Show old bills gift bu octavia roberts copyright by western newspaper union dill more familiarly old he had bad never boon known to mention a family name looked around his havin haven of holiday comfort as tic hi termed it with a ch chicklo tickle ot of I 1 satisfaction 1 its greatt great I 1 he gloated with only one thing g m missing a christmas treo one bill was a character the towns people designated him a tramp somehow however the appellation did not seem to fit lie ile did not drink nor swear ile he did not beg ilia his willing dayi ways had bad made him popular and when dill 1311 was down on hla his luck and passed a doorway hungry looking his bis wands wants were generally provided UP solicited it was the day before christmas the ilia patient gleam in old mils idill 8 eyes lurked some sentiment of memory that Impelled him to celebrate lebrato ce this especial year he had been preparing tor for the event with the eager ardor of a school boy dill bill had mode made no confidants quietly an and d enjoyably he had laid his bis plans these were now perfected A week back dill bill had J 11 gone gona to housekeeping lie ile had bad discovered an old abandoned barn just beyond tho the aj town limits the lower part had lost doors and windows and was bleak bicak and cheerless indeed A rickety stairs however led to a room in one on corner of the loit loft it wa was s oozy and warm and at one time had been a harness room here dill bill had camped lie ile had fished out an old off of stove n K cot coi a table and chair from the town dumping heap A parti particulate culat housewife had presented him with a roasted chicken be because causti one side was slightly charred on ohp th rude table beside it were halt half a dozen dozea homemade doughnuts and a real mince plo pie dill took a last look at the goodly array of comfort then went out to seek seeh a branch of arbor vitae which would serve as a christmas tree As he neared the barn on bis bin return he be came to a speedy halt glowed over at one corner ot the place it proceeded from a lantern set in the feed box ot of a manger in the manger itself across the stale hay it contained a blanket was wan spread and swathed in coverings upon this as revealed by tho the lantern rays rayo lay aay a little sleeping babe I 1 near by a serious faced man was waa shaking the snow from his shoulders beside him seated on an old suitcase was af comely a but care borno woman the man began to speak dill agape drew into the shadow and listened it was to hear bear enough to learn that bad luck was driving those homeless ones onea from their thair former home penniless on foot to the father of the wife ten miles further on the storm had bad driven them to temporary shelter the husband band and father had taken a well thumbed volume volumn 1 from his pocket ile he began reading aloud it was waa 0 ot f an upper room ot of a master and his beloved disciples of A supper never to be forgotten in the memory of mankind dill stood like ono one transfixed what tender chord had been struck that he be closed his emeel eyes I 1 ila ho was back forty years in memory at his mothers kieu ilow how vivid how appealing a picture cletur a she fihe had shown him of the tha christ child in a manger of the devoted father and mother as here before him a proto prota type of that holy eye eve no BO real no ao touching the first Christ christmas mast I 1 A mighty thought moved him as he quietly spoke friend upstairs you will find corn fort till the storm Is over call it a christmas greeting see and was waa gone ill strike out for farmer dales haymow shivered bill after half an hours desultory wandering and he turned about to start to chaut out and then to run for there in the distance stanca dl the familiar farmhouse showed no illumination within but beyond it 1 4 glare shot up a haystack on first fire I 1 bill reached the farmyard the wind had bad blown the flame alamei 3 against one gable of the house and it was burning lie he ran to the stable for a pitchfork then began a fierce battle bucket after bucket of of water he cari car ried the last spark was waa dashed out and bill sank exhausted to tho the ground as the farmer and hla his family visiting 9 at a neighbors and attracted by the blaze came rushing upon the scene yes declared farmer dale two hours later as he showed bill up the stairs and into at a comfortable chamber this in if your room and you will sleep hare and youre a freo free boarder long its as you like understand why tx be no ao house bouse to in it if it for 70 yoc 1 old bill wan a long time getting into bed like to a child he sank into a peaceful slumber hla his softened spirit in dreams wandering through that upper room filled with the souls souli ot of those however humble who had bad hats to make true peace on earth tood will to men |