Evening star., 1924-12-14

drum s%a "s and i'saq = pair WM
of red-topped boots
on his Christmas tree. Seems only
little while ago. and now look at me,
fat and gray-huh, huh!'
AS he passed his purchase over for
wrapping his interest was caught by
an ecstatic sigh-and he looked down
into the excited eyes and open tooth
shedding mouth OF a boy who knew
just what it must feel to find drum
like that one on Christmas tree.
The man chucl1led with an off,
hand friendliness that made one think
RI of Dickens and Tiny Tim. So
Looks good to you, huh?
nephew of mine is going to get this
drum-think he'll like it, huh?
The boy, reinforced by two other
boys and long-legged little girl.
responded swith their belief, tongue,
and heart and immortal soul that the
nephew boy would think 1t grand.
Quite a drummer yourself, huh?"
= No. The tooth-shedder had no
drum He wished he had, but his
MON couldn't buy him one, and Santa
never came aniEh last Christmas.
he was goin' to buy hisself drum,
first thing. He drather have drum
than a sled, any day
IT druther have a doll-like that big
one in pink silk" The interruption
came from the long-legged little girl,
hut the man was too interested in the
boy to pay attention.
"Shucks, I wouldn't wait till l got
to work Maybe Santa will treat you
better this year-Tll remember to tell
him. myself.
AS the man chaffed, a customer
alongside was sure he would do the
Dickens act and give the boy
drum-because anything beautiful is
liable to- happen at Christmas times.
but:
Nothing happened. The man took
his parcel and went away. And the
boy looked after him with the
.raphsodic faith that is childhood.s
most splendid asset. And the one 1t
loses first.
And, as he stood there. blessedly
young enough to believe with all his
heart in Father Christmas, the kinder
garten teacher, who was plotting her
bunch of kids through the Kingdom
of toys. came up and said it was time
to go down and buy a bag of jelly
beans, all around" And you could
tell she was going to do the treating.
The boy met her with a gurgle of
raptnre:
"Santa's goin' to bring me a drum,
Miss Ella. The gentman is goin' to
tell him to-"
And he might bring me doll
a big one in a pink silk Dress This
daring hope put sparkles In the eyes
of the long-legged girl. And all the
Others chuckled and dtmpled, and
looked their envy of the tooth -shedder
and the long-Iegged girl.
The bare recalling of the man S
own Christmas drum might have made
him pass the happiness on, just for
the sake of old times. but
When everything happens in this
world exactly as 1t ought to,sthen we
will know, WITHOUT having anybody to
tell us, that1tiie millennium has come.
~ X \ r.
IF you like to poke around listening
to small goings on you are always
finding small chunks of interests that
appeal to you personally, but might
he too uneventful to pass on-except
that wisdom tells Us that the small
things of life make up the great big
whole.
For this one case: A girl who owns
q noble old grandfather clock moved
into another house the other day
and, as the antique was too large
for her room, the lady of the house
placed it in the front hall.
;. One boarder, who can remember
farther back than she likes to own to,
was passing up from the dining room
DclO" "ncu tuS duCAeHl tihCPCIC'
tick-tocking in the dusk. so reminded
her of an old song she used to know
that she paused to hum the remi-
niscent tune, but-such is the van
dalism of time, she got only so far
as
My grandfather's clock was too
tall for the shelf, so-so-
1T stood 80 years on the floor
The assistance came from kindly
hn or ont he
shadows of the parlor to help a
good thing along. But he, too, could
get only so far-and that was all
there was to it. except that, of all
the other people in the house. there
wasn't one who had ever heard of
the song-they were of the younger
generation-which shows that songs
as well as singers can join the poet
In his fine but gloomy wall:
Are we so soon forgot?
And 1t was such a nice, weepy old
song that when the dramas village
Quartet used to come on the stage
and get to the tick-tock refrain
where 1t stopped short, never to go
again, when the old-man-died"--
why. sir, you could see even the men
we call hard boiled today sneak out
handkerch!efs-theyz used. ivory silk
for best In those times--and mop up
fnrtive tears.
Just one song added to the tears
and laughter. the happy high jinSs
and lonely heartbreaks of an un-
lparked past, of which memory, only,
keeps record. gsi-.: .ss
And we read the History. of the
World, and feel wise.
X II ~.
IF you have your doubts as to the
mental ability OF goldfish. it
would he wisdnH RI onf An, o ~ or,
rum and grow wisdom.
In this same house there is bowl
in, which four tiny FISH swim and
swim with the aimlessness that only
goldfish seem to relish. Let rainy
day come, however. and the fish will
float sluggishly, when not huddled
together on the pebbly bottom This
contrast alarmed the boarder to
whom the lady of the house had
loaned the fish, as a sort of comfort
TO make up for the loss OF canary
that could sing. But II was aFaH right.
The lady explained: .g:,lfs:5sssS
They always act like thst In sdafnp.
weather" @
fIt weuldn,t seem that dampnkss
but-one learns. things ..ss- .ss.1-s
Also, at two certain. hours d day.
early forenoon and after dusk, the
four FISH begin to haeh around with
race feetness, and to dart In and
out of the arches of a castle OF stone.
They know that meaitime has come.
or the boafderf or any other sthey
take no notice, but the eEinstanf the
lady Of the house enters. all four, fish
shoot up to the surface and begin
nosing around for food.
She says the fish know her. And
maybe It Is true, for when she talks
to them they flock to the side near