Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-21
Again the Christmas Angels Sang.

4 I'LL ClII1SS-ddlu dUONC dIA
~ times at the Christmas season
~ Mrs. Wyatt had but one
4 thought, one interest in life
her two very dear and very
spoilt grandchildren.
And this year, when Betty Ann, s
years old, and Buster "going on a"
had become such big little people,
with correspondingly big desires. she
had spent so much money buying
expensive toys demanded in the chill
dren's letters to Santa Claus that
when she was asked to contribute
toward the Sunday school Christmas
tree, the municipal Christmas cele-
bration, the Salvation Army Christ
mas dinner. she declared it was i'm
possible for her to give to any out
side object.
But in preparation for her darlings'
mother age for ones own bed, Mrs.
| herself to buying expensive ready.
| made toys: she created
For weeks before her room at the
hotel was an abandon of bright -colored
| disorder.
And as she sewed doll clothes,
ruined her best scissors cutting card
board, "stickied" everything up past
| ing colorful sheets of tissue paper, she
blissfully daydreamed Of her Christ
mas visit to the house Of the children.
| For although it was a risk, for Judy s
| house was not steam-heated, in spite
| of ones prediction at the grand
| mother age for ones own bed Mrs.
! Wyatt always went to her daughter 8
| the day before Christmas and stayed
| until the day after, that she might
| share the fun of decorating the Christ
| mas stockings and take part in the ex'
| element Of the childrenS awakening
on Christmas morning.
| The morning of the day before
| Christmas had come when out of the
bright sky of her happy expectations
the thunderbolt fell.
| Judy broke the news to her over the
| telephone.
| Betty Ann had diphtheria. 1t was a
| light case. The doctor assured them
| there was no cause for alarm. Every
| one hoped that the antitoxin would
| prevent Buster getting 1t. But, of
| course, they were in quarantine, and
the children's Christmas would have
| to be indefinitely postponed.
| Christmas without the children;
| Christmas without Judy: Christmas
| without Peter--until then her quite
unimportant son-in-law - Christmas
spent alone in her room at hotel;
| could anything be more desolate?
She had her breakfast sent up. but
| scarcely touched 1t. In utter deJec.
| ton she sat at the window and looked
| aimlessly out.
It was crisp and blustery, with a
| drizzle of rain. A most depressing, un-
| Christmas day!
| Sunddenly her vacant gaze focused
upon a shabby, stoop-shouldered little
| old man standing out in the wind and
rain. He was the flagman who. at
| the approach of electric trains that
passed every 20 minutes. came out OF
| a wee shelter house to hold up
warming signal at the opposite cross
| ing. What a life to lead! What way
| to spend Christmas!
With the first animation she had
shown since the dire telephone mes
sage, Mrs. Wyatt began to make up
little Christmas package for the poor
old soul-a knitted scarf no longer
needed now she had her new Christ
mas furs from Judy and Peter; book
of short stories just long enough to
read between trains; an orange, a box
of candy, a bright silver dollar that
| had been intended for the toe OF Bus
ter's Christmas stocking.
She took 1t down to the lobby ana
| tipped bellboy as her Santa Claus
messenger.
Having nothing better to do. she
stood at the front window awaiting
| his return.
| But instead of coming directly back
| after delivering her package she saw
| the boy dart into an open toy shop
| opposite.
"What in the world have you got?''
| asked Mrs. Wyatt when he finally APP
peared breathless.
TITS for the kid who lives across
| the hall from us" he grinned, hold.
| ing out the unwrapt doll in his hand.
"Her folks are awful poor, and she's
| cryin' her eyes out because she didn't
get the doll she'd set her heart on. SO
blew in the money you gave me and
bought her one"
when are you going to take it to
her?"
II get off at o'clock"
eff you will let me have the doll till
then" eagerly proposed Mrs. Wyatt.
''I'll make her some pretty clothes"
"Sure, Mixer beamed the boy.
Mrs. Wyatt went thoughtfully
upstairs. A pretty fine boy that!
Precious few youngsters would have
spent their Christmas tip to make a
little neighbor kid" happy. She
would not give him anything now
That would spoil the whole thing.
Be like paying him for his generous
impulse. But she would make 1t up
to him later.
She had plenty of material left from
Betty AIMS doll. Her fingers were
skillful from long practice and all
morning she sewed like a house afire.
BY half past / the cheap doll in
tawdry finery had been transformed
into vision of loneliness.
As Mrs. Wyatt entered the dining