Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-03-02
Euening Story
angus PosT-cHRIsTMAs GIFT.
BY Catharine Cranmer.
Copyright, 1915, by Mcclure News.
paper Syndicate) .

! paper Syndicate.) .
| Two weeks of intermittent billiards.
| paralyzed so much Of the activity of
the city that Angy Lane had been un-
able to find a days work as sales
| woman, for it was the depressing sea-
son which follows the inflated Christ
mas trading. On the first moderate
day within weeks Angy was walking
down business street looking for
work when she saw long line Of
pale, starved looking people waiting
their turn to enter a large building
in temporary use as distributing
point for food and clothing contribut-
ed by the city's well-to-do citizens In
response to an appeal from a relief
committee. In the doorway stood a
big policeman. Down the sidewalk
for third Of a block stood the wom-
en-; up the remaining two-thirds of
the block stood the men. Among
them were sad faces, hardened faces,
delicate faces pinched by hunger and
suffering, but in all the throng not
a happy face. - w.. .'..
Angy passed shudderingly by,
thinking that not even for her sick
mothers sake could she become one
of that 'line." Then she remember
ed that for her mothers sake she
must not go home until she had Sc
sured either. work or food, and she
knew that her mother actually need
ed warm garments. Illness had tight
ened upon her mother just when the
business depression had taken Angy's
position from her and it had been a
h o,~I Ar1,t IN,
the necessary food and medicine and
rent. She thought of how they had
once lived so happily in the suburban
cottage where her father had mended
musical instruments and tended their
pretty garden. and had sent her with
gifts Of flowers or fruit or her moth
er's good chicken broth to many 4
humble home and to some quite pre-
tentious. Blessings and sorrows
were made to be shared" had been
a favorite saying Of her fathers and
as she remembered the quaint phil
osophy of his gentle life Angy deter.
mined to let her weather. fellows
share their blessings with her and her
mother She deliberately turned back
and took her place at the end of the
waiting line of women.
AS she stood waiting her turn to
enter the building she recalled the
handsome, laughing boy they had
known only as Harry, who used to
come with his violin to be mended
or strung, and who always went away
wearing some flower from their gar
den. Sometimes he had brought them
rare flowers from his mothers large
garden, where real gardener kept
everything in formal order. Once
Harry sprained his ankle as he jump
ed from the garden gate post, and she
had helped him on his limping way
home until he was picked up by the
family coachman. He called to her
from the carriage as it rolled away,
"Angy, when you take tumble you
must let me give you lift" Thus
sorrow often intensihes itself by con-
trasting its gauntness with the full.
ness of other days.
Some warm clothes for my moth
er and little food" was Angys tim
id response to the inquiry of the moth.
erly woman at the head Of the big
distributing counter inside the build
ing
"This box seems to have been just
meant for yOu,' smiled the lady, as
she held out large pasteboard box
containing a downy gray kimono, a
knitted shawl and slippers and some
stockings and underwear. At another
counter Angy received packages of
coffee, bread and bacon. Then she
hurried to her mother, wondering how
she could introduce the various things
gradually enough to prevent the real
source of such plenty being suspected.
Hear the good news, mother" she
exclaimed cheerily. "The snow is
beginning to melt at last. And see
the good things to eat!" AS she spoke
she spread the packages before the
rheumatic cripple's surprised eyes. i
How good that coffee smells!" ex.
claimed her mother.
and soon you shall taste! Oh,
we're going to have regular game
of the five senses for you're. going
to feel something good, too, pretty
soon" s.. .......a. ..... g 49,.
With many gay hint, but no direct
statement about where it came from,
she held the soft kimono before her
mother, and as she stepped behind