Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-15

in n huge barn away out on Western
row. which seemed to have been built
TO fit il. \ good big room was parti-
toned off for me i'll one front corner.
The cages were ranged along the side
walls. with Il runway behind them, and
in box stalls across the farther end
were the zebra. the elephant. the cam
cl and the sacred COW. \ monster red
hot stove stood in the middle of the
central space. with Il large bunch light
over il. Altogether it WAS as warm,
bright, clean and CHEEKY a place as
you'd want TO see. as everybody said
who saw it, and we had Il good many
visitors.
Gagged animals become restless If left
alone. and never went out more than
an hour or two At 4 time. but even ut
that / took Il good many long walks
for exercise and to see the city, leaving
black Sam-my hclper-and the two
cage cleaners for the animals To look
at. But as time ran along 10 near
Christmas l seemed To lose heart for
going out much. Something in the
air made me feel myself. more than
ever before, q hopeleSsly lonesome,
homeless total stranger.
than l had ever noticed their being
before; the streets full OF happy faced
people carrying bundles of Christmas
presents; the windows OF homes adorn-
ed with evergreen festoons and Christ
mas wreathS; the shopmen's wagons
busy delivering good things for Christ
mas dinners and Christmas trees.
The Lord knows l didn't begrudge
anybody's happiness, but &c all made
me feel unutterably sad. In all the
world | knew OF no one whose eyes
would brighten or lips smile 4 welcome
for my coming. AS for sharing in the
general joy of the Christmas season, |
might as well have been that ornary
camel-the meInest diSpoSitioned beast
alive. to my thnkinG-as n man with
a heart to feel his loneliness. Every
other man had friends, even poor old
black Sam.
And what made it harder TO bear
was that home and love belonged i'll
my past and l could not forget them.
When l came back to New York after
4 winter engagement with "Bentley's
Aggregation in the West Indies and
South America. / found my dear wife
Lizzie had been run down by Broad
way stage and killed. And what had
become OF my sweet little baby girl
Jennie, only ! years old. nobody could
tell me. That was 4 dozen years back,
but never since have 1 felt any less
heartsiclz and lonely than when my
grief was fresh. and in the winter.
along about Christmas. always feel il
most
The animals, as l sat brooding by the
stove, seemed 10 know L WAS in trou-
BILE and feel sorry for me. They would
stand still n long time looking at me,
and the elephant. I'm sure, tried to ask,
by his little squeals. what was the mat
ter. Only that mean camel screwed
up his nose scornfulIike, as if he didn't
care 4 cuss who felt bad. which be GER
tainlv didn't.
Friday morning. the third day before
Christmas. Jack Henderson, Il young
reporter. dropped in. as he often did,
and happened TO remark: 1T seems
hard TO be imprisoned FOR life without
an occasional happy day TO vary the
monotOuy. Gagged animals ought TO
have holidays"
That set me thinking after he was
gone. and I made up my mind the men
agerie under my charge should, for
once anyway. have a Christmas. | con-
sidered what every bird and beast in
the lot liked best and mostly never
got. and all those things / meant they
should have on Christmas day. That
afternoon ! went out buying and laugh
Cd to myself when l thought ! was SC
tUally purchasing Christmas presents
for lot of folks who would he sure to
appreciate them.
l got for the birds all sorts of choice
fruits. nice seeds, ants eggs. meal
worms, and so on, according to their
several tastes. and for the monkeys
more fine fruit. 81 paste, candy and