Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-12-05

those delightful anticipations that usu-
ally attend the approach Of the day
which marks the birth Of the Christ |
Child. Little Frank. the youngest, q
boy Of seven. was lying Ill. and the
doctors gave slight hope Of his recov. |
cry.
On Christmas eve Frank lay In q |
stupor. His brothers and sisters were |
sitting IN an adjoining room talking |
In low voices, but he could occasionally |
hear a word or part Of a sentence. The |
word most used was Christmas. Frank |
had passed through four or eve of
these joyful anniversaries after he was
old enough to appreciate them. and a
dition. was awakened
Then he heard the word death spoken
almost In a whisper, and the children
wondered whether the dead can enjoy
Christmas. One said that the dead
were everywhere at Christmas, but
their enjoyment consisted in giving
presents to the living. Another de-
clared that these spirits visited only
the poor. Then Frank heard his old
est sister say:
at may be that Santa Claus is one
Of these persons who lived, but have
become spirits. This would account
for his being everywhere at once"
81 never thought of that" said Joe
when I was little kid soon ceased
to believe in Santa, but If I had
thought of him as a spirit might have
1 halt -ad IN %odo
Frank was approaching the crisis of
his disease and was a very sick child
The doctor had told his parents that
during the night he would either die or
in the morning be much better.
Among other things the children talked
about was this crisis, some speaking
of Frank dying, others wondering, If
he passed the crisis, whether he would
be well enough the next day for them
to celebrate Christmas And Alice, the
girl next older than the sick boy and
his inseparable playmate, said that she
shouldn't enjoy the day anyway unless
Frank were able to enjoy it with her.
1t must not be supposed that Frank
listened to all this as another would
listen to 1t. He was in high fever,
J and it seemed to him that he was In
the midst of a turmoil. What the
children said seemed to pass by him
like bits of mist scudding before a
driving wind. Then all was still for
awhile. Possibly the poor boy fell into
a slumber. He saw something white
bending over him, great wings extend
ing from its shoulders. The figure
took him up in its arms and rose slow
ly with him. The ceiling opened, and
Frank found himself passing out un-
der the stars.
t II have died." he said to himself,
land an angel is carrying me away.
Now that am a spirit, wonder if
shall be permitted to visit live people
on Christmas eve?'
Now, Frank had not died at all. He
i was in a very low condition. and his
{ nurse, clad In white, had bent ovel
e him and lifted him up in her arms to
change his position in the bed.
Dreams sometimes lead us through
long chain of events, though the
e time occupied is but, fraction of q
second. And, while don't know
ton occasioned by the boys weakened
faculties, Frank was a long while un
n der its influence I am not prepared
to say that there was nothing in Il
which we call supernatural. The i'm
mortal world lies all about and very
near us, and 1t is not impossible thai
an innocent child should be given &
sight into things that are hidden from
men.
Be this as it may. Frank was car
ried In the angels arms out into tn,
lie night. He looked down upon tn,
.e lights and the throngs who were pass
ing along the street going in and on
IT of the shops. for. though it was dark
the people had not finished their buy
-, ing for Christmas. The scene wa
., busy without and busy within. Franz
could look at both and at the sam
~ time.
And he saw the tired clerks in tn
stores waiting on customers and tn
children hanging up their stockings
The angel took him to the homes o
the children of well to do parents. H
saw them all in their richly furnishes
rooms going to bed in embroidere
nighties, many of them crawling 4
under silk and down comforters. L
u the closets were innumerable pacb
ages that had not yet been opened
:, while tables were heaped with car
!" dies and fruits.
Take me where I can see the poo
children" said Frank to the ange
"These have so much that it tires N
to look at 1t ALL"
Then the angel passed over this
part Of the city where the poor chi
dren lived, and Frank was astonishe
at their humble, many of them squa
i'd, quarters. In their larders he coul
see nothing for Christmas Dime
and but few of them had any toy
And Frank saw something that mad
him wonder. 1t was himself In a dil
gy room with no furniture in it exec,
Or. chair and a small table. He W;
lying I'm a corner on a mattress CO
cred with a thin. worn blanket. Fl
mother had put over him so much {