Show i v P ft N 1 i 1 l i X E twit fe i lv miss anne s christmas visitors by lena M mccauley U copyright tv HO IS willing to play V santa blaust what P VHO VA shall we do with the tae y VAV children W U this rg being ag the e final i question the tho chairman W of if f the board of managers sat down to 0 o wait for an answer st elizabeths fa orphanage was facing a christmas r without festivities owing to the i marriage of the matron and a disabled i heating plant I 1 an interval of silence followed mrs blunts appeal though every one of li 1 l the motherly hearts of the women present overflowed with sympathy for t the he 45 homeless boys and girls without prospect of christmas cheer they y had come prepared with check books i and the usual offerings of cake and contentions confections confect ions for the holiday but the personal ers onal entertainment of 45 shiver tl ing ng children was something they had not looked for mrs thompson hompson confessing a brood of six boys and girls of her own was the first to speak suppose we invite the orphans home with us I 1 know many tows folk would he be glad to help us out it will be a treat to them I 1 can take two bravo said the chairman clapping her gloved hands 1 I will take two little girls myself of course they th ey will have their company manners on 1 I 1 will take a boy A with curls mr jones dotes on boys I 1 t andee and we have only girls but I 1 must be permitted to pick him out cried t the he secretary joining in id rather bather have a child choose me IT ill go into the school room a and n d ask tit those who would ilk like ito to visit me to leave their names on in the desk it they choose me I 1 am sure they will like me I 1 can take four just as well as two our house is so large said mrs cliff the lady bountiful of the village when the chorus had quieted 20 children were provided for and there was every reagon reason to believe that all would be settled in homes before night that afternoon a score of hospitable villagers visited the orphanage and it proved that there were more invitations than were needed As AB the children were checked off bit from the monthly school room list it happened that a group of five quarantined in tho the attic hospital for the mumps were overlooked it may be that the overcautious over cautious doctor had omitted their names namer or that some villager had hesitated but the days slipped on towards IT christmas and they recel received no invitations 1 tat lons ions up in the sunny attic alice martin and her brother tom had bad long since recovered and said lessons an and A t played games in the sun parlor with john bell jane smith and little c mary moore who had been held on suspicion and who remembered remember ed too a late that they had had the mumps T years before they relieved the loneliness of the nurse who had become attached to the happy group and she i a was in no hurry to send them didan stairs the morning of christmas jt eve came and the five were permitted to take breakfast in the big dining if hall ball the nurse herself was going y home for christmas they heard the r great news for the first time the tar three girls and two boys realized that A they had nothing in view but youth is 4 hopeful and they argued that the next S hour might bring an ja st Elva elizabeths beths hail haa never known so fc gay an vc occasion casion all the orphans were dressed dreisel in their best and one if b by one they thery were bundled into sleighs i and carried away the last g going a at sunset 1 I wonder who is coming for us AW T ivi rs t f j i cried tom martin in vexation the five friends were gathered on the steps watching the others go somebody must come before long the kids said ladles indies picked them out or they picked out ladles ladies they liked I 1 wish I 1 had a chance to choose dont mind tom said alice consolingly solin gly mrs brown the cook promised to let us play in the kitchen kitche nj and have candles and hang up stocking ns tonight to night we can live with her till the others come back 1 I should like a truly home to night said tom and you knoy which house id pick out it if I 1 had a chance 1 I know said jane smi smith 1 I know its the house with christmas trees around it and turkey gobblers in the yard where miss anne lives said john bell its a big house and id think she would get real lone some with only peter and rebecca Is s it the house where the lamp shines like a star all night asked mary moore the very one sh sh I 1 have an me idea a cried john drawing the five together for his secret for he was always full of plans mrs drown brown the cook looked out from her window and saw the confer ence of course nobody wants children getting over the mumps she said to herself but ill make them have a good time ill go upstairs right away and gather all the candle ends and then ill call them in and make candy in the old colonial house surrounded by evergreens ever greens lived miss anno armstrong her windows overlooked the pasture where the children played beside the orphanage on the hill miss anne was the last of her family she R V of course I 1 want you ordered her life ahre carefully and saw that her maid rebecca kept the house spotless and her man peter kept the garden while she knit endless patterns of lace christmas was coming she knew by t the he calendar and that evening as she walked home from the post postoffice office she had witnessed the reception of orphans at more than one house of her acquaintance even widow simpkins the washerwoman had taken a little boy who asked to visit her jolly y young oung family dear me I 1 feel left out said miss anne as she saw the young strangers taken in the door 1 I wonder if anyone would have elected to go with me if I 1 had gone to the orphanage I 1 must send mrs simpkins somo red Jonat jonathans bans for the children miss anne saw the big flame of her astral lamp blaze in her window like a star sending its light across the snowy fields to the group on the orphanage i steps then she met rebecca at the door and seated herself be belldo sido fie her r bountiful tea teC table 1 I do not believe that I 1 shall have a hinr single ie visitor this christmas sighed 4 fy 77 y miss Mis sAnne anne a f feeling eeling of loneliness creeping over her but why sho should uld anyone think of me when 1 I do not think of others as I 1 should at that moment was a clatter of feet on the porch and the brass knocker dropped with a resounding clang it startled rebecca and peter in the kitchen and both rushed into the hallway rebecca drew the bolt and turned the knob of the door which the wind tore from her grasp letting in a whirl of snowflakes snowflake a and five children hand in hand they went straight to miss anne at the table before the blazing fire weve come to spend christmas with you we choose your house because you have lots of room and it has christmas trees all a round around it and because you are kind said john bell confidently well I 1 never said rebecca to peter what do you think of that come girls let me take off your wraps dont you want us asad asked tom alice said this was a really home then miss mibs anne found her voice she rose from her chair and putting her arm around the shivering boy said of course I 1 want you im glad you came peter shall find you a christmas tree A little later when she looked at the circle of happy faces around her table and the passing plates of cake and marmalade she said to herself 1 I have visitors after all and I 1 shall keep them always in a really home little mary moore having finished her supper slipped from her chair and climbed on miss annes lap that lady did not see the orphanage gingham and the coped clipped hair she only saw the divine hope of childhood she drew mary into intoner in her arms and her feeling of loneliness vanished forever tell me little benej one why you came to my house mary looked up into the kind face and said 1 I came because you were all alone and your lamp shone like a gu guiding idin 9 star peter sawing at an evergreen in the yard looked in at the window w he r rubbed his eyes and shook his hoary head saying they picked us out for themselves who would have thought it |