g ago that I can't tell how long ago it
was--I fell upon a hill-side. It was in a far distant country;
this I know, because, although it was the Christmas time, it was
not in that country as it is wont to be in countries to the
north. Hither the snow-king never came; flowers bloomed all the
year, and at all times the lambs found pleasant pasturage on the
hill-sides. The night wind was balmy, and there was a fragrance
of cedar in its breath. There were violets on the hill-side,
and I fell amongst them and lay there. I kissed them, and they
awakened. 'Ah, is it you, little moonbeam?' they said, and they
nestled in the grass which the lambs had left uncropped.

"A shepherd lay upon a broad stone on the hill-side; above him
spread an olive-tree, old, ragged, and gloomy; but now it swayed
its rusty branches majestically in the shifting air of night.
The shepherd's name was Benoni. Wearied with long watching, he
had fallen asleep; his crook had slipped from his hand. Upon the
hill-side, too, slept the shepherd's flock. I had counted them
again and again; I had stolen across their gentle faces and
brought them pleasant dreams of green pastures and of cool
water-brooks. I had kissed old Benoni, too, as he lay slumbering
there; and in his dreams he seemed to see Israel's King come
upon earth, and in his dreams he murmured the promised Messiah's
name.

"'Ah, is it you, little moonbeam?' quoth the violets. 'You have
come in good time. Nestle here with us, and see wonderful things
come to pass.'

"'What are these wonderful things of which you speak?' I asked.

"'We heard the old olive-tree telling of them to-night,' said
the violets. 'Do not go to sleep, little violets,' said the old
olive-tree, 'for this is Christmas night, and the Master shall
walk upon the hill-side in the glory of the midnight hour.' So
we waited and watched; one by one the lambs fell asleep; one by
one the stars peeped out; the shepherd nodded and crooned, and
crooned and nodded, and at last he, too, went fast asleep, and
his crook slipped from his keeping. Then we called to the old
olive-tree yonder, asking how soon the midnight hour would come;
but all the old olive-tree answered was 'Presently, presently,'
and finally we, too, fell asleep, wearied by our long watching,
and lulled by the rocking and swaying of the old olive-tree in
the breezes of the night.

"'But who is this Master?' I asked.

"'A child, a little child,' they answered. 'He is call