The Little Match Girl.
It \\"3iS late on a bitterly cold, snowy, New Year's Eve.
A poor little girl was wandering in the dark cold streets ;
she was bare headed and bare footed. She certainly had
had slippers on when she left home, but they were not
much good, for they were so huge. They had last been
worn by her mother, and they fell off the poor little girl's
feet when she was running across the street to avoid two
carriages that were rolling rapidly by. One of the shoes
could not be found at all ; and the other was picked up
by a boy who ran off with it, saying that it would do for
a cradle when he had children of his own. So the poor
little girl had to go on with her little bare feet, which
were red and blue with the cold. She carried a quantity of
matches in her old apron, and held a packet of them in
her hand. Nobody had bought any of her during all the
long day ; nobody had even given her a copper. The
poor little creature was hungry and perishing with cold,
and she looked the picture of misery. The snowflakes
fell upon her long yellow hair, which curled so prettily
round her face, but she paid no attention to that. Lights
were shining from every window, and there was a most
delicious odour of roast goose in the streets, for it was
New Year's Eve — she could not forget that. She found
a comer where one house projected a little beyond the
next one, and here she crouched, drawing up her feet
THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL
under hei, but she was colder than ever. She did not
dare to go home for she had not sold any matches, and
had not earned a single penny. Her father would beat
her, besides it was almost as
cold at home as it was here.
They only had the roof over
them and the wind whistled
through it although they
stuffed up the biggest cracks
with rags and straw. Her
little hands were almost dead
with cold. Oh, one little
match would do some good !
Dared she pull one out of the
bundle and strike it on the
wall to warm her fingers !
She pulled one out, "ritsch,"
how it spluttered, how it
blazed! It burnt with a
bright clear flame, just like a
little candle when she held
her hand round it. It was a
very curious candle too. The
little girl fancied that she
was sitting in front of a big
stove with polished brass feet
and handles. There was a
splendid tire Diazmg in it and /
fire blazing
warming her so beautifully, L
but — what happenedg — inct Ij?^
in
as she was stretch out her feetd,to warm them, — the
blaze went out, the stove juvstanishe and she was left
tch
sitting with the end of the burnt out-m.a in her
i8o THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL
hand. She struck a new one, it burnt, it blazed up, and
where the light fell upon the wall, it became transparent
like gauze, and she could see right through it into the
room. The table was spread with a snowy cloth and
pretty china ; a roast goose stuffed with apples and prunes
was steaming on it. And what was even better, the
goose hopped from the dish with the carving knife and
fork sticking in his back, and it waddled across the ftoor.
It came right up to the poor child, and then — the match
went out, and there was nothing to be seen but the
thick black wall.
Again, she lit another. This time she was sitting under
a lovely Christmas tree. It was much bigger and more
beautifully decorated than the one she had seen when she
peeped through the glass doors at the rich merchant's
house this very last Christmas. Thousands of lighted
candles gleamed upon its branches, and coloured pictures
such as she had seen in the shop windows, looked down
to her. The little girl stretched out both her hands
towards them — then out went the match. All the
Christmas candles rose higher and higher, till she saw
that they were only the twinkling stars. One of them
fell and made a bright streak of light across the sky.
"Some one is dying," thought the little girl; for her old
grandmother, the only person who had ever been kind to
her, used to say, " When a star falls a soul is going up
God."
to Now she struck another match against the wall, and
this time it was her grandmother who appeared in the
circle of flame. She saw her quite clearly and distinctly,
looking so gentle and happy.
" Grandmother ! " cried the little creature. " Oh, do
take me with you! I know you will vanish when the
THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL i8i
match goes out ; you will vanish like the warm stove, the
delicious goose, and the beautiful Christmas tree ! "
She hastily struck a whole bundle of matches, because
she did so long to keep her grandmother with her. The
light of the matches made it as bright as day. Grand-
mother had never before looked so big or so beautiful.
She lifted the little girl up in her arms, and they soared
in a halo of light and joy, far, far above the earth, where
there was no more cold, no hunger, no pain, for they were
with God.
In the cold morning light the poor little girl sat there,
in the corner between the houses, with rosy cheeks and a
smile on her face — dead. Frozen to death on the last
night of the old year. New Year's Day broke on the
little body still sitting with the ends of the burnt out
matches in her hand. She must have tried to warm her-
self, they said. Nobody knew what beautiful visions she
had seen, nor in what a halo she had entered with her
grandmother upon the glories of the New Year !
