LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 
 
 Chap. Copyright No. 
 
 Shelfe_.cr_^_f/^^ 
 
 UiNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
riY 
 
 QnRiSTn/i/ Fete. 
 
-iu 
 
 /T)y ^I7ri5tma5 pete. 
 
 ^LlZBETH B.vfCoMINS. 
 
 BOSTON, U. S. A. 
 
 L. Prang & Company. 
 

 Copyric;ht, iSgo. 
 By L. Pkanc; 8c Comhany, Boston. 
 
/ HAD arranged a little Ct|ristrr\as fete, 
 ^^^ To brigl)ten Up son\e yoL[tl:\fxll lives I Knew : 
 Cl^ildrer) to ^l\on\ tl:|e toils ar|d cares of life 
 
 Were too abilr[dant, ar|d its joys too few ; 
 I'd bougl^t ti^e tallest tree ttiat I could fir)d 
 
 Would stand Wittlin tlqe ltn\its of nqy Wall, 
 Hnd every tinselled bougb^ Was lader\ down 
 
 Wit]^ gifts to please t\\e l:|earts of eacY{ and all 
 
R loving frier)d, Mjhp Kr\eMj of rr\y iriterit, 
 
 Ser^t rT\e a present ^t|icl\ sY\e asKed st|oiild be,, 
 In rT\eiT\ory of Hinq ^l^ose birtlq ^e celebrate, 
 
 Hiirig on tY\e wall wl)ere every eye coiJld see; 
 It ^as a l^ead of Clqrist Upon "tl^e cross, 
 
 H face witl^ agony iri every line, 
 Upon ]qis bro\v tY\e cruel cro^n of tl]orns ; 
 
 Outrageous insult to tlie King divine. 
 
*-^r■■\1^ 
 
It drilled rT\e to tt\e t^eart to look at it 
 
 TY\at tortured face iri its deatli agonies; 
 RY], not like tl^at ^oiild I irqprint tt^e Cl^rist 
 
 Or\ little clni-ldreri's tender rqenqories. 
 But as I l^eld tt^e picture in n\y l^and. 
 
 Still looking sadly in tl^ose angxJistted eyes, 
 Mysteriously tt\ere carT\e a v^^ondrous ct|ange, 
 
 Wt)ict) tt)rilled iT\y bosonq M)itY\ a glad surprise. 
 
Tine cruel cross grev^ 'fairit bel:\irid brig]:it beanqs. 
 Brig]:)t v^oridroxls bean|s ^]riic]:\ seerr\ed to spread 
 
 afar, 
 Hnd t)ave tt\eir centre in a gloiA^ing ligl^t, 
 
 Wtiiclq slqaped itself into a radiant star ; 
 7Y\e pallid face grev^ round and fair and young, 
 Tt\e tortured eyes gre^ sv^eet and soft and 
 rqild, 
 Tl")e cro^n of tl^orns becarne a l:\olly vv^reatl) 
 Encircling tl:|e fair ternples of a ct^ild. 
 
R c'qild WitY\ l^'appy, srT\iling, l^eavenly face 
 
 His little arnqs in ber]edictiori spread, 
 Outstretclied as if already l\e bestow^ed 
 
 UnnUn^bered blessings on eacl\ yoiittiful l:\ead. 
 "Hill tlius," I cried, ''slqall tt|ose dear c]:\ildreri see 
 
 Tt\e Cl^rist-clqild blessing all tl^eir Ciiristn\as 
 TT\irtl| ; 
 No slqadow of tl^e cross slqall dirT\ tY\e joy 
 
 Witln Wlqicl^ ^e celebrate tl\e Saviour's birtl)." 
 
1 seized mqy brus]r| arid worked v^itl^ feverisl^ 
 Inaste 
 
 To fix tt\ose features ere tl^ey'd fade aiA^ay; 
 And not ir\ Vain I tried tl^e loving task, 
 
 For it was done before tl^c close of day. 
 That nig^t \vlnen all tt|e l^appy cl^ildren carqe 
 
 To wY\at, to ttjen). ^as ar\ ericlianted place, 
 Tt|ere Was not one wl\o did not greet witl) snqiles 
 
 Ky pictured vision of tl)e Cririst-cr|ild's face.