Page 55 - HSLChristmasAnthology

HSL Christmas Anthology Page 55
32 THE CHRIST-CHILD
it bought for you. When I hear the flute
it pleases me to think I helped to earn that
pleasure for all the others."
" And this man that you call Father, what
makes him bring poor children here?" ask
ed Heinrich. " Because he loves to do good
and make everybody happy," answered
Hans. " And if a boy won't work, does he
flog him?" "Oh no, indeed," said Hans;
" I have been here three years, and I never
saw a whip, or heard a cross word spoken.
Sometimes, children are lazy at first ; but
where they see everybody else working
they want to work too ; and they soon be
gin to feel uneasy, to be earning something
toward the library, or the music-room, or
the garden, or the play-ground."
" What does the Father do to stop the
children from running away ? "
" He makes them so happy they don't
want to run away," said Hans. " I have
heard him say, mat when he came here,
there were iron bars on the windows, and
heavy bolts on the gates ; but he took th$m
all off. He says he don't want us held by
any chains, but the chains of love. And we
every one of us love Father and Mother so
much, that we had rather cut off a finger,
than do anything to grieve them. They