San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-12-01
"A Their FASTS
So CHILDREN
! MAY EAT
Leaves Food Untouched
I and Leaves to Find
Bread Money.
BY BESS CARROLL

An alley has produced San An
tonio's newest hero.
In the port of missing men, where
day 10 like a ycar-"a year whose
days are long"-there is one man who
went voluntarily to the cherries
emptiness of oblivion, leaving love and
happiness behind.
Like the lioness who starves that
her cubs may eat, this San Antonio
father bought food for his hungry
children with the last money he had
then went away, hungry and penni-
less, in order to leave untouched his
share of food for the brood at home.
He had spent his last thin dime
CRY FOR FOOD
His children had starved. He had
heard them cry because they were
hungry. And if he stayed to share the
bit of bread they had, there would be
one more mouth to feed.
SO he kissed them all goodbye and
went away-out to the gray, cold
Nowhere where down-and-outers lose
themselves because they must.
Until a few days ago there was hap
piness in the two-rcom shack that
faces an alley off San Jacinto street.
Net much else-an old stove, one bed,
a few chairs made of boxes. The
tiny place was hardly big enough to
hold eight children, but their daddy's
heart was big enough to hold just
loads of love for them all. He worked
faithfully, as a common laborer when
there was nothing else to do. At night
he told fairy stories and played with
the little tote, and they thought he
was the incest daddy in the world.
Sometimes when he told them stories
of palaces and queehs-in that squalid
hovel-his eyes blurred and his voice
grew shaky. For he hadn't meant to
raise his children in an alley.
DREAMS FADE
Not many years ago he had little
farm, almost paid for. He and his
wife had planned great things for
their kiddies. More than comfort and
shelter; party dresses for the girls,
college for the boys.
But their plans failed and their
hopes drifted away. Finally they
hoped just to keep roof over their
heads, enough food in the house to
keep them from being hungry.
More than a month ago the father
lost his work. He Joined the little
army of despairing men who tramp
the streets looking for a job. A day
of work once in awhile kept them
from actual want, but finally even
occasional work ceased. There were
idle, frantic weeks. The family
started eating two meals day, then
only one. The little ones cried for
food; they could not understand.
: 2 SPENDS ALL FOR FOOD
At last there came a day when the
father worked. He bought food with
the money, took il home. He said he
wasn't hungry. And he told them all
goodbye and walked away. He has
not been seen since. His wife knows
that he has not met with foul play
that he is simply staying away until
he can bring food or money home.
There is plenty to eat in the little
alley house today. The fathers sac
rifice kept his family from starving
until others could help. The children
have new clothes. The Salvation Army
is furnishing supplies. But the happi-
ness that dwelt in the tiny house is
gone. The children whose voices filled
a gloomy bit of alley with music
every night, have ceased to laugh
10 beg for another story. For their
daddy is somewhere out in the No
where looking for work, and they
know that he is hungry.