The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1936-11-19

he-s Tommy arc little B-ss. -
that l q play Santa ClAss fu
two real yol< stcrs just once mcra
and let the Christmas tree we I've
have garnished year by year fer
memory's and each others sake
seem real again.
"Oh, Lord! How long? How long
muse I wait for my own eesh and
blood to return to me? II our girl
babies had lived, how different II
might have beeni Girls cling The
closest"
There were tears In El!xabcth's
eyes. and an unusual flush o. her
cheeks. rs she listened. Did Dot
Ira realize that every word he had
| spoken was scared into her heart
long ago. but what she. still dread
ing and doubling. said wss:
Even IL the children eamc,
father. 10 Il certain that we car
please themf They already have
everything that there is TO- buy:
they 60 to children's parties every
week; little Bess has q foreign gov
erness. and Eleanor writes that the
child speaks French as We. az Z 3
lish. When Tommy pennad his own
letter to us last year. he told how
that their Christmas tree Was
lighted with fifty colored elcc.l.c
lights. like twinkling stars. taas
could be turned On ana OF with a
touch. DO you think that they wo.t
care for ore OF our valley pines ss
ceda-s. trimmed with snvrev3
cones and popcorn strings anil lit
only with little blinking candiesy
Then. too. there is Eleanor: what
have we to offer her here?"
Ira glanced at Eii=aD1t.. and,
settling his hands mere hr.lly on
his cane, sr..c w...i a ncw de-
cision:
You've always claimed 10 have
more Of the sense Of intuition than
l. but. mark my words, Elizabeth
once get the children here and
they will set more store playing
house in the attic or makc-bcliev-
ing in the shop than by all their
bought contraptions.
II tell you. mother. judging from
what ! read in the papers. though
we don't see it hereahout. Christ's
Christmas has been jostled and
crowded cut somewhat in places.
yet it can never die as long as
there is a child alive. All we need
here in the Glen is new work for
the parents. then will come chill
dren and more children. As to
d ughtcr-in-law Eleanor. with all
her friends she lacks an older wom-
an to with. She needs
you, mother; she may not know 1t,
but she does. There's some sort
Of hunger written in her face that
/ can't fathom - except that I
know it isn't good for q young,
comedy, warm-blooded woma such
as she to be SO much alone hus-
bandwise; we could not have lived
in that way. Elizabeth.
II know that her fathers brother,
who fostered her, once owned great
estates, that she was born for a
soft-cushioned life, and perhaps has
1t now, as that seems to be our
sons present idea of love and a
husbands duty. She has no living
kith or kinsunder the sun. Do you
realize. Elizabeth, that she never
knew her own father or mother. so
she's always lacked the first sweet
OF love. and it surely must max,
a difference to her. ! want to see
your arm about her. if only that
she may pass it's comfort on to
little Bess."
"Hepsy has come back with let
tiers in her apronl" said Elizabeth
slowly.
Nothing from Emery? Now,
mother, sit you down and write
again; put what / say in three
separate covers: hint to Emery OF
my great secret, write Eleanor most
urgently to come, and pen another
in big letters to little Bess and
Tom. Tell them what we used to
do here in the Glen at Christmas
when their father was a boy. Direct
their letter and Eleanor's to the
home. but Emery's. as usual. to
the office lest otherwise it be over
looked. Then for surety we win
put on each letter one Of those long,
blue ten-cent stamps that hurry The
postman. Emery will be sure =
open his letter ever in business
hours when he sees that extra
stamp with the bicycle boy hump
ing himself along. -
(TO BE CONTINUEDJ III