Era nochebuena, y si todo callaba en la triste vivienda recién visitada de la muerte, fuera, en las calles de la ciudad, y en todas las demás casas, resonaban placenteras bullangas de groseros instrumentos músicos, y vocería de chiquillos y adultos cantando la venida del mesías. Desde la sala donde estaba la niña difunta, las piadosas mujeres que le hacían compañía oyeron espantosa algazara, que a través del pavimento del piso superior llegaba hasta ellas, conturbándolas en su pena y devoto recogimiento. Allá arriba, muchos niños chicos, congregados con mayor número de niños grandes y felices papás y alborozados tíos y tías, celebraban la pascua, locos de alegría ante el más admirable nacimiento que era dado imaginar, y atentos al fruto de juguetes y dulces que en sus ramas llevaba un frondoso árbol con mil vistosas candilejas alumbrado.
This was Christmas Eve; and while stillness reigned in the home so recently visited by death, from all the other houses and from the streets of the city came the joyous roar of rude musical instruments and the clamorous voices of children and adults singing the advent of the Messiah. The shouts from the flat above could be heard in the very parlor where the dead child lay; and the pious women who sat with her were perturbed in their sorrow and their devout meditation. On the upper floor many small children, with a still greater number of large ones, happy papas and mammas, excited aunts and uncles, were celebrating Christmas and were going mad with delight before the most admirable Bethlehem manger that was ever dreamed of and the most luxuriant tree that ever grew toys and sweetmeats, and which bore on its limbs a thousand lighted tapers.