The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1908-12-18


life is very hard!"
Then she rolled back the shawl
from her left arm, and showed an ugly
wound in the arm where her husband
had stabbed her with a stiletto.
The young teacher lost no time in
taking the poor woman to a surgeon,
who dressed the already infected
wound, and dealt with a case so diff
cult that he barely saved the arm
from amputation.
The poor woman accepted the help
stolidly, for suffering had wrought its
work in her embittered spirit. A
drunken, brutal husband, hard, inces-
SAINT toll, and the care of three puny
children weighed down her forlorn
life. She lived in one basement room,
and her washing supplied the chill
drens food, when her husband did not
succeed in getting the money first and
spending it for drink.
There is not dog upon the street
whose lot is not happier than mine"
she said. mo. there is no Cod =.
To the three children, Leonardo,
Michael and Angelo, fourth was soon
added and to her was given the name
Rosie; for the mother did not recall
the names Of any Italian artists that
would have fitted little girl. And
when the little girl was born, the
worthless father deserted the home,
which was perhaps the only thing he
had done to help 1t for long time.
It was no argument that changed
the creed Of the poor immigrant wom-
an. The simplest necessities OF life
were imperatively needed in that
home, and they were supplied. Day
by day a visiting nurse came in and
cared for her. Day by day the chill
dren were tended in the day nursery.
Frequent visits of the teachers
brought simple comforts to the poor
tenement, and life became a little
brighter. But the sad look was there
of a woman whose hopes were gone,
and who had drunk to the dregs the
cup of bitter experience.
They had a Christmas tree at the
nursery. with simple gifts for the chill
dren When the exercises were over,
and the teachers were taking down
the tree, one of them proposed that
they should carry it over to a home
where one of the children was
sick. The tree was too large, and had
to be cut off, but it was still a re-
spectacle tree. And it's reception in
the first home was so enthusiastic that
they carried it to another, and yet
another. Nor were gifts lacking; for
a quantity of secondhand toys had
been received, and there was second
hand clothing for distribution as well.
A few of the children accompanied
the tree to the first house, and the
procession grew First went the tree,
upheld by two or twenty children;
then came the basket of decorations,
then a basket of presents, ald then
the teachers and the throng. 1t was
long after dinner time when they
came 10 Mrs. Carrucio's one room.
1t was a dark room, with one court
window, and that window was filled
with children who could not get in.
The table was still loaded with the
remains of the Christmas feast, and
Mrs. Caruccio was holding Rosie,
while the three boys gathered about
her. Into the midst of the family
group came the wonderful tree, for
the eleventh time decorated with tin
sci and glass balls, and lighted with
casdles.
1t bore wonderful fruit-a shawl for
the mother, shoes for the boys, white
clothing for baby Rosie, and an odd
collection of secondhand toys.
The light of the candles found re-
Election in the face of the poor wom-
an. She had seen the Lord in the
love of his children. She looked at
the tree, now bare Of presents, but
still radiant with candles and orna-
ments. and looked again at the faces
of the teachers, and then at the face
of her babe. Upon her knees she
fell in front of the wonderful tree, and
over her face, that had been too sad
for weeping, the tears flowed freely
as she knelt and uttered a prayer.
And her face became almost like the
face of Madonna, as she held her
babe and sobbed her sad Magnificent in
her native tongue-Youths Com
panion.