The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-12-18

IL WAS SeVen.
- eight. So was the Angel
child. There the resem-
blance ceased. The Angel
Child had the privilege of seeing
BilTs father and mother every day.
Not onlv that. The Angel Child was
loved and caressed by these utterly
adorable beings in a wav that made
Bill lust sick with envv.
R;il knew fha n,erohers az The
thew had nlaved Kans' CITY. where
Bili lived with GRANNY and Aunt
Ethel "a = week f,ll Of verv apure-
ciative audiences. He knew the
play, too. Lines and lines Of 1t by
heart. The week that The Same
James Company played Kans' City
he was permitted to stay up every
might until the, lights out in 'front.'
were extinguished, and Dad ana
Mother had come racing home to
him.
The TACT that The Same James
Company had played kans City IN
November meant that at Christmas
1t would be moving eastward.
Strangely enough, Bills father
and mother, TAR away as they
chanced to be, were the nrst 70 real
ize what was the matter with Bill.
by George, Lucille, blifs 1atner
was the first to put 1t INTO words,
that kids beginning to De Jealous
OF the Angel Child! Gee-WHiLLi-
kENS, but ! wish we could have
Bills mother went to the WINDOW.
wen, we can't, SO why talk about
IT, Her voice sounded very much
as II she had suddenly taken cold.
The matinee idol paced about the
deliberately unhomelike hotel room
in moody silence. "rn send the kid
good big check anyhow-large
enough Tor him to get everything IN
the world ne wants for Christmas.
He was writing as he spoke. It
was sort of postscript to his letter
to Bill: "Your mother just had a
great little idea. Not having you
here for Christmas, we have de-
cided to adopt the Angel Child for
the day in your place and have a
tree for him with all the fixings.
So when you are having your own
tree with Grandmother and Aunt
Ethel, you can think Of your Mother
and Dad playing around similar
one in a hotel room in Minneapolis,
handing out presents to the Angel
Child and wishing it were you in
stead"
It was Christmas Eve and The
Same James Company, opening in
Minneapolis that night, had its
gloomy expectations quite fulfilled in
an audience only two-thirds the
number which that reputedly good
show town" usually affords.
During the listlesslv received first
act of Tlic Same James, the six
forty-five from Kansas CITY was pull
ing into the Minneapolis station,
and a manly small bow with a shah
by but business-like looking grip was
assuring a fatherly and solicitous
porter that he had plenty of money
to taxi where he wanted to 90 If his
father and mother failed to meet
him.
OF course, the second act of the
comedy in which Bills father and
mother were PLAYING is conceded by
all to be the best of the play. In
it the impeccable, but misjudged,
friend of the family romps with the
sweetly hammered child of his host
and hostess. before the latter puts
this Angel Child to bed with the
usual appealing accoupaniments of
prayer to soft music and a shifting
audience.
1t was this scene which Bills mind
had rehearsed on his way from the
station to the theater.
The stage manager saw Bill be-
fore his rushing entrance, but, being
on the other side of the wings, was
quite helpless. A streak Of pale
blue, and Bill was in the scene.
tne little BOY close TO breast whose