Woman's enterprise., 1922-01-13
Chldren's Corner
4
WHEN MONEY
GREW ON A TREE
By Virginia BransfOrd.

BY Virginia Bransford.
Farmer Simpson drove up to the (
hide entrance Of the Metropolitan Ho-
tel with Great Gusto; he was the
fairy who converted the grand ball
room of the hotel into a woodland
bower, each year for the Xmas ball.
Not that Farmer Simpson looked at all
like fairy, for he was big, and
strong, with a ruddy face, just like
the pictures of old Santa Claus.
Snow fakes fell on the Xmas
wreaths he and Sarah had made the
night before, and on the great branch
es of holly and mistletoe, and the
trailing vines he wrestled with, as he
carried them in great armfulls into
the hotel from his auto.
Two newsboys looked with hungry
eyes at the great mass of foliage that
passed them so near, that one broke
off a tiny piece and fostered it on
the lapel of his ragged coat.
"say, Mister" he called, as Farmer
Simpson emerged for another load,
"where did yer git all them vines?"
"Why, Son, they grow wild on my
place. All l got to do is to 60 after
them"
Happen to have any trees on your
place where money grows?" asked one
of them, "if so, I'd like to git hold
of them fer a few minutes.'
The pathos in the boys face struck
the kind hearted farmer.
"Come on, Son, this is nearly Xmas
have a good time, and forgit the none!
proposition. What you want none!
so bad for, amt yer got enough t.
eat and place to sleep. What's you
name, and where do you live?-"
The simple fate was soon told; n
had been unsuccessful that day in sell
ing ten papers just zackly alike, an
hard working mother at home depend
ing on his, and his younger brother
exertions.
"Let's see how many yer got. Sara
likes to read" ''''. .-'
"oh, Mister, just look! You are buy
ing ten papers just zockly alike, an
one would do for your wife to read
"Never you mind, Son. Sarah pc
ters me every day for papers to wra
up things in. Come now kids, tn
cold is Citing something awful: y
got no more papers to sell, el'mo I'M
The band wagon and I'll drive "
home"
Two cold, hungry boys with a shn
new fifty cents each, and the prospe
of ride, climbed into the now emp
car. the older one gave the drect't
as Farmer Simpson drove them hon
They were met at the door by
anxious mother, who was profuse
her thanks to the kindly old farm
All the way home Farmer. simp'
studied the case Of "them two klc
as he called them. =,
One glimpse of the home thro'
the open door convinced him they v
doing the best they could. ~ .
"Wish l did have tree where mo
grew" he mused to himself.
"say, jerry" said Sarah, after
had eaten their bountiful supper,
the dishes had been washed and
awav "What has made yau so tho'
full. and quiet? Didn't you do
with your stuff"
eyes, wife, I did uncommonly
hit blessed if l didn't run upon
kids selling papers, that got ne'
me: wish you could have seen
faces when they saw aA ''0
stuff l took in"
"Poor little dears, tell me al
them."
As Jerry told the simple story,
came in Sarah's eyes and she T.
instinctively to glance out OF the
dow, towards the cemetery wner
little graves lay under the snow !
"Wouldn't it be good thing
to use some Of that money v
for the green stuff on them XII =
Xmas?"
"Land sakes, Jerry, l never sa