Show p J MOTHERS CHRISTMAS by SUSAN HUBBARD MARTIN k there were three gills ot of them all nerr light lighthearted hearted and thoughtless but this evening a new seriousness N ft ae as upon them for one thing mo h a had gone to bed with a sharp neu attack that somehow was be corning coming of late a too frequent occur enoe another was that father had just given them their christmas al lowance tor for it vaa n as the of novem ber and they i ad already begun to for flis at day he had said as he handed a crisp 10 bill this year fuai really male mal e this do don t ad nd it and expect more tor for it will be forthcoming times are hard not easy 0 get and necessary must be ie met so remember that at while we all love christmas as indeed we ought let et we are not ex pecked to give more than we are able peace on earth good n III to men means more than a mad rush at bar gaa counters coun when one endeavors to make 10 do the worl work of 25 N e all try to do too much and under the strain the sweet old merry christmas ot long ago has lost its charm he had p it on his overcoat and gone nut and mag joyce and fan sat and looked at one another I 1 ve simply got to give bess a more expensive present than I 1 did last year ear bald mag goon go orail lil gaeng at the fire just imagine my humilia t on day ft when she sent me at beau watch fob and all I 1 had given her was a little picture in a plain oak frame I 1 blush now at the thought of 0 it don t say a IL word broke in to fan ragi call I 1 suffer mortification of the spirit a hundred times when I 1 think of the little I 1 can give ten dol S aisig ig friends and relations to mak maki presents to borce looked up joce joyce was aas the 1 3 argest and she wore a brown school drej her chestnut curls were tied itt scarlet ribbons I 1 say she bean fan quickly time the christ refu matlon mation began in this fam three girls fan 17 mag 16 and 14 not one of us able to earn a and all straining every nerve harder tor for father and do we cant afford I 1 im m like amas don dont t mean a mad Y gain counters to buy things f lup le who halt half the time don t aira for em when they get em use I cpr fa and impossible articles too most of em are but we poor misguided mortals will take em just because they re marked down from to 49 cents the facts in our case are uese ese fathers poor he works ha d h ts t s time 11 and she is can give pressing as I 1 to go ang her she chy we one with hristeas it ahat p to ee how mag sighed isn t joyce a charac ter she said to fan when the young er sister was safely out of the room joyce replied fan decisively is a dear I 1 wish we were more like her I 1 in not sure too she added thought fully but that she is right oh dont don t you preach cried mag we e ve got obligations we have friends and the result is our 10 will melt la in their behalf like snow betcie the sun I 1 id d be ashamed to look them in the face if it didn t joyce jo ce crept softly into her mother mothers s room the light was turned down low the figure on the bed did not stir joce joyce slipped over and looked down at the pale sleeper darling mother she whispered how white her cheeks are and her hands too how thin I 1 wish I 1 might kiss them I 1 in glad she s gone to sleep per haps when she wakes the pain will be gone she turned to go away but a pair of slippers sitting side by side at the toot foot of the bed arrested her she stooped and alel ed one up stroking it softly joyce was always the affect one of the family then she looked at it the sole was pitifully thin and there was a little break in ons one side mother mothers s wrapper lay care fully folded over the back of a chair where she had put it even in her pain joyce look d at it also the sleeve had been patched the collar mended joyce remembered with a sudden pang it was the best one mother had she swept the wrapper off the chair and took up the little worn slippers then she wint down into the sitting room mag and fan were still there girls cried joyce dramatically holding up the old wrapper do you think ne e girls ought to mal e christ mas presents when 0 ir mother has to wear clothes like this see how ashes patched the sleeves and the collar too and just look at these slip slippers the girls did look and as joyce held them up the poor shabby little slippers a stillness tell fell upon them each girl remembered the patient figure in the worn slippers sli piers ers that went about a ceaseless round of duties day by day with no thought of relaxation of en the work must be done father s meals must be on time the girls must have their company and their holidays there was little time or money left tor for her wh when en three young girls were properly fed and clothed and as mag fan and joyce looked at the patched threadbare wrapper it told a tale more eloquent than any words representing to these three hitherto thoughtless daughters the sacrifices daily made for them and never mentioned fan wiped a tear away so did mag joyce s eyes were aheady all eady full it if we don t take better care of mother perhaps we wont have her very long said joyce solemnly girls she added jet let s do some thing say we put five dollars out of our ten away tor for her and fix up her things I 1 will anyway I 1 in going to get her a handsome pair of bullets all trimmed in black fur and stuff enough to make her a pretty dressing mag will you make it ita mag shiang spi ang up beg ye I 1 will joyce she cried and I 1 will give 5 too I 1 never realized that mother was wear ing q lite as poor clothes as these give five said fan ran slowly we haven t money enough to go round anyway let us be brave and tell our friends so perhaps in the end they 11 thank us for it when mother came downstairs that christmas morning she gave a start of surprise A gay little wreath of holly noil hung by the window attached to it was a large white card which bore these words MOTHERS MOTHER S CHRISTMAS may she have ila many ay ot of them A brown wrapper with velvet collar and cuffs hung over the back of her favorite chair A dainty pair of house shoes lay beside it trimmed in black fur near them was a dress ing sacq bacq e soft and warm of some gray material finished off by a touch of scarlet and a bow of ribbon A shoulder shawl of white and blue hung over one arm of the chair two pairs of kid gloves lay across it on the sofa was a handsome co comforter A of pink silk allne artistically knotted with blue this was fan pans s gift and r ir 4 Q IDA on christmas morning had been bought with a portion of her money and made over at aunt ra chel s so there could be balanger nA noTi anger langer of detection abere were aprons too and handkerchiefs sheer and fine father had given these mother stood still then seeing the new expression in her children s faces she took a step forward praise the lord she sang in her heart but aloud she could only say my blessed blessed garib as she gathered them each one in 0 her tender and loving arms rams ram s horn |