The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-12-26
MIR. CIlRRUP'S CHRISTMAS.

Mr.. Chirrup was glum. Any one
else, with q less admirable disposition
would have been .''cross" under the
same provocation.
But, Mr.. Chirrup was never cross,
and he was seldom "glum."
However, when it comes to the day
before Christmas and you have no mon
ey to buy your wife Christmas gift or
anything to put in the children's stock
ings, and no p%rospected turkey, or
mince pie and plum pudding for your
Christmas dinner, you are exousable
for being glum.
So, at least, thought Mr.. Chirrup, as
he sat looking out of the window OF
Lawyer Ledgerly's office, where he was
employed at aby no-means %extravagant
salary. Lawyer Ledgerly was ill-"too
illto be seen" his mother-in-law said,
so there was n o hope of his anticipat-
ing his next quarters salary, as he had
sometimes done on similar pressing &C.
casions.
For Mr.. Chirrup's salary was so small
and his family SO large, it was not much
wonder there was usually some difficult
ty in making the salary stretch from
one quarters end to the other.
Allthese things Mr.. Chirrup pondered
90 bo rok JooL;,r o,,4 &c 4ho -o,u =.
Lawyer Ledgerly's office, which was on
Fifth street, just opposite Union Mar
ket. And our hero-if little Mr.. CHR
rup can be called anybody's hero-grew
GUNNER than ever, and beat the "Dev.
IFS tattoo" on the window sill as glum
people usually do. Fol the sight Of the
market stalls crowded with Christmas
luxuries, was not exactly calculated to
cheer up a man in MI. Chirrup's cir
| cumstances.
He still gazed moodily at the we'll
filed market stalls, at the crowds of
people, jostling and elbowing each
other, when he suddenly started and
peered sharply from under his eye
brows, as if he had seer someone he
knew.
That short, sleek-looking gentleman
in the nobby hat and overcoat, with q
huge market basket in one hand, and a
gold-headed cane in the other. Surely
that was Mr.. Chirrup's elder brother,
Rothschild!
As he made the discovery, Mr.. CHR
rup-Rothschild Chirrup that was
was evidently pricing a turkey; a mon
ster turkey it was too. the biggest that
Mr.. Chirrup-either Of the Mr.. CHR
rups-had seen in the market. And the
would-be purchaser held it up, punched
it, turned it around and held it up again
for all the world as if he was exhibit
ing it for the benefit of his brother, look
ing glumly down from the window OPP
posite.
But in reality he was only deciding in
his own mind that this wis really the
biggest, the plumpest, the tenderest
and the most tempting looking fowl he
had seen yet, and therefore he world
take it. And plump it went forthwith,
into Mr.. Rothschild Chirrup's huge
market basket, which seemed yawninp
to receive it.
Mr.. Chirrup-our Mr.. Chirrup this
time, cam as near sneering as he had
ever done in his life, when the turkey
disappeared in his brothers basket,
For a bitter enlargement had existed
between the two brothers from time i'm
memorial-or thereabouts.
mo doubt you can buy turkeys
thought Mr.. Chirrup-Caleb his name
was. "No doubt he can buy turkeys
and celery. too" For o big bunch Of
celery, large enough for a winter bou.
quet, had followed the mammoth tur'
key to its hiding place.
"And if there's one thing I like bet.
ter than another it's celery" thought
Mr.. Caleb Chirrup, trying very hard tt
look Grabbed and revengeful, but MOI
succeeding very well. However, hi
did manage to look quite savage and re.
sentful for him, which is saving o gooc
deal.
Mr.. Rothschild, in the meantime
pursued the even, but pompous, tenor
of his way through the crowd which Jos
tied him on every side. Now and Their
he stopped at the best filed stalls, anc
added relays Of vegetables and othel
articles to the contents OF his roomy
basket.
Bunches of ripe bananas, dozens o
golden rined oranges and lemons
"scuds" of candies and cakes. and othel
indigestible compounds, also dlsap
peared in the same ample receptacle.
"Humph! l trust the little Roths
childs have we'll seasoned stomachs tt
dispose of all that trash" thought Mr.