The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-12-14
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 were there in the nursery, on the lit tie white beds ten packages that had come by mail or express and had never been united. Old Caleb had re. ceived orders to place them in the nursery, and each year he had carried them there with tear brimmed eyes. Afterward he and Hannah would laugh membranes that had come from the same source.
 Never by word or sign had Benjamin Marlin recognized the receipt of the packages, nor had he ever sent any gifts to his children. 1t is hard to understand the bitterness that was so deep welled and yet so near to tender ness that the man was afraid to open the packages lest he be moved to tears. He was fearful to recognize the Christ mas festival in any degree-there were such painful recollections of the first two Christmases after the twins had been born. At first he had tried run ming away from the Christmas merry making, but wherever his wandering feet carried him there was the Joyous observance of the great anniversary. Benjamin Marlin couldn't run away from Christmas-it was everywhere. So he fixed the habit of shutting him. self in his own house during those holidays.
 Now he looked longingly at the pack ages on the beds and with a sudden impulse crossed the room and laid his hand on one. It was the first one, and Cornelia must have prompted its send ing, for the twins were only three then. Cornelia must have had a strong sense of duty, he admitted as he cut the cords.
 Inside was q small box containing a very much soiled and laboriously con- structed splint picture frame, undoubt- ediy the work of childish fingers. That was from Bobby, as the attached card Indicated. Another bit of kindergarten work was Dorothy's offerings watch chain made of colored beads. In the bottom was a little photograph of the twins. Suddenly the picture frame and the chain and the photograph were plotted out from Benjamin Marlin's eyes in mist of tears.
 He went through the packages one by one until he came to the one that had arrived that morning. All the gifts were of home construction-there was one from each twin and always their photograph, new one, in the bottom. That WAS CorneIia's mute contribution. This last package be- trayed the fact that Dorothy, charm ing lass of twelve now, was clever water colorist, while Bobby had cary ed an inkstand from handsome piece of Cuban mahogany.
 AS the evening wore on Marlin sat there on the white, fur rug beside the little bed. his head leaning against the snowy counterpane, surrounded by the tender ,remembrances by the children who evidently loved their father so devOtedly. The last SIX packages had contained letters from the twins thank Ing him warmly for the lovely presents he had sent them and begging him to write to them
 It was this last straw that almost broke Marlin's proud heart. He had never sent the children gift. 1t must have been Cornelia who had done that In his name and thus kept his memory fresh in their loving hearts.
 He did not hear the ringing of the a6orbell nor the excited voices of Ca !eb and Hannah lifted in delighted surprise. He did not note the hush that followed and then the soft foot falls of several persons on the car peted stairs. Hannah's pass key turn ed in the door of the adjoining room, and then, as if attracted by the light, he footsteps approached the open doorway and paused.
 Then Benjamin Marlin looked up and Iaw his wife and children for the first lime in ten years-saw them looking wistfully at him. Cornelia. more beau :iful than ever, with the proud, spirited eyes humbled in appeal to his; the aager loving faces of his own children turned to his in joyous expectation.
 "Can you forgive me for not coming Q you, dear heart?' whispered Marlin 10 his wife. 'I would have reached rou in the morning."
 "Can you forgive me for taking them ,way from you, my husband?" she pleaded. q am so much to blame"
 The door closed softly behind Han lah and her husband, and they tip Ded down the stairs with awed and happy faces. When they reached the bottom Hannah numbered into the tele. phone alcove and rang frantically.
 "What you doing, honeyT' demand d Caleb
 ''I'm ordering de Christmas dinner, If co'se. I want de bigges' turkey I an git-hella, yere. is dis de butcher?"
 Caleb executed a double shuttle on he parquet floor and then stopped lbruptly. "Oh, Lordy me! Ps got to Tit out and find a Christmas tree for lem chillens and some green stuff and olly. Well. dis am going to be a .hristmas at last!'
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