Exeter Advocate, 1909-12-16, Page 84-1-11-144-1 ! ti -•l -i -t t i-1-e.•f ! : 4?trians, many of the latter obviously
- " -•' i higaged in ( tistmas khe jTinpj. Site
• heard cheer; greeting, and good
.r ( wishes on all side,, and the bright•
ly-lighted windows were crammed
with festive wares. Even the very
street lamps seemed to be infected
and winked with a knowing air of
good humor. Upon Marion the (4-
.141-1-14-14++.14-1-1-1-1-14-14-14
f-
4!• f 1-1-1 -14 +J -t -1-1-1-1-1d•-1••1--1••!• feet was depressing; everybody
In the cosily -furnished sitting- seemed so happy, save she alone.
room of a flat, situated near a busy A moment later she reproached
herself for the thought, as her gaze
London thoroughfare, a wen,an sat
at a typewriter. Yo,mg as she was encountered a tun -evident ease of
in years -nut yet thirty her silver- 'wretchedness. Standing before a
streaked hair and the grave beauty provistun shop, glaring into the
of her face told of a life in which window with almost ravenous eyes,
sorrow played no small part. And, was a thin, shabby -dressed man, '
indeed, Marion Dane's .story was a and by his side a golden -haired
sad one. mite of about. five, with a pretty
Scarcely more than two years be- but sadly -pinched face. Tho child
fere she had counted herself the was warmly though poorly clad,
happiest woman in the world, with but the man's threadbare frock-
s husband who was still her lover ceat offered little resistance to the
and a child whom they united :n keen, frosty air, and he shivered
spoiling. Then came the first blow visibly.
-the loss of the little girl -and it Suddenly an empty, gaily -decor -
had seemed to Marion that life ated cigarette box -dropped from
could have no greater grief to give. the top of a passing bus -attract
All too soon came the bitter realiz- cu the child's attention and she ran
anon of her mistake, when, but a into the road to secure it, heedless
few months later, her husband was of an oncoming utoter-cur. Marion
arrested on a charge of embezzling
the moneys of his employer. That
be was innocent she never doubted,
but the circumstantial evidence was
apparently conclusive, and he was
sentenced to five years' penal servi-
tud .
Five years! And little more than
one had passed, spent in unremit-
ting toil and strenuous but unavail-
ing endeavor to find the real cul-
prit, for that her husband was guil-
ty n. thing but his word would have
convinced her, and John Dane had
protested his innocence to the end.
The click of the typewriter ceased,
for she had written a word which
called up a crowd of memories -
"Christmas." It was very near now
and for her it meant. nothing but
as added poignancy to her grief.
Save for the old servant, Martha,
who lived with her, she was quite
alone in the world, and Christmas
is the time when loneliness comes
most home to those who tread a
solitary path in life.
She thought of the last wretched
Christmas with a shiver, and then
pictures of bygone joyous ones carte
to torture her. How happy they had
been, poor as they were, for her
husband was only a clerk. Her
mind travelled to the gloomy prison
where --herded with common crim-
inals -he would spend the great fes-
tival, and, with an angry little
shake of rebuke to herself, she re-
sumed her task.
It was soon completed, and after
reading and correcting the sheets
she fastened them together and
signed them -after a moment's he-
sitation-".lohn I,ayniond," her
husband's Christian mines. She
heti dune this scores of times in
similar circumstances, but never
without the momentary pause and
a passing doubt in her mind.
"Surely it cannot be wrong I"
she murmured. "I have learned
all from him; the thoughts are his,
the words are those he would use,
and, until lately, even the plots
were his own. Besides, it is the
name that sells the work now, and
his stories trained that."
John Into,', like many others
doomed to ignoble drudgery, hail
possessed ambition, and, partly to
satisfy it and partly to augment a
somewhat scanty salary, he had
employed his evenings in literary
work, only to discover that, though
a few authors may be born, most
of theta have to be made, and that
rejected manuscripts accumulate
with astounding rapidity.
Of these apparently worthless
productions, scarce n bare half-doz-
en now remained, for Marion ---who
had unbounded faith in her hus-
band's ability --had turned to theist
in the hour of her need. Neatly
typed nut, they hail, one by one,
found resting places in various pa-
pers or magazines, until with the
publication. in book form, of A story
wide!) caught the public fancy,
"John Laymond" achieved a mod-
erate popularity. which was not de-
creased by the fact that ne one
knew anything et him, and that he
resolutely declined to be inter-
viewed. His wife transacted all his
business.
To Marion the thought that her
husband would come out of prison
a ruined man, di,,graced for all titre
1IIS CHRISTMAS
GIFT
turned to the figure in the chair, h!-!-!••1•-l--l-•!-h%!-!•-!••'!••!-l-1-1••!-:•-1-r• pen ; and what she expected would
when' her husband new noticed for
the first time.
•' Western:" he cried. '' How .'
came you here l"
HIE UGLY DUCKLING 7.
It was his wife who answered the
question, briefly relating the events
of the evening, and concluding with
Western's determination to at once
f�i••ir•:••i••i--i• Z•9..i••i••4••,..i••!•-1••I •:-i-i-i•,1•
It was Christmas Eve and in the
West -end of London many fathers
right the wrong dune to his fellow-
" clerk. Bane's features too.. on a
singular expression as he listened.
\Wearestern," he said, "do you res- and smothers wero smiling happily seetdthatlfattcr ►oumd aityhc w, mother,clhav�cl 11 a
lite what prison -life means to an as they watched their little buys Christmas dinner to -morrow."
educated man 1 Have you thought and girls busily chatting together Then, stepping softly to as not to
of the physical discomfort, of the in groups around the bright fire- awake there, she staggered doter
grinding ignominy of being herded side and whispering confidentially the stairs, determined at all costs
like cattle in pens with the very about the many good things that that, before she returned heron
dregs of humanity, of the awful always found their way into the somehow or other -fur the i fe o ,
mental starvation 1 11'ero you pre- stockings they bang up at the end her she couldn't have told .o how
pared to face all this'?" of their beds after Father Christ 1 -she would earn enough me:ney to
"Yes. ' The speaker's voice was man had paid his accustomed visit buy a Christmas dinner for the next
firm, and his eyes met those of his to their snug homes by way of some day.
questioner steadily. unused chiuwey-which, 1 nisi :ell; The streets were crowded with
"Knowing yourself to be an inno- you, is the way the children's best' busy, "hustling" passers-by, bent
cent man 1 persisted Dane.friend of the year always enters (1. on making their purchases as soon
"Innocent?" It was Marion whothat memorable occasion when he he possible, and, as she reached
spoke. makes his annual call on Christmee the street, the little cripple saw her
"Certainly," said her husband. )ave to soo that the stockings of all three sisters buyingbags of swect-
"He is no more guilty than I ant. good children are filled with gifts meats at a confectioner's close by.
The thief was old Solntay, the cash- after their own heart. I She felt half inclined to ask if she
ier, who confessed to it just before But, alas! there are lots and lots' might share some of the good things
of children in this old world of ours hidden in the inviting -looking bags
whose parents cannot even affor 1 I with which they were filling thei
to buy fire, to say nothing of fool,' pockets, when suddenly a area
tot either themselves or their fam-
ilies;
a
ilics ; and this also was the c
when a certain Christmas fairy
happen did happen. The ugly
duckling of the family, who had
been a cripple all her !i;e, sighed
sadly to herself as she Raw her sis-
ters trip happily e.ut of the teen, to
spend the five shillings, and thea,
tired out though she was, she press-
ed her little thin lips together de-
terminedly and crept acre,; the
room, and, bending over thein as
they slept, she whispered, "Never
•
A COLD CHRISTMAS.
Girl (reading) -"Cold feet are
usually caused by indigestion,
brought on by over -eating." There,
Jimmy, now we know wot's the
matter of us!
quietude intensified her suspicion,
saw the danger, and, conscious and site resolved to strike boldly. he died. Mr. Corder at once
only of the little one's peril, rush- "You know that he is innocent," brought pressure to bear on the au -
ed forward. Snatching up the child she said, sternly. "Even as I, who • thorities and secured my iunedi-
shte turned and jumped for the pave- am his wife, know it." aro release."
ment again. She was barely in Robert Western sprang to his Marion's eyes turned wondering -
time, for the car whirled past just feet. "I -I-• you -you are Itis ly to Western, and he smiled sadly
a3 she fell heavily over the kerb,
but with her precious burden safe
in her arms.
It was the rescued mite's compan-
ion who helped her to rise, his face
deathly white, and with trembling
hands. Marion was unhurt, but the
child's forehead was cut and bleed-
ing. Seeing that the inevitable
crowd was gathering, Marion push-
ed her way through, still holding
the little one.
"Conte with me," she said to the
man, who was_trying to stammer
his gratitude.. "I live close by, and
the child must be seen to at once,
though I do not think she is much
hurt."
This proved to bo the case. The
injury was a mere scratch, but
Marion would not leave her little
wife," ho cried, and you saved my as ho said :-
little girl's life!" He paused suet- "Yes, I acted a lie to you. I saw
denly, as though an idea had ar- that you believed int guilty, and in
rested his words, and, sinking into a flash it canto to me that here was
the chair again, hid his face in his
hands.
Marion watched hits with misery
and triumph battling in her heart.
She felt sure of his gut,,. now, and
if only she could persuade him to
play the man, John Dane would re-
gain both liberty and fair fame.
Threats, she recognized, wero use-
less, since she had no proof. Her
ono hope lay in appealing to his
honor, his gratitude, and, perhaps
-well, ho had been a gentleman
once. She waited until Ito looked
up, and then her eager appeal rang
out.
"Mr. Western!" she cried. "You
guest until site had been fed and i have told me of your sufferings, and
was quietly sleeping. Then she re- 'now I ask you endured,to think andf what n-
joined the father -for such he was husband hasyearsunls yomust en-
joined
-whose wants had been attended dura for unless you sot right
to by Martha. Thopoor fellow was this terrible wrong. Deprived of all
he loves, branded with shame, and
profuse in his gratitude, and her forced to herd with felons -he, an
sympathy soon drew his story out. innocent man. I do not know how
"It is the common tale of a weak you were tempted when you coin -
man crushed by misfortune," he initted the crime, but to let another
began, bitterly. ''My name is suffer for it is infamous-coward!y.
Robert Western, and it is not yet
two years since I had all that a man
needs -a position by which I could
live, an angel for a wife, and my
little girl. Then my wife was taken
away, and I think all that was good
in me died with her. Perhaps you
cannot realize what it tneans to
lose—"
Ho paused awkwardly, and Mari -
n.1 said, in a low voice, "I think
I can ; I have lost both. You have
still your child."
"Forgive me,'. the elan murmur-
ed, brokenly. "I should have
known that such pity as you have
shown mc, an outcast, could only
be begotten of grief. Yes, it is
true I had my little girl, but,
wretch that I was, I still rebelled.
I sought the weak man's consola-
tion, and trod t he road to ruin
recklessly. Inn few months I hail he expression of fixed resolve on
been warned again and again, and his faco which seemed to wipe out
then the inevitable end came -I was the marks of weakness and dissipa-
disniissed. I had been with the firm tion.
ten years, but I cannot blame theta ; "1 will do it." he said. "I will
1 had every latitude. Since then 1 give myself up to the police and
have had chances, only to throw clear your husband's name."
them away, and now -I nm a beg -
when
words had but left his lips
gar." when A ring came at th•c door. A
Marion listened to the sordid con- cry of surprise from Martha follow-
fession with moist eyes, and, so far ed. and then the door of the sitting -
from exeiting her contempt. it turn" was flung often and a grey -
strengthened her resolve to aid hire. haired man entered.
She measure,) his misery by her own
"Marion I" ho cried, and in an
and knew its despairing depth. in.,tant she was in her husband s
"What is your work 1" she n -ked. arms.
"I was a clerk in the offices t,f "And you are really free. John 1"
Messrs. ('order and \Wayne, the Marion asked for the twentieth
City merchants," he replied. time ; it was so difficult to realize,
Had he been looking At her he even with his strong arms about
must have noticed the sudden start bei'
aril the deadly pallor this reply
"Yes the real culprit has confess -
end '
Produced in Marion. With an of "But. i don't understand,- Mari -
fort she controlled her emotion,
and snicl, quietly :-
"The name seems familiar. Was
there not a prosecution by that
firm some time age?"
"Yes," replied Western. "One
of their clerks, named' Dane - my
ie the lee : of the worhl, and imme- senior --and he got the years for em-
diately, by the mere sinking of his beselement."
real name, become a person e.1 '•He was innneent.'" Marion
some consideration, gave prefeenel pied, almost hnrshly.
le y. It seemed something of n fit- The astonishing change and the
tine revenge open a social system deep eonvictinn in her voice start-
whi.•h could condemn an innocent led Western, who looked up and
wan to infamy : end now that what flushed as he met her scrutinizing
Abe had striven for since the ne- gage.
ceptaneo of the first store h:td he "1 have always thought so my -
come en nceomplislied fact, she felf." he muttered, awkwardly.
guarded her secret like a miser his Marion's eves never left his fare.
gold. Directly her means allowed ,1t the sight of hi. c•'r:fi, ,n n sols
elle moved from the little suburban der susnieion had been i' ern in her
house to the flat in town. where wind. This man --cash:• tete nterl--
she was known only as Mrs. Lay- had been nn the dewnwnril path At
mend. } the time the crime was committed.
Presently she went out to post She remembered his name now, and
her story, for which the editor of a'that nt the trinl it hnd been shown
great weekly periodical was impa-; that he was one of the two others
tiontl• waiting, and. having done' mho lend access t', her hnshand'e fal.
thii. she Ansel for a moment regard- sifted leeks Whet if in his reck-
ing the scene around her. Tt. was i desee:r he had t:•ken the r:one;;
not yet late• and the street wait -and skilfully fixed the. theft upon
Wtvngcd with tabicles and pecks- his feilow-clerk( Iris increasing in -
m• shout rent the air.
a':•� At full -speed down the road, dash'
I ins wildly into carts and barrows
have known ever since I was a lit- and all obstacles which barred its
tie girl -early in the New Year shy, orad career, galloped a runaw
always comes and tells me about horse in a hansom, and but a f
the various visits she paid at Christ- yards ahead, in the middle of
my chance to ensure my little girl's ittet-maker +andl his wife to see a who li ed terl000r eab- �r to the s"ot. On, stood a little rvnru anile a
happiness and make her seine re-,
partition. With you she would have in a back street near Hoxton! the horse; but still the terra
Square, which, of course, you know, stricken child made no move! Hun
every comfort, and, being young,
would soon cease to miss me, and
-well, I yielded to temptation once
more. It was to have been my
Christmas gift to her -sly last and
best."
Ho rose to go, but John Dano
pushed him back into his seat
again. "We've not finished with
you yet, Western," he said. "And
I've not told all my news, Marion.
Mr Croder has offered me my old
post in the firin, at an increased
salary, and --why, what's this'?"
For his wife hied taken a neatly -
hound volume from the bookshelf
and placed it in his hands. On the
title -page he read the name of the
story -a name bo had grown to
hate the sight of in the past as the
manuscript came back with unfail-
ing regularity from publisher after
publisher.
"My story !" he cried. "Publish-
ed!"
You ask that I have saved your "Yes, your story," replied Mari -
daughter's life. I ask you for my on, adding, "I did not alter a
husband's liberty and honor in ro- single word, dear."
turn, and if you have one spark of
manhood remaining you cannot --
dare not -refuse."
She was standing before hint now,
her hands outstretched, and a world
of passion in her voice. Western,
bowed and stricken, was silent for
seine moments, and then, in a low
voice, he asked :-
"And my little girl; what would
become of her ? She has nu one but
me "
"Sho shall stay here," Marion
cried, eagerly. "I swear to you that
she shall take the place of my own
lost baby, and -she shall never
know the truth."
Western looked up, and Marion
knew that she bad won. There was
is in the East -end of London, quite deeds of eyes were on her, but it
close to Shoreditch. looked foolhardy to try and save
But, unlike Father Christmas, Iter now! It surely was too late!
who enters the house by way of the Suddenly, as all expected to wit -
chimney because he doesn't like nese the sickening sight of the child
walking through the open door in being trampled to death beneath
case any wide-awake child should the hoofs of the bolting horse, a
see hien, my Christmas fairy tint- slight, ragged -looking child darted
terod in through a broken pane of like lightning into the road, and
glass in the one room which these
poor people used as a whole house
-sitting-room, bedroom, dining -
room, drawing -roost, bath -room,
and kitchen combined. Instead,
when next the passers-by dared
raise their oyes they saw, on the
opposite pavement, an ugly, mis-
shapen little cripple doing her best
tee comfort a subbing little girl
however, of finding a father and whose beautiful. rich clothes plainly
mother surrounded by happy chit- showed that she belonged to weal-
dren, full of high spirits at the thy parents, and could, therefore,
only bo a visitor to this poor dia.
trict.
"Tho pluckiest decd I ever saw,"
said a big, burly policeman who
thought of the lovely presents they
were going to receive on the follow-
ing morning, may fairy, as she seat-
ed herself on the window -sill, where
she hid behind a torn, ragged stmt came on the scone at this moment.of linen which did duty for a cur- "But why are you down here
thin, saw only a poor man whose alone?" he said to the sobhin;
clothes were tattered and torn and child. Scarcely were the words out k
Full of holes, and his wife, whose .,f his mouth when an old get tile -
beenand blouse rooked as if it had man, dressed in a big fur coat and
peon dragged through a mincemeat i carrying many neat!y-tied-up par
Like a man in a'dream he learn- machine, asleep in a corner all by (eels under his arm, arrived on the
cel how his brava wife had earned themselves, huddled together to try steno panting and out of lir atth,
fanln for hire while he was suffer- and keep each other warm because and explained that he had c. ane
ing infamy, and, though, he said they had no fire, and the wind was downto the East -end with his lit -
little, the love in his oyes made up whistling so icily through the brok-
her full reward. en pane of the window.
"And as you won't need to go Seated behind the rickety bed -
into the City again, perhaps Mr.
Corder will give—" Marion
paused.
"He shall," John said, hear:ily.
"He can't refuse me that. Whatde you say, Western? You've had
a hard lesson, and I de'n't think
you'll fail again."
Robert Western stood up, a man
once more ---the slough of his old
weakness cast fear ever.
"No, I'll not fail again," he said.
"No man can fail who has such
friends."
He looked round, and Marion,
vininq his thought, said. softly,
"She is in the next room."
He went out, and some time lat-
er, through the half -open door, she
saw him kneeling by the bedside,
1114 lips upon the hand of the sleep-
ing child.
Outside, the busy life of the
street went on, but it had a chang-
e! note for Marion new. Each
boisterous greeting found an echo
in her own heart, need everything
seemed to be eying aloud, '':1
Merry Christinas!"-London Tit -
Bits.
"What shall you do at Christ-
mas -time?" asked the goose. "What
the rest of th world will be do-
ing -gobble!" said the turkey. But
on said, and her wonderingeyes ho didn't.
THE ONLY WAY OUT.
Mrs ( a'.ev--"I d' n't know what we'll put in little r'atsv's steekin',
\like. He writ a iettber t' Santy Claus axin' ('r a rale atittymobile, utile duckling if ever there was
n . liss•• one :"
Mr. t'a'e.---",Slhure, we'll drop a few deeps iv gassylinc in it an' My frim didnot say a v:erd, bet
T'1I btt he'll he thankful he didn't git th' mist iv the machiale." just waited to see what would hap -
Ile girl to pay an annual visit to
some poor people ho always visi'.e 1
there at Christmas -time, and had
stead, which was pushed right up left her for as moment uutsi-ic a
against one side of the wall in this shop while he made some taur-
poverty-stricken home, were three chases.
youngchildren whose garments' You have saved my little girl's
thinly showed that they were ver : life," he said, bending down and
1 ! takingthe dirtylittle cripple
poor. But in spite of their shabby pI le ten -
clothes and dirty, besmirched faces, j cdcrl• in his arms. "In future you
it was impossible not to notice that must corse and live with us and for-
get all your troubles and colt and
they were very, ver pretty.
only they would ker t themselves; hunger."
clean," thought the fairy to her -1
But the ugly duckling iadig .ant•
self, "how lovely they would be:" lY refused to leave her father and
unfortunately, this wish was all in mother and sisters, so that, despr•.e
vain, for the children, poor as they all his efforts. the old gentle•',a:n
were,erred nothing for cleanliness, was forced to leave his little irienJ
neither did they ever think of try -
street
that one gloomy room in a lei''k
ing to earn money for their par-. in Shoreditch. But wh,u be
eats by honest work, as they much left a bright fire was crackling to
preferred to spend their day beg- the grate; n Lig hamper, foil of
ging in the streets front passers -
could possibly
sort of Christmas faro sea
by, malty of whom frequently can•• could possibly imagine, stood on diff
iessl fussed them n copper or two table ; and on the mantelpiece, in a
-and sometimes n piece of silver- glittering heap, ley ten gulden s n -
"just because of their good looks." etoigns and two crisp, crinkly Banti
On this Christmas Eve, moreover,+ of England notes.
my fairy heard the children asking And from that night the ut ly
darkling and her father h
each other questions as to whatandn, .'her
"they should do with the five shil-
and sisters never knew what it teas
lings they had collected by begging to want again. But in the East
m one afternoon." "We won't end on CI ristrnas Eve people ,till
give a penny to father," said one, , recall that terrible scene when a
"because he hasn't given us any little girl was literally dragged fry ,an
thing for weeks." "Neither has beneath the hoofs of n rune,' ay
mother," chimed in another voice, horse by nhalf-stared, dirty, rag
e. Tey tin
selfishly ; "all she does every day ghild'wtas snt��11 by alimiraelef 'lie
is to go out early in the morning
and conic• back at night, and say But you and I know different.
that she can't. find any work." \\ c• know that at C'hristmae, and nil
"Won't you give anything to other times of the year. too, them is
I a fairy
me?" at tette Asked, as their tiny w ho al,r nys watches over told
sister, a delicate, fragile-lookingpt'e•tects from all harts every little
Wearily fro' boy and girl in the world wno i9
cripple, raised herself
n heap of straw lying in a dark cors : trying to help and do good to
ner at the far end of the room. I others.
"I'm so hungry. and I, too have +
been rut all day trying in earn it; TOYS BY T1I1: MILLIONS.
few pence by selling twitches earn.
father and mother -and yon, too. ' The value of toys exported from
she added, plaintivcl , "because ' one locality--Sonneherg, in Ger-
te -maims is Christmas Day, and mane -alone during a recent year
I
dict so hope that we might all hate was e." , 00,1)00. It is hero that
enough h to eat• all in the some day_I most of the cheap toys sold at
just for once in a way." C'hristmaR come from• and lite name
"Oh, you're so ugly that no ono! adults in toy factories are paid from
will ever help you," said the other I f•G cents to C2 cents per day of ten
three children in chorus. "Don't hours for the manufacture of dolls,
talk nonsense, but go to sleep like and female operatives 37 cents to
father and mother. They can't earn ' 50 cent', while the younger worker
anything now, because no one will earn from 25 cents to 60 cents.
give them work, so if you want any-
body to help you don't ask ns any
more, but go to them --we've got
five shilling,, and we mein to keep
it, too, Do you hear, no one cares
for plain children -and you're an
PEACE ON EARTH.
It is a significant fact that no
great battles were fought on t'hrist•
inns Day. They have recurred r,n
December eat and 26th, but the
anniversary of the advent of Peace
on Eerth has ever been observed
br a eye s;ttion of hostilities.