ldren's emotion, glad, too, for it p

le be more welcome in God's sight than that which sprang forth to cheer the roughly clad boy and girl in the humble cottage. Dame Br

What wonder the yarn pricks my fingers! Come, Gretel, take this cent,[11] and

etel, looking up with eyes that sparkled thr

ever were knitted (owning the yarn is a grain too sharp,) to sell to the hosier on the Heireen Gracht.[12] That will give us three quarter-gu

houses to-night. But we will be merry too. Hans will have beautiful new skates,-and then there'll be the waf

ans quite gruff with p

will be busied with the father, and now you are o

hat and prepare to listen. "Nonsense, child

ch that her brother had made on the mother's last birthday. Hans, not wishing to appear childish, a

our ears needn't shut your fingers. Saint Nicholas, you must know, is a wonderful saint. He keeps his eye open for the good of sailors, but he cares most of all f

olland, mother?

w, child. Pr

fully. "I had that in my geography l

take up their journey in the morning. Well, they had very fine clothes,-velvet and silk, it may be, such as rich folks' children, all over the world, think nothing of wearing-and their belts, likewise, were full of money. Wha

but Hans tried to look as if killing a

es as she talked, "that was not near the worst of it. The dreadful landlord went and cut up the young gentlemen

story before. Hans still continued unmoved, and seemed to think th

g up the merchant's children. There was no need of his hurrying, you know, for he was a saint; but in the morning he went to the inn and charged the landlord with the murder. Then the wicked

ed Gretel, delighted, well kno

en from the brine-tub. They cast themselves at the feet of Saint Nicholas and he gave them his bles

hour of daylight in this manner, and the thought of such luxury quite appalled her. By way of compensation she now flew about the room in extre

s her boy lingered by the

p cheek, rosy and fresh yet,

buttoned his jacket, he looked, in a troubled way, toward a strange figure crouching by the hearth-ston

ood if he did. Ah! how many guilders I once spent for that; but the dear, g

nd that was quite enough to make even a dark day sunny. Hollanders do not address each other, in affectionate intercourse, as the French and Germans do. But Dame Brinker

n echo song beneath the boy's whistling, a

TNO

s worth less than hal

reet in A

n Dutch) called meest