New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-31
.CHRLSTMAS IN n car.
Spirit of Season Vas Clearly Made
Manifest.

with it's usual load OF SeIf-lHileISeU OO
ing passengers, many of the faces looKliis 0
more tired and wan and careworn thah usual
for the Christmas season was approaching' anu
those who had not been doing Christmas
sbopping were rejecting that they had 1t 10 uo'
and those who were not were wishing that they
had the money to do it with Ii was Htti0
too early for the usual homegoinS rush Oh liie
evening and the two long rows OF paSseHseI9
sat facing each other, looking as gloomy anu
solemn as mutes at a funeral
At one of the busiest corners in the shoppins
district the car stopped and a woman sot III
carving under one arm a tiny tot OF DoS'
apparently about two years old, and uhoer inc
other a shopping bag that was ldli1S
over with bundles
Placing the boy beside her on the seat she
turnb1ed the contents of the bursting shopping
bag into her lap and proceeded 10 reairr'llse
them. while the baby with a pair OF roulu'
violet eyes examined the passengers Win
friendly interest.
He was a most adorable person. Ihls s4il''
how. with a face like fresh pink rose, genuine
Cupid's bow of mouth two beWltchlns U''
ples that played hide and seek in his rosy
checks. and a mass of golden cUrls which es-
caped from under his squirrel skin cap and chung
in silky, shining tendrfls to his baby face
He did not seem to be in the least shy OF
tiTnid but regarding the whole WorId DIS MS
friend was about to make friends Win Ile9
senger boy who sat beside him when one OF lie
packages in his mothers lap escaped from Is
naner vrappings and fell to the floor WIKI
shout of rapture the baby bounced down OIL tiis
seat and cIasped to the bosom OF MS squlTrei
coat q beautiful. gayIy stripped rubber ball
If was evident to the passengers that santa
Claus had inadvertently dropped one or the
Christmas packages, but, oblVlous 10 that
fact. the boy Rugged the ball to his bosom and
SURVEYED it with a blissfuI smile He looked up
presently and apparently wishing to share MS
pleasure tossed the ball to natt1ly dressed
Young man who was sitting opposite The young
man with a pleasant smile threw back the pail
at which the youngster laughed happily, and
gIancing about the car tossed it straight into
the lap of a stiff and severe looking doWager
who occupied the end seat near the door For
an instant she looked annoyed. then, whlle
softer light came to her eyes and gentler ex-
preston to her face, she took up the ball ana
threw it back at the baby with a kindly smile
1t was evident that ball playing was not the
dowager's long suit for the ball flew wide.
struck an old gentleman in the face and knocked
off his glasses at which everybody in the car
laughed and the small boy shouted gleefulIy
The old gentleman joined in the general smile Oh
amusement, and tossed the ball back to the boy
who at once threw it to meek looking httle
girl in a faded blue hood, and with her little
hare foes Deeping out of the holes In ner SHOES
The little girl giggled, caught the ball. and after
looking at it wistfully for a moment tossed II
back with a shy smile. No one had noticed her
before she was so thin and still and sat so
closely drawn up in a corner, but now the
dowager turned and looked at her, and pres
emily when there was vacant seat beside the
child she sat down beside her, and an observant
passenger saw her slip something into the
childs thin hand
Meanwhile the boy and the ball were having
q merry time of il, and all up and down the
aisle of the car there smiling faces, and
the worn look and the bored look had dlSap-
peared.
Something of the Christmas spirit had entered
the .
To the tired wayfarers it had come again as it
had come thousands of years before in the form
of little child, and the childish joy, the child
ish confidence the spirit of Christmastde
in the air Softened the worldly hearts and drew
those chance companions of hour closer to-
gether in the ties of a universal brotherhood
a universal humanity. The natty young man
was talking to the messenger boy, the old man
entered into conversation with his neighbor on
the left saying that Christmas was no longer
Christmas when there were no little ones in the
home the prim woman in gray smiled sympa-
thetically into tne tear dimmed eyes of the
pretty woman in black when she said that the
boy was a darling, and she wished she had
looking man in the round collar gently helped
the embarrassed little mother to pick up her
scattered packages and lift the boy off the car.
saying as he returned and took his seat very
quietly "And a little child shall lead them"