E-text prepared by Robert Cicconetti, Melissa Er-Raqabi,
and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
()
And Thus He Came
A Christmas Fantasy
By
Cyrus Townsend Brady
Pictures by
Walter B. Everett
G.P. Putnam's Sons
New York and London
The Knickerbocker Press
1916
To the Beloved Memory
of
Little Betty
Contents
II—THE CHILD
III—THE FRIEND
IV—THE WORKMAN
V—THE COMFORTER
VI—THE BURDEN BEARER
VII—THE THORN CROWNED
VIII—THE BROKEN-HEARTED
IX—THE FORGIVER OF SINS
X—THE GIVER OF LIFE
XI—THE STILLER OF THE STORM
Illustrations
AFTER A TIME SHE FELL DOWN ON HER KNEES.SHE PRESSED THEM AGAINST HER FACE
SHE LAID HER HAND UPON THE KNOB OF THE CHURCH DOOR
"IT IS HE," WHISPERED THE PRIEST; "HIS SORROW WAS GREATER THAN MINE"
ABSOLVO TE
THE CRY FOR BREAD
I
The Baby
"A LITTLE CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM"
The heavy perfume of rare blossoms, the wild strains of mad music, thepatter of flying feet, the murmur of speech, the ring of laughter,filled the great hall. Now and again a pair of dancers, peculiarlygraceful and particularly daring, held the center of the floor for amoment while the room rang with applause.
Into alcoves, screened and flower-decked, couples wandered. In thedancing-space hands were clasped, bosoms rose and fell, hearts throbbed,pulses beat, and moving bodies kept time to rhythmic sound.
Suddenly the music stopped, the conversation ceased, the laughter diedaway. Almost, as it were, poised in the air, the dancers stood amazed.One looked to another in surprise. Something stole throughout the roomwhich was neither music, nor lights, nor fragrance, but which waslife—a presence!
"Do you see that child?" asked the wildest of the dancers of her escort.