The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, December 23, 1944, Page 18

“Even today, a days of old, We are sometimes blessed with gifts of gold.” Miss Letty read the inscription over a life-size picture of the manger scene. The sight of bright tinsel decora- tions, the sound of carols, and the smell of holly and fir on the crisp air between stores filled her with a ’;mv Jjust for Christmas | On the way home she stopped to | | buy a tree and some bright decora- | tions. At the grocer's she gave an | eves nearly pop out of his head. | Leaving the store behind, loneli- ness swept over her. The house lgia that almost unnerved her. | §f She had intended to shed twenty vears of her life like a worn cloak, forgetting that she had spent her bes. aays making a heaven on earth for her crippled mofher so that her knight had wearied of waiting. Now she was going shopping for a that had never been hers ex her thoughts, a plain little girl with pigtails and freckles, and a sturdy small boy with pudgy hands and round expectant eyes She wondered what Larry Haines She peered into the gathering dusk. Somebody was there wait- ing for her on the front veranda of the rambling old mansion. She has- tened her steps. A man stepped for- | | order that made that good man’s | | brimming over with tears. | “I want my Mummy,” he sobbed. | “His mother is dead,” explained Larry. | “I thought, Letty,” said the man, | “that maybe you could look out for {them a little. See, I've joined the [ navy. T've got to go and I hate to |leave Letty and Jackie to almost | anybody. Miss Letty gulped and sat down {suddenly in the rocker, gathering the little fellow in to her arms. | “Gifts of gold,” she murmured, “at | Christmas.” | “Many’s the time I've dreamed of | seeing you like that,” he said, reach- ing for one of her hands. She no- | ticed how thin he was. How {hin the children were, too, and how inade- quate their clothing. “I haven't got much, Letty,” he began, “but what- ever I've got is yours if you want it Still holding the small figure lnl ‘ht'l‘ arms, she rose to open the door | to the kitchen. The house radiated | warmth and godd cheer. “Fine,” Ishe said gently. “Welcome home, children. We'll have baths and sup- | per, and then we’ll trim the tree.” | Larry's eyes caressed her. “May- |be, if T could get the license we | could be married before I go off.” “Maybe we could, Larry.” His arms were suddenly around her and the child, his lips warm against her cheek. Little Letty | clapped her- hands “Such a Christmas we are going | __SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1944~ The shinirig star of Bethlehem which heralded the first Christmas is, sym- bolic of the joy in"our hearts which we was doing. Poor Larry! She wished | warq out of the -shadows, a child ! ried. she might have said “y to his | clinging to each hand quoted Miss Letty, persistent wooing. The girl with | remembering the inscription, “as in whom he had run off had not both- | “Letty,” he said, “it’s Larry!” HilE ot Lt S5 ate . sbinetitee ered to make a decent home for | “Land shakes!” she exclaimed. | plessed with gifts of gold.” { him. Finally they had moved from | “You gave me a turn. Come in out i et town and'Miss Letty had quite lost | of the cold.” { Recailing that she had come to | turned to take a good look-as she town to pretend, she made a frenzied | switched on the lights. It was in-| dash to the toy department. She |deed Larry, older and grayer, huLI ANTA lAus IS | began to buy recklessly, getting into | trim and neat in a navy uniform. | the spirit of her game. | There stood her dream children, a wllllAM p DvaR | . { Tl find someone to give them to, | plain little girl with pigtails and she thought. Maybe I can borrow a | freckles, and a sturdy small boy couple of children from an orphan- | with pudgy hands and round eyes| He was just a little boy, evc.n’ e — —ee—— | though he was 10 years old, and one AR RRRRGGY ; v = shoe sole kept flapping and turning i o ffl““de" when he walked. But (here 4 / 0 @ @ ‘ @ 4 ;; ¢ @ ¢ 35 : 8 8 g / é; % ¢)| was a look of hope in his eyes as he /, | followed the man ahead of him into | We Extend Our Sincere flaghs Christmas Greetings looking sleds and by these the man | halted. | To Each One of Our Friends in Alaska “How about a nice sled?” the man | asked. “Would you like that?” He did not need to wait for an! answer; it was on the boy’s face. NOME FAIRBANKS ANCHORAGE JUNEAU SEATTLE, WASH. So Santa Claus, in the person of | | Wiliam P. Dwyer, managing direct- | | tor of the Santa Claus Castle in | Kansas City, Mo., had scored again. | The little boy was one of 1,329 chil- | | dren who received free toys from | the “Castle” last year besides more | than 400 children in orphan homes | for whom Dwyer had saved play things. | His organization collects used toys during the year, some slightly dam- | aged ones being contributed by busi- ness firms. He and his helpers re- | pair and rebuild them. At Christ- | mas they are given to needy chil- dren. Last year they had about 2,200 toys, Mr. Dwyer estimated. e ——— XMAS ABBREVIATION | | Xmas, thus spelled as an abbre- | | viation for Christmas, has its origin | | in the fact that the Greek letter chi | | was written as X. This letter was also the initial of the name Christos. | e Many people identify the X as rep- \\\\M\W“‘““\“\\\\WWW resenting the Cross. | | [ | | T o N NN o o o ooV oN Vo ooV oo NN o o o oV eNoNoNoN oNoN NN o o o oNoNoNoXoNoVaNoty NN NN oo oNo¥oX (NN OO NII RSS2 S SIS S e R Ylstime” Gissting to One~and All The star of Bethlehem is a symbol of Christmas and its eternal message of peace and goodwill. As the star now points to victory and peace, let us this Christmas rededicate ourselves to keeping the spirit of the day alive — for all time; and let our goodwill first manifest itself to our friends by heaping upon them our heartfelt wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, THE B. M. BEHRENDS BANK OLDEST BANK IN ALASKA B BB B B BB BB BN IS want to share with one and q'l as we say & MERRY CHRISTMAS." ~ JOHN YOUNG 2 2 2 229NNttt R RO R R R AR R R R R AR AR R R AR TR TRRRRER RRRREERRER, G I IR I " LEO NAVARRO - NANCY BURKE - A RTHUR DENNIS - GEORGE ZUSKOFF To Entertain You : and HARRY HALOFF-F. M. KARDANOF - CHRIS BOTAGOL Your Hosts at THE OCCIDENTAL BAR