Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-26

: explained. the real ones going TO be
! Christmas
: BY now the two women were re-
/ storing hood and stocking cap TO the
/ little girls. and IL was Mis- winslow.
| who had followed. who spoke 10 Pep.
Who's dead. Pep:" she asked.
SANDY Claus" he answered readily.
We're doing it for little Emily be
/ said confidentially. she couldn't get
/ II straight about where Sandy Claus
! would be this Christmas. The rest of
Us knew. But EmiIy's Iittle-so we
/ thought we'd play bury him on her
/ count
Mis- Bates. who had not heard. turn
! ed from Gussie.
Going TO do what on ChristmasT"
she exclaimed You amt to do
thing on Christmas. Or amt you
] grown up. after all:'
We'll. we thought a Christmas fu-
neral wouldn't hurt" interposed Ben
net defensiveIy. Cant we even have
4 funeral for fun on Christmas he
ended. aGgrieved-
IFS Sandy Claus funeral" observed
little Emily. putting a curl from her
face.
We're Goin' dress MP a Sandy Claus.
You know" Pep added soto voce. Its
goin' to be right after breakfast Christ
mas.
Come on. come ahead. fellows" said
Bennet: III be corpse. Keep your
lids on. l don't mind. Go ahead.
sing
Already Mis- Winslow was walking
back TO the house: the other two wOm-
en- overlook her. and from the porch
they heard the children begin to sing:
Go bury St Nicklis'' The rest was
lost in the closing OF the door.
Back in the sitting room the women |
stood looking at one another. Mis- /
Bates was frOwninG and all Mis- Nor !
rams expressions were on the verge |
OF dissolving: nut i'm Mis- WinsIow's I
face it was rs though she had found 4
some new way of consciousness.
ladies' Mis- winslow said. them /
children are out there pretending 10 |
bury Santa ClauS-and so are we. And
I bet we can't any of us do II
Ladies" she sail, Il don't want we
should 20 back on our paper. either
But mebbe there's more To Christmas
than it knows about-or than we
know about. Mebbe we can do some
thing that won't interfere with the pa
FER we've all signed. and vet that'll
be something that is something. Meb
be they's things to use that amt new
er been used yet. Oh. dunno. Nor
l guess you dunno. Let us find out.
Christmas week came.
Cities by thousands made prepare
tion. Great shops took on vast cargoes
of silk and precious things and seemed
ready TO sail about. distributing gifts
TO the town. and thought better CT il
and let folk come in numbers to them
to pay toll for what they took. Banks
opened their doors and poured out now
a little trickling stream of pay envel-
opes. now Il torrent OF green and gold.
Flower stalls drew tribute from mil ,
lion pots of earth where miracles had 4
been done. Pastry counters. those mock
>ommissariats. delicately masking as
servants to necessity. made ready their
pretty pretences to nutrition. The
woods came moving in-acres of living
green. taken in their sleep. their roots !
left faithful to a tryst with the sap. |
their tops summoned to bear a hybrid {
fruitage. From cathedrals rose the :
voices of children. now singing little 4
carols and hymns in praise OF the q
Christ Child. now speaking little verses
in praise OF the saint Nicholas: now
clamOring for little new possessions.
And afar from the fields that lay ;
empty about the clustered roofs OF I
towns came chorus OF voices of the &
live things. beast and fowl. being offer $
ed up in the gorgeous pagan rites OF .
the day. n
Hitler and yonder in every city the IL
grown tOwnsfolk ran. The most had o
lists Of names-Grace. Margaret. Laura. p
Alice. Miriam. John. Philip. father IL
names and OF rich a
Dortent. SO that. remembering the b
lime. one would have said that these o.
we're entered there with some import s,
II special comrsdeship. of being face m
70 face. OF having realized in little Al
what will some day be true in large. hi
But on looking closer the lists were fe
'ound to have quite other connota-
ions, as Grace. bracelet: Margaret. IL
pangled scarf: Laura. chatting dish: h'
Philip. smoking set: father CMemo: III
Ask mother what she thinks he'd likel Sc
md every name. it seemed, stood for In
ONE bestowal Of new property. most In
' of Injuries and chiefly OF Injuries re
Z decoration. And the minds OF the 70
Iuyfng adults were ike lakes played te
pon by clouds and storm birds and IL
ghtning. and, 20 be sure. many stars. "
ut all in unutterable confusion. q
Also from the cargo laden shops u
lere came other voices in thousands. az
Ut these were mostly answers. And "a
hen one. understa nding Christmas. 90 90
stoned TO hear what part in IL these 81
ehind the counter played. he heard %
ON them no voice OF sharing in the =.
leory OF peace. or even Of truce. but sp
stead; no
Two n yard and double width. jew ar
" is in the annex Did you want IA