The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-12-26
. TINS CHRISTMAS.


with their faces pressed to pane of glass,
the red ball and wondering.
A knock at the door made the children
draw their faces quickly away from the
"'Ush" whispered Tim to his brother.
II guess it's school board after us.n
The knock came again. Tim went softly
to the door and peeped through the key
hole.
Its sallyr' he cried. I'm unlock the
door"
II thought you wos school board" he
explained as an old woman came into the
room carrying jug. Mothers took our
boots, and 'er said If school board coined
we wosn't to let i'm in. What ave you got
in that jugf"
''Wos mother drunk2" inquired the Wis
itor, without needing his question.
well, er slept 'eavy last night"
"'Ave yer had any breakfast"
"Nothnk. Baby's cried ITSELF to sleep.
and Bill and mes been lookin at the har.
vest moon, what you and me seed when we
was 'opping,"
"'Ere's summat for the fire." she said,
opening her apron, which she held together
with a horny hand, and showing Tim some
bits of paper and few cinders. Got any
sticksf"
Now I'll be of, she said when frs
burned in the CRATE. "lf any one come.
after me, just yer say, Does yer want rag,
sortedi' and if the party says Yes, ther
yer say, Well, Sally wun't be 'ome for {
Bit"
"All right said Tim. when will got
] be backr'
/ Not before /, sonny"
Saying this, the old woman left til,
room, casting glance at the fire tina
CLEANED through the fog, and hasty lool
at the red ball in the sky which Tim caller
the harvest moon" She knew it was thu
sun, but why should she confuse the mind
OF the children
After the door was shut the boys went I,
the fire and crouched down on the hearth
yellow fog filed the room, hiding the oil,
bed where the baby lay under dirty bl0n
ket and throwing a curtain over the broker
chairs and boxes. Tim held his hands M
before the burning sticks. He looked won
drous wise in the freight CLEANS fell OF
his small white face, showing his whence
features, from which all traces Of childhoo'
seemed to have vanished. He had been sol
protector of his two little brothers for tb
space of II year and half-cvcr since hi
father found home in the cemetery. Hi
mother drank, and when drunk she wa
sometimes violent. He had seen n goo
deal Of life, although he was only s, for h
I lived in a lodging house Fights, murder
+, suicides and deaths made epochS in his e,
l istruCe, and he talked Of when | We
young as though the time lay lar back /
his memory.
Presently the baby began to cry, and Til
!. went to fetch it from the bed. lie brougl
/, / it to tue fire and fed il with some of the IL
which old sally had given him for h
breakfast. While he was busy with Il
|, baby, Bill crawled to the window.
), "Oh, Tim he said, the red ball i
y zone ont o the sky"
}" ~ guess, said Tim, "'er's gone back
Tue country"
Theu Tins thoughts wandered to Il
d days when hc had gone hopping with o
sally to the harvest moon and the no
fields lie would have been perfectly hapI
then If he had not Worried" about Il
: children.
When | wos young he said alou
Il never Worried about uothink!'
49, Just rs the words were said Il shrill C
came from the window
What the mattcr" asked Tim.
rs cut me thumb wild Il bit o glass
,obhed ljill.
Come to the light and let me see, sa
Tim.
The little boy came bowling to t
= Gvarth, holding out his thumb aud poiI
, NJ to he blood upon it. ...=
Whatever will do" exclaimed III
~ It's lock Jaw he's got, | knows it"
Only the week before man had di
iruin luckiuw in the room below the Carr
IS ,id Tim had heard his mother discussi
va he matter with her neighburs. I'll the,
Lii 1tr
l humb, he'd have pulled through" sol
,ue had said. but all the doctors in IL
Lola couldn't force his jaws open after
Il got to the hospital
g Tim land the baby on the bed, where
"a, crying as loud rs it could cry hccar
4 was cold aud ftntshed Then he we
X back to the fireplace, and found SOU
piece of stick.
"Old yer mouth open, he said to Bill
at The little boy stopped crying and opel
his mouth.
Tim slipped the stick between his tee
h, Now said Tim, come along to the
=, pital,'
ii What is it," inquired the hospital
ter rs he passed through the gate.
Lock jaw, SIR painted Tim.
II Loud peals Of laughter made him ST
H. at the doctors and students who had g
cred round Bill.
Amt it lockiaw;' he whispered I
! !; nurse, who was standing by.
NO. said the woman, "of cours
isn't"
i For moment Tim could not believe
-, senses. Then an awful vision 1oated
tl' fore him, n vision OF hismother. Suppo
She came home while he was away
So found the baby alone, crying What ",
G9' happen then? 1t is but a step, they
rel from the sublime TO the ridiculous,
sometimes that step is across a precil
lai4 Tim shuddered when he heard the stud
laughing at his mistake. He had meal
save Bits life, and all he had done W;
make himself laughing stock.
Without n ward he took his brotl
hand aud left the hospital. Bill trotto
his side through the foggy street, poii
to the sticking plaster on his thumb,
chattcrng about the penny he had rect
from one OF the medical students.
cen "P'rans mother amt come hni
49,, thought Tim, "or p'raps 'er's so drum
- want see u.s.
ltri.
receiving room were pushed open b,
sally, the rag sorter. She hurried thr
them, carrying little Tim, whose hcac
against her ragged dress, while his
and legs danKled down and blood stree
from his forehead.
why, this is the boy who came hei
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