| Show I Bright Side Of Christmas ved in New BITTNER York at if the century when was not the major in it has become nrman immigrants ht the custom of the but Helen's ere of English de-though they gave 1 gifts us they could out of the money ade as a streetcar they considered a bedroom win-heir I- fourth floor Helen tree in the bank street Its lighted Elected against the ass of the i from it i captured fairyland y city Helen ith little girl a small Jut Mama had other worry about what trice of coal and the of keeping a fire in n stove day and uniforms got 1 and spotted from and there was no eft for Helen could look at the tree in the WHEN MARGARET came home from school in the she usually be coaxed to take Helen downstairs and across the to where Helen memorize the bank's Christmas tree so when she looked at it from four flights could remember what each shiny object really But suddenly Margaret was riot available after school anymore gone to explained got a job in the five and and goodness knows we can use the THE and didn't mean and money was not one of her but a Christmas tree continued to be her greatest waking took her and let her look at the bank's tree for a minute but Mama was busy and wouldn't let her stand long enough to It seemed to Helen her world was getting as dark inside as it was outside in the coal-smoke blackened winter CHRISTMAS EVE finally dragged and Papa said he would be home all day on and when Margaret left for school in the she gave Helen u special tight hug and said she wouldn't be going to work anymore so she would be home take me down to the bank to see the We'll Margaret tugged Helen's pigtail and banged the door behind HELEN WAS tucked bed before Papa and Margaret got home Christmas but Helen was awake long before Mama had promised some Christmas and Helen had to find out if Santa Claus had Early as it Papa had a fire going in the kitchen but Helen looked all around the kitchen where the family spent most of their She couldn't find so much as one YOUR then we'll look some Mama seemed breathless and Helen couldn't find Besides she wasn't come Let's not make her wait any Papa scooped Helen out of her high chair and knocked on the parlour door Margaret's voice on and Papa opened the HELEN TOOK one look and hid her face on Papa's Fairyland had come to the Papa hugged her real tight and put her on her but Helen stood in the afraid to move lest the tree go back down to the bank where it Margaret came over and took Helen's hand very own and we've even got Margaret walked her all the way it as nice as the one at the BREATHED making the candle flames at the little glass touch warned all but just to look There were packages under the and several had Helen's name on Inside the wrappings Helen found r a rag stockings and a wooden monkey on a There were apples and hard candy and some and Mama had made a plum pudding for But the best part of Christmas was the SANTA Claus bring Helen Papa and Margaret said but Mama said deserves to insisted Mama and took Helen on her got a job in the five and earn money for and that's where the candies and holders and the glass birds came Margaret bought them with her money because she wanted you to be Margaret hugged and Helen forgave Margaret for being not home so Each day for a after the family went into the built a fire in the fireplace and placed new candles in the holders on the Until the candies burned they sat and watched the beautiful Christmas THEN MAMA said the tree had to come anyway the candles were all Helen fussed but Mama said next year they could have another tree now that they had and Mama began taking the ornaments off the tree and placing them carefully in boxes with a little nest for each Suddenly Helen picked up a bird it's got a hole in A piece of paper was glued over the but there was definitely a hole Helen picked up another bird and there was another broke our Helen began to MAMA LAID the box down and picked Helen Mama wiped the tears with her glass birds are much too expensive for us to but when one was broken in the five and they let Margaret bring it We glued bits of ribbon and paper over the holes so they hardly show at Mama picked up a bird and held tt up to the light this bird is like It has a bright side and a not so nice If you look at the bright you can forget the other side is even Let's look at the bright HELEN WIGGLED out of Mama's arms and picked up a She held it up to the light and I like the bright side just |
