pare for Christmas four weeks before it came. Thus, the fourth Sabbath before Christmas is already the beginning of the Advent-time. Though little children, as well as grown people, should all the year round think gladly what a great blessing it was that Jesus came into the world; yet, as I told you this morning, they ought especially to be glad when it once comes so near. This is the reason why your grand-pa comes at this time, that we may all be glad together. Next Sabbath is the first of Advent, and in three weeks from Saturday grand-pa will come, and grandmother, and all the rest."

"O, but we are glad," exclaimed Wilsie, dancing around his pa's big chair.

"Des, pa, we am dlad for dran-pa, for de rest, and fur de Krismas," stammered little Maggie, speaking even less plainly than usual because her heart was so full of joy.

"Now, be good children," said their father; and they all ran down stairs, wild with joy, exclaiming, "they are all coming-grand-pa, grand-ma, and Annie, and Laura, and all."

This announcement made the hearts of the children glad for the rest of the Advent-time. They frequently spoke of the good, joyful time coming. They were glad that Jesus was born, and that there was a Christmas. If they were too young to know fully the great blessings brought by His birth, they did at least feel them; which is better than to know and not feel. They knew that the coming of Christ made joy. They were glad. It was His coming, and the Christmas which celebrates that joyful event, which would bring their grand-parents, and uncles, and aunts, around them. In being thankful to their Saviour for this, they were really thankful to Him for what are the blessed fruits of His coming into the world. It is His love and grace which makes holy and happy all the ties of kindred, and binds hearts and families together in the strongest love and joy. Thus these children, in being glad for the social happiness which was promised them, were in truth at the same time glad for Jesus and his happy Christmas. Their hearts, which were opening, beautifully and fragrantly like a flower in social love, were also preparing to be possessed and influenced by their Saviour's love. They were receiving Christ, and his grace, as little children: not so much by knowledge as by love; not so much by the mind as by the holiest instincts and affections of the heart. As children lean upon Christ through their parent's faith and piety; so, in this happy waiting for the good Christmas time, their natural social affections were insensibly glorifying themselves, making their joy for the coming of their dear friends bloom in a sacred gladness for the coming of Christ and his happy Christmas.

Saturday morning in advent exclaimed Wilsie, who had "Here they all are!" In a

The good time came. The blessed last dawned. "O mother, here they are all !" been watching at the window all morning. moment the front door was flung wide open, and then was a joyful time, of kissing, shaking hands, and stroking heads! We need not enter into particulars, or attempt to describe this scene of family re-union. have all witnessed it, and experienced its joys.

We

After the first stir of joy was over, Wilsie sought the earliest opportunity of getting upon his grandfather's knee. This desirable position

attained, he, first of all, caught the venerable man's chin with both hands, and raising it up, began to take him to task for that hard, old-fashioned word in his letter.

"Now grand-pa, what made you say Advent? We did not know what you meant by it. If pa hadn't explained it to us, we would not have known when you would come."

By this time Maggie had gotten upon the other knee, and Mary was standing by his side with her one hand on his shoulder. "Yes, grandpa, your old-fashioned word made us a good bit of trouble.”

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"Dran-pa, I like ole fash; I like yu tu!" said Maggie. "Children," said the old man, you must not speak against old fashions. You are too young yet to know which old customs are good, and which are bad. There are some bad old fashions, and some good; we must not put the good ones away with the bad ones. You see, children, when your mother cleans house, she does not cast out the tables, and chairs, and looking glasses; but only such things that ought not to be in the house. There are some people so foolish in these times as to think all old things are bad, and should be cast aside.

"Yes, grand-pa," said Mary, "the other day when I was fetching things from the store to tie on our Christmas-tree, a little girl told me, their preacher said, Christmas was an old rag' of something, I dont mind what it was, and that it ought to be put away."

Yes, children, some would like, not only to have Christmas, but Christ himself out of the way. There are also some good people, like that preacher, who thoughtlessly favor this hatred to all that is old, forgetting that all the good they have is older than themselves. I have lived long enough, not only to hear about putting away old Christmas, but also to see it put away in many families, and neighborhoods, and churches. When I was a young man no one worked on Christmas. In the forenoon all went to church, to learn to love our Saviour. After church, parents, grand-parents, children and grand-children, gathered around the Christmas dinner; and then the afternoon, evening, and next day, which was second christmas-day, was spent in innocent social pleasures, and in this way they would all learn better to love one another. It was before coal were found, and then we had a large wood-fire in the hearth. In the evening while the cold storm was blustering without, the fire and the nuts were cracking within; and then we used to listen to the beautiful Christmas stories.

"Grand-pa, tell us some of them," exclaimed all three at once.

"My grand-father," said the old man, "used to tell us about the happy Christmas time in Germany, when he was a boy; and he used to say, that as long as he could, he would keep it up in this country. He used to tell us, in solemn words, to do the same when he was dead." "Tell us, grand-pa, how they used to keep Christmas in Germany?" said Wilsie, his eyes growing brighter. "Yes, do," said Mary. "Des, du, dran-pa," added Maggie.

"You see, children, some years ago, my father went out to Germany, to see the old place where my grand-father used to live, and to visit our friends who still live there. I will read you what he says, in a letter which he wrote to us while he was out. I have brought it along for this purpose."

"O read it, grand-pa," they all exclaimed with one voice. The old man read: "Christmas is a happy time here in the old Fatherland. The children make little presents to their parents, and to each other; and the parents to their children. For three or four months before Christmas, the girls are all busy; and the boys save their pocket money to make or purchase these presents. What the present is to be, is cautiously kept secret, and the girls have a world of contrivances to conceal it such as working when they are out on visits, and the others are not with them; getting up in the morning before daylight, etc. Then, on the evening before Christmas-day, one of the parlors is lighted up by the children into which the parents must not go. A great yew bough is fastened on the table at a little distance from the wall; a multitude of little tapers are fixed in the bough, but not so as to burn it till they are nearly consumed; and colored paper, etc., hangs and flutters from the twigs. Under this bough, the children lay out in great order, the presents they mean for their parents, still concealing in their pockets what they intended for each other. Then the parents are introduced, and each presents his little gift; they then bring out the remainder, one by one, from their pockets, and present them with kisses and embraces. When I witnessed this scene, there were eight or nine children, and the eldest daughter and mother wept aloud for joy and tenderness; and the tears run down the face of the father, as he clasped all his children so tight to his breast, it seemed as if he did it to stifle the sob that was rising within him. I was very much affected. The shadow of the bough and its appendages on the walls and arching over on the ceiling, made a pretty picture; and then the rapture of the very little ones, when at last the twigs and their needles began to take fire and snap-O, it was a delight for them!

"On the next day, in the great parlor, the parents lay on the table the presents for the children. A scene of more sober joy succeeds; as on this day, after an old custom, the mother says privately to each of her daughters, and the father to his sons, that which he has observed most praiseworthy, and that which was most faulty in their conduct. Formerly, and still in all the smaller towns and villages throughout North Germany, these presents are sent by all the parents to some one fellow, who, in high buskins, a white robe, a mask, and an enormous flax wig, personates Knecht Rupert-i. e., the servant Rupert. On Christmas night he goes round to every house, and says that Jesus Christ, his master, sent him thither. The parents and elder children receive him with great pomp and reverence, while the little ones are most terribly frightened. He then inquires for the children, and according to the character which he hears from the parents he gives them the intended presents, as if they came out of heaven from Jesus Christ. Or if they should have been bad children, he gives the parents a rod, and, in the name of his master, recommends them to use it frequently."

"I think," said Mary, "those children would try to be good to their parents, who were so kind to them always, and especially on Christmas." "And I think," said Wilsie, "they would learn to love the good Jesus who gave them such good parents, and made such a happy Christmas for them."

"Des, dran-pa, I dink so du," said our little Maggie, who was as anxious as any one to be glad at what the old man said.

"Yes, children," continued the venerable man, "it is the design of these acts of kindness to open the hearts both of those who bestow them, and those who receive them; and I know from blessed experience that they have this effect. When, now that my hairs are gray, as my father's were long, long ago, I think back over those Christmas scenes, and remember all the kind words, looks, and gifts of my parents, my aged heart softens, and I love my Saviour the more because I know that He made them so good and kind!"

Here the aged man's eye moistened, his lips trembled, and under his white locks his cheeks glowed from the emotions which swelled his heart. While he paused, Mary said,

"Grand-pa, tell us how it comes that people give presents to each other, on our Saviour's birth-day, and this will make another Christmas story for us."

"That I will do, my children. Jesus Christ was God's great gift to the world. He was the first, and the greatest, Christmas gift. This has led good people to think that because God was so good as to give such a gift to them, they ought also to be kind and give gifts to each other. John, the loving disciple says: 'Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.'"

"O, now I see," said Wilsie, "it comes from that."

"Then, too," continued the old man, "all those who open their hearts to receive God's great gift, will always feel themselves moved to be kind. Wherever Christ is in the heart there he makes kind feelings. Now christian parents show, by their kindness to their children and others, that the spirit of Jesus dwells in their hearts. Thus they give more gifts on Christ's birth-day than any other time, to show how glad they are that He came into the world to be our Saviour."

I wonder how any one can wish to have Christmas put away," said Mary. "I think it must be because they have no grand-pas to explain to them these pretty things about it, and to tell them such beautiful Christmas stories."

"I am glad you came, grand-pa," said Wilsie. And Maggie, who would never be behind when any loving was to be done, stammered : "Maggie is dlad-all over dlad."

It would take us too long to tell all that passed between the first arrival, and Christmas eve. This we must pass over, with the simple remark, that all was joyful preparation for the happy flowering time of gladness to take place on Christmas eve, and on Christmas day. The parlor was kept dark, and the children were not permitted to enter it. Why? The Christmas-tree was growing in there unseen and in silence. Grandfather was superintending the matter; for he was devoutly bent on observing his own ancestors' almost dying request, that they should keep up the good old Christmas customs, as he had done, and as they used to do in the Fatherland.

Although the children may not enter, we must take our readers into the dark parlor, and show them the mysterious growth of the Christmas tree. First, we take a rough box, paper it all over nicely, and fill it with earth. Then we take a nice round top of pine, or cedar, and plant it in the box. Then we cover the surface of the box with moss; which again we cover with little heaps of almonds, figs, raisins, and all kinds of nuts. Here and there we lay an orange, a cocoa-nut, and nice apple, to make it look rich. Then we take and hang all kinds of pleasant fruits upon the branches of the pine; bunches of raisins, strings of almonds, little toy-baskets full of nuts. Then, all the little presents, for all the members of the family, are also hung in the branches. There hang handkerchiefs, collars, little red shoes, speckled stockings, little books, candy baskets, dolls, little men, and little horses, and little whips and wagons. See, there hangs a staff for grand-pa, and a pair of spectacles for grandmother. See, I do say, if there isn't a Christmas sermon for the Pastor! Look, if it is not in his own handwriting. It is a chance if grand-pa himself has not slipped it from the Pastor's study table, and hung it on the Christmas-tree. Now all is finished, but a number of wax candles must yet be tied in the tree, ready for being lit.

The Christmas-tree has now come to its full growth. The candles are all lit. How they sparkle in the dark evergreen branches of the pine. How richly the fruit, and the various presents, shine in the branches, which almost bend under their kind burdens. The CHRISTKINDLEIN, has been very good in making such a fine tree full of presents grow in the parlor.

The children have been waiting and wondering long enough. The time to fulfil their joy has come. The parlor-door is thrown open; and the whole generation follows grand-pa in. But what a sight bursts upon the high hopes of the children! The shining tree, smiling silently from root to top, seems to them like what they have thought the trees might be in Heaven! They look, they laugh, they leap around it. There is one grand, spontaneous shout of "HAPPY, HAPPY CHRISTMAS!"

"O, grand-pa," exclaimed the children, "we will never put the Christmas away, will we?" And little Maggie, waddling around the tree, and clapping her hands, kept saying: "I is dlad you tum, dran-pa—I is dlad de Krismas tum, too." The venerable old man himself, on witnessing the joy of the children, could hardly keep still, for his heart was young once more, and his youthful years smiled around him again, as in days of yore!

There hang the presents in the shining tree. But no one must know which is his own present till to-morrow; for as yet it is a family tree, and binds the hearts of all to itself, and thus to each other. They may guess; and if we take notice to their guesses, we can see in which way their tastes run. Some may come very near the truth, but there is no certainty. Perhaps the Pastor himself is the only one who can not well make a mistake. The half-suppressed smile, which looks out archly from the corner of his mouth, as he casts his eye at the little paper book, convinces us that he is pretty certain that it is a sermon for him. He is inly glad that he is provided for, and can rest well in view of the mor