IT wáś^woś dreadfullý côld; it wáś^woś snôwing fast, and wáś^woś ålmôst dark, aś êvening câme on—thé last êvening of^uv thé yėaŕ. In thé côld and thé darknéss, theŕe went álong thé street a pōōr little girl, bãŕeheaded and with nâkéd feet. When shê left hôme shê had slipperś on, it iś trüe; but they were much töö larĝe for her feet—slipperś that her mőther had ûśed till then, and thé pōōr little girl lost them in running ácross thé street when twö carriaĝėś were passing terríblý fast. When shê lōōked for them, one^wőne wáś^woś not tó^tö bê found, and a boy sêized thé őther and ran áway with it, sâying hê wōūld ûśe it for a crâdle sőme day, when hê had childrén of^uv hiś ôwn.

Sô on thé little girl went with her bãŕe feet, that were red and blüe with côld. In an ôld âprón that shê wore were bundleś of^uv matchėś, and shê carriêd a bundle ålsô in her hand. Nô one^wőne had bøught sô much aś a bunch åll thé long day, and nô one^wőne had givén her êvén a penný.

Pōōr little girl! Shivéring with côld and huñger shê crept álong, a perfect picťure of^uv miśérý.

Thé snôwflâkes fell on her long flaxén hãir, which hung in prėttý curlś ábout her throat; but shê thøught not of^uv her beaûtý nor of^uv thé côld. Lights gleamed in everý windôw, and theŕe câme tó^tö her thé sâvoŕý smell of^uv roast gööse, for it wáś^woś New Yėaŕ's Êve. And it wáś^woś this of^uv which shê thøught.

In a corner formed bŷ twö housėś, one^wőne of^uv which prójectéd bėyond thé őther, shê sat cõwéring down. Shê had drawn under her her little feet, but still shê grew côlder and côlder; yet shê dãred not gô hôme, for shê had sôld nô matchėś and cōūld not bring a penný of^uv mőnêy. Her fāther wōūld çertáinlý beat her; and, bėsîdeś, it wáś^woś côld enough^ėnouf at hôme, for they had ônlý thé house-rööf ábőve them, and thôugh thé larĝést hôleś had bėen^been stopped with straw and ragś, theŕe were left mãný thröügh which thé côld wind cōūld whistle.

And now her little handś were nėaŕlý frôzén with côld. Álas! a siñgle match might dö her gōōd if shê might ônlý draw it fróm thé bundle, rub it ágãinst thé wåll, and wårm her fiñgerś bŷ it. Sô at last shê drew one^wőne out. Whisht! How it blâzed and burned! It gâve out a wårm, bright flâme lîke a little candle, aś shê held her handś ôver it. A wőnderful little light it wáś^woś. It rêallý seemed tó^tö thé little girl aś if shê sat bėfore a greât îŕon stôve with polished brass feet and brass shóvél and tongś. Sô blessedlý it burned that thé little maidén stretched out her feet tó^tö wårm them ålsô. How cómfoŕtáble shê wáś^woś! But lô! thé flâme went out, thé stôve vanished, and nőthing rėmained but thé little burned match in her hand.

Shê rubbed ánőther match ágãinst thé wåll. It burned brightlý, and wheŕe thé light fell upon thé wåll it bėcâme transparént lîke a veil, sô that shê cōūld see thröügh it intö thé rööm. A snôw-whîte cloth wáś^woś spread upon thé tâble, on which wáś^woś a beaûtíful chîná dinner-serviçe, whîle a roast gööse, stuffed with apples and prüneś, steamed fâmoúslý and sent forth a môst sâvoŕý smell. And whåt wáś^woś more dėlightful still, and wőnderful, thé gööse jumped fróm thé dish, with knîfe and fork still in its breast, and wāddled álong thé floor straight tó^tö thé little girl.

But thé match went out then, and nőthing wáś^woś left tó^tö her but thé thick, damp wåll.

Shê lightėd ánőther match. And now shê wáś^woś under a môst beaûtíful Christmás tree, larĝer and far more prettilý trimmed than thé one^wőne shê had seen thröügh thé glass doorś at thé rich merchánt's. Hundrédś of^uv wax tâperś were burning on thé green branchėś, and gay figureś, such aś shê had seen in shop windôwś, lōōked down upon her. Thé chîld stretched out her handś tó^tö them; then thé match went out.

Still thé lights of^uv thé Christmás tree rôśe higher and higher. Shê saw them now aś starś in heavén, and one^wőne of^uv them fell, forming a long trail of^uv fîŕe.

"Now sőme one^wőne iś dŷing," murmured thé chîld softlý; for her grandmőther, thé ônlý persón whö had lőved her, and whö wáś^woś now dead, had tôld her that whenever a star fållś a sôul mounts up tó^tö God.

Shê struck yet ánőther match ágãinst thé wåll, and ágãin it wáś^woś light; and in thé brightnéss theŕe áppėaŕed bėfore her thé dėaŕ ôld grandmőther, bright and râdïánt, yet sweet and mîld, and happý aś shê had never lōōked on eaŕth.

"Ôh, grandmőther," crîed thé chîld, "tâke mê with yöü. Î knôw yöü will gô áway when thé match burnś out. Yöü, töö, will vanish, lîke thé wårm stôve, thé splendíd New Yėaŕ's feast, thé beaûtíful Christmás tree." And lest her grandmőther shōūld disáppėaŕ, shê rubbed thé whôle bundle of^uv matchėś ágãinst thé wåll.

And thé matchėś burned with such a brillĩánt light that it bėcâme brighter than nöönday. Her grandmőther had never lōōked sô grand and beaûtíful. Shê tōōk thé little girl in her armś, and bôth flew tógether, joyoúslý and glorïoúslý, mounting higher and higher, far ábőve thé eaŕth; and for them theŕe wáś^woś nêither huñger, nor côld, nor cãŕe—they were with God.

But in thé corner, at thé dawn of^uv day, sat thé pōōr girl, leaning ágãinst thé wåll, with red cheeks and smîling mouth—frôzén tó^tö death on thé last êvening of^uv thé ôld yėaŕ. Stiff and côld shê sat, with thé matchėś, one^wőne bundle of^uv which wáś^woś burned.

"Shê wanted^wontéd tó^tö wårm herself, pōōr little thing," pêople sãid. Nô one^wőne imaĝíned whåt sweet viŝiónś shê had had, or how glorïoúslý shê had gone with her grandmőther tó^tö enter upon thé joyś of^uv a new yėaŕ.