Show SELLING ingels how tommy newton spent fihs ihs christmas oh but it was cold little tommy newton blowing his fingers and stamping bis feet and in a wailing frozen up tone crying out his poor basketful of wares voted it so and if any one in the wide city had a right to act the thermometer it was tom for mitt enless hands poorly shod feet bare neck and scantily covered form were the main points of notice in the little peddlers lars ensemble that bleek christmas eve the roads were frozen tight tha sidewalk boards snapped like firecrackers about in the cruelly clear sky the moon looked like an bared meter blade glittering daggers flashed from the stars and cut the air into blasts as sharp as wolves teeth the quivering particles of frozen moisture looked like bits of broken glass oh but it was cold an gels heres your angels P it was a queer cry but not queer enough to attract the attention of passersby passers by what right had freezing ht arving tom newton to expect tho rich and comfortable and muffled up people hurrying to cozy homes with armfuls of presents to get chilled inspecting his paltry stock of goods angels an gels gold silver red white blue angels they were in miniature a score or more of them to tom they were beautiful had not his crippled father fashioned the smiling face and cherub form out of was and pale invalid sister elsa dressed and decorated them in their cheerless tene ment house room all that day they meant food and warmth and medicine if sold toms heart grew despondent as the hours went by no one wanted angels to hang on christmas trees ohl if some real good true angel would only lead them to want them the crowds beban to thin out tom grew colder and colder he took up his basket at last with a dreary sigh oh mcf toms heart went out in a gosp he reached down toward a fat bloated pocket so fat and so bloated that the ends of several bills showed at one end here boy I 1 lost that the sharp tones belonged to a richly dressed worn an and she fairly grabbed the wallet from toms hands yes maam VS have given it to you if I 1 knowd it was yours with out you asking angels maam please buy one I 1 how much came the demand only a dime ill give you five cents for one for your honesty and sho passed tom a nickel selected the best image and swepton in all her meanness and comfort tom did not look very grateful but he was encouraged and he shouted out his wares moro vigorously than ever as ho passed the last block of stores between the place and home she broke my bad luck anyway chuckled tom ive sold throe more I 1 guess theres no uso trying any more though now for elsas christmas poor ha counted moro on elsas with ten cents at its cost than the richest nabob with his millions twenty cents for meat and bread five cents for popcorn five for candy two for a stunted tree limb two for candles one for a sheea of tinsel paper and tom started honit vard olly as a lark well have enough to eat till tomorrow and a christmas in the bargain he murmured cheerily motherless elsa greeted him at the door of the chill dreary room ahey called home mr newton shivering on the sparse couch tried to si itile what luck my boy ho ashod something to eat and bettor luck tomorrow to morrow responded tom ah hew nice if we had a firo tom said elsa elsa firo why I 1 gofa a great pile of wood before I 1 left Jb athor was so cold I 1 used it all up then ill get some moroa tom hied scoured tha vicinity for stray bits of fuel too often however a sparse armful represented the pickings of a whole square of alleys and gutters it afforded heat for an hour and cooked the supper and then stringing the popcorn and cutting tho tinsel and trimming the christmas tree not forgetting a bright sold angel as ita guardian tom and elsa never noticed tho firo go out amid their excitement tom its dreadful cold whispered elsa after their task was completed father is shivering and wont tell us he is cold tom looked out through the frosted panes dubiously im afraid I 1 cant find any more wood night tonight to oh elsa see here there s the old trunk its empty now it will keep up a little heat off and on until morning oh tom ne verdo that why not xou know its the trunk fathers mother sent him when she died ked with clothed and silver it his heart to sell them sort fort 0 sacred to we r in hi tom separating the worn leather from the curved too board littered the forcibly LOOK edsal he had fondd between the lining a large envelope old discolored but still sealed to my son robert newton 5 read tom TU open it gracious oh elsa the good angel the real angel has come at lasta yes for from out the unsealed envelope there fell upon the ficor a score of banknotes bank notes a mothers gift hidden for years but found at a time when their favors meant health life and joy to three patient souls and ia the nare of a roaring rollicking laughin sr fire such as tho newtons had not known for months previous christmas night the little angels seemed to smile down on the happiness of the grateful joyous father daughter and gon in their humble home |