The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-12-13

with her dolls I'm the shabby iurnishNh
room which was her mothers bed
room The door was locked, ana
Mrs. Holmes, the landlady, Was under
Instructions To look in from time TO
time 10 see what Eunice was dong :
but since EuniCe was never doing
anything except playing with her
dolls the good woman's visits became
less and less frequent.
"She's the most cOntentcd little
body In the world, ma'am," said the
old Scotch woman to llilda Groves.
Eunice's mother. Mrs. Groves was
also called Marian Fay, hut that was
when she stood behind the fOOtlights
and enraptured her audience with her
girlish charm and ingenue manner by
day she was Ililda Groves, wife OF
John Groves, an unsuccessful writer
and the charming lngenue was a very
tired woman with discontinued
droOp to her mouth.
I'm glad she's keeping out Of mis-
chief" answered Eunice's mother
coldly.
Its a wonder" soliloquized Mrs.
Holmes. pausing in the act of taking
pair of sheets out of a closet and
looking at the closed door. its a
wonder that sort of parents has them
kind OF children"
The good woman dsapproved OF
Mrs. Groves, whom she thought hard
A. Il
Eunice's father. who worked all day,
humping upon his typewriter In the
little half empty hack room. two
stories up. whenever he met Eunice
he experienced a curious sense OF EN-
barrassment and shame.
When her mother entered the room
Eunice would experience much the
same feeling of embarrassment that
she occasioned her father. Though
she had never been told that moth
ers ought to love and caress their
children. Eunice 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 Eunlce ready for bed
Congratulate me. daughter" he
said. 81 have an offer of a position
on the staff OF the Manhattanite."
Eunice looked up vaguely.
'How would you like to celebrate
the occasion with me, child?" inquired
her father, addressing Eunice banter
ingly. because he did not quite know
, what to say to her.
J "'Es," said Eunice. slipping her
= chubby hand into his own.
The motion is carried" said John
Groves. I'VE are to go. then, to see
"a Mamma transformed into beneficent
: 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 1t was unexpected. Here he
had been creating his dream men and
women all his life. while there was a
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
doll-land. She had never imagined
anything so heavenly as the lights,
the people. and then the mystery Of
the tunnel-like 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!
"o-oh!" 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 aiming things. standing In the
fairy garden. while her god-children
grouped themselves around her. And
such Z transformed Mother! How
happy they all werel She was laugh
ing as Ernice had never heard her
laugh IN Mrs. Holmes boarding.
house. and she kissed the children
and gave them the most wonderful
toys.
do 1ou know who that old fellow
is. Eunice?" inquired her father, In
-. =.
~Tbafs Santa Claus.
'Thanta CIauth." repeated Eunice
happily.
Yer He's the spirit Of Christmas.
He Tres everybody everything they
want - Christmas eve"
ucIs he live here" asked Eunice.
~W&l. for the present. yes her
nt1ll answered Eunsce was very