The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-12-26
A CHRISTMAS LARK.
BY MARY STACY WILMINGTON.

A CHRISTMAS LARK.
BY MARY STACY WILMINGTON.
It was q neat, pleasant chamber, with
shaded crimson carpet. mantel- piece su-
perhuously upholsted with sky blue
plush; embroidered in golen-rod and
shaded sumach leaves, t%able-cover har-
monizing; a cleaning fire in o polished
CRATE; two oaken bookcases filed from
floor to ceiling, and two ladies, the one
in q crimson wrapper with a little pale
blue silk kercheif knotted round her
throat; the other Is in an old-gold CASH
mere walking-dress, sitting on either
side of the dancing fire; By its flicker,
and the paling light that came through
the heavily curtained windows, you
could not see how the lights, the tints,
the round curves of youth had forsaken
each lady. "Our room is really de-
lightful now, isn't it, Laura?" said the
old gold lady, who had lit upon the has
sock by the side which faced the win
dow.
30 yes sighed the other yawning,
"It's we'll enough. Why shouldn't it
be after oil the money and bother we've
spent on it?" Then looking down at
the silent, bent, old-gold head of her
oomrade, she added, but not harshly,
"You will always take such an absurd
lot of comfort out of everything, Gla-
dys!"
SWELL, l can't help it" said Gladys,
deprecatingly. "There does seem to
me such lots Of comfort to be taken!
Now, I know ever so many ladies in the
same DON with me at the treasury who
have seen better days; vino never were
bound to a regular business routine be-
fore. Some Of them have kept house
kept gorgeous houses, and ordered
everybody else round, and never had
anybody order them round until they
came into the department Now you
see, Office is terrible to them"
"Frightful, agreed Laura with a sus-
picion of sarcasm in her languid voice.
"But you know, Laura-well-the
Left a trampled orphan. and q selfish uncle's
ward
nearly describes my case. I always
dressed worse than other girls at school,
l never had a piano or the books !
wanted, because uncle was saving my
money till I grew up. And when / had
grown up, somehow it was all gone. I
was never the sort of girl aunt, or uncle
Liked. l had q sister-unt1l I
met you"
"Me, Gladys?" said Laura, stirred o
little, and risingin her cushioned chair.
II have always thought more of YOU,
Gladys Day, than I have ever said ever
since you came like 6 live spirit into
our room of mummies, four years since
but I don't think that I have been a
very good imitation of q sister to you.
At least we have not quarreled like sis
ters since we took our two rooms to-
gether."
"Do sisters quarrel?" asked Gladys.
II thought they always had good times
together, as we do when we go to- our
beloved operas, or take our spring and
autumn journeys into Rock Greek
woods. Do you know, Laura, / never
had such good times in all my life be-
fore as 1 have had in one or two of our
little. expeditions 2"
"Don't own it then. It's dreadfully
lacking in savcir faire to own yourself
anything but a martyr, in q government
clerkship,"
well, l think it's real ungrateful and
horrid, and wanting in sensibility, to
complain Of Office life, in a world full OF
shop-girls that work from 7 a.. m. to 10
p. M, and horse-car drivers that work
the good God knows how many hours
q day !"-fred Gladys. "for ! believe He
does watch and keep the acconnt!"
1T is, come to think of it," yawned
| Laura.
laura, what makes you so-why
don't you"-
"'Sweet my COZ. be merry morew
Eyes; it's Christmas time, you know.
That's the very reason. To see all
these Ridiculous people ,tearing, hust
ling and jostling around to spend their
money on ~nonsensical inutilities tina!
nobody wants snd everybody buys be.
cause they expect some of the useless
things, and they must reciprocate by
numbering upsome other persons house
I'll want anything 1 haven't got,I am ole
enough to 60 and get 1t, and SO are YOU
"Yes, dear. meekly acquiesed Gladys
you weren't brought up in the church
T know"
What church wasn't I brought up in
I was brought up in some church, ]
reckon
Eyes, dear Laurella. But whom my
mother was young they called every,
thing but our church-'meetings.' ]
don't like anybody to give me anything
costly, but do like a little, small re.
membrancer Of each Holy Christmas
time, if its Just o two-cent card. ]
warn you," she said, laughing.
"And I warn everybody that if they
give NE another Christmas card, III
throw it into the fire. The fashion i
all run to millinery, fringe, eso
Heigho, I wish Christmas time vai
over. I'm going to bed.
ooh, no, don't" cried Gladys, en-,
treatingly. "Why, I had planned some
lovely fun for tonight, andI want 70,
TO go with me-"
4Funl what have women to do witt