The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1920-12-16


them.
1t was a revelation 10 her 10 realize
the joy that was derived by thest
children from the intimate contaci
with toys they knew they could never
own.
They had gone inside one OF the big
shops and had been treated rs we'll as
anybody; they had not been afraid
They had looked to their hearts con.
tent.
"Ifs true-whaf they's said" the
children agreed afterward. "in there IL
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
and gay decorations of the Christmas
shop.
If Gertrude Harding told herself
afterward, these children had SO loved
a trip into the gayety Of n children's
shop, were there not others who would
like to journey forth into the world OF
toys. too?
She thought IL 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 IL any of your children would
care TO go with me tomorrow and take
a trip through the children's toy shops?
They're most attractIvely fixed up this
year and some Of them have special
attractions. a Santa Claus and many
other wondrous featuresr' ... a..
So Gertrude Harding called fer the
children. There were Is who were
able to go and of that 10 the majority
were motherless.
Such an afternoon as Gertrude
Harding had. And such an afternoon
as the children had.
Those In the shops seemed especial
ly anxious 10 do what they could for
the children who were so obviously
from home or hospital. The mechan-
ical 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
of Gertrude Harding's hands. One
cIutched little finger. another had
hold of her thumb; so II went.
.'Mrs.," one of them ventured. 'let's
pretend we're all children from kin
dergarten and that you're our teach
er. Don't LET'S pretend we're from a
hospital, eh?"
ssv les hos che
swered them. ''Or how would II do TO
pretend that I was your mother and
that you were all my children"
would you-honest-would you
pretend that" one asked and the 9TH
ers looked at her eagerly. hoping. hop
ing, hoping she would not refuse.
"That would be the best pretend
of ALL" 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. II was hard
getting through the crowds. but ii was
worth every effort.
In one of the shops gayly dressed
clown led the children In 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 al Christ
mas time that the grown-ups know
nothing of. They must just let us go
ola,- on,l el,ora o,,r Saoraf fapafhar
ehY
And then the clown beat upon his
drum and the children all marched
stiffly behind.
When q magnificent Santa Claus
asked the children to sing with him
and the voices of the hospital children
sang out with the rest Gertrude Hard
ing felt herself swelling with pride.
Later when Santa Claus perceived
that one of the hospital children had
an unusually lovely voice he asked
him to sing alone.
And there in the shop he sang, seng
with the thrill Of happiness that a
bird sings with when first he feels the
warmth and sweet fragrance Of the
spring.
He had never been asked to sing be-
fore like this-in a big shop where
people were and where people listened
to him, not because he was being Wis
tied In a hospital and must do his part
to entertain the visitors. but because
somehow or other they liked his voice.
1t rang out true and strong. he
shifted the crutch which he had never
been without and which he would new
er be without to the end of his days,
and then he was asked to sing an en-
core.
His face was flushed with the pleas
ure Of doing something which was
liked In this big outside world.
He looked at Santa Claus and
beamed.
He had already sung popular song
which he had learned from the squeak.
ing talking machine which someone
had given the hospital when 1T was no
longer fit for the home. and now he
thought he would sing something bet
ter. Somehow he felt IL would be
proper, and vaguely perhaps he felt II