“If you’d only let me wear the feather, mother,” he said.
“You look splendidly, Job, and don’t need it,” said she cheerfully; “and, besides, the Prince wears one, and what would he think if he saw you with one, too?”
“Sure enough,” said Job, and then he kissed her and started off.
“I don’t believe,” he said as he went up the court, “that the Prince would mind my wearing a feather; but mother didn’t want me to. Hark, there are the bells! He must have started!”
It was a long way from Job’s house to the main street, and he would have to hurry if he were going to see the grand procession. On he shambled, knocking against the flag-stones, and nearly falling down at every step. He was now in a cross street, which would bring him before long to the main street, and he even thought he heard the distant music and the cheers of the crowd.
But just then he stumbled upon something which tripped him. He would have hurried on, but he heard a cry, and a groan of pain. He looked back, and he saw what he had stumbled over. It was a poor beggar boy, without home or friends, dirty and unsightly enough, and clad in ragged clothing, and he was lying on the sidewalk, too ill to move. As Job turned, the boy looked up at him and stretched out his hands, but he was too weak to speak.
“He is sick!” said Job. “Hilloa!” but every one was intent upon the procession, and no one heard him.
“The Prince is coming,” he said; and he turned as if to run. But the beggar would not away from his eyes.
“He is sick,” said Job again, bending down, “I will take him home to mother.”
“Hurrah! Hurrah! There he is! The Prince! The Prince!”
In the carriage drawn by four coal-black horses rode the Prince; and he was dressed in splendid clothes and he wore a feather in his cap.
Job wiped the tears from his eyes as he heard the music and the cheering so far away, but he lifted the little beggar boy in his arms--and started for home.
And as he passed along the street with his burden, he heard a sound of beautiful music as if all the angels were singing together, and he looked up into the blue sky above the chimneys and roofs of the city, and he saw the angels with the Prince in the midst of them moving by, and they were all smiling on him, poor, simple Job.