Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1911-12-22
A Borrowed Christmas

There were hard times in Boutwell,
Court. There had been harder times be-
fore the long strike ended in October
and 10 weeks of renewed work had not
suffced to restore the CHEEKY, old-time
prosperity of the little cottages. But at
the approach of Christmas a brave effort
at festivity was made. Even the Ho-
gans who had not been able to redeem
their lace curtains, hung gay wreaths in
the empty windows. Only the little
house at the end of the court gave no
sign of rejoicing. The rails of the steps
and the wooden walk to the street had
disappeared under the need for fuel, and
only an icy furrow between snowdrifts
indicated the way to the back door.
Up that furrow on the day before
Christmas a man walked heavily, with
his head down before the singing wind,
his hands deep in the pockets of his
thin coat. There was no need to tell his
wife at the door that his errand had been
profitless.
Mrs. Adams wasted no words in ques-
ton. Get in outer the cold" she COM
manded, briskly, and drew a chair for
him near the fire, where her irons were
heating. He sat down YEARLY, and
thrust his empty pipe into his mouth for
comfort.
No use," he reported, at last. No
body'd take me. I'm on the blacklist
sure, Kitty
They hadn't no right to put you
there.' she cried, passionately.
"Oh, l dunno" Adams went over the
situation for the hundreth time. You
can see how it looked to the old man. I'd
been with him for years, and he depend
ed on me to keep the boys quiet and
reasonab BILE. Course he didn't blame me
for the strike. l had to walk out with
the rest, but when he looked out in the
factory yard that night and saw me up
on a box in that stoning, fighting mob,
why he just naturally had it in for me.
How was he to know | went to get the
boys home? 1t looked bad-me with a
rock in my hand I'd grabbed from Nc
CURE, who was trying to heave it
through a window. Well, l guess the
blacklist goes in Chicago, Kitty. We've
got to dig out and strike it somewhere
else
I'VE most own the house now" Mrs.
Adams objected. Il can meet the last
payments with my washing"
Adams looked at her as she bent above
her work. a frail. thin-armed thing, with
bright indomita BILE eyes, and looked away
again in savage silence
Where's the kids?" he asked, at last.
''Bob's out with his papers. Katie and
Jimmie are on an errand, and the baby s
sleeping"
Flows he been?"
"Oh, he's better, JIM that medicine
helped lot He was too cute today fol-
anything. He'd heard little Jimmy talk
ing O. Christmas, and first thing you
know he began saying, SANITY, SANITY.
like that. Kitty she tried to shut ZEN
both up-she's awful thoughtful, thai
little young one is and only six. Shut
up she says to Jimmie, there amt GO
ing to be no Sanity this year. And Il
you say Christmas to ma again, II
Christmas you, / Will?' Amt she an ole
mite, thought"
She's you all over again, Kitty. Gri
clean through. Could you find anythin!
for 'em?"
"Oh, got things all right had to G,
after some washings this noon, so l stop
ped then. l got a little doll for Katie
don't know she's been a-praying for on
since Hogan's terrier tore up her other
and a horsehead on a stick for Jimmie
and some mittens for Bob, and a hor
for baby. 1t was Bob gave me the tw
cents for that out of his own pape
money. Mrs. Adams spoke brightly @
her pitiful purchases, with no word c
her wistful lingering near the other allur
ing toys, of her furtive lingering of
flaXen- haired baby doll and the rocking
horse they had once planned for Jimmi
this Christmas but her husband, VIII
knew her, needed no words to tell hin
"Oh, / got something else for Katie,
she went on. you know that scrap
kitten you found in the snow thi
morning? Well, she's so dead set o
animals that just hid IT In the cellar
'sprise her with tomorrow. / guess it ca
eat potatoes with the rest of us. Til
toysll be sent up tonight. l couldn
carry em with my washing"
"They weren't much to carry, Lor
knows" the man said, bitterly.
Mrs Adams only smiled. She meal
those toys to be delivered in full sight
Boutwell, Court, that the Hogans, WI
boosted of their tree, and the O'Malley
who Wanted their turkey, might beho
and respect.
Jim was kind man, and steady, hal
working, self-respecting No drinker m
fighter but no man can live under such
strain without showing it, His wifi
watching him, dreaded the dark though
that smouldered under the bushy broy
and knotted the big hands. Vario
small jobs he had found for a day or S
at clearing walks or loading freight b
mans trade is a mans trade, and h
one hope in the Industrial world. MI
Adams knew what lay before them no
Jim must leave the city and seek wo
outside the influence of the blackli'
while she struggled on with the chldr
and the washing. Then, when he foul
place. she could rent the house and
with him. So she planned through Z
winter evening. When her work W
over, she put the children to bed in I
kitchen where It was warm, while s.