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Thursday, December 22nd, 1938 2N D C or ol ol ar ol o. ol o. o. o. o. o. o. o. o Phone 645 "Martin‘s Land" was a tenement high Where the chimneys seemed to touch the sky, Its crowded rooms were dingy and bare And the whole place reek with fetid air A grimy, squalid unwholesome slum Where the denizens mostly lived on rum. In the topmost aitic of the lot A woman sat by a little cot, Her face looksd weary and wan and The guttering candle a fains light shed O‘er golden curls in the cruckle bed. The mother turned and faintly smiled As her eves fell on her slumbering THE PORCUPINE ADVANCE, TTMMIN®S, ONTARIO child, For surely one of the angel band Lay sleeping that night in Martin Land. Baby Neollie but two years old With laughing eyes and hair of gold Was loved by all in thawe human hive Where love was but seldom found alive. Drunken women and men as well, Had a placse in their heart for little Noll. The wearied mother‘s eyes were wet As she tenderly smocthed the coverlet, Por a stocking hanging there CGripped the woman‘s heart with a numb despair As she thouzsht of a happier bygone day When Santa Claus might hav>e come that way. She bitwerly thought of the long ago, Of the loving Jim that she used to know As togsther they lived on wthe breezy down Before they came to this cursed town, Juss one short year of wedded bliss And then temptation, and sin, and this. old As she shivered and crouched in the garrot cold. "Twas the old, old story, a ruined life, A drunken husband and hopeless wife. What could she say when Nellie woke? It was ocven now on midnight‘s «roke, And Jim had never been home all day. > would come, she thought, in the usual way. ened air As with eyes that strove to pirrce the gloom, Her husband entered the dingy room. Jim had comeâ€"but, was it Jim? If so, it was strangely unlike him. But., Hark! a step on the creaky stair, And the woman paused with a frightâ€" "Lass," he said, "don‘t shrink a I‘ve had a stroke o‘ luck toâ€"day I‘ve got a jc¢b and joined T.T. It‘s be‘tter days for you and me And for cthe little ‘un as well I‘ve brought home toys for baby "Oh, Jim," she cried, "can it be true! Oh, how I longed and prayed that you Would just come to yourself again, And end this misery and pain." Then, as he sofily stroked her head: "It‘s true, my lass, please God," Jim said. The way that no doubt you‘ll underâ€" stand, If you‘ve seen mssn come home to Martin‘s Land. For long they sat and talked and planned. Sat as they used to, hand in hand. Then as they filled Nell‘s stocking up Their happiness surely brimmed the cup. And the Christmas bells pealed an anthem grand That echoed even in Martin‘s Land. My child came running in with troubled eyies, And stood beside me as I made mince pies. My mind was full of plans for Christâ€" mas week And I was rushedâ€"I didn‘t even speak! "Why don‘t we ever have a real Christâ€" mas now?" She asked, with puzzled voice and wrinkled brow. "My teacher says thas Christimas is the night That Jesus came to earth, and it was bright With angels singing, and the Shepâ€" herds cameâ€" Mcther, I wish chat we could do the same! we‘d take Him gifts the way the Wise Men did." o I looked into her eyes and prayed, "Forbid It. Lord, that I should ever change her though. Of kesping Christmas as we people ougaht."" And in my arms, held close, my littlas child. such kappy plans I whispered in her ear! "We‘il make a real Christmas here this year. On Christmas Eve we, and your playâ€" mates ten, Will play thas Baby Christ has come again; I‘ll take my little harp and in the street We‘ll sing all the old carols, clear and SWeeLl Then we Christmas Eve in Martin‘s Land It Was a "Real" Christmas pies were made, soiled dishes neatâ€" ly piled, 11 take gifts and â€"to the un as well toys for baby Nell shrink away Foundling Home over the starry hills pretend to roam. The babes shall be Christ, the Holy Child ; The nurses shall be Motheéer Mary mild; We can be Shepherds and the Wise Men too, Poing cshe lovely things that they would My child‘s enrapt and bright, Knowing Babe KoemptV HMopefully we list:n to the joyâ€"bells‘ merry chime; How their happy clamour seems to banish grief and pain, Chiming, "Joy bs with you, for old Christmas comes again." glow From friendly windows, someahing of the gay Comradely spirit that we used to know. The Star shines on for those with »ves Oncs again we gather round che yule log‘s cheery blaze, Happily on all the faces dear to i we paze; Whistling winds and snowâ€"wreaths canâ€" not reach the ingleside, Home, swset home, is swe(ler now, where love and joy abide; From sich happy homestsad, as the bells sinz their refrain, Send forth Peace and Goodwill, for old Christmas comes again. door, To see the glow that circled earth‘s dsep night. Lord, help us find again the longâ€"lost way. Let us believe, as did che thrme who «~went To lay their gifts, their honour, and their pride Before a Child. We who have richly spent. The coin of years noed now 1eplonhhod store Of simple faith and hearts that seek the lighd. We to sege: A finite gleam toward all infinity. â€"Eleanor Alleta Chaffee Tha the bells‘ refrain: ' Love and Peace be with you, for old Christmas com>s azain." rd Christmas Comes Again e again w Christmas 1,: giva.â€"Cur‘ _A Christmastide led to wonder would stand beside an open she‘d find arigh:. ir hearts their youths at upward PC ce Wise) lcome in the happy in the welcome we can hear T Tess 20 20 340 240 30 20 20 0 a0 o _ ao â€"ao /a0 /o _ o Christmas Section