Abilene weekly reflector., 1922-12-21
The Wooden Soldier
~ Margaret Kilbeurne

In the poorer sections Of the
large city Of Wentworth, Illinois,
many little cottages were crowd
ed closely together. Brown
bleak, and bare they always
were, but on this, the day be-
fore Christmas, they seemed more
30 than ever before. About half
way down Eighteenth st., the
eye of q shivering passerby might
be arrested by little cottage,
which, although perhaps it was
not in much better condition than
the others, still stood out dis
tinctly from them. Perhaps this
was because the wind0wpanes,
though broken, were patched with
brown paper instead Of stuffed
iuntidil, with old rags, as were
those Of tho neighboring cottages.
- holly hung -anvitins~ll
yly tn the window, and smoke
.curled comfortably from the
chimney. r.
Seated bscore the fire in this
cottage, was q rather old woman
,of about sixty. Her hair was
white and her face wrinkled, but
her eyes still glimmered with the
Joy OF Christmas. She appeared
to be staring vacantly at the
wall, but was in reality looking
back through the years to other
scenes in other lands. This was
what she saw.
1t was Christmas Eve in a lit
tie cottage in Holland. She,
Mrs. Thomas BradstOne, was
,seated by the fire, waiting for
her husbands return from work.
In the little wall-bed a small boy
about four years old was sleeping
peacefully. This was her son,
Tommy. His stocking, hung for
st Nicholas, bulged with toys
and sweetmeats for the morrow.
Over the top of the stocking peep ,
ed the face of a wooden soldier.
Then her mind sped on through {
the years to busy scene in the {
harbOr Of Rotterdam. Her hus- 3
band had died, and her brother, Z
who was coming to America, had |
finally persuaded her to let Tom G
my, then about twelve, accom- t
pany him, in order that he might t
take advantage of the New h
privileges. Now she was S
him good-by. e
After about twenty years had e
passed, the news that her brother h
had died reached her, and she had r,
vet out to find Tommy. She had
now been hunting for about five d
years, and had almost given up Il
hope Of ever finding him. N
The fire suddenly cracked mer- OIL
lily, awakening her from her W
everie. Signing deeply, she took re
newspaper from the table at her tf
ide, and slowly perused column. W
Toys wanted by the Hospital st
q Mercy. Any contributions in al
hirly good condition will be very AZ
Welcome. Call No. 100" DC
After thinking for a few min az al
tes, she rose and went to a trunk Wv
> the corner. Lifting the lid, she
Dund package wrapped in white
lssue paper, and returned to her So
hair. she reverently united the 1t
lue ribbon which bound the pack SIT
ge, and with trembling fingers m!
rev from the depths Of paper ag
OGDEN soldier. the same one vo
hich had peered so calamity WI
Ter the stocking top on that pr
hristmas Eve Of which she had ma
st been thinking. She sat look
g at 1t In loving meditation. stil
bis was the most loved of Mr.
,mmy's toys; could she bring me
'rseh to give 1t away? No, 1t thi
rs impossible. She must keep snc
always. Then came the
ought Of Tommy's generosity.
nee he had gone hungry that a
or little beggar might be fed.
zee he had trudged to school lit
Rough snow In order that a lit a '
child, whose shoes were wear fac
; out might ride in the sleigh. ly
my such "reminiscences passed onl
rough her brain, and then came VIII
one which decided her. A An,
OF little boy had been visiting diel
n little boy whose parents acc