A Brother Like That

A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile

from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve

when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was

walking around the shiny new car, admiring it.

"Is this your car, Mister?" he said.

Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas."

The boy was astounded. "You mean your brother gave it

to you and it didnt cost you nothing? Boy, I wish . . ."

He hesitated.

Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He

was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the

lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.

"I wish," the boy went on, "That I could be a brother

like that."

Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then

impulsively he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my

car?"

"Oh yes, Id love that."

After a short ride, the boy turned with his eyes aglow

, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my

house?"

Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad

wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride

home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. "Will

you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked.

He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard

him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was

carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down

on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him

and pointed to the car.

"There she is, Buddy, just like I told you

upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it

didnt cost him a cent. And some day Im gonna give you

one just like it . . . then you can see for yourself all

the pretty things in the Christmas windows that Ive been

trying to tell you about."

Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of

his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside

him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.

That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when

he said: "It is more blessed to give . . . "