Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-12-25

lie may have been travelling
salesman from Kokomo or Cedar
Rapids or Pullman conductor
with home and family at the other
end of the division. Perhaps he
was convict, keeping stem
ahead of pursuit, or wanderer
moving about restlessly from east
70 west and north to south. Posi-
bly, he coughed with a racking
sound and walked with slow and
measured tread that betrays the
healthseeker, forsaking home and
friends for life in New Mexico sun
shine.
But whatever he was. he was
homesick. lonesome and heavy
hearted. He was away from home
and friends. And it was the night
before Christmas Perhaps II will
pass with the week and he will for
get the scene and the memories il
brings before him. Tomorrow his
Ire may not seem so empty, nor
It's outlook so Respondent.
But on Christmas eve the scene
of happiness he has just witnessed
by constrast eXaggerates his. own
lack of the things that make for
real satisfaction and contentment
in life.
A hotel bedroom, a postcard per-
haps with embossed reindeer and
holly designs, restaurant meal of
roast turkey and dressing. a cold
day in December-that is the wan
derer's Christmas.
The iron door in the basement Of
the City hall comes open with n
grating, iarring crash as the bolt
Is ierked out of place. A dirty.
unshaven man in unkempt clothes
walks through the opening and the
police sergeant shuts the door be-
hind him. He is bum" tramn
also a wandCrer, but probably
penniless. uncertain where his next
meal Is coming from, and mavbe
out of tobacco. The city iail offers
him A warm place for the night
He shares the haven with some
two dozen other drifters. No downv
bed, to be sure, but at least few
feet of space to stretch out on the
floor or on the top of one of the
"cages" whore the wintrv winds
will not penetrate and chill him.
That is enough for q hobo. There
is no detection in his stem. no self
pity in his face. He is su1len look
ing, unmindful Of the fact that he
is an economic failure and a social
outcast. So he steps careless1y
over and around PROSTATE bodies
of his fellow derelicts, prods ono
roughly with his foot and com
mands him to move over and
make place for a bum to flop"
He is not meditating on the mir
acle at bethlehem back in the be-
ginning of the Christian era. He
is not returning thanks to the Di-
vinity that he has accommodations
at least equal to those afforded
Christ on the night of His birth.
He is searching his pockets for
enough tobacco scrapings to roll
cigarette. And not finding it, he
is swearing. The bum to his left
senses his plight and offers a pack
age of cigarettes and they begin
talking about the "bulls" in Trini-
dad and the Jail at Tucson. and the
StIlfl al NilSStNIli'GS VI IdllIOdu
brakemen everywhere.
A brother bum rouses from a
restless slumber and propping him
self on an elbow, glares belIiger-
emily at the talking pair.
Fer tn Iowa Mike is youse guys
gonna gah all night? FerEit it. We
wants sleep"
A retort courteous is made but
the offenders lower their voices to
a whisper and finally cease all con-
Versation. The air is alive with
loud snoring and varied and often
sive odors. The bum rubs his Gig
arett butt on the concrete floor
and rises to stretch and yawn be-
fore throwing himself into the
arms of Morpheus.
lnstinctively he walks to the win
dow and peers through its frosted |
panes. The cold invites him to lift |
the sash a few inches for a breath |
Of pure air.
A sound of singing floats from |
afar and family into the Jail win