The Holly chieftain., 1913-01-03
her CHRISTMAS GIFT
Il Was a Nice Little Fluffy Bun
de, Full Of Life, Kicking
and SQuirming.
By CLARA pEANE.

strike panic 70 the hearts OF people
who never began TO think Of It TIL
after Thanksgivfag. and all over the
country they were Fastening to make
smbroideries and fancy work and
calendar
Il DO hope sata Mrs.. Martha Ivsr-
son to her husband. that Fred and
Neelie will send mother . Christmas
present this year. Just can't for
give them II they don't"
%. we'll. they WILL" said her hus-
hand.
They didn't last year: don't you
her presents. every little thing. and
who II was from. but not . word
about them. Al 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 20 heavy in the city. Huh!
when ! know that Fred gets ~ good
salary - you do. and their apart
ment costs them only thirty.nve 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 Oh out west and
never writing home one word for flve
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 10 aIlf''
We'll. my dear. 1t doesn't seem to
me that this d the psychological mo-
ment. Fred tore away from us all
years ago: don't know Just what
was the mattsr, but l know he was
discouraged and sore 1t heart and
made up his mind that father had NO
use for him. Now he 10 married and
doing well. and at last he has writ
ten home, or she has-good little
thing-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 20
forgivins. But I do hope they wea't
forget mother this year"
Mother" her heart travelling It's
faithful rounds among the absent
ones. hoped 10. too Christmas was
always . time OF stress and strain
with her. With the old-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 sent
them out with 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 over the presents
Of another Christmas and see nothing
from Fred and Neelie. And she was
so afraid there would be nothing.
She believed she would drop hint
in her next letter to Fred. How
nice It would be II you could come
home for Christmas. But I suppose
that is quite impossible, as the dis
lance and expense are so great. We
shall think Of you. We put our pres
ents on the breakfast table In the
same old way. and you know father
is getting little old. and think he
would be very much pleased II there
was 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
ents nor caring whether he received
any. 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
her mind to wait till the last hour Of |
the day before Christmas. and then II
nothing had come to slip quietly down
town and buy something that they
would be likely to send.
Father" she said that night, re-
joicing in the, new happiness of be-
ing able to talk about the boy
whose name had laid SO long like a
guilty secret between them. I'VE
haven't heard from Fred and Neelie
for couple Of weeks. and she's been
30 good about writing. The last time
she said she wasn't feeling SO very
well. thought perhaps-I Just
thought Of it-hadn't we better send
them Christmas gift?"
why. yes. mother. you get and
send something"
You, too. father"
II wouldn't know what to get.
They've probably got everything they