Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1895-12-17

.
screen, saw Httlc figure sitting before
the fire. gazing intont!y into the glowing
( Goals.
! Dusk was settling down over the city
/ He had not been conscious of il until tho
/ electric burner above his table flashed into
/ sudden radiance The flash startled the
child, and he heard her moving softly
I about. What was she duiny2 Preparing
/ To steal something probably. These chill
drcn from the tenement districts were all
thieves
But, not When he venturcd to look
/ again, she was mt the study tabla-his Ia.
hlc-writing She had his sacred pen,
which no other mortal had ever dared %
touch, and she was writing slowly and Ia
boriously Could presumption go farther
than that? What would these people be
. trying TO DO nox'f
! 1t took her a long time 10 write the let.
ter, but at last Il was finished and she laid
the pen down with weary sigh Then
she unrollcd little bundle that had been
lying beside her and shook out-Cuuld the
watcher believe his oycsy--a stocking, a
poor, torlorn, ragged little stockingl Now
what could shs want with thatS
She stood ur tiptoc and pccred around
the corners OF the mautel for "a place To
hang IL. Finally something struck her
fancy rs suitable, and she began pushing
a heavy chair toward the mantel When
IL was near enough, she climbed upon Il
and hung the stocking upon tho brave
caduceus" of the bronze Mercury that he
had bought last year In Rome and for
which he had paid such u priccl
Presently she had jumped down aud
was surveying the stocking with the great
est pride. Then the note was carefully
folded, and she climbed upon the chair
again and pinned the folded paper to tho
toe 50 conspiDuuusly hat the winged Mrr-
curry seemed To stand there for no other
purpose than To hold up a ragged stocking
for all the world To see.
And thcn--why, then she was lying
down upon the rug with her thin cheek
on her thin littlo hand, and the listener
heard tired sigh.
After long while the old gentleman
behind the screen yonturcd tomoyc slight
ly. After a little longer hr moved again
and 50 gradually came out 81 his hiding
place.
Was that old Mr. Roberts tiptociug
across the room TO keep from startling the
poor little w0if sleeping en- his hearth rug?
Wa. that the Sordid old man whom even
his friends had come 10 call a moro money
a. be unpinucd the little note and spread
IL out before him!
DEAR SANTA CLArsr-whr1 yau como To-
night pleas look az mo. IN b" down on tho rug.
You've never seen me before. You u..a.nt
give m" ouuythlug, hut pleas I'm the docking
with things fUr mother shes sick, ] tied up
tho toe, 50 they wouldn't drop ont. Tho doe
ter Say wine and thing, ard housr,ut
MARJORIE HOLMES.
For u long time the old man sat In the
chair before tie fire. Something within
him was breaking the cold and selfish crust
that years had helped Ia form. He sat
there looking from the sleeping child To
the forluru little stocking and from the
stocking to the child twas the first time
n stocking had ever been hung up In his
housc-the first tiIncl
Suddenly the old gentleman rose. lie
lifted the child gently and laid her on
couch which had always been sacred 20 |
his own use and covered her with rugs. |
Then ne went softly out and astuuishcd !
the unsuspecting servants by appearing |
among them and ordering the carriage.
Could this be- old Theodore Roberts. tho |
money machine, the selfish, brusluo, irri- |
table old man, this man who went from |
store To store ordering and buying and |
spending money as hc had never spent Il |
before? Could this be the Mr.. Roberts |
that Mrs. Murray know, this man who |
went into that sickroom, followed by a |
great hamper filed with "winc and things |
and house rcntY' Was this the man that |
all the charitable organizations Stunned, |
this man who drove about half the night, |
leaving behind him trail 81 Christmas |
rejoicing mingled with such blessings AS |
he had never heard befOreI
And who was IL that drove up tho hill |
at last under the silent stars, with "a car |
riago full Of bundles and with "a strange, |
soft feeling Juggling at his heartStringSy |
He smiled ~ he went, and yet lie had TO |
keep wiping his eyes. He was glad 10 was |
dark, 80 that no one could see
And what strange figure was this In the |
study aftcrward this figure that moved so /
stcalthily and that was 50 busy stufling |
the stocking until II was ready 70 burst, |
and pinning things all over the outside Of |
&c until the bronze Mercury seemed al /
most 10 stagRer under his burdcuy What |
had come over the old gentleman whom so |
many people enyied and whom nobody |
lOycdg
just before day Mrs Murray, coming |
softly in, found him sitting by the fire, |
watching the sleeping child.
III II DC u Hhl lllllS loF Dcr, hno hitlu, |
"ior mothers gone and whateyer's TO |
become Of the little thing don't know"
Il don't see why the child shouldn't |
stay here, Mrs. Murray" said the old gen
tleman, with his face turned the other |
way. lit would be some extra trouble for |
you, but dare say You would not mind it."
"S-sir!" Mrs. Murray managed To artic-
ulate.
Then the old gentleman turned around, |
and she saw what was shining on his |
cheeks.
"Do you SEQ that stocking Mrs. Muir |
rayY" he cried, in voice that she had |
never heard before. "That' the first stock |
ing that was ever hung up In my house. |
1t looks homelike, doesn't itS / have dc. |
cided that we'll have stockings hung up !
every year. And here's child that needs |
a home and, thank heaven, I've a home |
TO give her"
The child sighed and stirred and then |
suddenly sat up
"Did he Gomez" she cried eagerly, with |
a daZed look at the bursting stocking, and |