The Detroit times., 1908-03-10
The Times
Evening
Story

NlHEY were a. happy married
Ill couple, happy but for the fact
that they had no children.
Very often when they went
out for a walk Gregory would
say: "Oh, look, Tania, what
a handsome little child over there IN
the sailor suit. h Very often fanfa
would show her husband baby In
carriage and declare that 1t was just
sweet enough to eat. And every time
one of them made such remark ne
felt the wish that the child were MS
own. but said nothing about It.
Although years passed and there
were still no prospects OF a baby, they
had both fallen into the habit OF buy
ing toys. Each of them would make the
other a present of things intended 10
keep a boys hands busy and gladden.
its heart. Tania had even fitted up
nursery in her house, where she kept
all the toys. The young people ala
not think of giving up hope, and oitcn
tokingly spoke OF the crown prince
who was to come. Nobody but tnem-
selves knew about the toys that were
stored away
When their little nephews came 10
visit them they were receives WIN
omen arms. but never shown any Oh
| the toys. Tania didn't even menuon
them.
At last a real child was to come into
the house--but not their own. VIA
owed cousin of Gregory's died and ic1s
little boy, and as they were the near
est relations 1t was quite naturai tnat
they should take care or the cnlin.
I'VE must give him good home, ne
raid. and Tania agreed with him; out
at the same time she made him I'M
derstsnd that II was just little m
pleasant to her that = strange cn'ld
should occupy the place she had In
tended for her own, and therefore Ut
tie vanja was received in the famiiy
with mixed feelings.
With the-fntuition one often finds
in little/childrfn, he soon noticed that
his two new karents felt quite differ
emily towards Mm. He chung TO Greg
ory. whom he caNled papa. but he was
always embarrassed and bashful
whenever he had N ask anything from
"Aunty." Tania wA1id not allow a
strange child to calA her mother, and
only to please her husband she allow
| ed herself 20 be calNd mamma" in
| his presence. She did not find II pos
sible to give much time TO the child,
because she felt as IL she would then
| be doing an injustice to her own
child" Gregory, on the other side,
gave all the time he. could spare 20
the child. taught him TO read and
write. and often played with him.
When Tania. standing at the win.
dow, saw how her husband carrier
vanja on his back, playing horse, aud
ran through the garden with him, the
tears would come into her eyes. She
thought all these signs OF affection
were a theft from their own child
but she never said anything about II.
One day when Tania had gone out.
father and son played all the noisiest
games which they wouldn't dare play
when she was in the house. When the
child at last was tired, he suddenly
said: eS'Papa. do you know, ] should
like o\tnuch to have a big box OF tin
soldiers" M
! The little fellow had no idea what
he was wishing for was in the next
room, but papa knew Il and w6s only
besitatipg for a moment TO fulfill the
wish OF the boy. But III last he said 70
himself: Really, IL Is too stupid TO
keep things put away when they could
give Joy to little fellow like vanja-"
He went into the nursery and soon
came back with the box of tin soldiers
In his hands. Vanja was delighted
and when Aunty came back he rushed
out TO meet her crying out aloud "Oh
look, mamma, what have got" He
Thought that she WOULD feel as happy
as he would himself, and big tears