The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-12-26
=
Meta.-A Christmas Story.
BY s. ANNIE FROST

for medicine, and bread. and baby's
milk, and we"owe= you for four months
rent, sixteen dollars
If it had been sixteen thousand, she
could not have named the sum witt,
more reverence and terror.
"And how will you pay me il I wait q"
Mother is getting able to sew now,
and as soon as Alice can walk + can
go to work again."
What work can you dog"
Mrs. Davis works in q button fac
tory, and she says she can get me the
little girls work, sewing the buttons
on cards. can earn dollar and half
week at that. Indeed we will pay
you, SIR
She left her seat as she spoke to some
again and rest the little hand on the
arm chair.
Suppose / go to talk it over with
mother. You and will have a cup of
tea, and then go and see about the
matter.
She read faces quickly, this grave lit
tie child, for after one long, earnest
gaze into mine, she bent her face to
press her lipps on my hand. I drew the
trail form into my arms, and with the
caresslng touch, all her forced calmness,
her overtasked quiet gave way. Large
tears rolled down her poor. thin cheeks,
and she sobbed till the little figure
shook from head to foot with the hys-
terical throes. I did not check her.
my smattering Of medical knowledge,
my instinct told me it was better to let
the passionate burst have it's way. But
I bowed in spirit before the wonderful
self-control that could keep such dis
position in grave subsection so long
during such a trying interview. Had
she come whining and crying, I might
have released her from her debt and
forgotten her by the next day Now,
| was inWardly vowing to shield her
from some Of the early trials that had
matured her, and braced her young
heart so early to meet life's rude
storms.
BY the time my tea-bell rang she had
sobbed herself into quiet again. and
was standing penitent and abashed be
tore me. Edgar, my nephew, had not
come in, so I put her in his chair, and
ordered Margaret to pack basket of
dainty food, wine and jellies, in her
hearing.
For MOTHER said, answering the
questioning eyes, and stimulating her
appetite.
How did you know" she asked.
Il knew your own: supper would
taste nicer If she was to have some
thing too" :"
"But,'-she hesitated with the in
stinctive delicacy: Of a sensitive ma
ture, dreading to wound.
But what?''" = g.:
"1s it not beggine? Mother would
not like me to beg" =:
= mo it is Christmas gift. I have no
little folks to give Christmas presents,
so you must let me give you one. You
may, eat 1t all yourself, II you WISH"
What a gleeful laugh greeted this
preposterous speech She NM as sa. child:
after all, with all her grave ,s ways Gov
ering the child nature go g.. /:
: Come, tea is cooling, and mother
waiting, so put off your bonnet and
shawl and sit here" ID. =
Mrs. Rose. my housekeeper, rustled
her black silk with an indignant ges-
ture as she shook herself into her seat
opposite to mine, but she did not say
one word. I was master in my own
house, and she knew. it, so she swallow
ed her wrath at the insult of being
forced to sit down with a beggar, and
revenged herself by offering the child
the weakest possible tea. I erav4Iv
emptied it into the Stop basin and handed
the cup back, thereby crushing out the
limited rebellion and asserting my au-
thority. I was jubilant as a school-boy
over my little protegee, and determined
to have her comfortably provided at the
Widespread table. Quiet now, and
grave again, she was neither shy nor
awkward. She had evidently been ac-
customed to sit we'll, eat with due at
tention to table proprieties, and bear
herself like a lady. And as I watched
her, I could trace this refinement in
her small hands, her delicately cut
features. the shining gloss Of her short,
curling hair, and the graceful attitude
of her frail little. figure.
DO you KNOW" I said to her, that
IN all our long talk you have not told
me your name?"
Meta Burgess, sir. 1t is mothers
name too. Alice's name is Smith,"
What was your fathers business?"
He was an engraver, sir, and stoop-
Ing killed him, mother said; he died in
consumption nearly fifteen years ago."
Fifteen years.. cried, for had set
down twelve as the very outside limit
Of my visitors age.
Yes, sir, when was six months old"
"Whew. Oh, here you are. Why,
where did this n,anikin come from"
And enter Edgar Hart, my nephew,
aged eighteen. Margaret had "a cup,
saucer and plate on the table before he
could sit down, for my brave beautiful
boy, with his cheerful voice and sunny
smile is the darling Of the house from
the kitchen up. Even Mrs. Rose frowns
relaxed into smiles as she poured gu.
his tea.
Amt it cold? I've been treating six
tambourine and singing girls to oysters
and coffee for Christmas eve. Uncle.
You should have seen them eat, poor
little f0ta rnf hiroar +loor ,,xA,