Show V 1 e was such an un f kempt ad looking loc creature when he r h A presented himself hi at the back door ti 1 that christmas chris i P morning asking askin tor something to eat s 1 that mary w a I 1 more than hall ha in dined to disobey dl Y fe s ight rule 1 of the tracy household which stood good at all seasons of the year as well as at yuletide and refuse his re quest before she could do so how ever mrs tracy herself came into the kitchen and with scant show of hos pit allty mary allowed the tramp to enter she had always secretly grumbled because mrs trac aou d allow no one to be turned away hungry and to day there was no excuse for the fam ly had just finished breakfast and there was plenty of food left to give the man a substantial meal coln to come and rob the houe to night like s not was mary s in ward comment as she put the coffee pot on the stove and she watched the man narrowly to see if he were mak ing a mental plan of the house but her suspected burglar d d not once look up from the floor as he sat ner bously twirling his hat he s young and able to work mary soliloquized as she bustled to and fro putting eatables on one end dt he kitchen table might tol erable good lookin too it he was shaved and dressed up and washed there she snapped setting a cup of coffee down on the table with as much force as she could without spill ing its contents your vitual s set the man scarcely raising his eyes dropped his hat and hitched his chair near the table just as he eagerly clutched the cup of fragrant coffee a door opened a pair of merry blue eyes peered into the kitchen and a shrill little voice piped out hello man merry christmas the man started shifted uneasily in his chair but made no reply un daunted by his chilling reception the booi was burst open and a golden laired little boy burst into the room with the enquest aning confidence ot childhood he walked to the stranger and said gravely I 1 said merry christmas run into the other room donald M ry put in hastily the man shot a halt defant glance at her but did not look at ther child I 1 dont want to the 1 atle fellow replied he s company and mamma said I 1 could tain him I 1 the new mother doose book dat I 1 dot from santa claus to show he and push ing a chair close to the table from it 1 e mounted the end of the table opposite the man and sat there like a sweet rosy cherub observing some dark spirit the tramp who lemed tarnished paused just long enough to look wonderingly at his strange lit ie companion and then gave his full at to the meal dont ou want to tall donald demanded 11 m not fit that is er I 1 don t know how to talk to such a little kid the man answered all right I 1 guess you wint to eat the child observed grac isly I 1 guess read to you opening the beoh he was holding in his arms yon know mother goose dont youa the man shook his head but some thing like a smile fl eted across his tullen features well show you the pictures and read you bout em this one and donald slid along the table as near to the man as the dishes would al low this one is about blue boy read bout him and in a chanting high pitched voice be repeated the rhyme of little boy blue did you ever sleep under i hay mowa he asked suddenly a the con elusion of his recitation the man frowned slightly at the childish query bit his lip and nodded his head was it nicea went on his inter did your mamma let you the mans lower lip was pressed cruelly by his teeth at this question but a surly shake of his head was his only reply oh was you naughty and gunned awaya the boy asked slowly had mary been an observing girl she would have seen under the scrubby beard and grime on the hag gard face a dull red flush spread to the roots of his shaggy neglected hair dian didn t your mamma come to look for youa continued the little tor mentor she dian didn t know where I 1 was the tramp answered in a strange muffled voice then you hided from her ex claimed the child ath blue eydes wide open the man was looking out of the window now forgetful of his good breakfast I 1 was naughty once and gunned away donald prattled on and when my mamma found me she was just awful glad but she cried too gasn wasn t that and she said mothers was always glad when they got their boys back even when they was big and gunned awful tar off strayed into the paths I 1 forget just what that part was but she said I 1 must always come back to her an an I 1 don t member any more but I 1 guess it you d go back to your mamma she d forget the naughty and be glad do you think she d cry the man cast one fierce look over his chaboy person cry he ex claimed bitterly oh he drew his breath haid between his teeth as the sight of the baby face choked back the oath that nearly escaped him isn t you coln to eat any more chirped the little fellow with awak ened hospitality noticing that his guest sitting with his head on his hand seemed to have lost his appe atte the child s voice roused him from his thoughts and seeing that daiy had paused in her work and was watching him curiously he asked humbly can I 1 have some coffeen meanwhile donald was turning the pages of his book here s a tunny picture he announced pointing with his fat little finger but it s bout a dreadful naughty boy read bout him and in a very solemn and am press lve tone he repeated the tale of tom tom the piper s son its dreadful bad to steal you 1 now he commented gravely my mamma says so and of course she knows mammas know most every thing don t once what do you thinks I 1 stole I 1 steal a pig like tom but I 1 stole some little cakes A DOOR OPENED and my mamma talked to me a long time and she told me so many things old grow to be a good man did your mamma want you to be a good man fhe man choked on a hasty cup of coffee but made no deply donald did not seem to expect one but chatted on I 1 was ft aid my mamma did not love me any more when I 1 stole those cakes cause sh looked sorry but with a happy little laugh seemed like she loved me more n ever after but 1 don t want to see her look sorry like that again did ou ever make your mamma look borry t of her eyes ou knowd A smothered gioan from the tranger and with a child s uto t 0 of something wrong gou to cheer and consola and said acis wel ou just go an tell her you re sorry an U aha be glad and love yon I 1 most know bhe will the man had ceased and sat motionless with his head bowed on his breast until mary approached and curtly asked it he were done batin yes he answered absently and looking wistfully at the child he reached for his hat Is you goin to see your mamma questioned donald eagerly yes my lettle man came the an awer in a clear ringing voice that mado mary jump and drop a basin that s just where I 1 am going but first tell me your name I 1 m little donald robert tracy and my papa s big donald robert good by little preacher you re the best one I 1 ve ever heard and just brushing the golden head with his lips the tramp passed out ot the door and went down the street not with the slouching hang dog air with which he had approached the house but with 1 ead erect and shoulders squared he swung along with long easy strides of all the ungrateful wretches exclaimed mary angrily to mrs tracy who had slipped in through the half open door he never even said thank you her mistress did not seem to hear but with shining eyes gathered her little son up in her arms and as she pressed him closely to her she whispered brokenly and a little child shall lead them A year passed and little donalds kalning the tramp was forgotten YOU KNOW MOTHER GOOSE DON YOU by all save mrs tracy she often won dered what fruit the good seed sown by the innocent child last christmas morning had borne that he had been god s chosen instrument tor working out some great end her gentle heart never doubted it was therefore a great pleasure and satisfaction to her to receive a long letter from the man it was written from his home in a tar eastern city and told in a simple straight forward manner the story of his down fall and how moved by donald s child ish prattle he had worked his way back home resolved to begin life anew how kind friends had helped him and encouraged him and how he was doing bell at bis old trade ot bookbinding I 1 was going from bad to worse the letter ran and nothing Is easier for a young fellow to do and the road down to being a common tramp Is a short one when one gets started when I 1 came to your house that christmas morning I 1 fias bitter hard and des no one living could have touched my heart as did that little blue eyed boy his little sermon with its text taken from mother goose snatched this poor brand from the burning tell the little chap that I 1 found my mamma and she was glad as he said accompanying the letter was a pack age of christmas gifts addressed to donald among other things it con talked a book a copy of mother goose exactly like the one from which he had read to the man to tain him exquisitely bound in white vellum on the cover in gold letters was donalds name and below it from his grateful blue boy christmas |