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274 on a large sheaf of golden straw, which they had brought in for Christmas, because, ac cording to popular belief, people must both sleep and dance upon straw at Christmas, if they would do right. The children did not undress themselves, that they might be ready all the sooner next morning, when they would be called for the Christmas matins. Each took a white hand kerchief, which they laid under their heads, and thus fell asleep side by side, while the iire-light flickered upon them, and kissed their very cheeks, which shone out quite beauti fully upon the golden-colored wheat straw. Last of all, the mother also went to bed, but not until she had set every thing in order in the room, and washed up the dishes. But though she now lay in bed, she could not sleep, because she had uneasy thoughts, and she heard how Peter turned and seemed , uneasy in his bed, as if he could not sleep ei ther. At one time, she thought that he wept, | and she considered with herself, “ should I now get up and go to him, and give him a quiet kiss, he would then, perhaps, under stand that I love him, although I am not his real mother; and, more particularly, as it is Christmas eve, and every body ought to part friends.” Presently, Peter seemed to be quite still, and then she thought, “he is gone to sleep, and I should only disturb him.” She, there fore, lay quiet herself, and turned her thoughts to God, and prayed him to change the unhap py temper of the youth. She prayed for a Dlessing on him, and on the beloved little ones. With that, she turned round to look at them, and to see how the fire-light flickered over, and kissed their rosy countenances, for the fire burned in the hearth, through the Christmas night. And then she thought about all the animals, how they had their Christmas provender, and how comfortable they were ; and the thoughts of them did her good, and whilst she was thinking of them, and gazing at her little ones by the fire-light, she went to sleep herself. When she again woke, it was pitch-dark in the room, and quite cold ; and she felt a great weight upon her heart, and in her head also. It was as if a large, heavy tear, had collected, and could not find vent, but lay there as heavy as lead. She thought upon the death of her husband, upon the bitter tem per of her son, and how solitary she herself was in the world, and then Peter’s words oc curred to her, “ why should people live V’ and she felt as if she would gladly not rise, but be quiet forever. Spite of all this, however, she rose, and lighted the fire as usual, and set on the cof fee, for although she was not one of those extravagant women who drink coffee every day, yet now, at Christmas time, every body must have coffee, the whole household must drink coffee, that was a matter of course. She then lighted the candle in the Christ mas-tree by the window, which she had made ready the evening before for the children, and that done, she woke them. “ Christmas-matins, children! Christmas matins!” The little ones started up, quite bewildered, rubbed their eyes, opened them with an ef fort, saw the light burning in the pine-tree, and then it came to their remembrance that it was Christmas, and that they were going to morning service. And with that they leapt up, and were quite wakeful. They all drank their coffee,'*Peter as well as the rest, and then Peter, who, as usual, was silent and out of humor, went to put Polle in the sledge. When the mother came out of the cottage, dressed in her holiday attire, with her hymn book in her hand, and the two little ones at her side, she saw the moon and the morning star standing brightly above the pine-wood, and shining beautifully in the frosty early morning, and upon the new-fallen snow. — The sight did her heart good. “ How beautifully,” thought she, “ after all, has God made every thing for mankind !” She inhaled the fresh, cold,but not very cold, winter air, and felt her spirits enlivened by so doing. Polle was in the most cheerful humor. He neighed, and pointed his ears, and tossed his handsome head, and pawed the sward with his foot, and was quite impatient to be off’. Before long the widow sate with her two little ones in the sledge, and Peter stood be tween them and drove. Polle's bells jingled merrily as they sped along through wood and meadow; the morning star shone upon the white snowy fields and the grim wood. It Was a beautiful and a cheering sight. The little ones were full of talk. “Nay, look! nay, look ! There's a light burning at Storgal, a light in her opposite window! And look! old Britta on the hill has got a light too! And look there, a long, long way off in the wood, there shines a §®®lfS S& El ft, fl 1? B!&& & ¥ light! And look, look! Nay, that is the very best of all—those candles in the window at the gate-house. See, it is lighted the whole way! Nay, how grand it is! Is it ever grander than this at Christmas-matins, moth er P’ “You are two little simpletons!” said the mother. “Christmas-matins are grander in another way.” By this time there were a great many other people on the road, both driving and walking, on their way to church. There was quite a procession of sledges, and such a jingling of bells as was delightful to hear, and the chil dren had enough to do to listen and to ask questions. They had by this time arrived at an open tract of country, and just before them, with its spire pointing towards heaven, and the dark green wood behind it, stood the church with lights streaming from every window, as if within were a sea of light. And at that very moment the church-bells began to ring. The children were hushed into silence. They felt a solemnity come over them. They did not exactly know how they felt. They soon dismounted. The church-bells rung and light streamed out of the church, but all around it was dark and night-like. Along the whole extent of the church-walls on every side, sledges were drawn up close together, the horses in which were eating hay. Among these a place was found for Polle; a covering was thrown over him, and between him and the church-wall was laid a good bundleof the very best hay—real Christ mas provender. Os this he ate; any body might have heard how excellent he thought it. The widow and the children walked across the church-yard. “Do you remember, children,” said she to them, “ what I told you about the Christmas matins, and what they mean V “They mean,” stammered Erik, “they mean that—that God who—who” “Who,” interrupted the mother, “since the beginning of the world, sent teachers and wise men to mankind to —to —now, Erik!” “ To teach them his will,” said Erik. “Yes, right,” continued the mother; “and, last of all, he came himself down to them, and condescended to be born on earth—” “ Yes, as a little child!” exclaimed Maja. “Yes,” answered the mother, “that he might pass through life with them as a broth er, and might teach them rightly to under stand his disposition, and how kind he meant by us all. And that is he whom we call the Son of God, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.” “And it is his birth which we celebrate in the Christmas-matins,” exclaimed Erik, now very certain of his subject. With these words they entered the church, and all the congregation sang, “ Hail to the glorious morning hour!” The children, however, could not think about singing. They could do nothing but stare about them and wonder. There was so much light! They could scarcely see for light. All the four grand chandeliers hung down from the roof blazing with lights.— Upon the altar lights were burning in tall candlesticks. Upon the pulpit stood lights, and gilded branches extended from the walls, holding clusters of lights, and a light burned by every branch, so that the great aisle was like an alley of flame. Whichever way they looked, they saw light, light, light! The benche.s were crammed full of people. Head was close to head. The children had never seen so many people together before, and they thought they should never find | seats. At last, however, they did, on a bench where the people kindly made room for them. A. respectable old woman took Maja on her knee, and the mother took Erik on hers. And thus they all were seated. The children looked about incessantly, and j stared at all the grandeurand splendor around i them. But the mother soon forgot every out ward object, for just then she opened her hymn-book, to join in singing the following verse of the hymn : “ Ilis tear.?, like our?, will fall as rain, A mourner, he will us sustain With strength from heaven imparted; He will make known his Father’s will, And mercy’s holy balm instil To soothe the broken-hearted.” With this the heavy leaden weight seemed to melt away from her soul, and her tears be gan to flow more easily. She felt at once such a lightness and such a strength within her, that it seemed as if from this time noth ing would be too heavy for her to bear. The clergyman now ascended the pulpit, and what a sermon he preached! The wid ow had never heard any one speak in that way before. It seemed to her as if he spoke to her out of the warmth of her own inner most heart. And every single word seemed like a true word of God, so full of beauty and grandeur was it. To her it seemed as if the whole world, and the whole of life, became bright through it. It was as if it were Christ mas-matins within her soul. And when she looked at Peter, she saw that he also listened attentively, with his eyes rivetted upon the preacher: and from this, she hoped for a good result, more especially, as with the new year Peter was to begin to read with this same clergyman, preparatory to his confirmation. When the service was ended, it was full daylight; and the congregation streamed has tily out. Before long, people might be seen on all sides, walking briskly along, driving on the road, or ascending the hill, striving who should first reach home; for, according to popular belief, they who arrive first at home, on Christmas morning, will have their harvest first housed in the autumn. Though what connections there are between these things I know not. The widow and her children went into the poor-house, and the children themselves gave old Alle the meat and the bread, which they had saved for him. For this, they received the old man’s blessing, and they felt, there fore, greatly pleased with what they had done. In the meantime, Peter had been getting Polle and the sledge ready. Thus they drove home, thinking, by the way, of the delicious warm cabbage which they should have for dinner, for they all felt hungry and cold. And how excellent were the meat and the cabbage which they had for dinner, it is not in my power to describe; this only is certain, that the king’s cabbage could not have tasted better to him than theirs did to them. In the afternoon, they had also a cup of coffee, with cabbage, in honor of Christmas day, and that, too, tasted most excellently, and every body was very cheerful, the widow as well as the rest; for she saw that the coun tenance of her elder son had undergone a change. In the twilight, when they all sat together, warm and comfortable, and when the fire bla zed merrily on the hearth, and lighted up the whole cottage, the mother said, “ Now, I wonder whether either of my lit tle ones can remember any thing of what the clergyman said in the morning about the Sa viour, and what he taught to mankind ?” But, ah me ! The poor little ones remem bered nothing, not a word; had understood not a word—nay, had not even heard a sylla ble! “There was such a deal of light!” they said. “But you, Peter,” said the mother, and looked at him with confidence, “I am certain that you can help me to recollect something of what the pastor said—you can remember it, certainly.” “0, yes,” said Peter, and his eyes bright ened, and he added, alter a moment, “I now know how people should live.” “Yes, and why!” said the mother, looking kindly at her son, and wishing to try him. “ That they may follow after the Saviour, and labor for the world’s redemption,” said Peter, and raised his head, “and high and i low, and rich and poor, can alike labor in this great work on earth.” “And how must that be done ?” inquired the mother, as before. “By becoming better, more God-fearing, more righteous men.” “Yes, my son,” exclaimed the mother joy fully, “ so did I also understand the words of the clergyman. By becoming so, by living in Christ, we help not only to extend God’s kingdom on earth, but become also his labor ers in the creation of anew heaven and anew | earth, where bliss shall abide forever. This is a great saying, my son, and can make the heart beat high and free even in a mean hut. And this have I known and believed from my youth upwards. But I have never heard it put rightly into words until to-day.” Peter was affected to tears; he extended his | hand to his mother, and said, with deep feel i ing, “ Mother, forgive me that I have caused I you sorrow ! From this time it shall be oth erwise !” And from that time it did become otherwise with Peter, notthat he ever became very com municative, or of a very cheerful temper, but he became very industrious, and very desirous of doing right, and every body grew fond of j him. It was evident, now, that Peter began to take pleasure in life, at least, he never looked sour or sullen. His whole appearance was i changed; nay, it often looked as if something | shone within him, and so said his little broth er and sister. Now it is Christmas-matins with Peter, | they would say. Many Christmas-matins have since kindled their lights—-many a hard Christmas goblin has looked savage upon the Christmas board, has since then been shut up in a chest th brought out again to give strength to the & at plough \ es, many aChristmas kas ! that Christmas morning, come and J ? the light that then was kind Ted ft , Ut er has never been extinguished. ol “* Peter now lives as a peasant in Storn? and hm mother lives with him, andheliß tell his friends what a sluggish and har£° pered lad he was, and about the Chrktn matins which produced such a change h.m, and how, since then, he hashadlight ° strength, and pleasure, in all his work I how everything prospers in his hands ’ J Thus Peter celebrates every Christmas as his mother taught him. At Christm” matins he may be seen before any one ek and as for the Christmas goblin, he never W gets that! JOr ’ Original Jttiscdlang. For the Southern Literary Gazette A TRIBUTE TO THE CAROLINIAN WOMEN, -FROM THE PEN OF AN ITALIAN WRITER. TRANSLATED BY MISS MARY BATES. These noble mothers of noble sons have called forth not only the eloquent approba tion of the historians of their own country, but have elicited an equal meed of praise from classic Italy—from the land of the Cae sars. Our countryman, Headle J; says—“ The ladies of Charleston were distinguished, du ring the Revolution, for their devotion to the cause of Freedom. Enthusiastic, self-sacri ficing, and cheerful, they inspired hope and courage and daring in the men, and shed glo rious light on that night of gloom.” Os their patriotism in the war of the Amer ican Revolution, Botta, an Italian historian, writes: “In that fierce struggle, the women of Carolina presented an example of fortitude more than manly. I know not the history, ancient or modern, which has transmitted a story of devotion exceeding or equalling that exhibited by those noble beings to their Amer ican country. Far from considering the epi thet a reproach, they gloried and exulted in the name of Rebel Women. “Instead of frequenting public resorts of gaiety and amusement, they repaired to the sides of the ships and to other places where their husbands, sons and friends, were held prisoners, and sought by every art to sustain and animate them. ‘Be firm,’ they said — 1 yield not to the fury of the tyrant; prefer a prison to ignominy', and death to servitude: look on America, our beloved country; cher ish the hope that these evils will hasten, pro duce, and secure, that priceless liberty of which these British thieves would rob us; be martyrs, but martyrs in a cause sacred toman and grateful to God.’ By such words, did these heroic women mitigate the sufferings oi the unhappy prisoners. “When the British officers, in their daz zling regalia, assembled at a military festival or gay concert, their entertainments and the invaders themselves, were regarded with con tempt by these spirited women.* But when a prisoner—an officer of the American Army —came into Charleston, immediately he wa? received with courtesy, and followed by eu“ ry mark of distinction and deference. “ While some of these devoted women re tired to the most secluded apartments to weep and mourn over the fortune of their belo’ * - country, others so encouraged and inspire 1 their husbands, when wavering and irresc'- lute, that they preferred the discomforts n exile to the indulgences of home. Not an “ of the Carolinian women were so hated b) the British, on account of their patriotism; that they’ suffered the confiscation of then property and banishment from their countr} • When this band of patriots bade adieu their parents and children, to their husband *Unlike the dark-eyed Mexican SenorßflS, lavish their smiles on our gallant officers, anti “F per, at parting, the reluctant Addio.