The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1920-12-10

'born mother" to whom. no children
had been born.
She was not morbidly unhappy be
cause of these children who had new
er come. She had filled her life witt
plenty of activity, plenty OF content
ment, plenty of happiness. But al
Christmas time she shut herself away
as it We're and only the heart of her
popped through and wept a few silent
| tears because there were no children
! for her TO think about.
She had always done her Christmas
shopping early, not merely because the
shops requested it, but because 1t
gave her fewer of the Christmas pangs
| Of loneliness to keep away from the
concluding excitement and hurry and
spirit of the season.
Her Joy Equals Riddles.
But this year she had forgotten
something most important to be done.
And il was only several days before
Christmas.
She went down town, made her pur-
chase after quite a delay and left the
shop.
Outside were three small children,
pane, their eyes cleaning. their small
ill-clad bodies tense and quivering
with emotion.
Jaw, gee, look at it stop at the sta
lions There. she's off the track now |!
No, she amt. She's back on again"
The second child was reading a sign.
'They says that in this here shop
that it's the land where the dreams of
children come true. Dye suppose
they's kidding"
The third child, little girl. who
was clutching what once had been a
doll was looking at one In the shops
window.
IF could jes' touch her hair" she
sighed.
"would you like to go inside the
shop?" Gertrude Harding asked the
children.
They looked at her abruptly. "D'ya
mean it?"
And through the shop, straight to
the children's department she took
them.
1t was revelation to her to realize
the joy that was derived by these
children from the intimate contact
with toys they knew they could never
own.
They had gone inside one of the big
shops and had been treated as we'll as
anybody; they had not been afraid.
They had looked to their hearts con-
tent.
IT'S true-what they's said,' the
children agreed afterward, "in there it
is the land all right. where children's
dreams come true" For the reality of
marvellous and magical toys and games
and gay decorations of the Christmas
shop.
If Gertrude Harding told herself
afterward, these children had so loved
trip into the gayety of children's
shop, were there not others who would
like to journey forth into the world of
toys too?
She thought It over. And did not
stop there. She rang up a certain
number and asked for the matron.
you're the matron of the Children's
hospital. aren't you? Wei. I Won
dered if any of your children would /
care TO go with me tomorrow and take I
a trip through the children's toy shops? I
They're most attractively fixed up this I
year and some of them have special /
a Santa Claus and many
other wondrous features -
So Gertrude Harding called for the
children. There were 10 who were
able to go and of that 10 the majority
were mOtherless.
She took them in the trolley, for the
hospital was a little distance out of
he town. The trolley to them was as
exciting as anything could be, they.
thought. Everything they passed was
So many new views came
nto sight. They saw beyond the hos
)ital window views. beyond the sight Is
II white cots and wheeling tables
He'd with medicine. They saw men
md women, boys and girls. dogs and
ats, electric. signs and gay windows
Such an afternoon as Gertrude ,
Harding had. And such an afternoon
IS the children had
Those III the shops seemed especial
Y anxious to do what they could for
he children who were so obviously I
rom a home or hospital. The mechan-
cal toys even seemed to put more I
pirit into their performances Ger
rude Harding thought !
AS they were coming home several +
tile hands found thfir way into both +
f Gertrude Harding's hands One :
lutehed a little finger. another had r
old of her thumb so il went :
The Best Pretend of All.
Mrs. one of them ventured, s'let's
retend we're all children from a kin !,
ergarten and that you're our teach .
{. Don't let's pretend were from :
ospital. eh?' :,
Yes. lets pretend that" she an
Eered them. "Or how would 1t do to- :
retend that / was your mother and :
lat you were all my chiIdreng" :
would -honest-would you
retend that?" one asked and the 9TH =
5 looked at her eagerly. hoping, hop :,
g, hoping she would not refuse. !
THAT would be, the best pretend q
ALL she smiled at them