Evening journal., 1903-12-22
TOM MASON'S
ID ID CHRISTMAS


Then out Of the crowd he saw the
same goldcn-haired girl he had seen
in tho vision IN the afternoon. The
face was changed though Then she
disappeared and another face took the
place Of that OF the child. It was that
of a woman who seemed TO be looking
at him with reproachful eyes. With a
start he awoke and found the sun
shining i'm az his window. Dressing
and eating a hasty breakfast he hur-
ried out and into the nearest shop.
Toys and sweets OF an kind he bought
and almost staggering under the heavy
load Went 10 the police station.
ON the outside poor children. whose
thin garments offered little resistance
10 the cold were shiveriug waiting for
the bis doors 60 open and admit them
20 paradise.
Withip the rail was gathered quite "a
crowd. The judge Of the court was
there. Then there We're the other
court officers. police commissioners tho
agent for the humane society, a score
on more OF bluecOats. a few women and
men who were Interested aud helped
the police with the tree.
Finally the doors were swung open
and the struggling mass crowded into
the room. A chorus of oh's came from
over hundred little throats.
Gee. amt she daisy? / wish Liz
was here" came from one dirty faced
urchin.
There were Americans Italians.
Poles and almost every other nation-
ality. Here and there was n black face
and shiny eye The latter seemed 10
grow bigger and about 10 pop out OF
the kinky heads as they beheld the
monster tree bedecked with hundreds
OF various colored lights, yards Of TIM
sci and things good to eat and Go wear.
Mason helped with the pleasant work
OF distributing the presents. Suddenly
those few standing nearest to him saw
him start and heard him exclaim:
MY God, can Il be possible2'
They We're busy and turned their att
tention 10 the crowd OF eager young
sters, and did not near the conYersa-
tion between the man ana the child
q. what As your name, child2" he
{ asked.
"Clara." was the reply.
Where do. you live2
4 con b. street."
i do your parents live there2"
Mamma has a room there. but papa
d Is dead. Mamma As sick and i heard
= people say oranges were good for such
n people and 4 came here thinking may
y be I could get one for her. We used
20 have good things But that was a
i. long time ago"
Z, Come with me. child. and we viii
a set some good things he said
They left the room together.
= Could her name be-. Mason did not
\ dare TO ask the question. He kepr say
- ing to himself.
1T has been ten years almost since
1 saw the baby face. The girl has the
same eyes and hair What IL / have
. found them. But she says her father
i Is dead"
> He was too busy thinking to talk TO
, the child as they rode toward her
\ home He was thinking OF a night
4 years ago when In a nc Of jealous pas
sion he had wrongly accused his wife.
, He thought he was right and she was
not given n chance 10 explain In n
r. rage he went TO the club and remained
!, for two days When he returned wife
! and child had disappeared. 1t was not
= until year had gone by that he found
he had made a mistake. Then he be-
p gan search for the missing ones. IL
a was IN vain, and he finally gave it up
y thinking they were dead.
Here we are mister" aroused him
D.. from his reverie.
II The carriage had stopped I'm front Of
"A a miserable looking house on side
4 street. a climb up two flights OF stairs
/, brought them 10 q back room. The girl
y pushed open the door,
m Mamma, mamma called the child.
y 'see what this good kind gentleman
= has brought u.s."
A woman worn and frail looking lay
on q bed. She raised herself on her
elbow.
. Toni sallie." was heard simulta-
! neously In second the man had his
y arms around the thin form ana was
II whispering endearing things in her ear.
She was softly sobbing The child
r. looked on in Advertisements
I, Explanations followed. doctor who
y was summoned said the woman would
soon recover with careful nursing and
p, nourishing food
y As the long separated ones sat hold
S ing hands, Mason planned for the fu-
n ture
a II will give up my job on the road. %
e he said. my old employer wants me
Il back. We will go hack to the old town
e and start over again."
e on that Christmas night at least
L three persons I'm the city gave thanks
to the Child of Bethlehem for putting
- II into the policemen's hearts 10 have
i a Christmas tree.
Charles f. Gray.