“‘My father sat here, and my mother opposite—her picture watches the very spot now; and of these good friends at the other end of the hall—Ay! old Cuthbert remembers it—there were two or three; but many others that bore their names.
“‘My child—that is sixty years ago.’
“‘And where are they now, grandfather?’ said Edric under his breath.
“‘In heaven—the most of them,’ said the old man solemnly. ‘But one couple remains of the six.—Of those other dear children not one is left—and not one but gave good hope in his death that he was going to be with Jesus. They remember yet that he came to earth, but they sing another song from ours—their hearts swell with a different joy. We shall know, one day—if we are faithful. They are exceeding fair to my remembrance,—they are fairer now in reality.’
“The old Squire was silent for a few minutes, with his eyes turned again towards the fire, while Edric looked up at the sweet portrait to which his grandfather had referred, and wondered how it was that those eyes always met his. Then Squire Darlington spoke again, and with a different manner.
“‘Everybody that has money makes Christmas a time of feasting and rejoicing, Edric,’ he said. ‘What does Christmas day celebrate?’
“‘The birth of Christ,’ said Edric gravely.
“‘Yes’—said Squire Darlington. ‘The birth of Christ. ‘Who though he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor; that we through his poverty might be made rich.’ There is a motto for Christmas-day!—ay—for one’s whole life.’
“‘Grandfather,’ said Edric, ‘does everybody that loves Christ love all the poor disagreeable people?’
“‘This is what the Bible says, Edric. ‘For if any man seeth that his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of Christ in him?’’
“‘Grandfather,’ said Edric thoughtfully, ‘when I am a man I will take a great deal of care of poor people.’
“It was rather a sad smile that the old man gave him, and yet it was very tender.
“‘My dear Edric,’ he said, ‘never say, when I am a man I will do good. There is hardly any kind of good work that a child may not help forward, or help to keep back. Will you wait till you are a man, Edric, before you begin to love Christ?’
“‘I think I do love him now, grandfather,’ said Edric. ‘I should think everybody would—he has done so much for us.’
“There was the same look of love and sadness for a moment in the old man’s face before he answered.
“‘My motto has another bearing, dear boy, and one which should be first in the heart of every man and every child in this world which Christ died to save,—‘If ye love me, keep my commandments.’’
“And when the Christmas eve was almost ended, Squire Darlington kissed and blessed his little grandson, and Edric went up-stairs to bed.
“And the wind sighed no more that night.”
“And did he do as he said he would, when he got to be a man?” inquired Carl.
“I don’t know”—said the stocking: “I never heard.”