The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-30
A yAeARY OF THE siuMs.

kitchen repairing the scanty clothes
which her children-asieep in their beds
would put on in the morning. A candle
turned at her elbow. She had bought it
az the grocery because il was cheaper
than oil, and jim. in a drunken rage.
had broken her only lamp.
As the woman worked tears fell
down her thin face and dropped on her
sewing. She was thinking of the time
when she had been a happy though hard
working girl earning her own living.
Then she met Jim Lawson. the neer-do-
well. and because he was lonely and mis-
cradle and knew the way TO a girls
heart, she had married him.
Jim was all right when he was sober
end could then get plenty of work to
DO. but ne was weak. and liquor made
him wild 1t was year now since he hat
earned dollar. and Mary had cut loose
from him for the chiidrens sake. She
could not have her boys contaminated by
their fathers bad example. So she again
became a bread-winner. and in the past
year had helped Jim many times. but
he could not enter her doors. for they
were not hers, not his.
4 row of shabby stockings hung on
the wall. for this was Christmas eve, and
they were filed with such cheap toys or
necessary articles as Mary's poor funds
Christmas was in the air. Even Poverty
Flats received some of that benignant
atmosphere. The spirit of loving and
giving was abroad A tap came at
Marys door.
WHO'S there?" she called in Q hushed
voice-she did not want TO awaken the
children.
It's Jim-pcor. old Jim. Lernme in.
Mary-my Mary, piped a weak, un-
steady voice.
III not let you in, and I'm not your
Mary" answered the woman in an unre-
lenting tone
For PHYS sake-for Gods sake. let
me in, Mary, or IN die I'm the street.
came the pleading wall. which she had
answered generously so often. only 20
be abused for her kindness. She stepped
to the door and opened it. but before
doing so took something from drawer,
something that she held behind her. A
man. shabby, drunken and ugly, con-
fronted her.
I'm coming in ne said in a rough
| voice. staggering forward as he spoke.
and I'll pay you, my dear. for keeping
me out-I'll-
He started back as a revolver flashed in
his face. You won't come in said his
| wife, until you come home sober. Go
and find your friends, and get shelter
| from them; tbs none you'll get from
me-"
She shut the door and waited. standing
| there with that broken and empty re-
volver in her hand. until he had gone
and she could no longer hear his I'M
certain stumbling footsteps. Then she put
| the useless weapon back in the drawer
| and sat down to her work. But her
| hand trembled so that she could not use
her needle. She looked at the candle and
saw the grease guttering at its side.
| Heaven help me-. she said. Its
| a winding sheet. If it wasn't for the
| children I'd be glad if twas mine
| A few moments later another mood
| PC ssessed her. She hurried to the door
| and looked out into the night.
Jim, oh, Jim,' she called. The wind
was rising and moaned in the trees of
| the park. A late dog running home was
| the only living thing in sight. a child s
voice talking in its sleep came from the
| room she had left.
Jim, Come back, It's Mary calling
you-your Mary"
A window across the street flew open.
| They were used to hearing midnight
| brawls and made no comment. Mary
| went in and closed the door. If ii had
| been possible for her to go back to the
| time when they first met. and to know
| of the future as she now knew the past
| she would have married Jim again at
| that moment. Such is the unsefishness
and devotion of a woman's love. God
knows, and He is keeping tally.
|
| Jim out in the night reeled hither and
| thither until ne came to the park. Had
he lain down on the benches a policeman
would have found HIM. dubbed him into
| a state of semi sobriety and taken him
to the nearest station for safe-keeping-
But he rolled in among the shadows and
| leaves under bench and went TO sleep.
| And in that sleep what dreams did
come. Warmth, light and beauty. and
| Marys own self calling Jim, JIM as
/ she used TO in the days when they first
went to housekeeping, and they were so
| fondly foolishly happy. Why wasn't
| ne cold or sorry or hungry any more?
| If Mary only knew how comfy he was.
and he smiled and slept on and on.
He did not awaken when the bells rang
| out new birth of the Child in the man
ger. nor when the first arrows of light
| chased the stars out of the sky. and the
| park sparrows twittered about the bench
! urder which he slept and told each other,
| There's a man under there. Nor did
he awaken when Mary found him-know-
| ing something of his haunts. The smile
| was still on his face and that was all
| Mary had 10 comfort her. for she said:
| HE must have seen the angel of for
! giveness to look .---e that.'-Nrs. NJ. l.
RaVOe