The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-24

Thev were q email group in the
settlement house dining room where
piano had been placed for rehearsal
Of the carols.
Fabienne consulted a card in her
hand and looked up at the children
with an encouraging smile. 1.-The
four talleGt girls and the four tall
eft boys will stand over here TO the
right" she said, leading them TO
their positions. The boys in back
Of the girls. Then Luigi, 0 and
Ineaborg, Lee and Colleen VIII
stand in the front row. That's
right"
Twelve foreign faces beamed at
her.
Now you look just like the pic
ture that I showed you in the
Christmas Carol book" And in
deed, they would, with the simple
costumes Miss Winters was max
ing out Of donations for them -
long bright wooden scarfs to wrap
around their Threats and long coats.
Put d lantern in little Luigi's hand
and the picture would come to lire.
Teacher" Colleen Flaherty ask
ed shyly, whats the lantern for?'
ooh, | didn't tell you about that?
Well, you see the first little boys
and girls who went out on Christ
mas Eve to spread good cheer with
their carols did not have bright street
lights, so they had TO have a lantern
TO SHOW the way from house to house
over the soft snow"
Were they cold standing in the
gnow?" The wistful voice Of Lars,
the tallest Of the boys wanted to
know. Fabienne's heart smote her.
She knew what cold meant to this
fatherless boy who lived in a miser-
able, unheated tenement. She said
gently, NO, Lars, they weren't
cold any more than we're going to
be cold. Their hearts were light and
happy because they were singing
Christmas hymns Of joy to make
others happy. The way we're going
to be-
But we're they? These poor little
mites. There'd be toys and candy
and fruit for them at the settle
ment house, but where was that
Christmas Joy she was painting in
their eager imaginations? Cold ten
ementg. Wretchedness and poverty
and dirt and sickness was their lot.
For here there would be the holi-
day Of fables. The yule log and
groaning board. The big tree in the
library Of Willoughby hall. The ex-
element Of voices calling CHEEKY
greetings, the gaily colored ribbons
and the mass of greens. The Christ
faa punch and the candle-lit table.
The beautiful gowns and the
Christmas bail.
She cleared her throat. II can't
tell you any more stories now. DR..
Mallory will be down in a minute
and we want to be in our places
al ready to sing when he in.
Let's surprise him"
She took her place at the piano
ard struck a cord for pitch. Twelve
childish voices opened the song.
Bill had come in.
She smiled at him briefly and
ave her attention for the next half
hour to her work.
Bill dismissed the children and
drew a chair up beside hers where
she sat at the piano.
He said, you're a softie."
Smile when you say that" she
said with simulated be~lligcrency.
what gave you the idea?"
Your face" he said, moving his
eyes over it with serious eyes. 81
thought it Was immobile when first
! saw you"
"1t'g the same face" she told him
wishing she could escape. If he
looked at her often that way, he;
read something Of her admiration
yes, that was the way she put it tx
herself-in her eyes.
mo" He shook his head. st.
not the same face, or the same girl
at all. I was watching you from tn,
gallery" They were ~rehearsing il
the little theater. "And I saw you.
thoughts written all over you
face when the Anderson boy aske'
you IL they'd be cold standing il
the snow"
WELL she said %staunchly, "aren'
you sorry for these children? VIII
wouldn't be-"
Sure I'm sorry for them. Bu
not about Christmas. I'm sorry 70
the people who think of Christina
in terms Of comfort and expensiv
presents and big Dances"
AS If he had surprised he
thoughts, Fablenne looked at hir
guilty. whats wrong with that?
she asked.
There's nothing wrong with 1
except that it isn't the real thin
about Christmas. It's like lookjn
at a rhinestone and being Statistic
with 1t when there's a star to +
touched"
"You think these children touc
stars?"
Eyes," he said simply.
"How?' She had to ask it.
"They get something you can
wrap up in tissue paper. Somethin
the best of shops can't sell you be
cause there is no price on it."
"An orange, a bag of candy" 81
said, land a Christmas tree in
cot+lopoa~t h0,,ca