The Story of the Christmas Guest

It happened one day at the year's white end... two neighbors

called on an old-time friend... and they found his shop so meager and

mean ... made bright with a thousand boughs of gold ... and

Conrad was sitting with face a-shine ... when he suddenly stopped as

he stitched a twine ... and said, "Old friends, at dawn today ...

when the cock was crowing the night away ... the Lord appeared in

a dream to me ... and said, 'I am coming your Guest to be' ... so I've

been busy with feet astir ... strewing my shop with branches of fir ...

the table is spread and the kettle is shined ... and over the rafters the

holly twined ... and now I will wait for my Lord to appear ... and

listen closely so I will hear ... His step as He nears my humble place

... and I open the door and look in His face."

So his friends went home and left Conrad alone ... for this was the happiest day he had known ... for, long since his family had passed away ... and Conrad had spent a sad Christmas Day ... but he knew with the Lord as his Christmas Guest ... this Christmas would be the dearest and best ... and he listened with only joy in his heart ... and with every sound he would rise with a start ... and look for the Lord to be standing there ... in answer to his earnest prayer. So he ran to the window after hearing a sound ... but all that he saw on the snow-covered ground ... was a shabby beggar whose shoes were torn ... and all of his clothes were ragged and worn ... So Conrad was touched and went to the door ... and he said, "Your feet must be frozen and sore ... and I have some shoes in my shop for you ... and a coat that will keep you warmer too"... So with grateful heart the man went away ... but Conrad noticed the time of day ... he wondered what made the dear Lord so late ... and how much longer he'd have to wait ... when he heard a knock and ran to the door ... but it was only a stranger once more ... a bent, old woman with a shawl of black ... a bundle of twigs piled on her back ... she asked for only a place to rest ... but her voice seemed to plead. "Don't send me away... let me rest a while on Christmas Day"... So Conrad brewed her a steaming cup ... and told her to sit at the table But after she left he was filled with dismay ... for he saw that the hours were passing away ... and the Lord had not come as He said He would ... and Conrad felt sure he had misunderstood ... when out of the stillness he heard a cry ... "Please help me and tell me where am I" ... So again he opened his friendly door ... and stood disappointed as twice before ... it was only a child who had wondered away ... and was lost from her family on Christmas Day ... Again Conrad's heart was heavy and sad ... but he knew he would make this little child glad ... so he called her and wiped her tears ... and quieted all her childish fears ... then he led her back to her home once more ... but as he entered his own darkened door .... he knew that the Lord was not coming today ... for the hours of Christmas had passed away.

So he went to his room and knelt down to pray ... and he said, "Dear Lord, why did You delay? ... What kept You from coming to call on me? ... For I wanted so much Your face to see" ... when soft in the silence a voice he heard ... "Lift up your head for I kept My word ... Three times My shadow crossed your floor ... Three times I came to your lonely door ... for I was the beggar with bruised, cold feet ... I was the woman you gave to eat... and I was the child on the homeless street."