Christmas Eve

Southland Times, Issue 21581, 19 December 1931, Page 18

Christmas Eve

It was Christmas! The carnival spirit was in the air. London’s sordid streets were crowded with people from all England. From distant Yorkshire and Staffordshire and Wales people came in an incessant stream to spend the Christmas in London. But three persons, at least, could not have the fun of Christmas, because Christmas fare was very dear. This was Mrs Brown and her two sons, Jack and Tom. The latter was a lazy boy, who would do nothing else but loaf around the streets. Jack worked valiantly by sweeping the streets and begging. His mother was a charwoman whose wealth was gradually fading. Her husband was a sailor who had left her two years ago to go pearl-fish-ing, and she had long thought him dead. Jack shouldered his broom with a shrug of his shoulders, and walked out into the street. Several people passed by, but did not appear to notice him. Then a man in sailor’s garb walked up, and, with a kindly look in his weather-beaten face he handed Jack a sovereign. With a grateful look in the sailor’s direction he surveyed the coin. To his surprise he found an inscrip tion on the back. It was: "Christmas Greetings from Dad.” He then retraced his steps, and on entering the tiny attic he knew as home, he was greeted with a perfect volley of questions from his mother and brother. The light in Jack’s eye told them that something had come his way. “A sov’reign!” he said. “A whole sov!” He handed it to his mother for inspection. "Who gave you this, son?” she said eagerly. “A sailor,” Jack said. She turned it over and started. "Tom! I knew it! I knew it! He’s come home at last! It’s your father or some friend of his.” Jack was on his feet in an instant,, and out the door. “I’ll find him” he flung over his shoulder. Jack, luckily, had seen which way the sailor had gone. He ran along the street, and was soon in an alleyway. He knew every “nook and cranny” of the streets, and soon overtook the man. “You again, son,” said the man. ‘Don’t you know me, Dad? Do you know that you gave me a sov; which you gave to Mums as a parting present two years ago?” At this the sailor peered more closely in the lad’s face. "By jove, yes!” he cried, "you’re Jack my son.” He followed Jack back to "home” where a non de script reunion took place. Suddenly the sailor dived through the door. They waited. He did not return. Jack rose from his chair and resolutely walked into the streets. He had hardly walked a chain, until his father, bundles of parcels in his arms, came round the corner. "Righto, son, take some,” gasped his father, and together they walked into the presence of his wife and other son. That Christmas was the happiest for Jack, because he w-as given the sovereign, which indirectly led to the reunion. —Cousin James Lynch (12), Main Street, Otautau.