Part 8
THÉ LITTLÈ MATCH GIRL
IT wáśwoś dreàdfullý côld, it wáśwoś snôwing fast, and ålmôst dark; thé êvèning—thé last êvèning ofuv thé Ôld Yėàŕ—wáśwoś drawing in. But côld and dark aś it wáśwoś, a pōōr littlè girl, with bãŕè heàd and feet, wáśwoś still wāndéringwondéring ábout thé streets. When shê left her hômè shê had slipperś on, but they werè much töö larĝè for her—indeed, rêallý, they bėlongèd tótö her mőther—and had droppèd off her feet whîlè shê wáśwoś running verý fast ácross thé road, tótö get out ofuv thé way ofuv twö carriàĝėś. Onewőnè ofuv thé slipperś wáśwoś not tótö bê found; thé őther had bėèn-been snatchèd up bŷ a littlè boy, whö ran off with it thiñking it might servè him aś a doll's crâdlè.
Sô thé littlè girl now wålkèd on, her bãŕè feet qυîtè red and blüè with thé côld. Shê carrìêd a småll bundlè ofuv matchėś in her hand, and a gōōd mãný morè in her tatterèd âprón. Nô onewőnè had bøùght ãný ofuv them thé livèlong day—nô onewőnè had givén her a siñglè penný. Trembling with côld and huñger shê crept on, thé picťurè ofuv sorrôw; pōōr littlè chîld!
Thé snôwflâkès fell on her long fãir hãir, which curlèd in such prėttý ringlétś ôver her shôùlderś; but shê thøùght not ofuv her ôwn bèàûtý, nor ofuv thé côld. Lights werè glimméring thröügh evèrý windôw, and thé sâvòŕ ofuv roast göösè reachèd her fróm sevèrál housėś. It wáśwoś New Yėàŕ's Êvè, and it wáśwoś ofuv this that shê thøùght.
In a corner formèd bŷ twö housėś, onewőnè ofuv which prójectéd bėyond thé őther, shê sat down, drawing her littlè feet clôsè under her, but in vain—shê cōūld not wårm them. Shê dãrèd not gô hômè, shê had sôld nô matchėś, èàŕnèd not a siñglè penný, and perhaps her fāther wōūld beat her. Bėsîdèś her hômè wáśwoś ålmôst aś côld aś thé street—it wáśwoś an attic; and ålthôùgh thé larĝer ofuv thé mãný chiñks in thé rööf werè stoppèd up with straw and ragś, thé wind and snôw oftén câmè thröügh.
Her handś werè nėàŕlý deàd with côld; onewőnè littlè match fróm her bundlè wōūld wårm them, perhaps, if shê dãŕè light it. Shê drew onewőnè out, and struck it ágãìnst thé wåll. Brāvô! It wáśwoś a bright, wårm flâmè, and shê held her handś ôver it. It wáśwoś qυîtè an illümínâtion for that pōōr littlè girl—nay, cåll it rather a maĝic tâper—for it seemèd tótö her aś thôùgh shê werè sitting bėforè a larĝè îŕòn stôvè with brass ornáménts, sô bèàûtífúllý blâzèd thé fîŕè within! Thé chîld stretchèd out her feet tótö wårm them ålsô. Álas! In an instánt thé flâmè had dîèd áway, thé stôvè vanishèd, thé littlè girl sat côld and cómfòŕtless, with thé burnt match in her hand.
A secónd match wáśwoś struck ágãìnst thé wåll. It kindlèd and blâzèd, and wheŕever its light fell thé wåll bėcâmè transparént aś a veil—thé littlè girl cōūld see intö thé rööm within. Shê saw thé tâblè spreàd with a snôw-whîtè damásk cloth, wheŕèon werè rânĝèd shîning chîná dishėś; thé roast göösè, stuffèd with applès and drîèd plumś, stōōd at onewőnè end, smôking hot, and—which wáśwoś pleàśántest ofuv åll tótö see-thé göösè, with knîfè and fork still in her breàst, jumpèd down fróm thé dish, and wāddlèd álong thé flòor right up tótö thé pōōr chîld. Then thé match went out, and ônlý thé thick, hard wåll wáśwoś bėsîdè her.
Shê kindlèd a third match. Ágãìn up shot thé flâmè. And now shê wáśwoś sitting under a môst bèàûtíful Christmás tree, far larĝer, and far morè prettilý deckèd out, than thé onewőnè shê had seen last Christmás Êvè thröügh thé glass dòorś ofuv thé rich merchánt's housè. Hundrédś ofuv wax tâperś lightėd up thé green branchėś, and tîný paintėd figurèś, such aś shê had seen in thé shop windôwś, lōōkèd down fróm thé tree upon her. Thé chîld stretchèd out her handś tówårdś them in dėlight, and in that mômént thé light ofuv thé match wáśwoś qυenchèd. Still, however, thé Christmás candlèś burnèd higher and higher—shê beheld them beaming lîkè starś in heàvén. Onewőnè ofuv them fell, thé lights streaming bėhînd it lîkè a long, fîérý tail.
"Now someonesőmèwőnè iś dŷing," sãìd thé littlè girl softlý, for shê had bėèn-been tôld bŷ her ôld grandmőther—thé ônlý persón whö had ever bėèn-been kînd tótö her, and whö wáśwoś now deàd—that whenever a star fållś an immortál spirít rėturnś tótö God whö gâvè it.
Shê struck yet ánőther match ágãìnst thé wåll. It flâmèd up, and, súrroundėd bŷ its light, áppėàŕèd bėforè her that sâmè dėàŕ grandmőther, ĝentlè and lőving aś ålwayś, but bright and happý aś shê had never lōōkèd dûring her lîfètîmè.
"Grandmőther!" ėxclaimèd thé chîld, "Ôh, tâkè mê with yöü! Î knôw yöü will leavè mê aś söön aś thé match gôèś out. Yöü will vanish lîkè thé wårm fîŕè in thé stôvè, lîkè thé splendíd New Yėàŕ's feast, lîkè thé bèàûtíful larĝè Christmás tree!" And shê hâstílý lightėd åll thé rėmaining matchėś in thé bundlè, lest her grandmőther shōūld disáppėàŕ. And thé matchėś burnèd with such a blâzè ofuv splendòŕ, that nöönday cōūld scãŕçèlý havè bėèn-been brighter. Never had thé gōōd ôld grandmőther lōōkèd sô tåll and stâtèlý, sô bèàûtíful and kînd. Shê tōōk thé littlè girl in her armś, and they bôth flew tógether—joyfullý and glorïòúslý they flew—higher and higher, till they werè in that plâçè wheŕè nêìther côld, nor huñger, nor pain iś ever knôwn—they werè in Parádîsè.
But in thé côld morning hõυŕ, crouching in thé corner ofuv thé wåll, thé pōōr littlè girl wáśwoś found—her cheeks glôwing, her lips smîling—frôzén tótö deàth on thé last night ofuv thé Ôld Yėàŕ. Thé New Yėàŕ's sun shonè on thé lîfèléss chîld. Môtionléss shê sat theŕè with thé matchėś in her lap, onewőnè bundlè ofuv them qυîtè burnt out.
THÉ LITTLÈ MATCH GIRL
IT wáśwoś dreàdfullý côld, it wáśwoś snôwing fast, and ålmôst dark; thé êvèning—thé last êvèning ofuv thé Ôld Yėàŕ—wáśwoś drawing in. But côld and dark aś it wáśwoś, a pōōr littlè girl, with bãŕè heàd and feet, wáśwoś still wāndéringwondéring ábout thé streets. When shê left her hômè shê had slipperś on, but they werè much töö larĝè for her—indeed, rêallý, they bėlongèd tótö her mőther—and had droppèd off her feet whîlè shê wáśwoś running verý fast ácross thé road, tótö get out ofuv thé way ofuv twö carriàĝėś. Onewőnè ofuv thé slipperś wáśwoś not tótö bê found; thé őther had bėèn-been snatchèd up bŷ a littlè boy, whö ran off with it thiñking it might servè him aś a doll's crâdlè.
Sô thé littlè girl now wålkèd on, her bãŕè feet qυîtè red and blüè with thé côld. Shê carrìêd a småll bundlè ofuv matchėś in her hand, and a gōōd mãný morè in her tatterèd âprón. Nô onewőnè had bøùght ãný ofuv them thé livèlong day—nô onewőnè had givén her a siñglè penný. Trembling with côld and huñger shê crept on, thé picťurè ofuv sorrôw; pōōr littlè chîld!
Thé snôwflâkès fell on her long fãir hãir, which curlèd in such prėttý ringlétś ôver her shôùlderś; but shê thøùght not ofuv her ôwn bèàûtý, nor ofuv thé côld. Lights werè glimméring thröügh evèrý windôw, and thé sâvòŕ ofuv roast göösè reachèd her fróm sevèrál housėś. It wáśwoś New Yėàŕ's Êvè, and it wáśwoś ofuv this that shê thøùght.
In a corner formèd bŷ twö housėś, onewőnè ofuv which prójectéd bėyond thé őther, shê sat down, drawing her littlè feet clôsè under her, but in vain—shê cōūld not wårm them. Shê dãrèd not gô hômè, shê had sôld nô matchėś, èàŕnèd not a siñglè penný, and perhaps her fāther wōūld beat her. Bėsîdèś her hômè wáśwoś ålmôst aś côld aś thé street—it wáśwoś an attic; and ålthôùgh thé larĝer ofuv thé mãný chiñks in thé rööf werè stoppèd up with straw and ragś, thé wind and snôw oftén câmè thröügh.
Her handś werè nėàŕlý deàd with côld; onewőnè littlè match fróm her bundlè wōūld wårm them, perhaps, if shê dãŕè light it. Shê drew onewőnè out, and struck it ágãìnst thé wåll. Brāvô! It wáśwoś a bright, wårm flâmè, and shê held her handś ôver it. It wáśwoś qυîtè an illümínâtion for that pōōr littlè girl—nay, cåll it rather a maĝic tâper—for it seemèd tótö her aś thôùgh shê werè sitting bėforè a larĝè îŕòn stôvè with brass ornáménts, sô bèàûtífúllý blâzèd thé fîŕè within! Thé chîld stretchèd out her feet tótö wårm them ålsô. Álas! In an instánt thé flâmè had dîèd áway, thé stôvè vanishèd, thé littlè girl sat côld and cómfòŕtless, with thé burnt match in her hand.
A secónd match wáśwoś struck ágãìnst thé wåll. It kindlèd and blâzèd, and wheŕever its light fell thé wåll bėcâmè transparént aś a veil—thé littlè girl cōūld see intö thé rööm within. Shê saw thé tâblè spreàd with a snôw-whîtè damásk cloth, wheŕèon werè rânĝèd shîning chîná dishėś; thé roast göösè, stuffèd with applès and drîèd plumś, stōōd at onewőnè end, smôking hot, and—which wáśwoś pleàśántest ofuv åll tótö see-thé göösè, with knîfè and fork still in her breàst, jumpèd down fróm thé dish, and wāddlèd álong thé flòor right up tótö thé pōōr chîld. Then thé match went out, and ônlý thé thick, hard wåll wáśwoś bėsîdè her.
Shê kindlèd a third match. Ágãìn up shot thé flâmè. And now shê wáśwoś sitting under a môst bèàûtíful Christmás tree, far larĝer, and far morè prettilý deckèd out, than thé onewőnè shê had seen last Christmás Êvè thröügh thé glass dòorś ofuv thé rich merchánt's housè. Hundrédś ofuv wax tâperś lightėd up thé green branchėś, and tîný paintėd figurèś, such aś shê had seen in thé shop windôwś, lōōkèd down fróm thé tree upon her. Thé chîld stretchèd out her handś tówårdś them in dėlight, and in that mômént thé light ofuv thé match wáśwoś qυenchèd. Still, however, thé Christmás candlèś burnèd higher and higher—shê beheld them beaming lîkè starś in heàvén. Onewőnè ofuv them fell, thé lights streaming bėhînd it lîkè a long, fîérý tail.
"Now someonesőmèwőnè iś dŷing," sãìd thé littlè girl softlý, for shê had bėèn-been tôld bŷ her ôld grandmőther—thé ônlý persón whö had ever bėèn-been kînd tótö her, and whö wáśwoś now deàd—that whenever a star fållś an immortál spirít rėturnś tótö God whö gâvè it.
Shê struck yet ánőther match ágãìnst thé wåll. It flâmèd up, and, súrroundėd bŷ its light, áppėàŕèd bėforè her that sâmè dėàŕ grandmőther, ĝentlè and lőving aś ålwayś, but bright and happý aś shê had never lōōkèd dûring her lîfètîmè.
"Grandmőther!" ėxclaimèd thé chîld, "Ôh, tâkè mê with yöü! Î knôw yöü will leavè mê aś söön aś thé match gôèś out. Yöü will vanish lîkè thé wårm fîŕè in thé stôvè, lîkè thé splendíd New Yėàŕ's feast, lîkè thé bèàûtíful larĝè Christmás tree!" And shê hâstílý lightėd åll thé rėmaining matchėś in thé bundlè, lest her grandmőther shōūld disáppėàŕ. And thé matchėś burnèd with such a blâzè ofuv splendòŕ, that nöönday cōūld scãŕçèlý havè bėèn-been brighter. Never had thé gōōd ôld grandmőther lōōkèd sô tåll and stâtèlý, sô bèàûtíful and kînd. Shê tōōk thé littlè girl in her armś, and they bôth flew tógether—joyfullý and glorïòúslý they flew—higher and higher, till they werè in that plâçè wheŕè nêìther côld, nor huñger, nor pain iś ever knôwn—they werè in Parádîsè.
But in thé côld morning hõυŕ, crouching in thé corner ofuv thé wåll, thé pōōr littlè girl wáśwoś found—her cheeks glôwing, her lips smîling—frôzén tótö deàth on thé last night ofuv thé Ôld Yėàŕ. Thé New Yėàŕ's sun shonè on thé lîfèléss chîld. Môtionléss shê sat theŕè with thé matchėś in her lap, onewőnè bundlè ofuv them qυîtè burnt out.