And it came to pass that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning again, according to its proper order; and they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born, because of the sign which had been given. 3 Nephi 1:19
Carol: Star Bright
Someone Missing at the Manger
by Elizabeth Starr Hill
It was two days before Christmas and Marcie was troubled. She sat on the floor in the glowing warmth of the fire with a dozen books stacked nearby. She flipped through one until she came to a manger scene. In the picture, shepherds had come to visit the Baby Jesus. The Kings were off in the distance, but plainly on the way. A cow and a donkey stood nearby in the stable.
It was just as she had thought. Marcie shut the book with a snap, and picked up another. The manger scene in this one was a bit different. The Kings were kneeling in front of the crib. A boy shepherd stood behind them. A couple of cherubs hovered over the shepherds. But, except for some animals, there was no one else.
Marcie looked through every Christmas book she owned. She found tall and short shepherds, fat and thin Kings, black sheep and white lambs. She found boys with crutches and crooks… But, in each story, someone was missing from the manger. There was no little girl. Not one.
Marcie went into the kitchen where her mother was feeding Kevin, her baby brother. “Mom, when the Baby Jesus was born, how come no little girl went to the stable to see him?”
Her mother paused and smiled up at Marcie. “Oh, of course there were little girls!”
“Have you ever seen a picture of a little girl at the manger?” Marcie demanded.
“Why, I guess not,” her mother answered thoughtfully. “Unless you count angels. Some of them look like they might be girls.”
Marcie shook her head emphatically. “You can’t count angels. I mean plain ordinary girls like me.”
“I never thought about it before,” her mother admitted, “but you’re right. It is odd.”
Later that afternoon Marcie and her mother were finishing up the costumes for the Christmas Play. Marcie beamed, thrilled by just the thought of the upcoming pageant. Every year she loved it – the costumes, the lights, the story… and this year they all had a part. She was the chief costume designer. Her mother was to be Mary, her father, a wise King, and her brother a shepherd boy.
Deep down inside, Marcie wanted to be the Herald Angel. Oh how wonderful it would be to be dressed in sparkling white and sing the announcement of the Christ child! But Marcie new it was not for her. She could sew costumes, but she couldn’t sing or act. She was just a plain, ordinary little girl. Nobody special. Just a girl who sewed.
But Marcie wouldn’t be troubled with those thoughts for long. She pushed them aside, and again smiled. She imagined it was nearly two thousand years ago and that she lived in a little town called Bethlehem as the daughter of a Shepherd. She daydreamed that she was out with the sheep one night when the angel came and told them of the baby Jesus. She imagined the brightness of the star, and the peace and reverence of the night. Then her shepherd father said, “I will bring the Christ child a lamb as a gift. And what shall you offer?” Without hesitation, Marcie said out loud, “I’ll bake him some cookies fit for a king!” Just then her mother’s voice rang into her thoughts “Marcie! Set the table!” and the daydream faded away.
The next morning, Marcie woke up early, bursting with anticipation. It was Christmas Eve. She busied herself making popcorn balls and stuffing for the Turkey. In the afternoon, Marcie and her mother wrapped one of Marcie’s favorite dolls in swaddling clothes. The doll was to be the Baby Jesus in the pageant. Marcie felt very proud that her own precious doll was to be baby Jesus.
Everyone’s eyes were bright with excitement, but Marcie’s more than all. She raced upstairs and changed into her red velvet dress and tied red ribbons on her pigtails. Then she hurried to Kevin’s crib to dress him in his snowsuit. But oh… there was something wrong. Kevin was covered in bumpy spots. He was hot to the touch. Alarmed, Marcie called her parents. Her mother took one look at the baby and groaned, “Chicken pox!” “I’m afraid so,” Marcie’s father agreed. We can’t take him.
Frantically Marcie’s parents called all their neighbors and friends, but were unsuccessful. “We’ve got to get somebody,” Tod said. “We’re late already. And what are they going to do if we don’t show up? What good is a Christmas pageant without the Baby Jesus? And His Mother? And a King and a shepherd?” Marcie swallowed hard. It was true the whole pageant would be ruined without them. But, she thought despairingly, there was one person who would not be missed — who, in fact, was always missing… a plain, ordinary little girl.
It was hard to say the words. Marcie’s voice cracked as she volunteered, “I’ll stay with Kevin.”
Her mother protested, “No. I know how much you’ve been looking forward to the pageant. There must be something else we can do. But they all knew time had run out. After giving Marcie a comforting hug, her father, mother and brother slipped out the door.
Marcie tried to hold back the tears for a moment, but soon flung herself across her bed and sobbed. She had imagined just how it would be; her mother, so beautiful in the blue robe; her father, every inch a King in scarlet and gold; and Tod, the handsomest of the shepherds. She pictured the angels, her doll as Baby Jesus… And she wouldn’t see any of it. She was going to miss it all.
There was to be a short procession first, around the outside of the church, with everyone singing. Marcie heard the music start. She ran to a window. She could not see the church, but she could hear the singing.. “Silent Night, holy night…” Even from this distance the voices sounded strong and fine, “All is calm, all is bright…” Through the ache of her disappointment, the words touched Marcie’s heart. It was a calm and bright night. She loved carols and she hummed along as verse after beloved verse followed.
Then the tune changed to Marcie’s favorite, “Oh, come, all ye faithful…”
“I wanted to,” Marcie answered the words to the hymn as if she was speaking to the Baby Jesus. “I wanted to come, I couldn’t, that’s all.”
The chorus continued… “Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation…” The Church bells then began to ring. The procession was nearly over. Marcie shut the window. Then suddenly she knew why there were never any little girls at the manger. Girls were needed to tend the little ones. They could not be spared. They were need to watch over the little babes, like baby Jesus. Kevin cried faintly, and Marcie hurried to his crib. And in the frosty Christmas air, the bells rang joy to all the little girls in the world.
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