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Show A Wreath and a Candle Spoke From the Window if pLEASE, lady, won't you buy some A ttllipS?" Ann Dawson, belle of her .set, stepping step-ping briskly out of a department store, her arms filled with Christmas packages, pack-ages, looked down into the searching eyes of two poorly chid little girls. "Tulips?'' she repeated, smiling, j "Why, tulips are not due yet. You should have red roses, poinsetiias, and holly at Christmas time." "Yes'm, I know," said the one car-I car-I rying the basket of wax flowers, "but j we don't know how to make anything but tulips. They are all red, though, and just a quarter for three." "I see," said Anne. "Making some extra money, aren't you, to buy something some-thing pretty for mamma?" "No, ma'm," answered the sister. "I wish we could buy something pretty for mother, but we are trying to get us some school shoes before time to go back after Christmas." Anne's eyes sought the children's feet and her throat filled with a choking chok-ing lump. "Why why yes. I'll buy a dollar's worth. Will that help much?" "Oh, yes'm," from both simultaneously. simultane-ously. Their eyes sought each other's in happy anticipation while Anne, struggling with her packages, clumsily extracted the bill from her purse. "Now tell me where you live, little tulip makers. I might want some more of them sometime," taking the bunch held out to her. The address was carefully care-fully noted, and thoughtfully Anno stood watching the children as they became lost in the street crowd. For the first time, her eyes had been opened to a new life. Next day a rap on the door of a cottage in a poor section of the city brought an answer from one of the flower girls. No one was In sight, but as the door opened a big car was seen moving away and on the porch was a large well-lilled basket ornamented with holly and one big red candle. When the basket was taken inside and examined many useful gifts for mother and the girls were disclosed as well as a generous supply of fruit, nuts and candy. The card read : "I shall drive by on Christmas night. If you are happy let the wreath and lighted candle speak from your windows." win-dows." Was the candle burning? And did the wreath adorn the other front window? win-dow? Well, yes; and the bright faces within the well-lighted room brought to Anne Dawson far greater joy than the handsome gifts that were hers on Christmas morning. Lily Rutherford Morris. ((A), 1927, Western Newspaper Union.) |
