Show Merry Christmas and Paid aD in Full How Silas Vaughan Contributed Contributed Contributed Contrib Contrib- to Yuletide Cheer of the Needy By FRANK HERBERT SWEET I T WAS VAS an nn eloquent b 11 plea for the public bull building dIng an as urge J Ii for tor its beauty Its Us value to the town v t the h e educational gift to the e eyes es of r i youth routh The speaker speak speak- er was hypnotic He had been engaged for that Purse strings were loosened Money poured freely twenty freely twenty fifty a hundred five hundred And It was Christmas They went to Silas Vaughan the grocer leader a n wealthy man nian of or the town People looked surreptitiously to see Eee what munificent sum he be would give At first a n hand went Into his pocket like the others then came cume out and I t. t 7 I I 1 a f 19 G j jt t the arms anus were folded There was an audible gasp from watchful eyes ees o More pleas came more more solicitors went round man to man r But nut Silas sat there arms folded 1 rl rigid unmoved r Times are too hard hurd he was heard to say in answer to an Importunate f beg beggar ar It Is a bad bud year ear for tor such a k building Not bad for fOI me and all those who yield to noble Impulses said suld a neIghbor neighbor neighbor neigh neIgh- bor In a 11 voice that all nil could hear j The next nett day duy was Christmas Christinas with the grocery and und drug drub stores open for fora a few tew hours hourn Silas Vaughan went to his desk and took tool out twice us as many bills as ever had been allowed to accumulate accumulate accumulate ac ac- ac- ac cumulate before Times were hard hurd and more were obliged to chur charge e. e Fully half of at the accounts were selected selected se se- I i from the others and several Be f r words written at ul the bottoms That i r took n nearly arl an nn hour bour Then he slipped I f the bills Into his pocket pock ct put on his b hat and coat and went out leaving the store to the clerks It was nearly closing time when he hei i came we hack buck This he occupied with packing and arranging a number of or baskets with fruit and nuts and candy which he sent out anonymously In the evening came a big bib church community Christmas tree Most of the donors of ot the public hull building dingo were there rather proud of or themselves and not above e circulating bits of or criticism When Silas entered there was no uncertain air of at chilliness chilliness chilli chilli- ness In the room A few nodded to him but frigidly Silas SlIns appeared to take no notice and found a seat near the front where apparently apparently ap ap- he sat calm and A poorly-dressed poorly man down In front had Imd been looking about expect expectantly anti as us though h waiting for some one to speak Suddenly he roseI roseI rose I aint no speaker he called caned loudly but I got to say Bout Hout the new I aint I 1 I I to u s ai l only seems elUS too much money for fur real need An I never liked horn- horn Now Its It's been an awful hard Units time for tor folks on count othere o 0 othere there beta so 50 much slack First time I couldn't pay up In twenty years I couldn't sec see no Christmas for me I Now listen This a feller I carried papers all round I got one First I felt t was a n sheriff sherif thing like Uke Then I read on the bottom I 1 hope this will be the beginning of at better things Merry Christmas Paid In full Silas Vaughan Mine was ty dollars SI must a given away moren a a thousand He sat down Silas had bad lost all his composure lIe Ele tried to slip away But hands and apologies were appearIng appearing appear appear- ing lag from all sides He was pushed to the platform and told to make a speech Ho lIe would have made a messof mess mesa of at It but all were cheering so wildly no one could hear So it did not mat mat- ter C Q 1325 Western Newspaper Union |