The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-02-03
HER CHRISTMAS GIFT
II Was a Nice Little Fluffy Bun.
die, Full Of Life, Kicking
and Squirming.
BY CLARA OEANE.

OOuOOS. IL WAS coming III way w
strike panic to the hearts Of people
who never began to think Of It till
after Thanksgiving. and all over the
country they were fastening to make
embroideries and fancy work and
calendars.
Il do hope" said Mrs. Martha liver
son to her husband. that Fred and
Neelie will send mother Christmas
present this year just can't for
give them If they don't"
20, well. they will" said her hus'
band.
They didn't last year: don't you
remember" Mother told me all about
her presents. every little thing. and
who 1t was from. but not Il word
about them At last | just asked her.
%, didn't get anything from them.
she said but you know they Are Just
beginning housekeeping. and their ex'
penses are so heavy in the city. Huh.
when | know that Fred gets as good
a salary as you do and their apart
ment costs them only thirty-five dol
lars month partly furnished. And
There's another thing. John. no one
in the family has ever said one word
to Fred about going of out west and
never writing home one word for five
years and nearly breaking mothers
heart. He's never had one word Of
reproach." Mrs Martha paused.
Don't you think 1t would be all
right II I should write to him and
! make him realize once how happy
he's made us all'"
We'll, my dear, It doesn't seem to
me that this is the psychological mo-
ment Fred tore away from us all
years ago; don't know Just what
was the matter. but ! know he was
discouraged and sore at heart and
made up his mind that father had no
use for him Now he Is married and
| doing WELL and at last he has writ
thing and mother is happier than
she has hcon for years 10 | wouldn't
write that letter to Fred lust now"
Nell perhaps not. ,hhn. you're SO
forSivinc Hut | do hope they won't
forget mother his year
Mother" her heart travelling It's
faithful rounds among the absent
ones. hoped SO too Christmas was
always time Of stress and strain
with her With the old-fashionet
| feeling Of economy strong upon her
and not much money of her very owl
for spending. she did hor best Will
her little hand made gifts and SEN
them out with Il depressing feeling q
their inadeUuacy Her greatest trou
bic had always been that other people
gave her more than she was able t
give them But this year her Christ
mas rose had a distinctly new thorn
She couldn't. simply couldn't, hav'
Mrs. Martha look over the present.
Of another Christmas and see nOthin,
from Fred and Neelie. And she wa
80 afraid there would be nothing
She believed she would drop a hin
in her next letter to Fred. "Ioy
nice 1t would be II you could com
home for Christmas. But | suppOs
that Is quite impossible. as the dis
lance and expense are so great. W
shall think of YOU. We put our pre-.
ents on the breakfast table In tn
same old way. and you know fathc
Is getting little old. and | think h
would be very much pleased II ther
was a little remembrance from you
She discarded this Fred woul
certainly remember that father. goo
man as he was and fairly willing I
pay all the bills. never bOthere
about Christmas, neither making pre-
ents nor caring whether he receive
any. And she could not write an
more plainly. Perhaps he showed a
his letters to his wife. That was III
penalty a mother paid for man
being happily married. She made u
her mind to wait till the last hour {
the day before Christmas, and then
nothing had come to slip quietly dow
town and buy something that The
would be likely to send
Father" she said that night. r
joicing in the new happiness OF b
Ing able to talk about the b.
whose name had laid so long like
guilty secret between them, ~
haven't heard from Fred and Neel
for a couple of weeks. and she's be,
so good about writing The last tin
she said she wasn't feeling so vel
we'll thought perhaps-T ju
thought OF it-hadn't we better ser
them a Christmas gift?'
Why. yes. mother you get al
send something"
You. too. father"
Il wouldn't know what 10 r.
They've probably got everything IN,
need. Young people DO someho
And I wouldn't know what they wal
Better send them check and |
them buy what they please"
%. father" she beamed at hi
and the grace that is Gods gift
mothers kept her from saying, ~
owe it to him-you owe it to hir
he's your boy. you know he's new
had what the other boys have had
Instead she began talking abo