The Monticellonian., 1919-12-12

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IT, I'll HE mind OF a child is a
i Y II Y tai images, unrelated
4 Kaleidoscope of men
/ and curiously un-
Ia stable; patch
lCgs 4 work Of things
/ IA I\IL<, heard and seen
+ IL Il * and only half I'M
% ~ derstood. Eunice
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/ wv L was six; tee young
NRE8 to grasp the mean
~ k-vcSSY ing Of much that
(I%N size heard. but old
q Me- enough to remem-
~ Der. All day she
W bfa yed happily
with her dolls in the shabby furnished
room which WAS her mothers bed
room. The door was locked, and
Mrs. Holmes, the landlady. was under
Instructions To look IN from tine to
time to see what Euniee was doing ;
but since Euniee was never doing
anything except playing with her
dolls the good woman's visits became
less and less frequent.
shes the most eontented little
body In the world, ma am said the
old Scotch woman to Hilda Groves.
Eunice's mother Mrs. Groves was
also called Marian Fay, but that was
when she stood behind the foetlights
and enrapured her audience with her
girlish charm and ingenue manner. By
day she was Hilda Groves, wife of
John Groves, an unsuccessful writer,
and the charming ingenue was very
tired woman with a discontinued
droop to her mouth.
I'm glad she's keeping out of mis-
chief" answered Eunice's mother
coidiy.
IT'S wonder" soHloquized Mrs.
Holmes, pausing in the act of taking
a pair Of sheets cut of a closet and
looking at the closed door. its a
wonder that sort Of parents has them
kind Of children"
The good woman disapproved of
Mrs. Groves. whom she thought hard
aud unmaternal As for John Groves,
Euniee,s father. who worked all day,
humping upon his typewriter in the
little half empty back room. two
stories up, whenever he met Eunice
- a.,5r;.-or7 n o,,rio3c capcn IF ON
barrassment and shame.
When her mother entered the room
Eunice would experience much the
same feeling of embarrassment that
she eeeasioned her father. Though
she had never been told that moth
ers ought to love and caress their
children. Euniee wondered dimly at the
cold formality of her mothers kiss.
and felt chilled and repressed.
One snowy night in late December
John Groves came slowly downstairs
and dismissed Mrs Holmes, who was
making Eunice ready for bed.
Congratulate me- daughter" he
said. q have an offer of position
on the stan of the Manhattanite.
Eunlce looked up vaguely.
How would you like to celebrate
the occasion with me, child?" inquired
her father, addressing Eunice banter
ingIy, because he did not quite know
what to say to her.
"Es,s said Eunice. slipping her
chubby hand into his own.
"The motion is carried" said John
Groves. I'VE are to go, then, to see
Mamma transformed into a benefcent
fairy As you are doubtless aware,
she takes the part of the Fairy God
mother in the Christmas play now
running at the Hudsonian."
That was the first time John Groves
and Eunice had ever been out to-
gether, except for an occasional stroll
round the block to the newspaper
man or the corner grocery. To
Groves the sensation was as aston
ishing as it was unexpected. Here he
had been creating his dream men and
women all his life. while there was
live child. his own, waiting to be
discovered, and full OF the most amaz-
ing touches of what he would have
called, in his jargon, human inter
est" But as for Eunice, she was
in wonderland, and it far transcribed
dollland She had never imagined
anything so heavenly as the lights,
the people. and then the mystery OF
the tunnellike approach to the thea
ter, the gloomy aisle, and the wall
behind the row of little lamps that
went up into the roof and disclosed
Mother!
OOH cried Eunice, leaping up
out Of her chair And nobody scolded
or even frowned. because this was a
Christmas play and the spirit Of
Christmas was upon everyone
There was her Mamma, all colors
and shining things, standing in the
fairy garden. while her g8d-children
grouped themselves around her And
such transformed Mother How
happy they all weret She was laugh
ing as E1aiee had never heard her
laugh in Mrs Holmes boarding
house and she kissed The children
and gave them the most wonderful
toys.
DO YOU know who that old fellow
Is. Eunice2" inquired her father. in.
dicatng Christmas character
That's Santa Claus
"Thanta Clauth repeated Euniee
happily.