6 ACORN baby, too, even now in his chubby hand he held a crumpled piece of paper his own little letter to Santa. Must they be disappointed? It was more than she could stand. She kneeled beside the sleeping children and breathed to heaven a silent prayer. The next morning at breakfast the three children took up the subject of Christmas and Santa Claus. Their father, as usual, was grim and silent. They did not notice this, but to their surprise their mother did not join in their plans. "It's only this day and then one, two, three more before old Santa comes, isn't it mamma?" asked Ina, the oldest child, a girl of nine years. The mother tried to answer, but a lump came into her throat and she blinked hard to keep back the tears. She looked toward her husband, but could not speak. He answered for her. "I might as well tell you kids right here that Santa Claus is a bluff, a humbug." Silence fell upon the little group and then Ina spoke up. "What do you mean, father? I can't tell what you say." "I mean just this," replied the father angrily, "there ain't no Santa; it's all a lie." Baby Charlie's blue eyes grew larger. "My mamma, she said there is," he answered, "an' she knows. She never telled a lie, so there is. An' I know 'cause anyway if there ain't one who gibe me the horse an' cart I got last year?" "Your mother did that. She was jest makin' believe. There never was no Santa Claus," came the answer. The children looked toward their mother's place, but she had left the room. The meal was finished in silence, but two or three large tears rolled down Charlie's face and fell unheeded upon his plate. - The next night, when Mr. Cole came home the house seemed strangely quiet. He passed through the living room and opened the door. There beside his baby's bed stood his wife and a doctor. His face turned deathly pale, for dearest of all things on earth to him was his little son. He staggered out of the room and dropped into the nearest chair. Charlie ill! He never knew how much he loved his little son till now and only this morning he had blighted the child's brightest dream. Bitter remorse overcame him, he buried his face in his hands and sat there silently. Meanwhile in the other room the mother had asked, "Is it very dangerous, doctor?" "O no," he answered, "he will be up and as cheerful as ever by Christmas. I think that is all. Good-bye." ACORN 7 "Just a moment, doctor," called the little mother, and going over she said something in a whisper to him. He nodded his head knowingly and left the room. At the front door he encountered Mr. Cole, who hastened to inquire, "Is he very ill; will he recover?" "He will recover with care," came the reply. "Be sure that nothing worries him." "Thank God," the father murmured and he entered the room where the child lay. He looked down at the little white face and then turned to his wife. "Here, Mary," he said softly as he pressed something round and hard into her hand, "you'd better do your Christmas shopping. I can care for him until you can get back." "But can we spare all this?" she asked looking hard at the money he had given her. "Yes, and more if need be," he answered. "We can spare any amount, but we must keep our baby we can't get along without him." Christmas morning dawned clear and bright. To the Cole children it brought a great surprise. "O mother, father," they called, "do come and see; Santa Claus has been here and he has left so many things. Many more than last year." "And now you see, father," cried Charlie, "there is a Santa Claus, 'cause he corned he corned to us an' jest see what he left." Then he stopped, for to him came his father's words, "your mother did that. She was jest makin' believe." "O mother, did you do it? Mother, ain't there a Santa Claus?" This time it was the father who turned away. He felt that he had shattered their dream of childhood's happiness. This time it was the strong man who brushed away the tears, but the mother kneeled and placed her arms around her children as she answered: "As long as people in this world believe that the best way to serve the Christ is to make his little children happy; as long as some one believes it is better to give than to receive, Santa Claus will make his yearly visits. He will never die while hope, faith, charity and love linger upon this earth and even as long as one true heart throbs with love for a little child, there will be a Santa Claus." BECKY, '12.