Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-01-04

dren had been lanished up stairs.
Mercy" said Mrs. Hodges. a.
mother basket. i don't know what
wa will do with all these things.
WhaIt have you got there, Benny.
please, Mis- Hodges" said.
Benny, tits your clean clothes"
'iOh," said Mrs. Hodges, Her
bert, dear. will you give Benny the
dollar?t and she burned to thel
wohk ait the tree.
"Please,l said Benny, "Mik'
Hodges-you had 81 handkechiefs
in tire wash this week.
Mrs. Hodges looked over her
shoulder. Did ~ she asked vague
ly. Your mother keeps track"
'4Cuu.ld- could 1 have one of
'em. Mis' Hodges. to remember
you by?"
ITO remember me by?" exclaim-
ed the lady. Are you going a.
way, Benny"
"No'm,' replied Benny soberly
ito remember You by staying
here.''
why never heard of such
thing;" cried Mrs. Hodges. "Her-
bert, did you hear? Did your moth
er teil you ito ask me, Benny?'
"She didn't tell ME-" said Ben
my. She don't know But l thought
hnagbe-if you had more than you
neededEt
Mrs. Hodges came and knelt by
Benny and put her hand on his
shoulder.
'"TeM me, Benny she said
gently, what do you want it for?'
II wanted it," said Benny, just
above a whisper, flor a Christ
mas present for somebody. If
you've got more"n you need
More than need,' repeated
Mrs. Hodges as she turned and
opened the basket of clean clothes.
From the File of handkerchiefs
she took the one that was finest
and laciest.
"Will you have this one for the
present, Benny" she asked. "Wil
this one d'o?"
ooh, yes, ma 'am," Benny said,
it you re sure you DON'T need it,
When he had thanked her
somehow and got out of the room,
Mrs. Hodges turned to the uncles
and aunts.
'tStop the work ON the tree
she said. live got some thing else
I want you to do"
On Christmas morning the Pow
ers family gathered around the
couch and the four gifts were dis
tributed.
! After the comforter for the
father had Feen unrolled and adj
m:red and the three little parcels
for Benny were found to contain
warm mittens, warm hose and a
"bouglnten' blue silk necktie, Ben
ny nudged his father.
THAT one" he said and polnl-
ed to an awkward bundle lying to
one side, with For Mother print
ed ia big, Irregular letters.
For me?" said Mrs. Powers,
Tor ma?'
She opaned tho LundEe and the
work basket with its flowered cali
revealed. She flashed him the
sw fl Look he loved to see.
Benny, dearest" she saua, as
she took in the pitiful attempt to
give her pleasure Penny, dearest,
foc me?"
He nodded mute1y 1T amt
much
well, amt that the workbask-
ct, thougIh?' Powers demanded, and
nodded to his Wife.
.Thera's something else" Benny
said with shining eyes, and pointed
to- a little roll of paper tucked
In the basket.
The mother unrolled it carefully.
AS the handkerchief came to view
her look flashed to him i'm alarm.
4 She gave it to me-" Benny
cried excitedy, Mis- Hodges, she
gave IL 10 me when l took the
Clothes home. i asst her for ito
remember her by
Whats thyat?" said Powers.
'tTook what clothes home?"
Mrs. Powers hands trembled as
! she spread the exquisite thing out
upon her lap, and her voice trem-
BLEED when she spoke.
, Nathan she said, II been help
In a little-just with Mis- Hold
,egess's clothes. l couldn't stand it