The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1912-12-13
Christmas
Bells
They Turned the Course of
a Mans Life
By F. A. Mitchell

The other day | heard man SAY
In bored tone of voice: christmas
Is coming round again. and we've go
to endure the usual Christmas racket
l suppose. The man of family mus
make hole In his bank account, anG
the bachelor must stick to his club
for If he makes visits on his womeI
friends they ask to be excused from
seeing him because they're working
hard preparing for Christmas They're
all making things which take up q 10,
of time and which they can buy at the
stores for a few cents each. If the
bachelor tries to solace himself with
a magazine or his newspaper Christ
mas stares him in the face in big let
ters. He goes out on to the street and
sees no end Of Salvation Army Santa
Clauses ringing their everlasting bells
I'm always sorry when Christmas is
coming and glad when it has passed"
If that mans whole life had been
turned from bad to good by Christmas,
as mine was at critical period. he
wouldn't talk that way. Christmas,
admit. is not tie gladstone season to
me it is to many others. 1t is solemn
season. season for thankfulness, re-
l never hear the bells that usher in the
day that l don't feel great awe at
what | escaped and q great comfort at
what l gained on one memorable
Christmas.
/ wasn't born with silver spoon in
my mouth. No. indeed. I used one
nude of baser metal and. though 1t
would hold plenty Of food. there was
very little food to put in it. But, not
withstanding the poverty In which
was born, was dreamy child, con.
stantly building castles for the future
which my Imagination made all the
more beautiful in contrast with my
miserable surroundings.
At seven years of age lost all help
from others and was obliged to rely
solely on myself. Would that l could
obliterate all remembrance Of those
days of suffering when l was selling
newspapers by day and sleeping any
where | could find a place to sleep in
by night. My imaginative disposition
rendered me unfit for work that was
distasteful to me. and I made little for
food. clothing and shelter. But /
learned TO read. and with reading l
picked up writing and other bits of
education. One thing astonished my
comrade gamins. With a piace. OF
chalk / could draw pictures oEuuAy
stone that were very like the
represented. What surprised men
most was that my dogs ran. my horses
galloped, my men walked. AS for my
policemen, they actually hustled theil
prisoners to the station.
The gifts of the poet and the artist
do not enable them to feed and clothe
themselves. except In rare instances
and l as child not only failed to de
rive any benefit from my talent. but II
indicated an impractical disposition
When / came to be eighteen years ole
was more than impracticable. | was
not a worker: was considered lazy
but was not lazy: simply could not
force myself to work at that in which
did not take an interest. During 6
season when got chance to attend
night school l showed myself to be
one Of the best scholars in the class.
When l was on the threshold OF
manhood was in despair. have not
the heart to dwell on the sufferings
that led me to join the criminal class
will only say that one day before q
Christmas. while passing before a
house into which boxes and bundles
were being carried. looked in through
the windows on which evergreen
wreaths were hanging and could see
q Christmas tree at one end of room
where blazed an open coal fire. The
sight of so much comfort maddened
me, hungry and ragged as l was, with
no hope for my future. 1t occurred to
me that if I could get into that house
and carry away some of the articles
being taken into it ! might sell them
for money with which to buy some
thing to eat.
front door opened. and little boy
about five years old came out with his
nurse. He was bundled up in a ful
coat, fur cap and mittens and was be-
ing taken out for walk. The nurse
was q tidy girl sixteen or seventeen
years old and as she passed me looked
at my rags. then up into my disconso
late face. and a pitying expression
came into her features.
reasoned myself into the delusion
that this prosperous family would not
miss one piece of silver that would en-
able me to buy good meal and that
! would steal this once and never
again. That same night when all in
the family were in bed l went around
the house. Trying the windows. and
finding them all locked. took knife
out of my pocket with one broken
blade in 1t and. cutting away the putty
before pain of glass. removed 1t and
reaching In. turned the catch. Then
cautiously raising the sash, ! went IN
on the ground floor.
: found myself in the kitchen. There
was enough light coming from street
lamps outside to enable me to move
about without S-ambling. and | passed
through partry to the dining room
! tried to find h piece Of silver on the
sideboard. but none waS there. ana the
drawers had been locked. passed out
Into a hall. and dim light above told