The San Francisco call., 1903-12-20
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seat as something within MIN
seemed 10 speak these words
like foghorn. He looked
Ground. expecting to find everybody
gazing at him, but not an ear had
heard and not an eye was looking
It was at the Christmas service, and
the boy was quite carried out Of him
self A hrst-class Christmas dinner
was filing his stomach with satisfying
content Shining lights and beautiful
decorations made a scene Of delightful
harmony II almost seemed as If the
music must have come from heaven.
over the pulpit IN glowing letters was
the word Emmanuel" which seemed
20 be the center Of all the service OF
the evening. Tom wondered what IL
meant and was glad when the preacher
in simple story told Of the little Lord
Jssos who came 70 earth on Christmas
DAY. Emmanuel was the name given
20 him before he was born. God with
us" was its meaning. and very tenderly
cid the speaker tell OF the loving spirit
which brought Jesus from glory TO
earth to bring peace to all men
AS the story went on Tom realized
for the first time that il was real babe
that was born az Bethlehem, real boy
that grew UP IN Nazareth. Something
Of what the boy life or the Savior must
have been appealed 10 the listener. and
Tom understood a little Of the match
less grace OF the boy Jesus as he went
70 the rabbits school or helped his faith
er IN the carpenters shop. But what
would Jesus do If he went TO the Bfy-
ant school on Geary street. and what
would the Bryant boys say IL Jesus
should really appear with his books
next Monday
Tom listened with all his ears TO the
ord-picture OF boy who never
stopped 10 meanness and who always
lived the truth. Could fellow be such
q boy as that and go TO the Bryant?
Guess not: but why not? The Bryant
boys needed just such an example as
Jesus would be- Then the speaker said
that II was possible for every one so
90 copy the LIE OF Jesus that the world
might see how noble a clean, true life
could be. de closed with a loving ap-
peal TO every one present TO live as
Jesus did and help others 10 do likewise.
So deep an impression did the service
make upon Tom. curled up in the cush-
Toned pew. that almost without thought
all the chivalry IN the boy was reused,
and those impulsive words, III do it,"
were the pledge OF Toms nobler and
better nature 10 do the will of Christ
Now. Tom was no angel That
Christmas dinner was about the only
thing that could have kept him quiet
90 long al once He was Just an orGi-
nary city boy OF y. only with a little
more OF mischief than even the average
lad. he was frank and sturdy and had
clear brown eyes which could look you
steadily IN tie face and never waver.
He was a leader, too. Whether mis-
chief or play was on deck. Tom was
sure 70 be in It. When Madam Crosby.
who had q special spite against boys.
scolded the nilkman roundly for the
quart OF chalk and water which she
found one morning at her door, per-
haps Tom could have told where part.
1T least, Of the stolen milk had gone.
when old Maid Munsey's pet pug came
tearinE home insane with the torture
OF q couple Of dozen extra neas under
his close-ntting blanket, maybe It
wasn't Tom who had engineered the
capture Of those frisl<y torments. No;
Tom was no angel The next-door cat