Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-17
Bo,11ie's Christmas
Story Of a Little
Sparro1U
Sparrow

1t was a stern Christmas Eve, the
snow flying and the thermometer reg
istering far below zero From the
pavebent of the towns streets one
might look through windows into
lighted, warm and happy homes, &C.
casionally getting a peep Of an ever
| green Christmas tree in the parlor
surrounded by laughing people
whose hands were busy decorating the
trees branches preparatory for the
festivity which was to be enjoyed a
few hours later. 1t was only o'clock
mas Eve attire.
But there beat one heavy little heart
in the great out-of-doors, where the
chill blasts of wind swept so cruelty
round street corners and down long,
narrow alleys. And the heart that
ached from sold and loneliness was in
the breast of tiny Bonnie, a sparrow
without q home. Poor Bonnie, sat
perched and shivering on the bare
branch of a slender tree that stood
bending in. the wind just outside the
gate Of very coy home. In the
home dwelt the Greysons, family con-
sisting Of father, mother, two sons and
one daughter. The children's names
were Harry, Jack, and May. Harry
was ii years old, Jack was IL and May
g. May was always called the baby of
the family, and her two big brothers
were forever doing nice things for her.
"She's the only sister we've GOT
they would say, laughingly so, we
must behave mighty nicely toward
her" And so they did,
But that's another story Let us tell
of the dilemma Of poor little Bonnie, as
he sat shivering near to his death on
the bare limb of the slender tree that
waved and tossed in the wind near to
the front gate of the Greysons' home.
.I'll surely freeze to DEATH said Bon
ME to himself as the shadows of night
gathered rapidly about him and
/ am so hungry; oh, so hungry! If
might find a crumb-just crumb-I
would be grateful for it. How can
ever pass through this night"
Then the warm, yellow light COM
ing from the parlor windows of the
tention, and he stopped his melancholy
soliloquy to hop to limb nearer to
the house that he might get closer
peep into the bright warm place.
Then, seeing that the ledge of the
parlor window afforded a better view,
he hoped there, though his feet were
so benumbed from cold that he could
scarcely bestir them. And her wings
were quite stiff and his whole body
shivering.
Once on the window ledge Bonnie
could look into the room very easily,
for only a lace curtain hung between,
and the glass pane, of course And
when he pressed his body against the
pane he could feel some warmth, for
on the other side bright fire was
glowing in the CRATE and the comfor-
table atmosphere of the room spread
all about even to the windows. AS
Bonnie looked he saw three children
come into the room, and the eldest
who was Harry, turned up the gas,
which had been burning but dimly.
Then the children began hanging pretty
things on tall evergreen tree that
stood in one corner of the room. AS
they worked the little girl took from
her pocket a sweet cake and began to
MUNICH from it, But she was so alb
sorbed in her work of hanging box
(Which contained pretty gift for one
of her brothers) that she put the cake
on table near by and forgot 1t. AS
Bonnie's eyes rested on the bit of
sweet cake his tiny stomach gnaWed
afresh at sight of food. "Ah, wish the
clear thing which covers this opening
were not so hard, and that I might
enter that beautiful place and take a
few bites from that food cake!" he
whispered to himself. But his at
tention was still held by the children
who put ever so many pretty boxes
and parcels on the tree. Then, their
work accomplished. the oldest boy
drew curtain, which had been hung
temporarily across in front of the tree
and they ran out of the room. While
Bonnie was wondering why they had
gone from such pleasant place, the
door opened and in walked Hrs. Grey
son, her arms laden with presents
which she proceeded to hang to the
limbs Of the tree.
After Mrs. Greyson had finished ar
ranging her gifts on the tree she
l. 1&o ,tV,or