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 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 AT LOS ANGELES 
 
 GIFT OF 
 
 L. Campbell
 
 -3.
 
 CIlRIST:KTaleFbr 
 The ChristmasTide 
 
 T716 RBB6Y- COMPHNY- CBICR6O
 
 PS 
 
 V 
 X 
 
 OW it happened a long The mountain 
 
 time ago, in the year , of vision 
 
 but the exact year does 
 
 not matter, because you 
 _ _ _ will not find this story 
 
 written in the history of any of the 
 nations of the world. But in one of 
 the countries of Europe bordering on 
 the Mediterranean Sea was a lofty 
 mountain, which, to the dwellers in 
 the plains below, seemed to reach to 
 the very sky. At times its summit w^as 
 covered with clouds, so that it could 
 not be seen; at other times it stood 
 out fair and clear, as though silently 
 asking the people to look up and not 
 down. The lower slopes of the moun 
 tain were covered -with olive trees, 
 with groves of oranges and lemons, 
 and with vineyards, and they were 
 dotted here and there with the little 
 white cottages of the peasants who 
 made their living from these groves 
 and vineyards, the fruit of which they 
 sold in the city not far away. 
 
 3
 
 Along the mountain-side wound a 
 the sea foot-trail even to the summit, and no 
 where, in all the region, was there a 
 finer view of the Mediterranean than 
 from the summit of this mountain. In 
 the long summer afternoons the peas 
 ants and children would climb to the 
 top, and look off on the lovely picture 
 of land and sea. Then they would eat 
 their simple lunch of bread and dates 
 and olives, quenching their thirst from 
 the spring on the mountain-side, 
 which they called "Dew-of-heaven," 
 so clear and fresh and sparkling was 
 it; and when the sun began to touch 
 the western sky with his pencils of 
 gold and carmine and purple, they 
 hastened down, that they might reach 
 their cottages before the night shut in. 
 
 On the day when this story begins 
 a man was standing on the summit of 
 the mountain looking across the sea 
 in the direction where you will find 
 
 4
 
 Tyre and Joppa on the map. He was, A stranger 
 very plainly, not one of the peasants cometh 
 -who lived on the. mountain-side. He 
 looked about sixty years of age; he 
 was tall and erect, though he carried 
 a staff in his hand. His hair and beard 
 were long and flowing, and almost 
 gray, but his eye was clear and pene 
 trating, and he was looking across 
 the sea as though he expected some 
 one to appear. 
 
 And while he stood there gazing 
 seaward, there appeared a second 
 man on the summit, helping himself 
 up with his staff, and panting with 
 the effort of the long climb. From his 
 dress and manner it was plain that 
 this man, too, was not one of the 
 peasants, for, like the first comer, he 
 seemed to belong to another age and 
 clime. The two men glanced at each 
 other and gave such greeting as stran 
 gers might -who should meet in so 
 solitary a spot as a mountain summit. 
 
 5
 
 And findeth Then both lapsed into silence and 
 a friend looked off across the sea. 
 
 Presently the last corner seemed to 
 wake from his reverie; he walked 
 over to the place where the other was 
 sitting, still gazing off toward Joppa, 
 and touched him on the shoulder: 
 "A thousand pardons, my friend," he 
 said, "but my mind is haunted with 
 some far-off recollection, as though 
 in some other land and some far-off 
 time I had seen thy face. Wilt thou 
 have the kindness to tell me thy 
 name?" 
 
 Without lifting his eyes from the 
 sea, and in a tone which seemed re 
 gretful and sad, the stranger replied: 
 "My name is Gaspard." 
 
 "Gaspard! Indeed, then have I seen 
 thee! Look at me, my friend; dost 
 thou not remember me? My name is 
 Melchior. Dost thou not recall that 
 time, how long ago I know not, when 
 thou and I and Balthazar followed a 
 
 6
 
 star which led us to a little Jewish A far-off 
 hamlet, thou bearing gold and I frank- pilgrimage 
 incense, and Balthazar myrrh? Dost recalled 
 thou not remember how, on the long 
 journey thither, we talked about the 
 young Prince, whom we expected to 
 find in a royal palace, and how at last 
 when we reached the village, follow 
 ing the star, we were led not to a pal 
 ace, but to a little inn, and not even 
 to a room within the inn, but to the 
 stable-yard, where we found a sweet- 
 faced peasant woman bending over a 
 babe cradled in a manger; and stand 
 ing near, a sturdy peasant, proud and 
 happy ,whose name was Joseph? Dost 
 thou not remember, too, that when 
 we had recovered from our surprise, 
 we left our gifts and greetings, and 
 went our way as men who had been 
 dreaming? Gaspard, dost thou not 
 remember?" 
 And Gaspard, looking now intently 
 
 in the other's face, replied: 
 
 Yes, 
 7
 
 And Melchior, I remember thee, and I re- 
 wanderings member the journey of which thou 
 in many hast spoken better than I remember 
 lands aught else. Neither have I forgotten 
 the surprise and disappointment with 
 which we came to the place whither 
 the star led us; nor how, after leav 
 ing our gifts, we went away as in a 
 dream; and, Melchior, I have been 
 dreaming ever since. Even here hast 
 thou found me in a dream of perplex 
 ity. I am still Gaspard, the wander 
 ing magician; for how many years I 
 know not, I have wandered up and 
 down these lands' of Europe. I have 
 crossed the seas; in every place I 
 have sought to find the kingdom over 
 which we were told this young prince 
 was one day to reign. Dost thou not 
 remember that we were told his king 
 dom was to last forever, that he would 
 reign in it himself forever and would 
 never die? Alas! I have lost the old 
 power of the magician's art. I can 
 8
 
 summon no star to guide me to the If only 
 place where I shall find this kingdom Balthazar 
 and its king." were here 
 
 "Truly, Gaspard," answered Mel- 
 chior, "the story of your wanderings 
 is but the repetition of my own; and 
 even now was I drawn to this moun 
 tain summit on the self-same errand 
 that brought you here, to see if I 
 could not discover in the direction of 
 yonder land, where Bethlenem was, 
 some star which might prove to be 
 His star, and which might guide me 
 in the new quest. If only our old com 
 panion, Balthazar, were with us now, 
 he might give us the clew to our 
 search, for not only was he more skil 
 ful in the magician's art, but he was 
 braver and more courageous, and 
 withal more serene in spirit." 
 
 Now, even while Melchior was 
 speaking, a voice was heard a little 
 way down the mountain. Gaspard 
 and Melchior stopped to listen. The 
 
 9
 
 A song voice was singing, and the words of 
 in the air the song floated up to them distinctly: 
 
 If the sun has hid its light, 
 If the day has turned to night, 
 If the heavens are not benign, 
 If the stars refuse to shine 
 
 Heart of man lose not thy hope; 
 
 Door, there's none that shall not ope; 
 
 Path, there's none that shall not clear; 
 
 Heart of man! why shouldst thou fear! 
 
 If for years should be thy quest, 
 If for years thou hast no rest, 
 If thou circlest earth and sea, 
 If thou worn and weary be 
 
 Heart of man, lose not thy hope; 
 
 Door, there's none that shall not ope; 
 
 Path, there's none that shall not clear; 
 
 Heart of man! why shouldst thou fear! 
 
 "That," exclaimed Gaspard and 
 Melchior together, "is the voice of 
 Balthazar," and they hastened to 
 meet him, for he was now almost at 
 the summit, and the refrain of his 
 song was still upon his lips. At that 
 
 10
 
 moment Balthazar sprang up from Balthazar 
 the sloping path into full view of the cometh 
 two men, and, giving each a hand, 
 exclaimed: "Gaspard, Melchior, be 
 loved companions, I have found you 
 at last. The peasants below were not 
 mistaken. From their description, I 
 was certain I should find you here. 
 And you, too, have been searching 
 these long years for the kingdom of 
 the Christ! and, like me, you have 
 met with disappointment; but, com 
 rades, be not of faint heart: 
 
 Door, there's none that shall not ope; 
 Path, there's none that shall not clear. 
 
 Let us hasten down the mountain, 
 for see! the sky is already growing 
 gold and crimson beyond the pillars 
 of Hercules. Let us seek the way 
 farers' lodging with the hospitable 
 peasants in the valley, and to-morrow 
 let us begin our search for the Christ 
 anew. We have wandered alone; let 
 
 ii
 
 Forget not us invoke now the star to guide us 
 
 hospitality together." 
 
 That night, therefore, the three 
 strangers lodged with the simple 
 peasant people in the valley, partak 
 ing with thankfulness of the coarse 
 bread, the dates and the red wine 
 the common fare of their daily life. 
 Nor did they fail to notice a motto 
 inscribed above the fireplace in rude 
 Greek letters: 
 
 THL OIAOSENIAS MM 
 ETHAANeANEieE 
 
 ( N the morrow they were 
 readytobegintheirsearch 
 together for the Christ, 
 and they hoped not to 
 wander far before they 
 should find at least the outskirts of 
 His kingdom. But whither should 
 they go? In what direction should 
 they first turn their steps? 
 12
 
 While they were thus wondering Once more 
 and debating, Balthazar suddenly ex- a star 
 claimed: "I see the star!" And be 
 hold, a little way before them, and at 
 no great distance above their heads, 
 they discerned in the gray of the 
 early morning a star of pale, opal 
 light, which seemed to move forward 
 as the men moved toward it. 
 
 "We must follow the star!" Bal 
 thazar said, in a whisper. Silently 
 and breathlessly his companions 
 followed on. 
 
 Now, so intently did the three men 
 keep their eyes fixed upon the star, 
 and so eagerly did they follow in the 
 direction where it seemed to lead, that 
 it was only after a considerable time 
 they discovered that they had become 
 separated from each other, and that 
 their paths were getting farther and 
 farther apart. Yet, there before each 
 of them was the star, shining with its 
 soft, opalescent light, and still ringing 
 
 13
 
 The star f n their ears were the words of Bal- 
 stands thazar "we must follow the star." 
 still So each followed the star, each by 
 himself alone. Gaspard's path wound 
 along near the shore of the gulfs and 
 bays of the Mediterranean, until at 
 last the star turned southward and 
 drew him nearer and nearer to a great 
 city, and finally stood still over the 
 dome of a vast cathedral. "It must 
 be," thought Gaspard, "that I have 
 come to the end of my search. This 
 must be the capital and palace of the 
 eternal king." 
 
 The square in front of the cathedral 
 was thronged with people; multitudes 
 were pouring in through the great 
 portals. Gaspard joined the throngs, 
 and at last found himself under the 
 mighty dome, which seemed to him 
 as far away as the sky itself. Every 
 thing in this wonderful place appealed 
 to his imagination. There were great 
 rows of massive columns, symbol of 
 
 14
 
 a strength eternal, and they seemed Marbled 
 like wide-open arms holding out a aisle's 
 welcome to the human race. There magnificence 
 were statues and paintings by great 
 masters in art. The light of the sun 
 poured in through many-colored win 
 dows, on which were blazoned the 
 deeds of heroes and saints. Strains of 
 music from the great organ in the 
 distance floated out upon the air. 
 Touched and thrilled by all he saw, 
 Gaspard exclaimed to himself: "The 
 placeon which I stand isholy ground." 
 Soon, however, he perceived that 
 the throngs of people were not linger 
 ing, like himself, in awe and wonder 
 over the great columns and the dome, 
 and the statues, and the paintings, and 
 the windows. Their eyes were fixed 
 intently upon something that was go 
 ing on in the far end of the cathedral. 
 An altar was there, and priests in 
 white robes passing up and down be 
 fore it, and tall tapers burning around 
 
 15
 
 Kyrie it. Near the altar was the image of a 
 eleison man hanging from a cross; his hands 
 and feet were pierced with nails, and 
 a cruel wound was in his side. The 
 people were gazing at this altar, and 
 at the image, and at what the white- 
 robed priests were doing. The strains 
 of solemn music from the organ blend 
 ed with the voices of priests chanting 
 the service. Clouds of incense rose 
 from censers, swung with soldmn 
 motion by the altar-boys, and the 
 fragrance of the incense was wafted 
 down the long aisles. At -last, the 
 tinkling of a bell. The organ became 
 silent for an instant, as though it felt 
 within its heart the awful solemnity of 
 the moment; and then it burst forth 
 into new rapture, and the people be 
 gan pouring out through-trie great 
 doors. 
 
 Gaspard went forth with the throng 
 intothe cathedral square. "And this," 
 he said, "is the end of my search. I 
 16
 
 have found the Christ. His kingdom is We must 
 in the imagination of man. How beau- follow 
 tiful, how wonderful, how strange it the star 
 was! 'Dominusvobiscum/didnotthe 
 priests say? Here, then, at last I have 
 found the city of the great King." 
 
 But as he lingered, behold! the star 
 which had stood over the dome of the 
 cathedral was now before him, as at 
 first, and seemed to waver and trem 
 ble, as if beckoning him on. So, al 
 though his feet seemed bound to the 
 spot, and his heart was still throbbing 
 with the.oVeep feelings the cathedral 
 service had created in him, remem 
 bering the words of Balthazar, "we 
 must follow the star," he slowly and 
 reluctantly" walked on. 
 
 fN the meantime Melchior 
 also had followed faith 
 fully the path along which 
 the star seemed to lead. 
 Through forests in which 
 he almost lost his way, across rivers 
 difficult and dangerous to ford still
 
 The just he followed on. At length Melchior's 
 shall live star seemed to tarry over the spire of 
 
 by faith a gothic church, into which the peo 
 ple were going in throngs. Waiting 
 a moment, to be sure that the star was 
 actually standing still, Melchior went 
 in with the rest. In this place was no 
 altar, such as Gaspard saw; no image 
 on the cross; no white-robed priests; 
 no swinging censers. But, as Mel 
 chior entered he heard strains from 
 the organ, and a chorus of voices was 
 singing an anthem beginning with the 
 words, "Te Deum Laudamus." And 
 when the anthem came to a close, a 
 man clothed in a black robe, such as 
 scholars were wont to wear, rose in 
 his place upon a platform elevated 
 above thepeople,andbegantospeak to 
 them about the kingdom of the Christ. 
 Melchior listened in eager expect 
 ancy. "The kingdom of the Christ," 
 the preacher said, "is the kingdom of 
 the Truth, and the truth is to be con- 
 18
 
 tinued and kept alive by the strength The truth 
 and constancy of man's belief. Those shall make 
 things which have been handed down you free 
 by holy men and sacred oracles since 
 Christ was here upon the earth, are 
 the truths by which we live. How can 
 Christ live, except He live in our be 
 liefs? Why did the Father of all in 
 trust us with our reasons, unless it 
 were that we should make them the 
 instruments of our faith and our sal 
 vation? Let us therefore stand in our 
 places, while we recite together the 
 articles of our holy faith." 
 
 These and many such words did the 
 scholar-preacher declare. And as he 
 sat there with the people, Melchior 
 felt the weight of the solemn and ear 
 nest words, and he said: "So at last 
 have I come to the end of my search. 
 The kingdom of Christ is in the mind 
 of man. His kingdom is the kingdom 
 of the truth." 
 
 Then he followed the throngs as 
 they went forth from the church; but 
 
 19
 
 More 
 
 light shall 
 break forth 
 
 the star which had tarried over the 
 lofty spire -was now before him, and 
 the opal light wavered and trembled, 
 as if beckoning him on; and the 'words 
 of the preacher, "we must believe," 
 seemed to blend with the words of 
 Balthazar, "we must follow the star." 
 So, reluctantly and slowly, he fol 
 lowed on. 
 
 lUT Balthazar whither 
 went he, following the 
 star? Over many a rug 
 ged way, through many a 
 tangled thicket, through 
 valleys and over hills. His star tarried 
 over no cathedrals; it lingered over 
 no gothic spires. It seemed capricious 
 and restless and tireless. At times it 
 seemed intent on coming to a pause 
 over the head of some human being, 
 but perhaps it was because these hu 
 man beings themselves were so rest 
 less and so busy that the star could not 
 accomplish its intent. For Balthazar 
 20
 
 saw these men and women hurrying Thy 
 hither and thither on errands of mer- sacramental 
 cy, or deeds of justice; he saw them liturgies 
 ferreting out great wrongs, laying 
 heavy blows on the backs of men who 
 oppressed and defrauded their fellow 
 men. 
 
 At length Balthazar seemed to un 
 derstand the movements of the star, 
 and, drawing nearer, he would seem 
 to hear these men repeating cheering 
 and encouraging words to one an 
 other. "Pure religion and undefiled," 
 he heard one exclaiming, "is to visit 
 the fatherless and widows in their 
 affliction, and to keep himself unspot 
 ted from the world." And another 
 echoed: "Inasmuch as we do it to the 
 least of these, we do it unto Christ." 
 
 "Ah!" thought Balthazar as he list 
 ened, I see the meaning of it now; I 
 am coming to the end of my search. 
 The kingdom of Christ I have found 
 it. It is in the deeds of men; it is in the 
 
 21
 
 The joy of conscience and the serving will. De- 
 doing good vption to right, this is the law of the 
 kingdom of Christ." 
 
 Then Balthazar turned to go in 
 search of his comrades again; but be 
 hold! the opal star was trembling, as 
 if beckoning him on. So, still doubt 
 ing if he had reached the end of his 
 search, he followed the star. 
 
 >HUS Gaspard, Melchior 
 and Balthazar, each fol 
 lowing the star, at last 
 approached each other. 
 The star of each seemed 
 to melt and blend into the star of the 
 others, and the opal light stood at last 
 in the center of the group. Gaspard 
 exclaimed: "I have found that which 
 we all were seeking. The kingdom of 
 Christ is in the imagination; Christ 
 lives in what man feels." 
 
 "Nay," said Melchior, "I have fol 
 lowed the star, and I have found what 
 we sought. The kingdom of Christ is 
 
 22
 
 in the reason of man. Christ lives in The paths 
 what man believes." converge 
 
 "But," cried Balthazar, "my star 
 has led me to a different end. The 
 kingdom of Christ is in the will of 
 man. Christ lives in what man does." 
 
 "The truth," once more exclaimed 
 Melchior, "is the law of the king 
 dom." 
 
 "Not truth," declared Balthazar, 
 "but justice, righteousness, goodness 
 and purity these are its laws and its 
 marks." 
 
 "Nay, comrades beloved, hearken 
 to me," answered Gaspard; "it is the 
 miracle of the divine presence. It 
 is God among men, realized in the 
 holy mass. I beheld it all in yonder 
 cathedral." 
 
 But lo! once more the star began 
 to tremble and to change its place. 
 
 "Let us follow the star!" Balthazar 
 whispered. "We will follow it," ech 
 oed the other two. 
 
 23
 
 Once more Then the star led them on, and they 
 the quest followed together until they came at 
 length to the doorway of a little cot 
 tage; and within the cottage they saw 
 a woman bending over a cradle, and 
 in the cradle a little child lay sleep 
 ing. She was a peasant woman; her 
 clothing was not rich; the furnishing 
 of the cottage was humble and scanty. 
 The cradle itself was rude, as if put 
 together by hands unskilful in tasks 
 like that. But when the mother looked 
 at her babe a sweet smile played about 
 her lips, and a light was in her eyes. 
 Then all suddenly the three men re 
 membered another scene long before, 
 when they were bearers of gold and 
 frankincense and myrrh to another 
 babe. 
 
 And while they stood and wondered 
 by the door, there came a strong and 
 sturdy peasant, broad-shouldered, 
 roughly clad, his face browned in the 
 sun, his hands hardened with toil. 
 
 24
 
 He came and stood beside the woman, He that 
 and they bent together over the era.- loveth 
 die of the sleeping child, and the man knoweth God 
 drew the woman tenderly toward him 
 and kissed her brow. 
 
 And still the three men lingered; 
 for behold! the star stood still above 
 the child, and they dared not speak. 
 But the heart of Gaspard was saying 
 in silence, "There is something great 
 er than the repeated miracle of the 
 mass." 
 
 And Melchior was thinking, "There 
 is something mightier even than the 
 mind; something superior to naked 
 truth." 
 
 And Balthazar was confessing to 
 himself that he had found something 
 more potent even than the righteous 
 deed. For here they all beheld how 
 life was made sweet and blessed and 
 holy by the power of love; and by 
 love for a little child, in whom was all 
 weakness and helplessness, whose 
 
 25 
 
 288683
 
 For God only voice was a cry, but who was all 
 is love strong and mighty with the power of 
 God, because he could transform 
 roughness into tenderness, and self 
 ishness into loving care, and poverty 
 itself into gifts of gold and fragrant 
 myrrh. 
 
 "Truly, my comrades," Balthazar 
 said, "love is the greatest of all." 
 
 "And now I understand," said Gas- 
 pard, "how the weak things of the 
 world can confound the mighty." 
 
 "And I, "added Melchior,"see what 
 it means for God to come to earth in 
 the form of a little child." 
 
 And so they turned away, and the 
 radiance of the star was round about 
 them, and they were saying to each 
 other: "Our search at last is ended." 
 
 26
 
 Copyright 1903 By 
 
 The Sketching Club 
 
 In Indianapolis
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 Los Angeles 
 
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