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Show I L 'y Fastening together twigs and small branches, th Korean children made him a Christmas tree. today. He opened the door, and they filed in, carrying their load, and he shut the door. "Gosh, it's cold," he scolded, although they understood very little English, only what they had learned from him. "What'd you come out today for?" They answered the question by removing the newspaper carefully with cries of caution. Then he saw. They had made a tree for him. From somewhere they had found twigs and small branches and with string had fastened them into tlw semblance of a tree, two feet high. On every twig and branch they had fastened decorations made of paper scraps. He bent to look. These blessed kids ! Tey had picked up bits of bright paper, cigarette packets, and colored magazines the men had thrown away, odds and ends of ribbon and lace the bar girls had thrown away, orange peel and chewing gum wrappers, and with their half-frozfingers they had fashioned delicate shapes. "For you, Sir," they chorused. "Christmas tree for you, Sir!" "Gosh," he muttered. "Now I really want to haw'.!" He stretched out his long arms and gathered them to him. "Come here, you fellows," he ordered. "Cone here, everyone of you. It's a beautiful trie ! You understand ? Beautiful, beautiful tree! Number One tree " "Number One" in Korea means the best that can be. The older boys laughed and clapped their hands. The little ones leaned closely against him, the only father they knew, and he embraced en 'f ' IIIUSTAT'H thei ooid them fiercely, his eyes filling with tears. "If only my packages had come, I'd have something for you. I'd give you all I'd got. But I haven't anything except I sure do love you all." Coincidences never happen, they Bay, at least in stories, but this is a true story and a coincidence happened at this very moment. The door opened and the sergeant stood there, holding in his arms a huge box, Gary's Christmas package from home. "Here," Gary said recklessly, "Mom's Christmas cookies. TCat 'em up--- eat 'em all!" They ate, they clutched their gifts, they clung to him, and loved him. "Swell Christmas, eh, kids?" he demanded. "Thi best I ever had the very best! And the tree? Never had such a tiee never!" 4 Family Weekly, December 15, 1968 5 |
