The Seaforth News, 1919-12-18, Page 21.1.1
111411111m
■ u341ia'i
: Its
// .. �, , , N.u,.l • •'EiN R1'T ILMI+ 4
, ��/moi �lel�.. %1i., - •;,U,�: - , .--y �-- - � — % - •--•
OU are sure to be right if you give him a Gillette Safety Razor. Let him know what
comfortable shaving really is. With the 24 factory -sharpened edges that go with
every Gillette set you realize the importance of NO STROPPING—NO HONING—
there is no need for either.
It is a happy day that any man gets acquainted with Gillette. shaving, and you do a
friend a right good turn when you select for his Christmas present one of the handsome
Gillette Safety Razor sets. Sold by the best dealers everywhere at $5.00 the set..
er
r CHRISTMAS,
Here is 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 tale, full
of character, sentiment—and surprises!
Orae dollar and ninety-four cents.
That was all. And seventy-four cents
of it was in coppers saved one and
two at a time by bulldozing, the grocer
end the vegetable man and the but-
cher, until one's cheeks burned with
the silent imnutat-on of parsimony
that such elese dealing implied. Three
times Deja counted it. One dollar and
)einety-f. Cr cents. And the next day
`could be Christmas.
There .as clearly nothing left to do
but to flap dower: on the shabby little
touch and howl. So Della did it.
Which indicates the moral reflection
that life is made up of sobs, sniffles,
fobs, an ! smites, with sniffles pre-
don,inatrc.
While the mistress of the home is
grarhenlly subsidizing from the first
sage to the record, take a look at
the home_ A rurui ked flat at $7.50
cr week. It did not exactly beggar
deaeril:ti•n, but it certainly had that
tierd on the lookout for the mendi-
ce^c;- squad.
Is the -estibule below was a letter -
her, Into which no letter would go,
sad en electric button, from which no
mortal finger could coax a ring, Also
apeertaining thereunto was a card
bean'ng the name of "Mr. James Dil-
lingham Young."
1 he "Dillingham" had been flung
to the brsere during a former period
of nrospc city, when its possessor was
being paid thirty dollars per week.
• Now, when the income was shrunk to
twenty dollars, the letters of "Dilling-
ham" looked hiurred, as though they
were thinking seriously of contracting
to a modest and unassuming "D." But
whenever Mr. James Dillingham
Young came home and reached his
flat above he was called "Jim," and
greatly hugged by Mrs. Dillingham
Young, already introduced to you as
Della. Which is all very good.
Della finished her cry and attendod
to her cheeks with the powder -rag.
.She stood by the window and looked
. out dully it a grey cat walking a grey
fence in a grey back yard. To -morrow
would be Christians Day. and she had
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 for. Ex -
pensee had been greater than she had
calculated; they always are. Only one
dollar and. ninety-four cents to buy
a present for Jim! Her Jim!
Many a hippy hour she had spent
phu:ning for something nice for him,
something fine and rare and sterling,
something fast a Iittle bit near to be-
ing worthy the honor of being owned
by Jim.
There was a pier -glass between the
windows of the room. Perhaps you
have seen a pier -glass in a $7.50 flat?
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-
jeered the art.
Suddenly he whirled from the win-
klow and stood before the glass. Her
;eyes were shining brilliantly, but her
face had lost its color within twenty
.seconds. Rapidly she pulled down her
hair, and let it fall to its full length.
Now, there were two possessions of
the James Dillingham Youngs in
'which they both took a mighty: pride.
One was Jim's gold watch, that lied
been his father's and his grand -
lather's; the other was Della's hair.
Had the Queen of Sheba lived in the
fiat across the airshaft, Della would
have let her hair hang out of the win-
dow some day to dry, just''to depreci-
ate
her Majesty's jewels and gifts.
Had Kt,+a, Solomon been the janitor,
with all 'Lis treasures piled up in the
be ement, Jim would have pulled out
his watch every time he passed, just
to see hive pluck at his beard from
envy.
So now Della's beautiful hair fell
about her, rippling and shining like
a cascade of brown waters. It reach-
ed below her knees and made itself
almost a garment for her. And then
she did it up again nervously and
quickly. Once she faltered for a min-
ute and stood still, while a tear or two
splashed on the worn, red carpet.
On went her old brown jacket; on
went her old brown hat. With a whirl
of skirts, and with the brilliant sparkle
still in her eyes, she fluttered out of
the door and down the stairs to the
street.
Where she stopped the sign read:
"Mme. Sofronie, Hair Goods of All
Kinds." One flight up Della ran, and
collected herself, panting. Madame,
large, too white, chilly, hardly looked
the "Sofronie."
"Will you buy my hair?" asked
Della,
"I buy hair," said Madame. "Take
yet hat off, and let's have a sight at
the looks of it!"
Down rippled the brown cascade.
"Twenty dollars!" said Madame,
lifting the mass with a practiced
hand.
"Give it to me quick!" said Della.
Oh, and the next two hours tripped
by on rosy wings! Forget the hashed
metaphor. She was ramsacking the
stores for Jim's present.
;;he found it at last. It surely had
been made for Jim and no one else.
There was no other like it in any of
the stores, and she had turned all of
them inside out. It was a platinum
fob -chain, simple and chaste in design,
properly proelaiming its value by sub-
stance alone, and not; by meretricious'
ornamentation, as all good things
should do.
It was even worthy of the watch.
As soon as she saw it she knew that
it must. be Jim's. It was like him.
Quietness and value—the description
applied to both. Eighteen dollars
they took from her for it, and she hur-
ried home with the two dollars, With
that chain on his watch Jim might
properly be anxious about the time in
any crlmpany. Grand as the watch
was, he sometimes looked at it on the
sly, on account of the old leather
strap that he used in place of a chain.
When Della reached home her in-
toxication gave 'way a little to pru-
dence and reason. She got out her
curling irons and lighted the gas, and
went to work repairing the ravages
made by generosity added to love.
Which is always a tremendous task,
dear friends --a mammoth task.
Within forty minutes her head was
covered with tiny, close -lying curls,
which made hex look wonderfully like
a truant schoolboy. She looked at her
reflection in the mirror, long, care-
fully, and critically.
"If Jim doesn't kill me," she said to
herself, "before he takes a second
look at me, he'll say I look like a
Coney Island chorus -girl. But what
could I do? Oh, what could I do'with
one dollar and ninety-four cents?"
At seven o'clock the coffee was made
and the frying pan was on the back
of the stove, hot and ready to cook the
chops.
Jim was never late. Della doubled
the fob -chain in her hand and sat on
the corner of the table near the door
that he always entered. Then she
heal`d.leie step yn the stair, away :down
on the first flight, and she turned
White for just a moment. She had a
habit of saying little silent prayers
about the simplest everyday things,
and now she whispered:
"Please, Heaven, make him think I
am still pretty!"
The door opened, and Jam stepped
in and 'closed it. He looked thin and
very serious. Poor fellow! He was
only twenty-two—and to be burdened
with a family! He needed a new over-
coat and he was without gloves.
Jim stepped inside the door, as im-
movable as a setter at scent of a
quail. IIis eyes were fixed upon Della,
and there was an expression in them
that she could not read, and it terri-
fied her. It was not anger, nor sur-
prise, nor disapproval, nor horror, nor
any of the sentiments that she had
been prepared for. He simply stared
at her fixedly with that peculiar ex-
pression on his face,
Della wriggled off the table and
went for him.
"Tim darling," she cried, "don't
look at me that way. I had my hair
Della looked long and anxiously in
tlee mirror.
cut off and sold it, because I couldn't
have lived through Christmas without
giving you a present. It'll grow again:
You won't mind, will you? I just had
to do it; n'y hair grows awfully fast.
Say `,ic''ry Christmas,' Jim, and let's
be happy! You don't know what a
nice --what a beautiful, lice' gift I've
got for you!"
"You've cut off your hair?" asked
Jim laboriously, as if he had not ar-
rived at that patent fact yet, even
after the hardest mental labor.
"Cut it off and sold it," said Della.
"Don't you like me just as well, any-
how? I'm me without my hair, aren't
I?"
Jim looked about the room curious-
ly.
"You say your hair is gone?" he
said, with an air almost of idiocy.
"You needn't look for it," said Della.
"It's sold, I tell you—sold and gione,
tool It's Ohrietmas Eve, boy. Be
good to me, for it went for you, May-
be the hairs of my 'head were number-
ed," she went on, with a sudden seri-
ous sweetness, "but nobody could ever
count my love for you. Shall I put
the chops on, Jim?"
Out of his trance Jim seemed quick-
ly to wake. He enfolded Della. For
ten` seconds let us regard with dis-
creet scrutiny some inconsequential
object in the other direction.
Seven dollars a week or a million a
year what is the difference? A
mathematician or a wit would give
you the wrong answer. The Magi
brought wonderful gifts, but that was
not among them. This dark assertion
will be illuminated later on.
Jim drew a package from his over-
coat pocket and threw it on the table.
"Don't make any mistake, Dell," lie
said, "about me. I don't think there's
anything in the way of a haircut or a
shave or a shampoo 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 joy, and then, alas! a
quick feminine change to hysterical
tears and wails, 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 Della 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,
and her heart lead simply craved and
yearned over them without the least
hope of possession. And now they
were hers; but the tresses that should
have adorned the coveted ornaments
were gone. .
But she hugged there to her bosom,
and at length she was able to look up
with the dim eyes and a smile, and
say:
"My hair grows so fast, Jim." And
then Della leapt up like a little singed
cat and cried, "Oh, ohl"
Jim had not yet seen his beautiful
present. She held it out to him
eagerly upon her open palm. The dull,
precious metal seemed to flash with a
reflection of her bright and ardent
spirit.
"Isn't it a dandy, Jim? I hunted all
over the town to find it. You'll have
to look at the- time a hundred times a
want to see how it looks onday now. Give me your watch! I)
•it."
Inetead of obeying, Jim tumbled
down on the touch, and put 'his hands
under the back of his head and smiled,
"Dell," said he, "let's put our Christ-
mas presents away and- keep them
awhile. They're too nice to nee just at
present. I sold the watch to get the
money to 'buy your combs. And now
suppose you put the chops on!"
The Magi, as you know, were wise
men—wonderfully wise men— who
brought gifts to tlee Babe in the
manger.' They invented the -art of giv-
ing Christmas presents. Being wise,
their gifts were no doubt wise ones,
I sold my watch to buy the combs for you!"
possibly bearing the privilege of ex-
change in case of duplication. And
here I have lamely related to you the
uneventful 'chronicle of two foolish
children in a fiat who most unwisely
sacrificed for each other the greatest
treasures of their house.
But, do a last word to the wise of
these days, let it be said of all who
give gifts, these two were the wisest.
Of all who give tend receive gifts, such
as they aro wisest. Everywhere they
are wisest. They are the Magi.
Christmas, 1919.
Again, the days bring Christmas Day,
The day of the Holy Story!
And sorted of glee are in the air,
. And merry bells peal everywhere
Far the Holy Child Wthru came to earth
And chose a stable for His birth
And stripped Himself of His glory.
"Peace on earth, good -will to men!"
We hear the angels singing,
And our hearts rebound to the glad-
some sound,
And we set the belts 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 giadnese!
Anxious to spread some joy and mirth
Where hearts were full of sorrow;
Clear, front the star of the Baby King,
Rays of the brightness borrow.
Cast away care, ye sons of men!
Set aside gloom and sinning;
Into the stable, with the sheep,
Come, wills the shepherds' winning.
Ease from the pain of yesterday
Strength -for a brave to -morrow;
Purest joy for the,ICing's birthday,
And a heart's surcease front sorrow.
"Peace on earth, good -will to meal,
Still, I hear them singing! ''
"Peace on earth," 'tie come at last!
"Good -will to men," as their wings
brush past;
And hearts have found the Christmas
Joy.,'
While the Christmas bells are ring-
ing!
The Christmas Guest.
Twine the balsam boughs that bold
Memories of delight
Hang the garlands, as of old,
Where the lamplight's ruddy gold
Blossoms on the night.
(lather round the Christmas fire;
Place a chair for him
At the call of love's desire
He will quit the radiant choir--
' Saints and seraphim.
Heaven is love, and•lovo is here,
Teenier, strong and true.
Lingers now lets spirit near,
Blest•ahed beautiful and dear,
Veiled from mortal view.
Sing the songs he loved the best—
Songs of mirth and joy--
Ere upon his hero -quest,/
Seeking service, finding rest,
Went our blithe, bright boy.
Put a flower at his place —
He will understand.
In its sweetness love may trace
Visions of a vanished face,
Touch a vanished hand.
Watching the Falling Snow.
Fall, Magic snow, in great white flakes,
and still;
Mantle old Mother Earth in radiant
w;
Cover thehitesweeping plains, the valleys
fill!
Crown a!1 the hill -tops with a hazy
lig t,
-This winter's night.
Fall, kindly words, in great heart -
whispers fall;
Mantle the aching hearts lest they in.
crease;
Cover the wounded souls, the friend.
• less :c411,
Crewel all the restless wth a wreath
of peace,
Era kind words cease;
PITHY POINTS. ON
'PRESENTS
A Christmas' present should hold
two solid and satisfying pleaeureet
should please the giver when he
gives; it should please the "getter"
when he' gets. Then all'e well.
'There's an art in picking a present.
The rules are—first, it should be suit-
able; then useful; and last, but not
least, needed.
You want to sit down wth.a list ly-
ing before you, and study it a bit.
Think of your friends' characteristics,
their habits, their hobbles, their likes,
their dislikes, their needs, You May
be•qulte sure that what is suitable will
certainly be useful.
Here are soneelhints. Of course,
they do not cover all the ground. Still,
they will show you the system to fol-
low: J/
If you've been giving Christmas pre-
sents to children for some years, don't
forget that they grow up. - Your gifts
must grow up, too. See?
Don't givd a book to someone who is
not fond of reading. And don't give
a girl of ten a story of adventure sole-
ly intended for boys. It's been done!
You need to exercee a wiliness in
some matters, If you have it in your
neirtil that you will give a friend a tin
of tobacco, remember that smokers
prefer their own brand. Your choice
may make him sick. If you Contem-
plate a pipe as a gift, observe or find
out whether a straight or bent one is
used. It is in these little details that
pleasure lies.
It is always perfectly safe to pander
to a hobby, whether it be pigeons,
postage stamps, or postcards. Hobby -
itis is a disease which has most of us
in its clutch. Your present may make
things worse in one way, but you're
certain to please.
Make your presents complete.
Sleeps are shut at Christmas -time, and
friends In the country may have many
miles to go, after the holidays are
over, b^fore they can do what they are
eager to do ---use your gift. For ex-
ample, don't forget the laces with a
natty pair of shoes; with an acety-
lene lamp send a small tin of carbide;
with a box of paints send a painting -
book; with a lamp be careful that
you also enclose some wick. You see
the idea?
Scores of other examples might be
given, but if you just look at your pre-
sent and see that It lacks nothing, it
will be all right. A postponed pleas-
ure, involving disappointment, is not
what you iuten led to give, so don't
give it.
Lastly, let.your presents be person-
al ones. Children, over and under
overfly -one, leave a strange habit of
giving pother a Christmas present for
the house. A new- cushion, which all
will use, is not a personal gilt. Nor
is a pair of vases for the mantelpiece.
So when giving to father and mother
remember to make the gift personal.
Finally, jot down somewhere, and
keep the memorandum, what you gave
your friends. It saves repeating your-
self next ClhrIstmas,
Suitable, useful, needed, complete,
and personal—such trust be presents:
srarnammearamorenisne
Invest Your Money
In
eye% DEBENTURES
Interest payable half yearly,
The Great West Permanent
Loan Company.
!Toronto Office 20 King ft. West
Uigieeat Primes Paid I'or
RAW FURS & GINSENG
Write for price lista
and shipping tags
pi Years of Reliable 'trading
Reference—Union Bank . el Canaria.
N. SILVER
220 St. Paul St. W., Montreal, P.Q.
HiIRAM JOHNSON
The oldest established LTD,
RAW FUR DEALERS
in Montreal
highest Market Prices Paid.
Satisfaction C, uat'anteed to Shippers.
Send for Our Price List.
410 St. Paul St, West . Montreal
a ww..w ,.rw..v..ww .
Extra Well
Eared '
We have report on Mr. Chr'istie's
coe'n in Dundee County;
Increase
amount per acre
Fertiliser per acre over un-
used. lbs. fertilized
3-3.3 200 2 tons
8-8-3 400
16% Acid BOO ii "
16% Acid Phos. 400 3 "
11% tons gain—sufficient to
feed six additional cows. Fer-
tilizers increase the feed value
too.
"Tire cornn
n these plots was
more natured and extra well
eared."
Fertilisers Pay on Corn.
Write for Free 5, etins.
Soil - and! Crop
Improvement' Bureau
coal
Of the Canadian Fertilizer
1111 Temple Eldg., Toronto, Ont.
••••,•••,.... • �v -e Q
I'
C iriias Est, ;;,n
a Sleeper.'
1
J The young man wleo bot lied the
tourist sleeping oar at Lan eton, Al
bertic, on Christmas Eve was riot ,en a
good hennor. It seemed to him to be
particularly unpleasant that, on this
night of all the nights in the year, he
shouldhave to put up with uncongen-
ial surroundings. The negro 'porter
tucked away his baggage, and 'he set-
tled himself in his compartment- with
a feeling that this was to be a Christ-
mas Eve that he -should not cafe to
remembdr.
In the section directly 'across -the
aisle were seated the five meembera ofi
a young family, Something about
them at once drew Jerry Cartwlight's'
attention, The mother was pleasant -
faced, with a -tired look in her eyes
that suggested the long, arduous day
of travel. The three sleepy 'young-
sters sat huddled together on the seat
in front, facing'baokwerd. 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 the seat: His eyes
were closed, but his lips moved. Rais-
ing his head suddenly, he caught
Jerry's eyes fixed upon him. At once,
with a smile of quick, unembarrassed
neighborliness; he 'spoke:
"It's Christmas Eve, you know," he
said, "Wley don't we .get together and
have a few real, old Christmas
carols?"
Tlee ingenuous friendliness of the
young father stirred an answering
chord in Jerry Cartwright in spite of
leis intended aloofness. The irritation
that had possessed him a moment be-
fore departed. He perched himself on
the arne rest of his seat and, a minute
later, the voices of the two men, by no
means umnelodious, rose softly in "It
Carne Upon,.the Midnight Clear."
A couple in the section ahead turned
and looked "'back, smiling, Soon the
other passengers in 'the car were at-
tracted, and gradually gathered about
the original group; most of them join-
ed unaffectedly he the singing. Among
these passengers, Jerry noticed a thin,
careworn -looking woman in' black
come imp and stand with her arm about
an equally thin, anae"tnic-looking
daughter,
The section of Jerry's friendly
neighbor remained the centre of the
gathering. The pleasant -faced wife
still sat quietly resting, a faint smile
in her eyes; the children sat up
straight, listening with open-mouthed
wonder. But, somehow, Jerry found,
the eyes of everyone began to turn on
himself. Not every song proposed was
generally known, but Jerry did his
winning hest to make everything go.
It was surprising the number of tunes
and verses he was able to remember --
the songs of his old 'Sunday -school
days. They sang 'them all'unrostrain-
edly, with contagious -good will and a
sudden feeling of fellowship for one
another.
At last the time carne for the party .
to break up. The traveler's Christmas
Eve was over. Everyone looked the
better and the happier for the im-
promptu service. Everyone find 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. He reached
forward and took the woman's hand.
"I wish you both a happy Christmas
and a still happier New Year," Jerry
said.
The woman's wan features became
animated. "We have to thank you
and your friend for a happier Christ-
mas Eve than we expected to spend
this year, have we not, Mabel?" she
replied.
A little later Jerry Cartwright lay
stretched in his berth 'u ith raised win-
dow shade, gazing out on the dine ex-
panse of prairie. In the east Sirius
and the stars of Orion shone out
brighter and more clearly than he had
ever seen them at home.
"Myl" was his unuttered thought.
"I got on this train as ill-natured as
a bear. A man with a friendly, buoy-
ant heart makes me forget it -and help
others to be more 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 For Christ-
mas Eve.
The pleasant custom of decorating
house windows with candles. on Christ-
mas Eve can be made much easier'
and safes. by adopting the simple de -
''rice of placing the candles in the corn -
molt tin patrypans that can he bought
at any tinware shop, The candle will
stand firmly in place if it is melted it
little and stuck in the pan by its own
wax. The pans do away with the clan-
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 1t may fall.:.traper-
Iee should always be drawn back and
tacked to the window frames or taken
down.
The newspaper office seems rather
a queer place to go shopping for
Christmases presents, but there are few
gifts that friends miles away from the
otd home town will enjoy more than
nfty:.,..wo issues of - the home paper.