HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times, 1919-12-18, Page 2•Nwlio or.
and His
Here le a brilliant and unique Christmas Story from the
pen of the late O. Henry, now recognized as one of the
world's greatest story -tellers. It Is a charming tato, full
of character, sentiment --and surprises!
One dollar and ninety-four aents.p stance alone, and not by meretricious
That was all. And seventy-four cents ornamentation, as all . good things
of it was in coppers saved one and! should do.
two at a, time by bulldozing the grocer; It was even worthy of the watch.
veld the vegetable man and the but As soon as she saw it she knew that
cher, until one's cheeks burned with. it must be Jim's. It was like. him,
the eI.1ent imputation of parsimony! Quietness and value --the description
that ouch close dealing implied. Three applied to both. Eighteen dollars
times Della counted it. One dollar and; they took from her for it, and she hur-
ninety-four cents. And the next day: ried home with the two dollars. With
would be' Christmas. I that chain on his watch Jim' might
There was clearly nothing left to do; properly be anxious about the time in
but to flop down on the shabby little; any company. Grand as the watch
couch and howl. So Della did it,1 was, he sometimes looked at it on the
Which indicates the moral reflection! sly, on account of the old leather
tthat life is made up of sobs, sniffles,' strap that he used in place of a chain,
sobs, and smiles, with sniffles pre- When Della reached hone her in -
dominating i toxication gave way a. little to pru-
While the znistress of the home is dente and reason. She got out her
gradually subsidizing Prem the fiesti curling irons and lighted the gas, and
stage to the second, take a look at; went to work repairing the ravages
the home. A furnished .at at $7.50! made by generosity added to love
per week. It did not exactly beggar: Whi,:h is always a tremendous task
description, but it certainly had that: lar friends—a mammoth task.
word on the look -out for the mendi-, Within forty minutes her head was
cancy squad. covered with tiny, close-Iying curls,
In the vestibule below was a letter --i which made her look wonderfully like
box, into which no letter would gee! a truant schoolboy. She looked at her
and an electric button, from which not reflection in the mirror, long, care -
mortal finger could coax a ring Also fully, and critically.
appertaining thereunto was a card "If Jim doesn't kill me," she said to
beaming the name of "Mr. James Dil- herself, "before he takes a second
lingham Young." Iook at me, he'II say I look like a
The "Dillingham" had been flung Coney Island chorus -gill. Bnt what
Della looked long and anxiously in
the mirror.
Jim drew a pa*kage from his over-
coat pocket and threw it on the table.
"Don't make any mistake, Dell," he
said, "about me. I don't think there's
anything in the way of a haircut or a
draws or a s;aampoo that could make
me like my girl any less. But .if you'll
unwrap that package, you may see
why you had me going awhile at first."
White fingers and nimble tore at the
string and paper. And then an ecsta-
tic scream of jcy, and then, alas! a
quick feminine change to hysterical
tears and wail„ necessitating the im-
mediate employment of all the com-
forting powers of the lord of the flat.
For there lay the combs—the set of
combs, side and back, that Del'la'had
worshipped in a downtown window.
Beautiful combs, pure tortoiseshell,
with jewelled rims, just the shade to
wear in .the beautiful vanished hair.
They were expensive combs-, she knew
to the breeze during a former period !could I do? Oh, what could -I do with and her heart had simply craved anti
of prosperity, when its possessor was:. one dollar and .ninety-four cents?" ; yearned dyer then without the least
being paid thirty dollars per weer,. i At .even o'rlaek the coffee was made' hope of possession. And now they
Now, when,the income was shrunk to and the frying pan was on the back were hers; but the tresses that should
twenty dollars, the letters of "Dilling- i
ham" looked blurred, as though they 1
were thinking seriously of contracting!
to a modest and unassuming "D." But
whenever Mr. James Dillingham
Young carne home and reached his
fiat above he was called "Jim," 'ant
greatly hugged by Mrs. Dillingham
Young, already introduced to you as i
Della. Which is all very good.
Delia finished her cry and attended;
to her cheeks with the powder -rag.
She stood by the window and looked
out dully at a grey cat walking a grey'
fence ina grey back yard. To-nlorro:e-
would be Christmas Day. and she had I.
only one dollar and ninety-four cents
with which to buy Jim a present. She •
had been • saving every cent she could
for months, with this result. Twenty
dollars a week doesn't go far. Ex-
penses had been grsater than she had
calculated; they always are. Only one
dollar and ninety-four Certs to buy
a present for Jim: Her Jim!
Many a happy hour she had spent;
planning for 'something nice for him,!
something fine and rare and sterling,
somethizlg just a little bit near to be-'
ing worthy the honor of Laing owned!
by Jam. `the fob -chain in her hand and sat on and at length she was able to look u
There was a pier -glass between the; p.
windows of the room. Perhaps you;
have seen a pier -glass in a $7.50 fiat?
A very thin and very agile person may,
by observing his reflection in a rapid
sequence of longitudinal strips, obtain;
a fairly accurate conception of his
looks. Della, being slender, had mas-;
tered the art.
6
eze
„lees eo(e
es;j
eGS?/r f •. a�:
,, Y .,aet9/ frill c.••, .r..•r•,,s*
"Dell," ha said. `•I sold my watch to buy the eo_nbs for you!"
give gifts, these two were the wisest.
Of all who give and receive gifts, saih
as they arewisest. Everywhere they
are wisest. They are tate. Mstgi.
I �+
Christmas, 1919.
Again, the days bring Christmas Day,
The day of the Holy Story!
And songs of glee are in the air,
And merry bells peal everywhere
For the Holy Child Who came to earth
And chose a stable for His birth
And stripped. Himself of His gloryw;
"Peace on efirth, good -will to mon!"
We hear the angels singing.
And our hearts rebound to the glad-
some sound,
And we set the bells a -ringing:
Eager, we welcome thoughts of peace,
Banish our long -worn sadness:
Glad that the battle's noise is dim,
Glad for the thought of gladness!
Anxious to spread some joy and mirth
Where hearts were full of sorrow;
Clear, from the star of the Baby Ring,
Rays of the brightness borrow.
Cast away care, ye sons of men!
Set aslde gloom and sinning;
Into the stable, with the sheep,
Come, with the shepherds' winning.
Ease from the pain of yesterday
Strength for a brave to -morrow;
Purest joy for the King's birthday,
And a heart's surcease from sorrow.
"Peace on earth, good -will to men!"
Still, I hear them singing!
"Peace on earth," 'tis come at last!
"Good -will to men," as their wings
brush past;
And hearts have found the ebristuias
joy
While the Christmas belle. are ring.
ing!
c. E
Watching the Failing Snow.
Fall, Magic snow, in great white hakes,
and still;
1 Mantle old. Mother Earth in radiant
white;
i Cover the sweeping. plains, the valleys
1 fill.
I Crown all the hill -tops with a hazy
light.
1 This winter's night.
Fall, kindly words, in groat heart-
: whispers fall;
F :lkintle the aching hearts les: they in-
crease;
Cover the wounded souls. th.' friend -
i less call.
Crown all the reetlees wth a wreath
t of peace.
Ere kind ss or.le cease.
of the stove, hot and ready to cook the' have adorned the coveted ornaments
chops. were gam).
an was never late. Della doubled But she hugged them to her bosom,!
the corner of the tt'Jle near the deo „:iii the aiim eyes and a eraii''e, and,
that he always entered. Then she say:
heard his sten o:, the stair, away down -My hair grcz. s sa fast. Jim." And:
on the first flight, and she tura I then Della lea .t up like a little .. !gad
white for jest a n rient. She had a. cat and cried. "Oh, oh!"
habit of say:n:: ii_tIe silent prayer Jim had not ye+ seen his beci`=tit
about the sir a' . t e=: er:•d• thirst's, _�t::
' eresent. :it. She hcith it out to hi.,l
and now .... `er,,-s• ergenly ripen her o, rn pi.ire. The dell,:
"Plea
Heeser. r'' nee..? think i pr: icu- Metal eeerned to fl -etch with a'
Suddenly she whirled from the win-
dow and stood before the glass. Her
eyes were shining brilliantly, but her
face had lost its color within twenty
seconds. Rapidly she gulled cr,wn hezi
hair, and let it fall to its full length. t
Now, there were two possessions of
the James Dillingham Youngs in i
which they both took a mighty pride.!
One was Jim's geld watch, that had:
been his father's ar.d his grand -I
father's; the other was Della's - hair.!
Had the Qucca of Sheba lived in thei
fiat across the airshaft, Della would
have Iet her hair hang out of the wir-
dow some day to dry, just to dspreci-i
ate her Majesty's jewels and gifts.;
Had King 'Solomon been the janitor, a
with all his treasures piled up in the,
basement, Jim would have pulled out i
his watch every time he passed, just'
to see hini pluck at his beard from!
envy.
: re< , t rare ..., of her ' ri;oht and cr.lent
The dory opens. aiel .Irl l-'s..':'Y:
ill e £'. .J�-',{ t{G •'t' as ' I' .i t .... ,ia:ldv. visit l I hunted ail
eery ..bait.•:... I�;.:i ;reeees' •aaver the town to find A. `-etch have
•.r 1-1-.2 <<.. ;'.e reel: to lock at the time a huix red tines a
only twenty-cc—u,
With P. fs'riit' Ila n 1 a net. over : day no,:. Give me yetir a 'at h! I
eoat acid lie ,ea_ without .leen.. ; want to see Lew it leeks on it."
Jim slop;, t i Instead o obeying, 3 m t::n: le•1
movable as a seseer at £a. ? r a` dc -an on the .ouch and Ines his lea::::
quail. His ee:es were fixe? up t under the ac' of !t . za,l and :r::.a•,.
vc. I.l_Ilt,
arsetiler•'` eseaa:+, exeres.,:on it "Dell." said he, het a I: it O're C.:_ -:-
ill?.. she £'vli' I lest real!, and t2rr' ` Yi2ia5 presents away and keep teem
fied :ler. I was not anger, neer awhile. They're toe e `r ..-e St
prise, n1r disapproval, at' .`.Glia; 3 ' pre:.ent. I ...:d the 'ta.i'i =0 get the
any of the sent•_iments that at'.? 1 me nett t3 01'?" ^OY::i5 i �>•
been prepared for. He simply sta '1. seopose you put tee. chops:. ,n:"
at her ti::edl;. ;vi-sh that. ,e�u is C The �Ir.•T . .. fir:a^:. were "0
*tir' a rr. en 12' - i _ - mfr—::(A t gni ". e .'len— who
°s faze. �rounr'- gifts toy the Bare in the
+ Della wriggleel off the tale a::l . manger. They invented the art of giv-
went for him,
t. ing Christmr s presents. Being. w se,
Jim de ha•," she Chad, „dont:
their gifts were no doubt wise ones,,
look at me that way. I had my ha
So now Della's beautiful hair fell cut off. and sold it, because I couldn't poasiooiy bearing of
privilege of ea -
So i a o_ di ..
n ease duplication.. Ar.3
have. ll
about her, -tippling a as it nu h Chr.
nd -h.nm I�tma, wi•h
like' g � c .tt
pp ghere I have lamely related ..o you the
a. cascade of brown waters. It reach-! giving you a pre, ent. It'll grow. ago. ,l uneventful chronicle of two foolish;ed below her knees and made itself; You won't mind. will you? I just hail'
children in a flet who mast unwisely
almost a garment for her. And t.heW to do A; my hair grows awfully fa `..., sacrificed for each other the greatest;
she did it up again nervously and; Say `Itlerr;,Christmas,' Jim, and let's
quickly. Once .she faltered for a min -I be happy! You don't know what a
ute and stood still, while a tear or two nice—what a beautiful, :ice gift I've
splashed on. the worn, red carpet. ; got for you!"
On went her old brown jacket; on "You've cut off your hair?" asked.
went her old brown hat. With a whirl Jim laboriously, as ,':i he had not ar- `
of skirts, and with the brilliant sparkle rived :t that patent fact yet, even
still in her eyes, she fluttered out of after the hardest mental labor.
the door and down the stairs to the "Cut it off and 'sold it," said Della.
Street. "Don't you like me just as well, any -
Where she stopped the sign read: hove? I'm me without my hair, aren't
"Mme. Sofronie. Hair Goods of .A11 I?"
Kinds." One flight up Della ran, and Jim looked about the room curious-'
collected herself, panting. Madame, ly.
large, too white, chilly, hardly looked "You say your hair is gone?" he
the "Sofronie." said, with an air almost of idiocy.
"Will you buy my hair?" asked "You needn't look for it," said Della.
Della. "It's sold, I tell you --sold and gone;['
"I buy hair," said Madame. "Take too! It's Christmas Eve, boy. Be.
yer hat off, and let's have a sight at good to me, for it went for you. May
the looks of it!" be the hairs of my heart were number
Down rippled the brown cascade, cd," she went on, with a sudden seri-
- "Twenty dollars!" said Madame, sus sweetness, "but nobody could ever
lifting the mass with a ;practiced count my love for you. Shall I put
hand. the chops on, Jim?"
"Give it to me quick!" said Della. Out of Isle trance Jim seemed quick-,
Oh, and the next two hours tripped ly to wake. He enfolded Della. For!
by `en rosy wings! Forget the hashed ten emends let us regard with ctis•
-
metaphor. She was ransacking the Greet .scrutiny some inconsequential'
steres for Jirn'a present. object in the other direction.
She found it at last. It surely had ,Seven dollars a week or a million a
been .made for lira and no one else. year—what is the difference? A!
There was• no other like it in any of mathereatiei'an or a wit would give!
the stores, and- she had turned all of you the wrong answer. Tho Magi
them inside out. It was a platinum brought wonderful _ 'ts, buttthet was!
fob -chain, simple and chaste in design, net amore; then. This dark assertion
properly proclaiming its value by stib-x stil,l ka i ruminated -later on.
treasures. of their house.
But, in a last word to the wise of;
these Boys, let it be said of all who
at 36 cents
per bushel
'THE coat items of Mr. Jos.
1 Loughliu's potatoes, Dundee
Co., -totalled $85.50 per acre, in -
eluding $18.00 for fertilizers.
Fertilized Potatoes yielded 936
bus, per acre.
Unfertilized Potatoes yielded 80
bus. per aero:
At his rate of gain, what would
YOUR potatoes have yielded?
.pfd you- use Fertilizers l
He Did
Write for our free Potato Bulletin
Soil and Crop
improvement Bureau
ot the Canadian 13'ertlliaer Ms'n.
1111 Temple Bldg., Toronto, Ont,
ova •
µ.«.ms.Wiwi.,rnn�.vw•:M+..•...•�w�v...n �, `�
When the children have !rad their
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by putting it outside and trimming it
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PAYABLE HALF YEARLY
Allowed on money left with no for
from three to ten years.
Write for Booklet.
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Toronto Office 20 Kinn St. West
q ac =ne. :cit
The oldest established LTC'
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Highest Market Prices Paid.
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a Years of Reliable Trading
Reference -Union Hank of Canasta
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.S'•• z1
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Or CANADA, S,AE'SITED
KNOWLTON - QUEBEC
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tie t
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n
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Dept w n WEST TORONTO, ONT.
}.�..��`i� _..^.P•Y,3'�.7wifSCi•3i�w�,x:. .:o-)_��."r--t''f.'
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The earth a cldi erred her bounty -provided for
her e",.T.lz cs1vten:c s she sleeps the winter months.
And 6e men 9 eina we r¢•d teare her, who toiled in her furrows and delivered
the harvest—they, d : rned a rest. Thoughts may turn to hospitality
and social ever±::r, b �°
SAFETY R.'�`
splays its part in the warm-hearted social life of the country and in tine arioro
formal functions of the city. Wherever a "particularly clean shave is
demanded Gillette service is commissioned. .
Gillette Service means shaving comfort, No Stropping --No
Honing, the elimination of the unnecessary, the saving of time.
$5.00 al dealers everywhere.
1V1AD 7h? �: n�,rx r�'• "" - a.,. CANAi3,1'i
KNOWN rH lefO AVER
The Gillette Safety Razor makes et very acceptable, angel .sere cc able Christmas
gift. You get the full, pre-war value for every dollar you spend on it.
.u..reuw..*44r7,aurawa..r.sw;+w. rao.,
aver
..�eM,.n—.... ..v.e..v,..r„n ;rr: :.r,.to 6,11./ rap+ t0.•.uagfw:,C,n.044•Ira.te.a.ww14441:.uw4!Nw.aaon,,•,........wesespeee
•
589
•
Christmas Eve int
a Sleeper,
The yours man who boarded this
tourist sleeping car at Langdon, Aly
berta, on Christmas Eve was not ;in
good hunter. It seemed to him to be
particularly unpleasant that, on this
night of all the nights in the year, he
should have to put up with unemigen-
ial surroundings. The negro pester
tucked away his baggage, and he set-
tied himself in his compartment with
a feeling that this was to be a Christ
max Eve that he •.ehonld not care to
remember.
In the section directly 'across the
ai:tle were seated the.fave members of
a young family. Something about
thein at once drew Jerry Cartwright's
attention. The mother was piea.sant-
faced, with a. tired look in her eyes
that suggested the long, arduous day
of travel. The three sleepy young-
sters sat huddled together ma the seat
in front, facing 'baokwa`rd. But it was
the look of untroubled peace on the
face of the father that interested
Jerry most. The car, as usual, was
overheated, and the man -sat in his
shirt sleeves, with his head resting
against the back of tile -teat. His eyes
were closed, but his lips moved, Rais-
ing his head suddenly, he caught
Jerry's coca fixed upon him. At once,
with a smile of quick, unembarrassed
neighborliness, he •spoke:
"It's Christmas Eve, you know," be
said. "Why don't we -get together and
have a few real, old Christmas
carols ?"
The ingenuous friendliness of the
young father stirred an answering
chord in Jerry Cartwright in spite of
his intended aloofness. The irritation
that haci possessed hini a moment be-
fore departed. He perched himself on
the arm rest of his seat and, a minute
later, the voices of the two men, by no
means unnlelodious, rose"softly in "It
Came Upon the Midnight' Clear."
A couple in the secticn ahead turned
and looked 'back, smiling. Soon the
other passengers in the car wore at-
tracted, and gradually gathered about
the original group; most of then•t' join-
ed un,iii eeedly in the singing. Among
these pnsseneers, Jerry noticed a. thin,
careworn -looking woman in black
come up eed stand with her arm about
an c:.uelly thin, anaemic -locking
daughter.
The section ,sof Je::'y's friendly
neieshbor realnined the entre of the
gathering. The pleteear t-f:'eei wife
still sat quietly resting, a taint smile
in her eyee; the children sat up
straight, listening with open-mouthed
wonder. But, samehow, Jerry found,.
the eyes of everyone 1 Ogen to turn on
himself. Not every son; proposed was
generally known, but Jerry did his
winning best to make everything go.
It was surprising the number of tunes
and verees he was able to reipereber—
the songs of his old .Sunday -school
ddys. They sang them all unrestrain-
edly, with contagious good will and a
sudden feeling of fellowship for one
another.
At last the time carne fee the party
to break up. The traveler'-, `.'bristmas
Eve was over. Everyone looked the
better and the happier for the im-
promptu sere; ce. Eveny one had a
friendly word or glance for Jerry and
for the jolly, magnetic, young father.
Again Jerry noticed the woman in the
black dress, standing with her arm
round her frail daughter. Ile reached
forward and took the woman'~ hand.
"I wish you both a happy Christmas
and a still happier New Year," Jerry
said.
The woman's wan features became
animated. "Wo have to thank you
and your friend for a happier Christ-
mas Eve than we expected to spin
this year, have we not, Mabel?" she
replied.
A little later Jerry Cartwright lacy
stretched in his berth with raised -win-
dow shade, gazing out on the dim ex-
panse of praitue. In the east Sirius
and the stars of Orion shone out
bl7
gbier and more clearly
than he;hada
d
ever seen them at home.
"My!" was his unuttered thought.
"I got on this train as ill-natured as
a bear. A man with a friendly, buoy-
ant heaet-makes me forget it and help
others to be mere cheery and forget
their troubles, too; and now --a kitten
could play with me. Why, it's been
one of my best Christmas Eves!"
Candle Holders Foil Christ-
mas Eve.
The pleasant custom of decorating
house windows with candles on Christ-
mas Eve can be- made ntuch easier
and safer by adopting tate simple de-
vice of placing the caudles in the com-
mon tin pattypans that can be bought
at any tinware shop. The candle will
stand firmly in place If it is melted a
little and stu lc,in /he lean by its own
wax. The pans do away with the dan-
ger of setting fire to the window
frames when the candle burns so low
that the wick falls over, for they are
large enough to catch the wick In
whatever direction it may fall. Draper-
ies should always bo drawa back and
tacked. to the window frames or taken
down.
. The newspaper office seems rattler
a queer place to go shopping for
Christmas presents, but there are few
gifts that friends miles away Lrom the
old hones town will eiljay more than
iditytw,s'yssues of the home paper.
•P�
iks