The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1919-12-13

the kind old man guarding the tuhlie''
whats your name, little girl?" in
Quired the man. Who's your Nam
MAJ"
I'm Eunice, and my Mammals a
fairy godmother."
Miss SFay's child" said the man
She told you to come for her, eh?
Eunice did not know what she an
swered, for she was running down the
tunnel alongSa we'll remembered pas
sage toward star of light that shone
in the distance. And then there
burst upon her eyes the dazzling spec
tacle of the Christmas play.
She did not understand that those
rows of ghost-like faces stretching
away into the distance were the au'
dience, and to her the setting OF the
sta ge was reality. Her eyes were
fixed upon the beautiful woman who
stood and bowed and smiled, won
derful being illumined by great
| shaft of light from overhead, which
followed her every movement the
fairy children had gone, and Hilda
Groves bowed finally and withdrew
toward the palace threshold.
She had needed all her concentra'
ton to play successfully that night,
and In spite of that more than one
of the newspapers commented dis
paragingly the next day upon her per
Torrance. 1t was unreal. they said.
7 and lifeless. Gould .they only have
seen her after the curtain fellD To
Hilda it was agony. The mothers
heart was aching. but she did not
know the cause or that her child
could cure her malady; jshe thought
of Eunice only as hateful and repug'
J nant duty to which she must return
. after her evening task. lShe turned
and entered through the palace por'
tails, which gave upon the wings
Now she was only tired woman
again, anxious to divest herself OF
her tinselled trappings. But to the
little figure that stood before her she
was an Olympian. Eunice stood lost
in amazed admiration at this wonder
full being who was her mother,
Mamma! Mammal" The arms
: were outstretched.
"Eunice!'
The harsh tones broke the spell.
j, The child remembered her last visit
, and the establishment that followed
1t. She clutched at her mothers
a gown.
), "Who brought you here? How
a dared you come? You should have
> been asleep hours ago.
: The little arms were clutching at
the fairy gown frantically and the up.
: turned face was one of piteous en-
!. treaty.
Don't scold me. Mamma. ] want
: ed Thanta Clauth. He gives most
. anything to good boys and girls
: The tragedy in the child's face ar
: rested Hilda. The cold crust OF self
ishness was breaking
;. 81 wanted him to make you love
- me like the fairy children, Mamma
= Love conquered. If only the critics
: could have seen Hilda now! Sudden
. ly she understood the infinite sorrow
o of the child's mind, the tragedy. o
g the little life1 which she had created
the loneliness. tn. craving for
IS mothers pity and love. Tears gushe'
s. from her own eyes and mingled will
e the child's as she drew her to he
u breast
r The doorkeeper came hurrying VI
O. Miss Fay" he cried excitedly, "youv
is got your little girl then? though
81 she was waiting beside mel jus
lg missed, her. There's a gentleman
lie He gave way to John Groves. Mrs
IN Holmes had discovered the empty be
u five minutes before and frantic wit
IN alarm, had rushed up to the lonely II
70 tie room on the third story. job
Groves had shrewdly guessed hi
!! daughters objective.
you've got her, Hilda. Than
IT. Cod" he began, and then stoppe'
astonished at the look Of happines
I! on his wife's face.
y. "She came to find Santa Claus
said Hilda. "She wanted somethir
ne of him, and / guess he's heard HI
ne prayer. But think it must be SAM
ed sent her to me. John, I've four
lis something tonight that never kne
at I'd lost, and I'm going to keep it.
Eunice-home with me-us-always
co Copyright by W. g. chapman)