[StBernard] Christmas Story

[Westley Annis]

A Brother Like That


Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On
Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking
around the shiny new car, admiring it. 

"Is this your car, Mister?" he asked. 

Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was
astounded. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you
nothing? Boy, I wish..." He hesitated. Of course Paul knew what he was going
to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the
lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels. 

"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that." 

Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, "Would
you like to take a ride in my automobile?" 

"Oh yes, I'd love that." 

After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said, "Mister,
would you mind driving in front of my house?" Paul smiled a little. He
thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he
could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. 

"Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked. He ran up the
steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not
coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on
the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the
car. "There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave
it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm
gonna give you one just like it...then you can see for yourself all the
pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you
about." 

Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The
shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began
a memorable holiday ride. 

That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he had said: "It is
more blessed to give..."