Evening star., 1931-12-20

toward the darkness Wearily he clambered
till he could fling himself fat and peer over
the edge. Below stretched a confusion of plan
cts and clouds and tiny knot of what seemed
to be people. Straining his eyes, he discov-
cred that they were staring in his direction
and calling He could distinguish nothing which
they said, though he imagined that he heard
his fathers voice
"Jim!" he tried to shout back but he found
his voice husky with excitement "Jim!"
Again he failed to make himself heard above
the tumult below him.
He pondered moment, baf1ed. Finally,
struggling to the parapet, he clambered to his
feet. Leaning against the force of the wind
which blew over the WALL he placed two fin
gers of each hand in his mouth and blew
shrilly-the old East Side signal of distress
Family. as II the length of its journey had
sapped its energy, came the answering call.
Flinging both arms joyfully in the air, he raced
up and down the narrow ledge OF the wall.
Finally he paused out Of breath. Gathering
his strength he shouted, dig tn lead outta
your heels, Jim, an come on up!"
The wind threw the words back into his face.
Again he peered into the void. Planets and
clouds and somewhere down there his fatherl
There must be some way to bridge the sep
aratng distance.
He thought Of asking advice from the man
who had brought him in, but hesitated. Some
thing warned him that Jim's coming over the
wall might cause trouble.
Abruptly he leaped to the street and darted
toward his hut The rug-the swanky, golden
rug! He'd make rope of that and hang it
over the wall so that his father could climb
up. Exultantly he flung himself across the
room and cutched-straw, a head of duty
straw! He felt about nervously, certain that
the rug must still be there. At last realiz-
ing that his search was fruitless, he threw
himself on his face while fearless sobs shook
his body
1T oughtta be here-that hunk O. yellow
cloth. An-an just because wantta use it
t. help my old man, it's gone. Straw-you
can't do nothin' with that but sleep in 1t, an
1 don't wantta sleep-can't If I wanted to
till get Jim here with me-"
A he lay there, the quiet of his surroundings
\soothed his spirit and inspired him. Grad
ually, scarcely knowing what he did, he needed
q STILL small voice which spoke to him. Under
It's guidance, for alone he would never have
dared attempt such thing, he found himself
weaving o miraculous ladder.
Into it. line by line, went all the words and
phrases he had picked up on Winter nights
as he covered in the warmth Of church yes
tries. Gentle Jesus-meek and mild-Oh,
Lord-our Strength-and our Redeemer-" in
spots 1t was unsafe for he could not always
think of the right words to use. Yet he worked
carefully and wove it as securely as he could.
All through the hours while the night wind
moaned and the planets rasped in their grooves,
he labored. As celestial day dawned, he coiled
his ladder of prayers about his arm and crept
back to his place on the wall.
Already the stars famed less brilliantly and
the night wind had veered to begin its earth
ward journey. Glancing about him furtivey
he tossed the end of his ladder into space and
unwound 1t from his arm. As 1t whipped
downward fear seized him. Suppose some other
person than his father-but. of course, there
was no chance for that. The prayers with
which he had worked were chosen especially
for Jim. No one else down there would even
see the ladder.
He played out its entire length. Suddenly
it tautened. Slipping the knot, which he had
tied with an Amen, between two Of the stones
in the wall, he waited. In just moment, for
apparently old Jim had been eager to come
up, a bald head, then a freckled forehead and
finally the, stubby chin Of Sailor Jim topped
the ledge. ,.,.. 49,; t,.,.,.,.~.. ......~, =,
Merry Christmas, Jim!' the lad shouted.