us," the Child answered.

"Will you know Santa Claus when you see him?" the toyman asked.

"Oh, yes," the Child said. "Santa Claus will be making toys--" but he
did not say any more, for the toyman got down from his bench and put a
box of quaintly carved little wooden animals in the Child's happy
hands. It was a good gift, for each animal was different, and it had
taken the toyman many evenings to cut them out.

"Merry Christmas to you from Santa Claus!" said the toyman, as the
Child thanked him and went on, wondering.

Now it was Christmas Eve, and so the Child started home. The lights
from the Christmas candles shining from many windows made a bright
path for him, and he felt very happy indeed. He knew how pleasant it
would be at home. The Christmas tree would be set up, waiting for the
gifts that each one was going to give the others. There would be a
fire of new logs in the fireplace, and holly wreaths at the windows,
and he would hang up his stocking. The Child felt as glad as if Santa
Claus were walking home by his side through the snowy street, but he
thought, just before he reached home,

"I wish that I could hear Santa Claus' bells!"

Then the Child stopped, and listened. He heard, coming toward him on
the frosty air, the sound of many silver-toned bells. The Christmas
star had shone out in the sky as soon as the sun set. Now the church
bells were ringing, some near and some far, to welcome the Holy Child
of Christmas Eve. Their chiming was as wonderful as the sound of the
strings of silver bells on Santa Claus' sleigh.

"I shall know Santa Claus by the sound of his bells," the Child
repeated to himself.

Then he came home, and his mother was very glad to have him back.

"Did you see Santa Claus?" she asked.

"Oh, yes!" the Child answered, for he was quite sure about it now. "I
saw him when I met grandfather, and I saw him standing in a red cloak
at the street corner and helping the poor. I saw him in the toyman's
shop, and I heard his bells ringing just now. I saw Santa Claus
everywhere," the Child said.

And so may every child see Santa Claus, wherever love and goodness are
at the blessed Christmas time.

THE CHRISTMAS GARDEN

None of the children in the village would play with Christopher
because he was the child of Beggar Mother of the Goeinge Forest.

The Forest was deep, full of brown, leafless oaks and green fir trees,
with the wind singing shrill tunes in their branches. In the