The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-15
Our Daily $bcrt Story

ess' gown. She asked the second lady an odd question.
 Do you think" said she, that they keep Christmas in heaven?"
 don't know" saio the second lady.
 Well. I've feeling they do. And If he's keeping 1t up there I'm going to Keep 1t down here along with him."
 Then she went on to explain. Close by the theatre was home for crip- pied children. Her room in the hotel looked down upon their playground. She had watched them, had tossed them candies, and in every up-turned iace she hnd seen her Jimmie.
 Its queer" said she, how they all come to nave that same look. It's ter- rible, accusing us almost of being so well and strong. It make me feel ashamed of the way I con kick about"
 Then she told her plan. I've got the dough this time, if can get around the manager"
 But as 1t happened the manager was very easy to get around. Purchasers of tickets for the Christmas matinee were informed that the first rows in the balcony were reserved. At two o'clock in they came, with sharp, rapid click-clicks of crutches. fifty wan thin faces. strangely distorted little bodies, yet all wonderingly happy, the inmates of the Home for Crippled Chlidlen, es- tablished in Furnaceville, but drawing chiefly from the slums of large, nearby city. They viewed the play in mystified delight, understanding little, yet infinitely pleased. Few knew what 1t was about, and none recognized in the painted soubrette the beautiful lady who had tossed candies to them and visited their instltution that morn ing, though sne smiled and threw kiss. es to them.
 But after the play came the real treat The stage was cleared, walters from a nearby retaurant brought in tables, chairs and heaps of plates. The ] tables were loaded with the Christi mas dinner. and then the curtain was raised. A savory sense O. turkey, tur- nips, potatoes, oranges, candies, nuts, swept through the house. The chill dren sniffed, clapped in delight, and followed with pttiful speed the beau tiful lady who, dressed now in a long stlk-lined gown, which rustled and with the paint off, led the way to the stage, helped them into their chairs, and disposed of their crutches. The second lady helped, too, and even the first lady smiled at them from the wings. How they ate! The institu- tion did much for them, but 1t could not feed them thus or provide them charming ladies in wonderful gowns, who lowered over them as if they loved them. Merry Christmasw she cried. and Merry Christmas" they cried back. In every cne she saw her Jimmie. The manager came in. even the hero and the villain, with the stage carpenter and the electrician. What a dinner it was! And when they had fin ished and had shouted three times for the beautiful lady at the managers suggestion, the soubrette kissed each one and gave each a gauge stocking filled with candy. They thanked her as they filed past her one by one on the way out weak little bodies carry ing the load of a percentage wretched of wicked. but each with the spark of the eternal spirit, immortally good, shining from their eyes. As the last one disappeared in charge of the ma tron, the soubrette turned to the sec- ond lady with tears in her eyes.
 "Oh" she cried. T hope Jimmies been as happy in heaven today as I've been here"
 Then the walters came in to re- move the tables and debris, nnd clear the stage for the nights performance. At S:15 the curtain rose and the play went on. the soubrette appearing as usual with her painted face and at tenuated garments. Tonight again, however, she bungled, and got in the hero's way. It was when she stepped upon something upN the stage floor, and looking down saw it was a turkey drumstick, picked clean. But tonight the hero made no complaint to the manager. Other feelings were abroad than stage feelings.