FATHER SALVATOR'S CHRISTMAS

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 51, 19 December 1907, Page 45

FATHER SALVATOR'S CHRISTMAS

A beggar at the door ! 1 Come in,' said Bather Salvator. The man came in and, glancing calmly at his ragis, said : ' Could you give me an old coat '.' ' ' Could 1 give you an old coat ? les, I can,' murmured Father Salvator. ' j 'ye got a coat—^a very" nice coat. See, it hangs there.' _^__ He walked over now and took the coat down. "~ 1 I'd rather not take it;' said the man, moved by something in the touch of the priest's hands upon tue coat. 1 You must take' it, my good man. Tro-miarrow will be -^ristmas, and I could' not bear to think that any one was wandering around our little town in need, as the Mother of my Lord wandered about BetmetienV 1 i.nat will you do ? ' Famer Salvator smiled. In his long experience he had given many coats. It was the first time a tteggar had asked him what he would do. He pointeu to the lire. ' 1 can sit here and toast my shoes, and when the goose lays her goiuen egg I can buy a new one.' He drew the coat well over the man's cold shoulders. 1 Uood-night, sir ; thank you,' he said, as lie went out. ; Father Salvator watched him from the window. It was dark, but he could see the black iigure in tne snow. Then, looking up, he saw the stars. To 'him there was a new wond/er to-nigiht in their silent shining. They .seemed the tremfoling note of the 'Gloria' the angels were waiting to sing. As each note rang out in heaven a star would flash and fall in me uwmght of dawn and there would be ' peace on earth .to men of good will.' At the last moment, Christmas afternoon, -Father Salvator sent little Tommy with a note to Mrs Kendrick to say he could not come for dinner. 'Be sure to bring your flute,' Mrs. KendricK had written. ' The major is coming and we shall have some music. 7 ' And he had even gone so far as to take the flute down yesterday and dust it with an old silk handkerchief. He took it up now and put- it to his lips, but the Christmas anthem which shivered out upon the silence was dolorous indeed. 1 You poor little flute, I am sorry for you,' murmured Father Salvator. ' You love gay tunes and light hearts at Christmas. are used to the yule log and holly and you have not been wont to scorn a little drink of eggnog— and to tln'nk ihat to-night you wni not see your dear old friend, the major's flute.' Just then the door was thrown open and Mrs 1 . Kendrick anneared, with an army of .invaders behind her. In self-defence, Father Salvator - ha-d to rub" . his . eves a little more. Mrs. Kendrick shook her" finger "- playfully. J . - & 1 Which was it, your shoes or your coat?.', she asked. 'My coat,' he answered, -startled out of. his usual reserve.

Mr. McCaffrey appeared holding up a coat and a pain of shoes. " -? ' We knew it was one or the other ? '---s'he i said. For a moment, then, they all stood silent. It was .am invincible little regimen tr-Mrs. Kendrick with ■ her *ovely brown, eyes bent reproachfully- on the guilty one ; Mrs: '.-McCaffrey, smiling her. happy, smile which seemed hevter.ta havelnown n refusal; Mr. McCaffrey, who was very grave when <he felt gay and very gay when others felt grave ; and- Kory Mcyaflrey and Agnes la "Garde, 'seen and heard,' but always to be found in the face of tne fir-e ! ' • ' The major is waiting, 1 said Mrs? McCaffrey, • as Kory held the coat for Jfather Salvator. ' : So Father Salvator marcnuu along the snowy ' streets. with his noble guard. , . - -' JNow, aren't you glad you came 1 ' said Napoleon. ' Yes,' said Father Salvator, very softly; ' but il is not the coat which warms me.' ' It is love/ murmured Mrs. McCaffrey. And 'Father Salvator only smiled.