`` I found a very pretty book one day and wanted to play with it , but Grandpa said I must n't , and showed me the pictures , and told me about them , and I liked the stories very much , all about Joseph and his bad brothers , and the frogs that came up out of the sea , and dear little Moses in the water , and ever so many more lovely ones , but I liked about the Good Man best of all , and Grandpa told it to me so many times that I learned it by heart , and he gave me this picture so I should n't forget , and it was put up here once when I was sick , and I left it for other sick boys to see . '' ' `` What makes Him bless the children ? '' asked Nat , who found something very attractive in the chief figure of the group . `` Because He loved them . '' `` Were they poor children ? '' asked Nat , wistfully . `` Yes , I think so ; you see some have n't got hardly any clothes on , and the mothers do n't look like rich ladies . He liked poor people , and was very good to them . He made them well , and helped them , and told rich people they must not be cross to them , and they loved Him dearly , dearly , '' cried Demi , with enthusiasm . `` Was He rich ? '' `` Oh no ! He was born in a barn , and was so poor He had n't any house to live in when He grew up , and nothing to eat sometimes , but what people gave Him , and He went round preaching to everybody , and trying to make them good , till the bad men killed Him . '' `` What for ? '' and Nat sat up in his bed to look and listen , so interested was he in this man who cared for the poor so much . `` I 'll tell you all about it ; Aunt Jo wo n't mind ; '' and Demi settled himself on the opposite bed , glad to tell his favorite story to so good a listener . Nursey peeped in to see if Nat was asleep , but when she saw what was going on , she slipped away again , and went to Mrs. Bhaer , saying with her kind face full of motherly emotion , `` Will the dear lady come and see a pretty sight ? It 's Nat listening with all his heart to Demi telling the story of the Christ-child , like a little white angel as he is . '' Mrs. Bhaer had meant to go and talk with Nat a moment before he slept , for she had found that a serious word spoken at this time often did much good . But when she stole to the nursery door , and saw Nat eagerly drinking in the words of his little friends , while Demi told the sweet and solemn story as it had been taught him , speaking softly as he sat with his beautiful eyes fixed on the tender face above them , her own filled with tears , and she went silently away , thinking to herself , `` Demi is unconsciously helping the poor boy better than I can ; I will not spoil it by a single word . '' The murmur of the childish voice went on for a long time , as one innocent heart preached that great sermon to another , and no one hushed it .
When it ceased at last , and Mrs. Bhaer went to take away the lamp , Demi was gone and Nat fast asleep , lying with his face toward the picture , as if he had already learned to love the Good XXXXX who loved little children , and was a faithful friend to the poor .
Bhaer Christ-child Demi Grandpa Jo Joseph Man Nat day left