Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1913-01-02
HER CHRISTMAS GIFT
1t Was a Nice Little Fluffy Bum
die, Full Of Life, Kicking
and Squirming.
BY CLARA DEANE.

Christmas was coming by leaps and
bounds. 1t was coming in a way to
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 a 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 it was from, but not a word
about them. At last I just asked her.
o. I didn't get anything from them
she said. but you know they are just
beginning housekeeping. and their ex-
penses are sc heavy in the city Huh!
when l know that Fred gets as good
"a salary al you do, and their apart
ment costs them only thirty-five dol.
lars a month partly furnished. And
There's another thing. John. no one
in the family has ever said n word
to Fred about going off out west and
writing home one word for five
years and nearly breaking mothers
heart. He's had one word Of
%reproach." Mrs. Martha paused.
Don't you think it would be all
right IL 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; l don't know just what
was the matter, but l 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
ten home, Or she ~has-good little
Ithing-and mother is happier than
she has been for years. No, | wouldn't
write that letter to Fred just now"
We'll, perhaps not. John. you're so
forgiving. But / do hope they won't
forget mother this year."
Mother" her heart travelling its
faithful rounds among the absent
ones, hoped so. too. Christmas was
always a time Of stress and strain
with her. With the ol%d-fashioned
feeling Of economy strong upon her,
and not much money of her very own
for spending, she did her best with
her little handmade gifts and sem
them out with a depressing feeling Of
their ~inadequacy. Her greatest trou-
BILE had always been that other people
gave her more than she was able to
give them. But this year her Christ.
mas rose had a distinctly new thorn.
!She couldn't, simply couldn't, have
Mrs. Martha look owe the presents
of another Christmas and see nothing
from Fred and Neelie. And she was
so afraid there would be nothing.
lShe believed she would drop a hint
lin her next letter to Fred. How
nice it would be II you could come
home for Christmas. But I suppose
that is quite impossible, az the dis.
itance and expense are 30 great. We
lshall think Of you. We put our pres
lents on the breakfast table in the
isame old way, and you know father
lis getting a little old. and I think he
would be very much pleased IL there
was a little remembrance from you"
She discarded this. Fred would
certainly remember that father. good
man as he was and fairly willing to
pay all the bills. never bothered
about Christmas, neither making pres.
tents nor caring whether he received
lsny. And she could not write any
more plainly. Perhaps he showed all
his letters to his wife. That was the
penalty a mother paid for a mans
being happily married. She made up