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Show B HAL RIVERS. B (The Ninas story awarded third B, prize.) It was Christmas eve. I lie B crowd of busy shoppers filled the B streets. People of all degrees B ami all classes, the old and the B young, the rich and the poor, the B liminv and the sad. all mingled B together in that hurrying, push- B ing crowd. One, a boy of B eighteen, whose name was Hal B Rivers, lingered for a moment. B gazing wistfully at a bright win- B dow. The light from within B shone full upon him, showing a B face young in years, yet marked B with care and horrow, but a face B full of youth and beauty. B He turned sadly away, drcam- B ing as he went of other Christ- B mas eves, of hi.s angel mother. H noble father and beautiful home, Hj where happiness had been sit- H preme. Then he thought of how H losses had followed one another H till at last the despair had driven H his father to the gambling table. H His manhood soon left him. ami B- the noble, high-bred man became H a common drunkard, while Hal H and his dear mother worked to K keep two dear little ones. Each H year before they had kept up K some semblance of Christinas and B all that makes it dear to chil- m drcn's hearts, hut this year their K father was no more a father m m them, and Christmas would be a B sad day in place of a happy one. m When Hal reached home, if B home it might be called, his heart m was sad. Since his father had H deserted them, the girl he loved B had become very indifferent. Her Hi friends' told her that such a girl H as she should be above a drunk- B ard's son. But Dora Parker loved m Ilal in spite of what they said, K yet she dared not tell him so. B As Hal hurried up the steep B stairs he shook off his. unhappy B looks and entered a room neat HB and clean. Sitting by the fire S were two little children and his B mother. The younger, baby B. Morris, a thin, delicate child of H five, was listening to the stories B Ills dark-eyed sister Ruth was B telling; stories of Santa Clans H and of the Christmascs she B could remember, when mamma H never cried, and papa loved them. B Then their dear mamma told the H story, old yet ever new, of Him in B whose memory the day is kept. B While they ate their scanty B supper the two little ones talked B gleefully of Santa Clans and B what he might bring them. B "I am afraid Santa Claus is B poor this year, dearies," said Mrs. B Rivers, "and may forget all B about us." B But Ilal was not afraid of this. B He would try and make Christ- B inns nearly as happy as the years B before. B When Mrs. Rivers put her lit- B tic ones to bed, baby Morris witl his arms around her neck, wins Ecred; "1 wouldn't care if Santa laus didn't bring mc anything B P'11 with, if he would onlv B make papa like he was in the B Btories Ruth told mc. I think 1 B will ask Jesus to bring back our B dear papa to us. He wouldn't B forget like Santa Claus, would he. B mamma ?" B "No, dear," she said; and liug B down beside him, she told him B how God cares for all alike, it H matters not how poor they arc Bi She lay there long after her little H ones were wrapped in nlumhir. B nnd then, tired out, fell asleep B herself. B Hal overheard his little brother H Kay. "I will ask Jesus to bring H hick our dear papa to us." and B the words were running through Br his mind. "Oh. if he only could H? he brought back and become the Ht same noble man ! And tonight is Bj ' Christmas eve. If he should come H home tonight, perhaps mother Hr would be brighter in the morning, BB and Dora would love me a- she used to." l-'or a long time 1 Tal sat gazing at his mother's pale, sad face, and at last decided he could do no more than try to find hi father and bring him home to the ones who were praying for him. lie put on hi.s coat, crossed the room and gently kissed the sleeper, then hurried out into the night as the clock was striking eleven, liven yet the streets were crowded, crowd-ed, and many stared at the handsome hand-some but sad face that passed them so swiftly. Hal sped on. going from one gambling house to another, and in and out of places he had necr been in before, until he reached a saloon where he found the object of his search. He paused, wondering won-dering how he could approach his father, whom he had not seen for months. With faltering steps lie went up to his father and touched him gently on his arm. Mr. Rivers turned, startled when he saw it was his son, and with an angry exclamation, but ashamed for he was ashamed when he saw his son standing among the lowest of men demanded de-manded what he was doing there. Hal raised his eyes to his face and with a look which his father never forgot said: "Father, won't you please come home with me? You know it is Christmas eve tonight. Come home, father please." Hut his words fell on deaf cart, Turning around. hi.s father walked over to the table where he was playing billiards when Hal entered. Hal stood for a moment half stunned, then turned and walked up to the cru.vd again, determined de-termined to try once more. I le faced the men and told them he had something to say which, if they would but listen, he could tell them in just two minutes The men laughed boisterously at this. and. taking out their watches, told him they were ready to hear his spiel. Hal told the story that had happened at his home that night, and when he had finished he told his father, and told him it was his own infant Morris who had asked Jesus to bring back his dear papa to them. The men hung their heads, and his father came, sober now, but with remorseful face, and as he looked at his son's handsome face, white and still, he came forward and, kneeling by his side. wept. Ilaby Morris' words rang in his ears as he said, "Forgive me, my son. for the wrong I hae done my wife and children." Midnight came and the Christinas Christ-inas bells rang out clear on the frosty air. Mr. Rivers said nothing; noth-ing; he could not speak, but in his secret heart was registered a vow that he would be a man again if God and love could make him so. They passed through the streets and went toward home. Ilaby Morris' prayer was answered, an-swered, for on Christmas morning morn-ing he was closely wrapped in his father's arms. Hal's heart was no longer sad, for he had succeeded in making Christinas as happy or happier than the ones before, and when Dora found this out she, too, va happy. Her friends, who had only been jealous of her, were now ashamed of what they had said. Mr. Rivers is now a prosperous respected man, with a happy wife from whose beautiful face nil traces of sorrow have vanished And as the years roll on, when Christmas time comes round, and the clear, sweet-toned bells ring out their glad message of "Pence on earth and good will toward men." Mr. Rivers thinks of the bells that rang that Christmas eve long age. EDNA DORTON. |