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Show .1S. PENNOCK gazed wist-Sgf wist-Sgf fully at the bower of flowers I which surrounded her sick jpi2 4jf bed. Dozens of ehrysanlhe-' ehrysanlhe-' B73-e? mums, roses, carnations, and ihs-iCad lilies breathed their perfume 3c?-py1 into the room. But Mrs. CSiiVa I'ennock was not thinking of the fragrance nor of the beauty of this wealth of bloom as she gazed at It. ; She was thinking of her poor neighbors and of her Inability to take them Christmas boxes as she had done for the past fifteen years. Not that Mrs. Pennock's neighbors were actually poor. They were poor only in comparison with her. Mrs. Pennock loved being neighborly with such people. In untold ways she lessened their everyday expenses by sending baskets of fruit from her orchard, or-chard, and vegetables from her garden. gar-den. For a week before Christmas she would work with her cook making cookies. These were her specialty delicious rich, fruit cookies. And she made puddings and pies for every household in the community. That left a few nickels extra in every father's pocket towards the skates for his boy or the ribbons for his girl. Everybody Every-body counted on Mrs. Pennock's goodies, good-ies, now, for she had distributed them every year for fifteen years. That was what worried her. The neighbors might be expecting them. They of course knew of the serious 4 She Heard the Voices of Young People Peo-ple Singing Christmas Carols. operation she had had and of her present condition. She sighed and wiped a tear from her cheek. Just then she heard the yoices of young people singing Christmas Christ-mas carols under her windows. She listened as the old familiar songs rang out one after the other. When stillness still-ness reigned again she closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but she heard whispers on the stairs, and a score of rudy faces appeared at her boudoir door. The neighbors' children stood there Vaiting for permission to enter. "Come in," called Mrs. Pennock, "and a Merry Christmas to you all 1" "Merry Christmas," shouted a score of voices, as a score of happy boys and girls crowded Into the room, and Jim Larkin, president of the high school senior class, stepped forward as spokesman for the rest. "I hope we are not Intruding, Mrs. Pennock," he said. "Your nurse said we might come up to wish you a Merry C4irlstmas, and a very happy New Year. Every family In the community com-munity Is thinking of you and wanted to send something to make your Christmas Christ-mas happy. During so many years you brought happiness to all of us, and we wanted to take this opportunity oppor-tunity of expressing to you our appreciation appre-ciation of what a wonderful neighbor you are. We know there Is nothing we can give you except our thanks, for you have everything. But every boy and girl and mother and father has placed his name upon this card which we present to y,ou." Mrs. Pennock took in her hand the beautiful hand-made booklet which Jim extended to her. Christmas angels were singing on the cover of It, and under the angels appeared In gold letters "Glory to Qod ln the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men." On the Inside was beautifully printed "God gives us friends and flowers, and makes friendship friend-ship more beautiful even than the gardens, gar-dens, and for all seasons." Then followed fol-lowed the sixty-eight signatures of Mrs. Pennock's neighbors. "This 1b the most wonderful Christmas Christ-mas present I have ever had," exclaimed ex-claimed the beautiful rich lady" la thanking the young people. (. 1931. Wciterm Newspaper Union.) |