Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-12-19
THE DAY OF THE PARTY.
A Pretty STORY Of Childhood's Faith.

Pretty story OF Cnnohoods faltn'
The room was quite dark. There is
never much light at o'clock on De
ccmber morning, and the thick curtains
shut out any faint streaks of dawn that
might have been outside. But neither
light nor darkness mattered to one OF
the occupants of the room. He sat up in
bed for one moment he rubbed his
fingers i'll his sleepy eyes to make sure
he was quite awake. and then ne proceed
ed to arouse the other person i'll the
room, who was still peacefully sleeping.
Mother. mother, wake up! It's my
birthday, and the day OF my party"
Philip" she said. 1T is not time to
get up yet. Go pack to your own bed
like a good little boy ami go to sleep
again. The party is not till 4 o'clock,
and there is plenty of time"
The party, which was partly for Phil
ip's birthday and partly for Christmas,
was to be very small and of the simplest
description, for Mrs. Dalrymple was a
widow and very poor. Indeed, simple as
the entertainment was to be--only tea
and tiny Christmas tree-it is doubtful
If she would have consented to giving it
had not Martha joined her entreaties to
Philips and promised to help with all
the preparations. Martha thought there
was no woman in London to compare
with her mistress, and no child in the
entire universe worthy to be spoken of
in the same breath as Philip for whom
indeed she had an alteration bordering on
/ idolatry.
Martha entirely managed the little
4 house in Stoketon road. She had lived
with her mistress as maid in the days
I before her marriage when she had known
all the luxury that money can provide.
She had accompanied her, when, in direct
opposition to the plans and wishes of her
worldly-wisc mother. she had left home
/ secretly to marry the poor artist whom
she loved, prefcrring poverty with him
! to riches with the s,itor favored by her
mother-a rich man with nothing but his
wealth to recommend him. 1t was Mar.
tina, too, who comforted the girl when
! her mother refused to have anything
more to do with hr, sending back her
letters unopened and turning deaf ear
/ to her cntreaties for forgiveness.
Perhaps if Violet Mitchell had realized
how absolute was the poverty in which
her marriage would plunge her she might
have paused But she never believed
| that her mother would really carry out
tho threat of considering her daughter
dead on the day she changed her name;
and, too she had unlimited faith in her
| husbands talents winning him name
and fortune But she was mistaken in
her expectations. Her mother carried out
her threat to the letter. Her husband
might perhaps have justified her faith
| in him had not death interviewed He
caught a fever and died two years after
! their marriage The widow with her
! tiny baby and the faithful Martha left
! the little Italian town where they had
been living, and came 10 London. 4 lit
| tie house in dreary suburban road was
taken. and here Violet Dalrymple eked
out her minute income by giving music
lessons. She had given up all hope of
her mothers forgiveness.
! Philip lay contentedly by his mothers
/ side and counted on his fingers the de-
/ lightful things he had seen being pre-
pared
"Cakies; chocky; flags; crackcrs!" he
murmured delightfully."-. Then he stopped
suddenly, and a puzzled look replaced the
smile ON his face,
L
granny To come Ia my party :"
Mrs. Dalrymple hcsitatcd. How could
She tell this baby OF the years of stub
born unforgivcness and hardness of heart
that had denied him a granny; how ex-
plain to him the reason for his granny.
/ though living, being rs dead to hlmy
What morning OF delight Philip had
on that day Of the party. He helped
4 Martha 10 set the table for tea in the
! little dining room. for on this marvellous
day mother and Philsey must dine in the
kitchen. And in the drawing room was
/ the Christmas trce, wonderful even now
before the candies were lighted. He
/ helped mother IL stick the little labels
on each present. He filled the little mus
/ I'm bags with sweets, taking frequent
! toll while 50 doing; he arranged the
crackers in fantastic designs of his own.
/ But occasionally in the midst Of these
/ delightful preparations the thought came
10 him: How nice it would be il could
have Il granny at my party To see all
these beauties Then the idea began To
slowly possess him that perhaps mother
( had made little mistake. or had for.
/ gotten, and that Father Christmas did
sometimes bring grannies That one had
not arrived on Christmas day, the propcr
/ day, mattered little Since he had once
been too busy to bring Philsey himself
till the day after, might not the same
thing happen agains
Mother" he said in husheJ voioe
Do you think Father Christmas meant
to bring me granny for Christmas. like