Show giving happiness passing it on extending joy to others Is agreeable form of indi by PATIENCE EDEN OU ati are always do ing some kind thing for me I 1 dont understand der stand it janet a small email creature with w I 1 t 11 6 1 enormous eyes and 0 frail hands looked up at tile woman standing before her ayou you come to see me you yon bring fruit and flo flowers and books sho she continued you are unfailingly fallin gly thoughtful I 1 can do nothing for you except give you gratitude and thanks the 0 older der woman smiled janet she bald sa id you are like a great krea t many other people I 1 know you have bare to understand things that are not necessary to understand and you think you must give return payment for things that should not be considered in that light janet looked puzzled well but mary ube ebe floundered you must admit that I 1 havo have accepted gifts rather gallantly gifts tind and gifts 1 and I nd gifts I 1 must speak about it I 1 cant take things from you forever and not mention iti it even though im still convalescing from that accident mary drew a chair nearer sat flat docu dow ob doh give me all the gratitude 3 you ou ilk like 0 I 1 dont dealt I 1 wind mind that only dont worry about it you take all the fun butof out of it accept ray my child and an d dont be tormented with silly ideas 0 of f somo some kind of payment here hera it Is christ mas eve when the spirit of giving Is abroad in the land there Is nothing so lovely as giving givin bu bat t how can 0 one enjoy this pleasure if intelligent people like you in slat on regarding it so seriously listen to me janet and I 1 will tell you a story of another christmas eve F ve janet rested her head on the back of the th a chair and regarded m her friend with grave affection mary was a tower of strength what would have been bleak montte of recovery without ij br ber once when I 1 was about ten years old began mary alary 1 I was visiting at my grandfathers farm farin we always went there for a gool old fashioned christiaa Christ maa maO it was a delightful place OHM sleigh rides coasting Oa sting skating nka ting trips into tho the woods for christmas greens everything that a child would find joy in doing christmas love particularly WA overflowing aver flowIng W wish jah EL a kind of inton joy stockings pinned to tho mantel a tree in the corner secrets secreta whispered about surprises oll oh tho tha finest feeling in the world jant well continued mary alary looking out into tho the dusk with a gentle wistfulness in her face at this time I 1 mention I 1 happened to bo be hiding behind the christmas tree in the corner tho ot other tier children had been packed off to bod bed I 1 think I 1 was trying to sit bit up and determine once for till nil it 1 there was a santa claus claps my bly mother and grandfather were talking together by tho fireplace and ray mother was trying to express her feelings feeling about being there slie site told grandfather that it meant everything in the world for her to bring her children to the farm for christmas they will never forget this season of happl happiness ness she said christmas to them will always alvay shine in a glow of joyous memory you aro are giving g 1 v I 1 n g aa k them and mo me the S most precious MV capital in the world one on A which wo we con can draw for inspiration ln spIra as aa long as wo we live then a h e asked him how sho she could ever repay him for his genero generosity sity grandfather granda a t b e r I 1 looked at her and eald bald slowly if these mean what you say to your children you need not worry about any returns to me payment does not always come coma back directly it goes on in other ways your children from the happy mem ories in this house hoube hou be will continue to carry on tho tradition they will make other people happy for the sake of the merry times they ahey had here my payment cornea comes in knowing this I 1 give happiness to you and them and they in turn will wili pass it on to others it Is a form of indirect payment the satisfaction of seeing the seed of joy blossom into generosity others othen Is the payment in the world janet sjanet went on mary 1 I did not see santa claus that night I 1 hid behind the christmas tree but I 1 sneaked out and went to bed thinking about grandfather it Is something I 1 can never forget if it has been possible to bring you a few things that help to while away the dull days blame it on grandfather lie he started the debt im fin paying him partly through you marys voice trailed off into sl lenco she was thinking or of that low square room in the farmhouse where she spent so many happy holidays janet leaned forward and touched her softly it Is a beautiful way war to explain your kindness kind she whispered but whom am I 1 to mary looked at the frail girl in the big chair I 1 overheard the maid who comes in to mop your tibor floor say ray that yon were the beautiful est patient in the hospital she adores you as a kind of dodder maybe you can find fand a happy target lu in her aim one of your enchanting smiles at her and see what happen happ eriq i now I 1 must go merry aberry christmas I 1 mary left ina in a breeze of cheerfulness ess A quarter of an hour later found janet and the little maid who wiio mopped the floors in a gale of laughter jauet janet was telling her a story and had heaped her arms with fruit ahe little mild mald seemed transfigured trans figured with happiness and it Is said that she later gave most of her fruit away to the anek oin indirect direct payment M abis janet to herself ns she che slipped that night into the harbor of sleep am wa lasterra sterra paper union |