Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-11-08

a cracked and handleless cup. She
reached her fingers within and
scooped out pennies she had so care
fully boarded. One, two, three-fif-
counted them-"one, two, three-fif-
teen" Fifteen of them-each a drop
of hard wrung blood. She wrapped
the shawl about her shoulders again,
taking the pennies in a tightly
clasped hand, tiptoed to the bed and
tenderly kissed the white face. AS
noiselessly as creaking boards would
permit she descended the long flights
Of rickety stairs to the street.
The wind was still sweeping the
snow In dense driving whirls and the
woman scurried up the narrow street
and into the broader one beyond al
ready cramped and nearly frozen.
Half blinded by the storm, she ran
in an attempt to cross the street.
Dimly. on her right, she saw some
huge monster rise out Of the white
labyrinth and bear down upon her.
There was a wild shrek, q shriil
grinding of brakes and then, with a
mighty effort, she threw herself for
ward almost clearing herself from
the danger. Just small. side blow
sent her sprawling, unhurt, but with
her hands instinctively outthrown.
AS she picked herself up, the driver
of the truck, finding her unhurt,
speeded down the street and the few
who had gathered quickly melted
away. But still the..Moman remained,
searching, searching. Her face be-
came strained, her eyes opened in a
new horror as minute after minute
passed and she CROPPED vainly in the
soft, yielding snow with hands that
protested in a growing numbness.
Then she understood. They were
lost-htose Is pennies that meant a
Christmas back in the tenement
Christmas to a dying little girl who
half doubted a Santa Claus-were
gone-were lost.
She rose to her feet and CROPPED her
way to the sidewalk, blinded by tears
and hail and snow. Her lips tried
to form words. She tried vainly to
say things-to cry aloud what the
world did not know and about which
they would scarcely care even If
they did know. Creeping back to
that tenement she was a half -des-
perate, wild, pitiful thing as she
paused outside the door. She en-
tered and sat by the foot of the bed,
w-straio asa NIB NIB NIB m mbbde
lllSy vi y-cytu Ilc HIS III
wore on and yellow morning light
sifted into the room as the little girl
opened her eyes.
She stared about for a moment,
smiled at her mother and said, ooh,
mother, l know that Santa Claus did
come, l saw him as l slept"
Raising herself half erect, she
reached before her and her hands
closed. They were empty. The
happy light in her eyes died-a look
of growing understanding wiped
from her baby features all semblance
of trust, belief and childishness.
HE didn't-he didn't-co,ne Moth
er-mama-there amt no Santa
Claus-there - there amt" She
strangled. caught at her throat and
fell backward A convulsive shud-
der shook her frame and the woman s
arms about her were too late. Nom
understandingly the woman pressed
her lips time and again against the
lips fast growing white and cold.
Wildly she shook the form of the
child and then something deep in her
brain snapped. She seized the frail,
lifeless body in arms that gripped
convulsively and back and forth she
rocked, saying, "There-ain't-ain' t
no Santa Claus. There ain't-there
amt" and as she tottered forward,
"there-ain't no Cod"
The above is the pitiful unravel-
ing of the tale of life-a tale of life
that the Elks try each Christmas to
bring to a better ending, one In
which the happy eyed child and the
God -praising mother gather about
them the things which Elkdom has
been able to bring to them at the
time of their greatest need, when 1t
seems as though the whole world
is happy. 1t is into such homes as
those pictured that the Elks try to
put back into the lives of children
the faith and trust of childhood and
into the hearts of fathers and moth
ers, faith in humanity and belief in
the protecting power of a Supreme
Being. Those merchants who have
taken advertising units in the Boos-
ter, the men, women, boys and girls
who patronize the Elks' minstrel
show, and hundreds of others, in
| many ways, make it possible for the
Elks to do this work. Not on behalf
Of the Elks. but on behalf of the
| bleeding heart of humanity, do we