The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1884-12-04
Mr., Chirrup's Christmas.

MI Sllllrup was gum. any oHe
else, any one with less amiable dis
position, that is, 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
money to buy your wife Christmas
gift, or anything put in the children's
stockings, and no prospective turkey,
Or mince-pie and plum-pudding for
your Christmas dinner, you are eXcus-
able 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 a by-no-
means-extravagant salary. Lawyer
Ledgerly was ill-"too ill to be seen"
his mother-in-law said So there was
no hope of anticipating his next quar-
ter's salary, as he had sometimes done
on similar pressing occasions.
For Mr.. Chirrup's salary was SC
small and his family so large, it was
not much wonder there was usually
some difficulty in making Jne saIary
stretch from one quarters end tc
another.
All these things Mr.. Chirrup ponder.
ed as he sat looking out of the window
in Lawyer Ledgerly's Office, which was
on Fifth street, just opposite Union
Market. And our hero-if little Mr.
Chirrup can be called anybody's hero
grew GUNNER than ever, and beat the
Devils tattoo" on the window-sill, a;
glum people generally do. For the
sight of the market stalls crowded will
Christmas luxuries, was not exactly
calculated to cheer up man in Mr.
Chirrup's circumstances.
He was still gazing moodily at thu
well-lille market stalls, at the crowd!
of people, jostling and elbowing eacf
other, when he suddenly started ant
peered sharply from under his eye
brows, as if he had seen some one h,
knew.
That short, sleek-looking gentleman
in the nohby hat and overcoat, with
huge market basket in one hand, and
gold d-headed cane In the other. Surel,
that was Mr.. Chirrup's elder brother
Rothschld.
AS he made the discovery, MIR. CHR
rup-Mr. Rothschild Chirrup that is
was evidently pricing turkey;
monster turkey it was, too, the bigges
that Mr.. Chirrup-either of the MI
Chirrups-had seen in the market
And the would-be purchaser held i
up, punched it, turned it around an
held it up again for all the world as i
he were exhibiting it for the benefit o
his brother, looking glumly down fror
the window opposite.
But in reality he was deciding onl
in his own mind that this was reall
the biggest, the plumpest, the tender
ost and most tempting looking fowl h
had seen yet, and therefore he woul
take it. And plump it went, forth
with, into Mr.. Rothschild Chirrup'
huge market basket, which SCENE
yawning to receive it.
Mr.. Chirrup-our Mr.. Chirrup th
time, came as near sneering as he ha
ever done in his life, when the turke
disappeared in his brothers baske
For bitter estrangement had existe
between the two brothers from tim
immemorial-or thereabouts.
mo doubt he can buy turkeys
thought Mr.. Chirrup-Caleb his nan
was. "No doubt he can buy turkey
and celery, too" For big bunch
celery, large enough for a wint
bouauet, had followed the mammot
turkey to its hiding-place.
"And if there's one thing / lii
better than another, it's celery
thought Mr.. Caleb Chirrup, tryiT
very hard to look grabbed and reveng
ful, but not succeeding very we
However, he did manage to look quit
savage and resentful for him, which
saying a good deal.
Mr.. Rothschild, in the meantim
pursued the even, though pompou
tenor of his way through the Grow
which jostled him on every side. No
! and then he stopped at the best-fill,