New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1919-12-12

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Kaleidoscope or inei
and curiouSly III
Ia stable: Il patel
nT. "a work of thing
NJ \'NL@ heard and see
IA IL TX and only half N
q ~ d~crst0od, Eun'c
NV Nm WAS six; too youn
LGRE8 to grasp the mean
81 MN in OF much tia
MSEO She heard. hut OF
q NJ enough to rcmem
I'M Der. All day sh'
v pla yrd happil.
with her dolls IN the shabby furnishes
room which was her mothers bed
loom. The door WAS locked, an
Mrs. Holmes, the landlady, Was unde
Instructions To look in from time Il
time To see what Eunice was doing
but since Eunice was never doln!
ANYTHING except playing with ne
dolls the good woman's visits became
IesS and less frequent.
"She'S the most c%ontcnted littl'
body in the world. ma'am," said the
old Scotch woman 10 lIilda Groves
Eun.re's mother. Mrs. Groves was
also called Marian Fay, but that wa,
when she stood behind the f0otlight'
and enraptured her audience with hel
giriiSh charm and ingpnue manner Bl
day she was lIilda Groves, wife OF
Tohn Groves. an unsuccessful writer
and the charming ingenuc WAS n very
tired with II diScontented
Troop To her mouth.
I'm glad she's Keeping out of mis-
h'"f" answered Eunice'S mother
coldly.
It's a wonder" soliloqulzed Mrs
Holmes, pansing in the act of taking
a 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 ~disapprovod Of
Mrs Groves, whom she thought hard
aud mmaternal. As for john Groves,
Eunicc's father, who worked all day,
humping upon his typewriter in TIA"
tittle= half empty back room two
stories up. whenever he met Euhice
he experienced a curious sense of en-
~5arrassment and shame.
When her mother entered the room
Euniee 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 aud caress their
children Eunice wondered dimly at the
cold formality of her mothers kiss,
and felt chilled and %ropressed
One snowy night in late December
John Groves came slowly downstairs
and dismissed Mrs Holmes, who was
making Funice ready for bed
Congratulate me daughter" he
said Il have an offer of a position
on the stan of the Manhattanite."
Funice looked up vaguely
How would you like to celebrate
the occasion with me. child'' inquired
H. father. addressing Eunice banter
indy. because he did not quite know
atf 10 tdN u utI
rs" said Eunice, slipping her
chubby hand into his own.
The motion is carried" said John
Groves. we are to go. then, to see
Mamma transformed into a beneticent
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
except for an occasional stroll
round the block to the newspaper
or the corner grocery To
Groves the sensation was as aston
as IT was unexpected Here he
had been creating his dream men and
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
in his jargon. human inter
But as for Eunice. she was
n wonderland. and it far transcribed
dollland 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
the row of little lamps that
went up into the roof and disclosed
Mother!
OOH cried Eunice. leaping up
lut 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
md shining things. standing in the
airy garden. while her Cod-children
themselves around her. And
such a transformed Mother! How
they all we're! She was laugh
ng as Eunice had never heard her
augh in Mrs Holmes boarding
iouse. and she kissed the children
nd gave them the most wonderful
oys.
do you know who that old fellow
5. Eunice?" inquired her father. in
.icating a Christmas character
That's Santa Claus"
"Thanta Clauth." repeated Eunice
Yes. He's the spirit OF Christmas.
lie gives everybody everything they
want on Christmas eve"
Does he live here2" asked Eunice.
We'll. for the present. yes" her
ather answered. Eunice was very