1936-12-09 — Page 22

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CHINA MAIL CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT

KLISMAS

A

By Joan Hope White

S the little grey-haired lady sat up in bed she drew the fleecy softness of her delicate bed-jacket closer, for this Christ- Mas morning had brought to Lancashire the traditional white covering snow, and even into the tightly-shuttered room the cutting air seemed to penetrate. On a chair beside her bed was a bedragged teddy-bar, evident- ly a precious possession in spite of its age, for it was to it that the old lady turned on waking; her glance rested on its tattered coat, on its torm ear, and the place where the eye once was. She smiled. The little boy would never let her have another eye put in, he used to say.

As a sharp knock at the door sounded. she leaned over and hurriedly hid the bear ander her eiderdown.

"Come in. Donald," she called. "And a

very happy Christmas, .my dear."

"}

A tall man of perhaps thirty- five years entered quickly and took the little figure in his firm clasp. When he would have talked of plans for the day, his mother interrupted him.

first "But, Donald, tell me about that poor woman Ethel King. I've been awake such a long time thinking about her and -waiting for you to tell me. You came in too late for me to see you last night. They won't send her to prison, will they? You mustn't let them!""

The man smiled and patted her arm affectionately.

"Now don't you go worrying your little head about that mat- ter. Why, it's Christmas Day, mother! No time for talking about such depressing things as prisons!"

ly:

She shook her head impatient-

"Don't you see, Donald, that's the very reason why we should think of it more than at any other time? Imagine how that poor young woman feels to-day. What a miserable Christmas it will be for her, not knowing what is going to happen to her and what would become of the children if she is put in prison!"

"Mother. darling. I love you! taking an interest in my busi- ness affairs at the mill, as you always have, but you must leave this matter to me and to the law. Stealing can't be allowed to go on in such a huge institu- tion as the mill. You must see that but woman doesn't understand these questions!

His mother motioned to him to sit in the chair where, earlier, the bear bad been.

"My dear, to you I am an old woman- a beloved one, I know but still an old woman, whose mind you think isn't capable of dealing with this question of Ethel King's guilt don't you? Oh, yes, you do," she smiled as be would have interrupted.

w

"But because I understand this case as you could not pos-

가

sibly do, I am going to insist on your listening to me-and with- drawing the charge against that poor girl!"

The man's expression harden- ed, and it was the manager of the mill who answered her.

"That's impossible. mother. You don't seem to realise the charge. That woman deliberate- ly stole materials from the mill. She

She caught his hand between her white ones. looking appeal- ingly into his face.

"Oh, Donald, I never wanted these know this. All you to years I've kept it from you, but this Ethel King must be helped as I was helped all those years ago. I hate hurting you, but perhaps now when you are such successful manager of the mill," her eyes were full of pride as she looked at her son. "per- haps it won't hurt as much."

R

"You see," she went on, still holding his hand between her own, "your father died when he and I were so young. and you were only two years old. There was so little money. The man- ager of the mill gave me work when he died, but I was ill and had to give it up. You weren't properly nourished, and I hadn't money to buy you the foods you needed. . Then suddenly you were ill, terribly ill. The doc- tors and nurses in the hospital were so kind, but I was only one their needing of

many

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help.

"Mother, I can't bear to think I of you suffering like that. knew we were poor, but I never imagined.

“No. dear. of course you didn't. And all that is behind us But I now far behind us. must go on with the old. story. I spent every minute I could at the hospital with you. I re- member I used to look in the shop windows and wish I could take you

thing to some little amuse you, but I couldn't!" She raised her arms expressively. "Then one day. I found the doc- tor and two nurses around your

were bed. You

tossing your head from side to side, and call- ing for something they couldn't But could. You understand. kept saying over and over in a weak little voice. *Klismas. Klismas. When you saw me you and turned feverishly to me went on asking for Klismas. mummy. Klismas." "

"But what was the man asked.

*Klismas*?"

"Well, for nearly a year you

had longed for a big teddy-bearerisis was passed. I was nervous

in the window of a little shop in High-street that shop is still there but much more grand than it was thirty years ago! I always hoped to be able to buy it for you

when I had a little money. perhaps at Christmas time. As we walked past the shop you would point to it and say confidently, "Klismas," and I would smile confidently into the future and repeat. Christmas' So the bear became Klismas, tut us both. Then it disappeared, Christmas. had passed, and I hadn't money for anything so teddy-beár. expensive as Someone else had bought your beloved Klismas.” She stopped a moment and lay back on her pillows:

+

the

"I hoped you had forgotten it. but when I heard you calling de- the liriously for Klismas' in hospital I knew you had not for- gotten.. It was strange, but nothing in connection with your illness hurt me as much as that..

should have That

child my longed all those months for a toy I couldn't give him even when he was desperately ill. doctor said it was essential you should sleep, that this tossing much about was doing you so. harm. Whatever it is he wants, the we must get it for him," doctor told me; anything to stop this restlessness.

The

"I ran out of the hospital, down to the little shop, and asked who had bought the teddy bear. I was told the wife of the man-. ager of the mill had bought it before Christmas for her small

I daughter. was determined you should have your Klismas, if only for a few days until the

at going to the manager's big. "house this house, our house now, Donald - but I plucked up courage, rang the bell, and asked to see the mistress. I suppose 1 did look rather like the usual house-beggar in my impatience and hurry back to get the toy with it to you. I was so sure that the manager's wife would not refuse me such a thing."

"But she didn't refuse you that, mother?"

"She didn't have the chance." His mother smiled and shook her head.

"The maid was too much. for me. She wouldn't believe that I wanted anything else but to beg money from her mistress, and nothing I could say would make her let me in. I have never for- gotten how I felt as the door was turn away shut and I had to from the house without what

I was confident would save you. All my faith in human nature seemed to leave me. I was just a wild thing fighting for my child. As I turned to shut the gate I saw the little girl and under some her nurse playing trees in the far end of the gar- den where your children love playing now — and lying on the grass only a little way from me were some toys she had evident-

tired of. Among them Klismas! I'm afraid I didn't hesitate! I just ran across the lawn, snatched the bear, and ran through the gate, not even look- ing behind to see if the nurse had seen me. I didn't care if she had! I had Klismas and in that case

possession would certainly have been nine-tenths of the law as far as I was con- cerned!"

was

"Oh, Donald, even if I'd been imprisoned for it afterwards it would have been worth while stealing that bear!" Her hand stroked the bump in the eider- down lovingly. "I don't remem- ber how I got to the hospital, but it must have been quickly. You were still turning restlessly, but tried to hold out your weak

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