The Wichita daily eagle., 1898-01-02
A Wonderful Christmas Night
CFrom the French OF Francois Coppee In
Five Parts-)
PART "

1
From the French OF Francois Coppee. In
| Five Parts.)
PART w.
NJ. Godefroy is deeply tried by this evi.
| dert disbelief in his sincerity, but runs over
in his mind several good positions in his
| banking house for supervisors, and collect
| ing clerks-and then, II. Sceptic. what vii
you say when you find yourself wearing a
| handsome cloth suit of blue gray. with your
TonQuin medal SIDE by side with your sill
yer badge:
But how about Zidore." cries NJ Code
troy. You will surely permit me to do
something for the boy?''
"Ah, as to that, MONSIEUR. yes. indeed.
answers Pierron. cheerfully. Il often Won
Ger what would become OF him if anything
should happen to me. for the little monkey
has nc one else in the world. He has plen-
~ of sense, monsieur-all his teachers in
the primary are pleased with him"
Here Pierron stops suddenly. and VI.
Godefroy reads in his honest. open face
the same undercurrent of distrust, the fruit
of innumerabie dsappontments. as though
he were thinking, This is ali very fine
but this rich man will never give another
thought to either of US, once his back is
turned" But he does not say this, he only
looks it. and adds
Now, monsieur. you have only to put
your little boy into the carriage. Do not be
afraid of waking him-they sleep so sound
ly at his age. he will not wake-but do
not forget his shoes
And following Pierron's eyes. ". Code
troy sees before a dying fire of coke two
pairs of clnildren's shoes-RaouPs elegant
little boots side by side with Zidore's rough
hoblailed shoes. In each pair is a two
penny dancing jack. and a little horn of
candy from the grocer's.
Il hope you do not mind, monsieur"
stammers Fie-ron in half shamed voice;
but II was Zidore who put the candy in
the shoes before they went to sleep.
know that up at the public school they
say it is all nonsense to let children be-
Eeve as they do about Christmas, but
then-when 1 came back from the station
as did not know that any one would come
for the little boy, and he might be here
till morning, 1 just bought those foolish
little things you see there. just because, you
understand, if the little fellows should
wake up and
Oh, # only those busy men could see NJ
GOdefroy now, those men who have seen
him so often vote for free thought" those
men who have sat with him at the green
tables, admiring his sharpness. his hard
ness, his impenetrabii:ty. Could they but
see him now-w:th his eyes full of tears:
Rushing out to the carriage, he reap
pears with his arms full of the toys which
he had bought in the afternoon, the me-
chaEical horse. the leaden soldiers and all
the other wonderful gl.tter!ng, shining play
things. He lays them down in a pile by
hn eAa hAfA
ing P:eTons hand, says in a voice trem-
bling with feeling
My friend my dear friend, these are
what Christmas has brought to my Raoul
want him to find them here when he
wakes. l want him to share them with
Zidcre, who VIII hereafter be his pIayfel-
low. You believe me now, will you not?
1 solemnly promise to ensure your welfare
and his and whatever / may do, I must
always remain your debtor. You have not
only given me back my child. but you have
Shown me to myself as 1 am-one of the
wicked rich men who live without a
thought of the suffering and misery of the
poor; but, never again-I swear by these
sleeping children, it shall never be 50
gain
Such is the miracle that took place in
Paris. December "A, in the full swim OF
modern scepCcism and fin de steele ego
tism.
In spite of the anticlerical votes thrown
by NJ. Godefroy in the past, and the pure
~ secular education Of Zidore at the pub
c school, 1 am forced to attribute this
event to the infinite love ana
mercy of the Divine Child, who, nearly
nineteen hundred years ago, came into this |
world that men mg ght love one an
1ther''