A CHRISTMAS LEGEND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18278, 20 December 1922, Page 2 (Supplement)

A CHRISTMAS LEGEND.

All around the wondrous story of Bethlehem and the first Christmas night have grown many quaint legends, most of them with a charm of their own and all containing some interesting thought. In some part of Russia the peaaanta have a legend of a woman whom they call the Baboushka. The story runs that the Three Wise Men passed her house on their journey to find the place where the Child lay. They stopped at her cottage door and begged her to accompany them in their search. "We have seen His star in the Easfj," they said. " Come with vs for we are going to worship Him." Bt;t the Baboushka was busy and would not join them. " I will come some time," she said.' " but not now 1 ," And the Wise Men went on without her. Then she was filled with *a great longing to be with them, but it was too late, and though she followed them she never saw the ChrisV child. But, the legend says, she is still living and still searching, and it is she, in those Russian houses, who fills the children's stockings, and hangs the lights and the presents on the Christmas _tree», and on Christmas morninjr the children cry, " Behold the Baboushka," and rusß out hoping they may see her. For sh e J* always hoping that some day, in soS» home, she mav find amongst the children, the Christ-child she missed all those hundreds of vears ago . In another part of Russia a young gi" is believed to bring the presents for the children on Christmas Eve. She is » white-clad maiden known as Kolyada, and she drives in a sledge from house to house distributing presents in the manner of our Santa Clans. So do the legends grow in every country and of every kind, for out of every great event come stories, and it is small wonder that the stupendous event of Christmas should be decked' with garlands of story and song.