A Story of the Christ-Child by Maud Van Buren
On Christmas Eve, a ragged little child wanders alone through a great city while families hurry home with presents and prepare their Christmas trees. Cold, hungry, and without a home, he looks longingly through windows at warm rooms filled with happy children. He asks for welcome at a handsome house, but a servant sends him away. At another home, a little girl refuses him because her family is too busy. Again and again, parents and householders reject him, fearing disease, lacking food to spare, or telling him to return where he belongs. As the night grows darker and colder, the child sees a single light shining from a poor, low house at the end of the street. The light comes from a tallow candle in a broken cup. Inside, a mother sits near the fire with her two children; their clean but plainly furnished room contains only a branch of a Christmas tree and a few coals in the fireplace. When the wanderer taps at the door, the mother insists that it be opened, declaring that no one should be left in the cold on Christmas Eve. Seeing the shivering child, she draws him inside, warms him by the fire, kisses him, and gathers him with her own children. Her little girl says they must love him and share their Christmas with him. As they prepare the few saved ornaments for their tree, the room fills with a brilliant light. The stranger’s rags become white and beautiful garments, his curls shine like a golden halo, and his face is too radiant to behold. The room seems to widen to encompass the world, while its roof rises to the sky. Smiling gently, the transformed child floats upward beyond the trees, church spire, and clouds, appearing at last as a shining star before vanishing. The children recognize that their guest was the Christ-Child. The tale concludes that on each Christmas Eve he wanders through towns and villages, and those who receive him into their homes and hearts are granted a marvellous vision denied to others.
By Maud Van Buren · First published 1927 · Genre: Christian Religious Fiction, Christmas Fiction, Children's Literature · 2,417 words
First lines
A German legend for Christmas Eve as told by _Elizabeth Harrison_
Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, on the night before / Christmas, a little child was wandering all alone through the streets / of a great city. There were many people on the street, fathers and / mothers, sisters and brothers, uncles and aunts, and even gray-haired / grandfathers and grandmothers, all of whom were hurrying home with / bundles of presents for each other and for their little ones. Fine / carriages rolled by, express wagons rattled past, even old carts were / pressed into service, and all things seemed in a hurry and glad with / expectation of the coming Christmas morning.[19]
What this Textopian page supports
A Story of the Christ-Child is listed on Textopian as a short story by Maud Van Buren, dated 1927 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Maud Van Buren
- Date: 1927 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Christian Religious Fiction, Christmas Fiction, Children's Literature, Religious Legend, Christian Parable
- Length: 2,417 words
- Structure: 1 section, 15 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for A Story of the Christ-Child by Maud Van Buren
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres
- Christian Religious Fiction — The story centers on the Christ-Child, presents a miraculous revelation of Christ, and teaches a distinctly Christian ethic of receiving and loving others.
- Christmas Fiction — Set entirely on Christmas Eve, the narrative uses Christmas trees, gifts, family celebrations, and seasonal charity to frame its moral and spiritual message.
- Children's Literature — Its simple diction, direct address to 'dear children,' clear moral lesson, and child-centered emotional perspective suit young readers.
- Religious Legend — Explicitly identified as a German legend, it uses traditional, reverent storytelling to explain a miraculous Christmas belief.
Tags
Christianity · Christmas · Nativity · Biblical fiction · Religious literature · Children's literature · Jesus · Bethlehem · Mary · Joseph · Angels · Shepherds