(1846)
It was terribly cold and nearly dark on the last evening of the old year,
and the snow was falling fast. In the cold and the darkness, a poor little girl,
with bare head and naked feet, roamed through the streets. It is true she had
on a pair of slippers when she left home, but they were not of much use.
They were very large, so large, indeed, that they had belonged to her
mother, and the poor little creature had lost them in running across the street
to avoid two carriages that were rolling along at a terrible rate. One of the
slippers she could not find, and a boy seized upon the other and ran away
with it, saying that he could use it as a cradle, when he had children of his
own. So the little girl went on with her little naked feet, which were quite
red and blue with the cold. In an old apron she carried a number of matches,
and had a bundle of them in her hands. No one had bought anything of her
the whole day, nor had anyone given her even a penny. Shivering with cold
and hunger, she crept along; poor little child, she looked the picture of
misery. The snowflakes fell on her long, fair hair, which hung in curls on
her shoulders, but she regarded them not.
Lights were shining from every window, and there was a savory smell of
roast goose, for it was New-year’s eve-yes, she remembered that. In a
corner, between two houses, one of which projected beyond the other, she
sank down and huddled herself together. She had drawn her little feet under
her, but she could not keep off the cold; and she dared not go home, for she
had sold no matches, and could not take home even a penny of money. Her
father would certainly beat her; besides, it was almost as cold at home as
here, for they had only the roof to cover them, through which the wind
howled, although the largest holes had been stopped up with straw and rags.
Her little hands were almost frozen with the cold. Ah! perhaps a burning
match might be some good, if she could draw it from the bundle and strike
it against the wall, just to warm her fingers. She drew one out-”scratch!”
