The New Year's carol

Their boy was born on Saint Sebastian’s day and so received the name of his patron Saint, but was commonly called Barty, and the little sister who came two years later was for the same reason named Franzelie.

But the good Joseph died and Afra was left a widow with the two children for whom she must toil early and late. Their scanty clothing was always clean and carefully mended. When the children went out together, Barty always held his little sister fast by the hand, and people said to the mother, “Your boy with his rosy face is like a strawberry apple, and little Franzelie, with her fair face, blue eyes, and golden curls, is like an altar picture.”