The Clinton News Record, 1939-12-21, Page 7TIIJRS., DEC 21, 1939
THE CLINTON, NEWS -RECORD
HOUSEHOLD` ECONOMICS
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.ABS was such a • little girl tc
be disappointed at Christmas,
but there seemed no other
-Wee.
I Her mother called her to the bed-
'jside. "Babs,' darling,” she began
!softly, "Christmas will soon' "be
there."
The little girl's eyes shone. "It
• won't be the same this year, dar-
eling. There won't be any presents,
qr well—anything."
"No' Santa Claus?"
"You're going on five, Babs. Try
;to understand. What we call Santa
;Claus is really just the love peo-
tple .have for each other at Christ -
Her voice voice trailed -off• in a fit
of coughing. "That pillow—there—
mow I. can breathe. It isn't I don't
love you, darling. I' just can't do
things this Christmas."
"Why, Mummy, you're crying!"
"No, no I'm not. See? Why don't
Fou run out and play a bit? Get
your coat and rubbers."
Babs went out into the snow very
:'thoughtful. A group of children were
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He eaine dressel es she h e setae
`:!tint first, and With a bag of toys.
playing down the block, but she
didn't want company. She turned
the other way.
Of course there was a Santa
Claus. Hadn't he come last year?
And all her playmates—he came to
•see them, too. How could Mummy
be so mistaken?
She hadn't intended to come so
;far. But it was fun walking on the
crisp, crunchy snow. And there,
ahead, were men stringing lovely
colored lights and loops of greenery
on lamp posts. They might know
whether there was a Santa Claus.
"What's she want, Bill?"
''I can't just get it. Something
about Santa Claus."
"Why, sure, kid. Just down the
block. He's ringing a little bell."
The men laughed, and Babs
laughed, too. Santa Claus! She
would find Santa Claus.
Then she saw him, all dressed in
red and with along white beard. He
was . Sitting by a big red box, and
every now and then someone would
drop money into it. Babs stood for
a long while watching, fascinated
by the red -clad figure.
At last the Santa Claus noticed
her, and for a while he watched her,
too, without speaking. It had start-
ed snowing again, great soft flakes.
Suddenly Babs realized that she was
cold, that she didn't dare to talk to
'Santa Claus, and that she didn't
• even know her way home. She be-
gan to cry. ,
The tinkling stopped, and the San-
to Claus came' over. "What's the
'Matter?" he asked gently. She let
him lead her back to the big red
box, He took her It on his lap, and
gave her the little bell to ring. Slow-
' ly she told her story. Mummy, who
was so sick, had said there wasn't
.any Santa CIaus this year. Babs
took care of Mummy. She didn't
know how to get home, but it was.
down that way some place.
I "1 think I had better see if we
can't find your Mummy," Santa
'Claus declared. "She's probably
worried about you."
They found the right neighborhood
with no great difficulty. Babs in-
sisted that Santa Claus come in, "to
-show Mummy there really is a San-
ta, Claus," and he agreed. Then
' things began happening, There was
a doctor, and a nurse, and Babs
must be quiet, and mustn't see
Mummy -not for days. Through it
,all Santa Claus kept coming back,
' only without the beard or red suit.
Until Christmas, that is, and then:
he came dressed as she had .seen
him first, even to the little bell, and
with a big red• box full of toys for
her. And as an even grander pres-
ent, he said that Mummy was well
enough to sit up.
He was very tender to 1leummy,
and carried her gently to the big
'chair that was .ready far her. Feb•
• 'was sure that Mummy looked pre'
'ties, than she had ever seen her.
"My," said Saba,, "I wish you
• could stay here forever."
And the Sante Claus man ate
:swered very: gravely, "Thank you,
Babs. There's nothing 1 should. like
' better."
But he wasn't looking at Babs, It
• was more as though he were tales•
ing' to Mummy Babs didn't think
- to wonder why. •
Anyway, Mummy was smiling,
- and that made Christmas perfect.
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