The Tin Soldier

the rain on the smooth stre

bearings. On each side of the glimmering stream loomed dark houses. A shadowy blot on the triangle he knew to be a church. Beyond the chu

t of him. It was almost six. The darkness of the November afternoon had come at five. The shabby old ge

with an attempt at b

l behind the count

e? In five minutes I should have been too late

him. "You-you are-wet

is eyes, opened them and smiled again, nodded and recove

the rear door of the shop. "Lo

he sleeping derelict scornfully. "You'd be

m any soldiers. He said he wanted to make a bonfire of the Prussian

old him they wer

he went away he told me he'd com

psychological moment, threw on the coun

oldiers fighti

glory, and, then

forward and

y Bridges; "of course w

fficulties. He was a very big old ge

call the

Emi

est anything better. W

im in a taxi-an

ly hasn't

simistic-he cert

he got it. You can't

old man's shoulder, ask

red indi

bent her ea

g, he

oldiers, blow

ed thing

there w

you ever hear an

tragic and it was disconcerting. "I don't know

. I believe I'll make

t will be a lo

to do it

life. Her love of toys and of little children had kept her human, otherwi

love to put the dolls to bed, to lock the glass doors safely on the puffy rabbits and woolly dogs and round-eyed cats, to close t

Originally it had been a Thread and Needle Shop, supplyi

and gradually there had been more toys-until at last she had found herself the owner of a Toy

who had made them were in the trenches, the women who had helped were in the fields-the days when the bisque babies had smiled on happy wor

te plush elephant in her arms. His trappings were of red velvet an

dwindle. For this last of the herd, she had a feeling far in excess of his value, such as a colle

m. "I may never get another. And the

war-" Jean

you think I shall buy toys

Emily. I was af

don up in a white cloth. "I believe I'll take him home with me.

ful time with him," she indicate

on it, and a thin green cup. She poked the sleeping man with a ten

ss, "you shouldn't have troubled-" and reached out a trembling hand for the cup. There was a ring on the hand, a

Suddenly it opened, and

t, and a soft hat. He took off his hat, showing hair that was of an almost silvery fairness. His eyebrows made a

shoulder, "Hello, Dad." Then, anxiously, to the two women

glad you came. We di

o pick up the broken cup. "I'm dreadfu

, n

looking at it.

, "it was one of Emi

gged. "You had better get your father home at on

nd herself softening towards the old gentleman. Simply as a derelict she h

will. We must

up. "Wait a minute-I cam

e made in Germany. I can't get any more. I have with

entleman murmure

l behind the counter, "do

voice, quick and thrilling. It matched her beauty, which was of a

ing for the first time, "wha

bby old man, "we've got to have s

e very good to look after him. Come, Dad." His voice was steady, but the flush that had flamed i

hreshold. Then, with his head high, he ste

boarding house. But Jean lived in the more fashionable section beyond Dupont Circle. Her father was a doctor with a practice among the older distric

was at the head of the table. He was a big, handsome man with crinkled hair

s office-girl, had, gradually, after his wife's death, assumed the management of his household. Jea

r father had contended, "and mu

at all, Daddy. We hav

es she waited on customers. Sometimes she worked in the rear room. It was always a great joke to

re was a silver dish of fruit in the center

noticed her lack of appetite, "Wh

ocolate a

to go there so often,"

voice was like t

hen you get home

ou, Jean," her father said. "I d

You know it isn't, Daddy, with the r

on was fired. His eyes were li

if she comes straight up

her limply on the table. Her arms were bare. Sh

u think it is al

If she isn't afraid

afraid of

ring of pearls on her white neck. He liked pretty things and he liked her fearlessness

you the next time you go to the shop. Would walk

't. It would be qui

in front of the fire and knitted for the soldiers. She had made sweaters

it socks next," s

op to think what it means to a man over there

er had for her. He saw things. It was tired soldiers a

r where she sat with her book, "There's no sense

ittle Jean from the hearth rug,

e stopped playing the 'Star-Spangled Banner

stand until I dropped, rat

Kenzie in

as come,' th

of many

d ships-and

ges-and

ched him, "I should thin

y fires. And you mustn't take Hilda too literally.

shoulder as he went out. Jean

a shut herself up in the o

knit. When she was not helping in the office o

other's hands had been slender and transparent. Hilda's hands were not slender, they had breadth as well as length, and the sk

d them to her father. "

ands, and they hav

ly's hands

your Emily,"

r the next night, as he sat in the Toy

trousers. A nurse stood behind the small boy, and played, as it were, C

wound up for him. He expressed a preference

med Miss Emily, "he's for a

ely, "you know your mother do

id the small

re hard to get. Most of them are red. I have the nice

present," said

," from t

he amended version,

key, then clickety-click, clickety-click, she wound it up. It played a faint tune, the leaves opened-a rabbit with a wide-frilled collar rose in the cen

was entranced.

" from the

-. I'll take

quick and delightful hands. They hovered over the toy, caressingly, beat time to the music, rested for

g adain,"

ain

n-," pa

out her hand. She did not kiss him.

her. "I hated to sell it," she said, with a sigh; "goodness kn

"You are a m

est friend. She had taught in a private school before she opened her shop, and Jean had b

on of women depended largely on their looks. His wife had meant more

stinction. She dressed well, her really pretty feet were always carefully shod and her hair carefully waved. Yet she was one of the women who occup

ser," the Doc

, for example, surgical instruments-anaesthetics-? And you

He wanted to laugh and tease. "Jea

g box-with moth-balls-" Her lips twitched. "Oh, it

rying in her arms an assortment of strange creatures wh

ed, "what do you

ed, such geese had never waddled, such dogs had never barked-fantastic as a nightmare-too long-too broad-exagg

them,

ou

you lik

hey a bit

ens; the childr

told me you wer

y Dreams, and we made the ducks green and the pussy cats pink beca

a hard time getting toys after the war began, so we thought we'

am not sure tha

y n

ive you mo

But this i

diffe

own. Don't

id. "Any work that is worth doing at all is

like to have a woman tell him.

he Red Cross. Please don't

I st

es

m and succeeded. Jean brought out more Lovely Dreams,

tly, "we'll put them in the window,

Kenzie said to Emily, "It seems str

needs an outlet f

does

your daughter,

said, "I am very pr

ut the sky was full of ragged clouds, and the wind blew st

rough coat, "are you proud of me because

with him, as if his pride in her was a thing which they took lightly. But

ritish Embassy with the Lion and the Unicorn watching over it in the ni

e Doctor said; "it was in the paper. They are to have a war

h swung low from the arched entrance showed a spot of rosy color-the velvet wrap of a girl whose knot of dark cur

in a fur coat who topped her by a head. He had gray eyes

matter?" her

two ascend the stairs. "I thoug

losed, the rosy wrap and th

decided as she and her father c

be what,

y," Jean said, and