The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-10
MISDIRECTED GENEROSITY.
TFrom the Reeord-Herald. !

from the Record-Herafd.1
Colonel Battersiy, not having seen his I
Christmas at her house. 4 desultory
correspondence had made him vaguely +
aware Of the fact that her husband. !
Calvin Murdoch. had grown rich and +
that she had two children. boy and 4
girl. But he was not prepared for the /
luxuriant conditions which he found /
upon entering their splendid home He /
was never eStTanged from his sister, /
but when she married Murdoch the SOL !
der brother had made up his mind that
his sisters husband was not his kind I
In frontier barracks and foreign camps, (
Colonel Battersly'S life had been lonely !
He was q silent elemental passionate /
man, whose rigid habits gave a cold
and even hard exterior to nature es-
sentially tender Murdoch was a man
of much SNUG Diety. who knew that q
Sunday school class does not hurt a
mans credit with the bank.
But the MurdOcks gave Uncle Bat
tersly a grand welcome. His sister kissed
him. the two children gave him their
hands with trained graciousness, and
the head Of the house said: Welcome /
to the warrior-see the conquering hero
contest" This made the old campaigner
Ill at ease. He blushed like a girl, and
thereafter found restraint in the. to
him, artificial atmosphere of the grand
house. When he went out for q walk
Mrs. Murdoch said
Poor fellow: how he's changed!"
out of his element with women and
children" growled Nurdock
What makes his neck SO red?'' asked
the hog.
When the Christmas presents began to
arrive. and his sister showed them to
hlns the colonel suddenly realized that
he must buy something for the two chill
dren. He said nothing about It. but
spent half Of the next day buving for
his niece a French doll. with a complete
wardrobe. and fully equipped steam
battle ship for his nephew It was a
soldiers ChQICr-lOVn mr. a Tho
little woman, power and war for the lit
lie man. He was very careful about the
address, Mrs. Murdoch, 2441 Penrose
street.
He wondered why his gifts did not
soon appear In the grand array but he
SAD nothing to his sisterf showing each
day an increasing interest in the accu-
nnuIaIlng presents IN the locked room.
and finally on Christmas eve late in the
day, going back to the store where he
had made his purchases to ask what
had become of the doll and the warship.
IL took a long time to find out the
| right man. but at last very polite
clerk VINO had been answering questions
as fast as dozen people could ask
them turned to him and said:
'Murdock2 What address, Penrose
street or Penrose avenue?''
Are there bOth2" asked the colonel.
as the possible blunder daWned on him.
Yes, one on the west side, one on the
south side. Where did you wish your
goods to go?''
OF course Penrosea avenue is on the
south side and Penrose street is on the
west side, and Colonel Battersly had
himself made the mistake The goods
had been receipted for, the clerk told
him. It was pretty late to attempt get
ting them back, but they would try
The clerk made some notes, ratified on
a few words about the terrible rush
moved off and left the colonel standing
ddzed IN the crowd. He went home, and
as precautlOn got out Of his trunk
~ % 1t
entala noble present. he thought, for
his niece; and for his nephew an old,
4 beJeWeled war mask-it had been =
nandarin's. And he took them to Mrs
Murdoch, saying nothing Of their great
value, and said they were for her giri
and her boy But, after dinner that
night Mr.. Murdoch tapped at the colo
nels door, saying:
Il hope you won't think Of giving those
/ rare curlos to the children, colonel They're
worth their weight in money
oturted the soldier. They're part of the
wen, the loot-that is I picked en- up
preciate them more as they grow older
Murdoch walked away without another
word, but that night the woman told her
! prOther, softly and with evident desire to
/ be grateful, that papa was so scrupulous,
/ ne didn't want the children to receive
You know. brother" she said. hes 30
/ conscientious that he thinks you didn't
point Of view. You won't feel burt, will
you, brother? Papa is so different from
you"
So the brother, flushing red took back
his barbaric gifts and went to bed In the
/ morning. soon after breakfast. he went out
( of the house, called a cab and babe the
driver take him to 2441 Penrose street. The
doll and the battleship- had not arrived.
and he was going after them He got out
OF the cab in q souaiid street and went
into the only house in the block It was
grade and with a sign For Sale nailed
/ to the rickety fence. A thin woman in an
old faded wrapper, came to the door.
"Oh. I knew somebody I'D come" she
interrupted him. Il knew they wasn't for
us. sir-wont you come mp
He stepped into the dizzy room and saw
bigzeyed, frail girl OF fondling the great
You see. sir said the woman. breath
less to explain, the things come while
was out work over at the shoe factory.
the things come nobody was home, sir.
but Mamie and the boy. He's mine and
he's out there now playIn with tn steam
boat. and when the wagon came. Mrs.
Tracy. she lives in tn next block, she seen
it, and she run over and signed a book,
and the driver jumped on his wagon and
went away. an of course, the children seen
the bundles an nothin' would do but they
must open EN- IhaI S all SIT, we dldn Z
want to- hope you don't think we'd steal
I EN-.
She was out of breath now. and the two
children-tlle boy, sturdy lad Of 10, mad
come in-were staring, frightened. at the
colonel He looked at them q moment and
then at the mother
7 don't understand you, madame" he
said 7 called to look at the house II
is for sale. you know
He saw the look of anxiety pass. from
her homely face. The children. delighted
with the reprieye, ran back to their SPLEEN
did toys. He made show OF looking
through the stuffy rooms and when he
was going gave each Of the little ones 4
coin.
..Good-by. madam he said to the moth
er You have two fine children
And when he was in the cab again he
stroked his gray mustache and chuclzled;
1T was a lucky blunder. after all III
tell EN- it's all right