,england can   
afford even in winter4 ,besides1        
,captain ,weldon brought a great        
,orange-tree1 which he and ,susan had   
planted the day after their marriage1   
nearly thirty years before4 ,like       
,christmas itself1 as he said1--it is a 
history and a prophecy2 full of fruit   
and flowers1 both4 ,roses1 and          
,geraniums1 and ,chrysanthemums1 and    
,oleanders were there1 adding to the    
beauty4  ,all the children in the       
village were there4 ,sally ,bright wore 
the medal she won the last quarter at   
the ,union ,school4 ,sip ,tidy's six    
children were there2 and all the girls  
and boys from the poor-house4 ,the      
,widow ,wheeler and her children thought
 no more of the railroad accident4      

,captain ,weldon1 ,deacon ,jackson and  
his wife1 and the ,minister were there2 
all the ,selectmen1 and the ,town       
,clerk1 and the ,schoolmasters and      
,schoolma'ams1 and the ,know-nothing    
,representative from the ,south ,parish2
 great1 broad-shouldered farmers came   
in1 with ,baldwin apples in their cheeks
 as well as in their cellars at home1   
and their trim tidy wives4 ,eight or ten
 ,irish children came also1--,bridget1  
,rosanna1 ,patrick1 and ,michael1 and   
,mr4 ,and ,mrs4 ,o',brien themselves4   
,aunt ,kindly had her piano there1 and  
played and sung4  ,didn't they all have 
a good time8 ,old ,joe ,roe1 the black  
fiddler1 from ,beaver ,brook1 ,mill     
,village1 was over there2 and how he did
 play6 how they did dance6 ,commonly1 as
 the young folks said1 he could play    
only one tune1 ,joe ,roe and ,i2 for it 
is true that his sleepy violin did      
always seem to whine out1 ,joe ,roe and 
,i1 ,joe ,roe and ,i1 ,joe ,roe and ,i4 
,but now the old fiddle was wide awake4 

,he cut capers on it2 and made it laugh1
 and cry1 and whistle1 and snort1 and   
scream4 ,he held it close to his ear1   
and rolled up the whites of his eyes1   
and laughed a great1 loud1 rollicking   
laugh2 and he made his fiddle laugh1    
too1 right out4  ,the young people had  
their games4 ,boston1 ,puss in the      
,corner1 ,stir you must1 ,hunt the      
,squirrel round the ,woods1 ,blind      
,man's ,buff1 and ,jerusalem4 ,mr4      
,atkins1 who built the hall1 and was a  
strict ,orthodox man a ,know-nothing1   
got them to play ,break the ,pope's     
neck1 which made a deal of fun4 ,the    
oldest people sung some of the old ,new 
,england tunes1 in the old ,new ,england
 way4 ,how well they went off6 in       
particular1       ,how beauteous are    
their feet       ,who stand on ,zion's  
,hill2       ,and bring salvation on    
their tongues1       ,and words of peace
 reveal4  ,but the great triumph of all 
was the ,christmas ,tree4 ,how big it   
was6 a large stout ,spruce in the upper 

part of the hall4 ,it bore a gift for   
every child in the town4 ,two little    
girls had the whooping cough1 and could 
not come out2 but there were two        
playthings for them also1 given to their
 brothers to be taken home4 ,st4        
,nicolas--it was ,almira ,weldon's      
lover--distributed the gifts4  ,squire  
,stovepipe came in late1 without any of 
the family that he was so busy in       
establishing1 but was so cold that it   
took him a good while to warm up to the 
general temperature of the meeting4 ,but
 he did at length2 and talked with the  
,widow ,wheeler1 and saw all her        
well-managed children1 and felt ashamed 
of his meanness only ten days before4   
,deacon ,willberate saw his son ,ned    
dancing with ,squire ,allen's rosy      
daughter1 ,matilda1--for the young      
people cared more for each other than   
for all the allusions to slavery in all 
the prayers and sermons too1 of the     
whole world1--and it so reminded him of 
the time when he also danced with his   

,matilda1--not openly at ,christmas     
celebrations1 but by stealth1--that he  
went straight up to his neighbor2       
,squire ,allen1 said he1 give me your   
hand4 ,new ,year's is a good day to     
square just accounts2 ,christmas is not 
a bad time to settle needles quarrels4  
,i suppose you and ,i1 both of us1 may  
be wrong4 ,i know ,i have been for one4 
,let by-gones be by-gones4 ,exactly so1 
said the ,squire4 ,i am sorry1 for my   
part4 ,let us wipe out the old score1   
and chalk up nothing for the future but 
good feelings4 ,if a prayer parted1     
perhaps a benediction will unite us2 for
 ,katie and ,ned look as if they meant  
we should be more than mere neighbors4  
,let us begin by becoming friends4      
,colonel ,stone took his youngest       
daughter1 who had a club-foot1 up to the
 ,christmas tree for her present1 and   
there met face to face with his enemy's 
oldest girl1 who was just taking the    
gift for her youngest brother1          
,robert1--holding him up in her bare    

arms that he might reach it himself4    
,but she could not raise him quite high 
enough1 and so the ,colonel lifted up   
the little fellow till he clutched the  
prize2 and when he set him down1 his    
hands full of sugar-cake1 asked him1    
,whose bright little five-year-old is   
this8 ,what is your name1 blue eyes8    
,bobbie ,nilkinson1 was the answer4 ,it 
went right to the ,colonel's heart4 ,it 
is ,christmas1 said he2 and the dear    
,jesus himself said1 ',suffer little    
children to come unto me4' ,well1 well1 
he said something to us old folks1 too3 
',if thy brother trespass against thee1'
 c41 and ',if thou bring thy gift to the
 altar1 and there remember that thy     
brother hath aught against thee1 leave  
there thy gift before the altar2 first  
be reconciled to thy brother1 and then  
come and offer thy gift4' ,he walked    
about awhile1 thinking1 and then found  
his neighbor4 ,mr4 ,wilkinson1 said he1 
it is bad enough that you and ,i should 
quarrel in law1 but let us be friends in

 the gospel4 ,as ,i looked at your      
little boy1 and held him up in my arms1 
and found out whose son he was1 ,i felt 
ashamed that ,i had ever quarreled with 
his father4 ,here is my hand1 if you    
think fit to take it4 ,with all my      
heart1 said ,wilkinson4 ,i fear ,i was  
more to blame than you4 ,but we can't   
help the past2 let us make amends for   
the future4 ,i hope we shall have many a
 merry ,christmas together in this world
 and the next4 ,perhaps ,uncle ,nathan  
can settle our land-quarrel better than 
any jury in ,worcester county4  ,mr4    
,smith1 the ,know-nothing               
representative1 was struck with the     
bright face of one of the little girls  
who wore a school-medal1 and asked her  
name4 ,bridget ,o',brien1 your honor1   
was the answer4 ,well1 well1 said he1 ,i
 guess ,uncle ,nathan is half right2    
'it's all prejudice4' ,i don't like the 
,irish1 politically4 ,but after all1 the
 ,pope will have to make a pretty long  
arm to reach round ,aunt ,kindly1 and   

clear through the ,union ,school-house  
and spoil ,miss ,bridget1--a pretty long
 arm to do all that4  ,so it went on all
 round the room4 ,that is what ,i call  
the ,christian ,sacrament1 said ,deacon 
,jackson to ,captain ,weldon4 ,ah1 yes1 
replied the blacksmith2 it is a feast of
 love4 ,look there2 ,colonel ,stearns   
and ,john ,wilkinson have not spoken for
 years4 ,now it is all made up4 ,both   
have forgotten that little strip of     
,beaver-gray meadow1 which has cost them
 so much money and hard words and in    
itself is not worth the lawyer's fees4  
,how the children played6 how they all  
did dance6 ,and of the whole sportive   
company not one footed the measure so   
neat as little ,hattie ,tidy1 the black 
man's daughter4 ,what a shame to enslave
 a race of such persons1 said ,mr4      
,stovepipe4 ,yet ,i went in for the     
,fugitive ,slave ,bill1 and was one of  
,marshal ,tukey's 'fifteen hundred      
gentlemen of property and standing4' ,my
 ,god forgive me6 ,amen1 said ,mr4      

,broadside1 a great1 stout1 robust      
farmer2 ,i stood by till the ,nebraska  
,bill put slavery into ,kansas1 then ,i 
went right square over to the           
anti-slavery side4 ,i shall stick there 
forever4 ,dr ,lord may try and excuse   
slavery just as much as he likes4 ,i    
know what all that means4 ,he don't     
catch old birds with chaff4  ,uncle     
,nathan went about the room talking with
 the men and women2 they all knew him1  
and felt well acquainted with such a    
good-natured face2 while ,aunt ,kindly1 
with the nicer tact of a good woman1    
introduced the right persons to each    
other1 and so promoted happiness among  
those too awkward to obtain it alone or 
unhelped4 ,besides this1 she took       
special care of the boys and girls from 
the poor-house4  ,what an appetite the  
little folks had for the good things6   
,how the old ones helped them dispose of
 these creature comforts6 while such as 
were half way between1 were too busy    
with other matters to think much of the 

eatables4 ,solomon ,jenkins and ,katie  
,edmunds had had a falling out4 ,he was 
the miller at ,stony ,brook2 but the    
course of true love never did run smooth
 with him2 he could not coax ,katie's to
 brook into his stream2 it would turn   
off some other way4 ,but that night     
,katie herself broke down the hindrance1
 and the two little brooks became one   
great stream of love1 and flowed on     
together1 inseparable2 now dimpling1    
deepening1 and whirling away full of    
beauty towards the great ocean of       
eternity4  ,uncle ,nathan and ,aunt     
,kindly1 how happy they were1 seeing the
 joy of all the company6 they looked    
like two new ,redeemers1--which indeed  
they were4 ,the minister said1--,well1  
,i have been preaching charity and      
forgiveness and a cheerful happiness all
 my life1 now ,i see signs of the 'good 
time coming4' ,there's forgiveness of   
injuries1 pointing to ,colonel ,stearns 
and ,mr4 ,wilkinson2 old enemies        
reconciled4 ,all my sermons don't seem  

to accomplish so much as your ,christmas
 ,festival1 ,mr4 ,robinson1 said he1    
addressing ,uncle ,nathan4 ,we only     
watered the ground1 said ,aunt ,kindly1 
where the seed was long since sown by   
other hands2 only it does seem to come  
up abundantly1 and all at once4 ,then   
the minister told the people a new      
,christmas story2 and before they went  
home they all joined together and sung  
this hymn to the good tune of ,old      
,hundred3       ,jesus shall reign      
where'er the sun      ,does his         
successive journeys run2      ,his      
kingdom stretch from shore to shore1    
,till moons shall wax and wane no more4 
,blessings abound where'er he reigns2   
,the prisoner leaps to loose his chains2
      ,the weary find eternal rest1     
,and all the sons of want are bless'd4