The Carlisle independent., 1920-12-16

had dreamed of and who had never stepped outside of her dreams.
 Yes She, Gertrude Harding, was born mother" to whom no children had been born.
 But this year she had forgotten something most important to be done. | And it was only several days before Christmas.
 She went down town, made her pur- chase after quite delay and left the shop.
 Outside were three small children, their faces close against the window pane, their eyes gleaming. their small ill-clad bodies tense and quivering with emotion.
 "Aw, geo. look at 1t stop at the sta tions There, she's off the track now! No, she ain't. 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 kiddin'?"
 The third child, a little girl, who was clutching what once had been doll was looking at one in the shops window.
 "If I 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.
 It 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 well as anybody; they had not been afraid They had looked to their hearts con tent
 Its rue-what they's said" the l children agreed afterward, "in there it 1 is the land all right, where children's dreams come true" For the reality of Fairyland had been expressed by the marvellous and magical toys and games 1 and gay decorations of the Christmas shop.
 If Gertrude Harding told herself afterward, these children had so loved a trip into the gayety of children's shop, were there not others who would 1 like to journey forth into the world of | toys, too?
 She thought it over. And did not stop there. She rang up certain number and asked for the matron.
 You're the matron of the Children's hospital, aren't you? Well, I won dered if any of your children would care to go with me tomorrow and take a trip through the chldrens toy shops? They're most attractively fixed up this year and some of them have special attractions, Santa Claus and many other wondrOus features !" So Gertrude Harding called for the children. There were 15 who were able to go and of that 15 the majority were motherless.
 Such an afternoon as Gertrude Harding had. And such an afternoon l as the children had.
 Those in the shops seemed especial ly anxious to do what they could for 1 the children who were so obviously from home or hospital. The mechan- l icai toys even seemed to put more spirit into their performances Ger trude Harding thought.
 As they were coming home several little hands found their way into both l of Gertrude Harding's hands. One cutched a little finger, another had hold of her thumb so it went.
 Mrs." one of them ventured, Tets pretend we're all children from a kin dergarten and that you're cur teach CT. Don't let's pretend we're from a hospital, eh?'
 Yes. let's pretend that she an- 1 swered them. "Or how would it do to pretend that was your mother and that you were all my children?"
 Would you-honest-would you l pretend that?" one asked and the oth- CTS looked at her eagerly, hoping. hop ing, hoping she would not refuse.
 'That would be the best pretend of al." she smiled at them.
 So they 'pretended' and so they went back very happily from their Christmas shopping trip.
 Once again she took them. on the day before Christmas. It was hard | getting through the crowds, but it was worth every effort.
 In one of the shops a gayly dressed clown led the children in a process | sion. Once in a while he turned and winked at them as though to say:
 "We know what fun all this is. don't we? We're in the secret of the fun that children can have at Christ mas time that the grown-ups know