Show A NEWSPAPER MANS MAN'S CHRISTMAS I John was was a newspaper man He toiled from frotH noon till early n 0 morning gleaning the corners of the earth for something g of interest interest inter inter- E est to the readers of his sheet In his humble but a active tIve occupation occupation occupation tion were mixed tales of woe and love stories tries of shed blood-shed and daring and of business busine s strife and enterprises ses u 1 After he had toiled along for a number of years a story came came 0 into his life which ended in a romance Life now had a happier j side Each day as he went to his work he was able to look forward forward forward for for- ward to his return in the early morning and the greeting by his 0 young bride But there was one thing detracted from front the beauty f of the home the lack of a little child which he could fondle and 0 love as he had been in his boyhood days daTs On the third Christmas after his marriage John got the evening evening even even- u 0 ing off for the purpose of helping his wife entertain the children of the neighborhood who were to be their guests at a dinner 1 followed by a Christmas tree and games Christmas week John I spent all his spare moments decorating the Christmas tree buying buying bily- bily buy buy- ing presents and preparing the home for a happy evening J Christmas morning rose bright and cheering but toward evening evening even even- ing it began to grow bleak and cold and as night set in the whistling whistling whist whist- J ling wind drove gushes of snow int into every crack and crevice 1 Everything was in readiness One by the one the children huddled huddled hud hud- dIed up in blank blankets ts and shawls and led by an in older member of the y family arrived Within all was gay and bright while without only the dull flickering of a street lamp and the occasional clang clangs j s of a car bell told life was still growing John got home early and as each child ran up tip he lie gave it a i Christmas kiss Soon the turkey and good things to eat were smoking hot on n the tle ta table e an and when the children were wei-e were all seated J I. I John said to his wife This is the first time tune for many years that I have been really happy How I nice it would be if all these little ones were for me and me only Y Supper had got well under way The children eyes were bulging with good things to eat still they picked on scarcely anyone anyone able t to swallow Heres to my little darlings said J John as he lie raised the brimming brim brimming brimming brim brim- ming wine tankard and now we will go to the Christmas tree But wait a minute dont don't go so fast or you will stumble over your dinners The children burst into the room which was aglow with bright lights from the Christmas candles and glistening b dangles b All If l were arranged in alphabetical order and all was in readiness for OJ r rM M I tHc the beginning of a j jolly lly evening when t the thc telephone bell rang rag Johns John s heart sank With trembling knees he lie took down the receiver er for he well knew how much a paper news-paper mans man's life is worth r Come down to the office right away said the voice there is isa iss t s a te terrible ile accident t al and d n no one to cover the story i Im I In off tonight said John Cant help it You will have have to get on again gain The story must r be covered Come down as q quickly as possible F Reluctantly John looked around the room bright with the glowing glowing glow v ing light from the Christmas tree and beaming with so In many any happy s I faces He Ie kissed each good-by good and grabbing his hat rushed out into the blinding blizzard to the nearest trolly carti car 11 ti J Mrs 1 John called out the presents in their order and with each f f she gave a stocking of candy and nuts But before she had had got J I r. r any more than started the room was a regular beehive 4 Oh Oli just look at mine one would cry See mine run across the room another would cry Oh youve you've got more lnore candy candy candy can can- dy and nuts that I have shouted a third each in his turn giving vent to his sentiments but still happy and gay the little onesI ones ones I played away the Christmas evening Mrs John joined in all their T t. sports She was vas the big bear and the pony then she was wa the theold theold old woman who lived in the shoe and the hunter in the forest When they had all romped themselves tired she gave each another orange range and sat th them down while she told them the story of the 0 Christ child One by one their big brothers and sisters called for the children children children chil chil- dren and when the last child had passed out of the door Mrs John sat down and wondered what crime had taken John from th the happy band of children on a night when all should be happy out into the cold sleek of the December night One by one she picked up the lost presents resents and thought how v nice it would be to have a child of her own to romp and play play- and make all her days clays as happy and bright as the evening had been x I As the evening dragged out into early morning Mrs John was vas still sitting before the smoldering embers of the grate fire thinking thinking thinking think think- ing of the nights night's pleasure Suddenly she heard the gate click and ana amia anda a step on the door step She jumped up tip again startled The key entered the lock and for a few moments all was silence again Mrs 1 John waited The key was pushed further into the lock and John carrying a white bundle entered the room His I happy face of a afew afew afew few hours before had completely disappeared Longingly he looked around the room which was vas now so silent and empty but which a few hours before had been so full of light and happiness Bru Brushing Brushing Brush Brush- hing h- h ing the snow v from the lapel of his coat he lie sank down into his big 1 happy faces that had romped around f chair and pictured again the r the room What is that you have in the parcel said Mrs John 1 Oh h I guess it is some of the presents the children forgot children forgot to t take away It was lying covered with snow on the front step But lets let's be off to bed Why Thy didn't you go to bed before x Oh the evening was so happy and I didn't want it to pass r. r from my memory How nice it would be if you could have spent the r evening at home Oh well its it's the life of a news news mongrel said John as he started started started start start- ed from the room As they were going up the stairs Mrs John John said Maybe we had better go back and take the presents from the parcel they may get wet John went back and picked up the parcel Kind of heavy and feels like straw he said Piece at a time the covering was taken off and a basket afoot a afoot at t foot long was uncovered Quickly raising ising the lid he threw back the covering and there protruding from a corner a cover of fur was wasa a little round face John and Mrs John looked with bulging eyes and then almost simultaneously they grabbed the waif in the blanket and held it up t in in the light As it was taken from the basket a a note fell from the quilt which read Her name is Dorothy and she is homeless Take good care care of her Her Ier birth day October 14 The sudden awakening of the babe caused it to cry Mrs John John got some milk u and warmed it over the grate fire Then with a spoon she fed the 1 little child until it finally went to sleep When all was quiet again John said Say but isn't t that a great Christmas present we can I both love her and when she gets big we can give another Christmas party r r Arent you glad you had to go go to work asked Mrs John for if you had not come come home late our present might have frozen Next ext day John went to work as s h happy as a rooster rooster tagging a ahen ahen hen len with a br brood od of chicks the following morning the papers all told ol of how Johns John's Christmas party had brought a fairy to his home r has decided to give his mother for a Christmas Christ Christ- mas present a diminutive truncated cone convex on its summit and semi-perforated semi with symmetrical indentations Do you carry a pocket dictionary r II |