St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-12-27
A CONTRAST.
A Queer Christmas Story, Not
Without Moral.

Perhaps no young person will believe
that any one can be sorry at the pros
pect of Christmas. But for all that,
DIR. Gray was sorry, and older persons
will believe the statement when they
are further informed that DIR. Gray $
family consisted of twelve persons-his
wife and his wife's mother, himself, two
sons, three daughters, one man servant,
two maid servants and young medi-
cal student. It is evident that the doc
tor had many expenses. Although he
had large and excellent practice, there
were so many ways by which his money
was constantly disappearing that he was
far more perplexed than many poorer
man to meet his January bills. And
here, just before January, was this ogre
of gift exchange, ready to swallow the
doctors purse and call for more. No
wonder that his usually good-natured
face heightened, and he almost wished
that such costly symbolizing of good
will to men had never been invented.
Of course. every member of his fami-
ly must give to every other member-to
say nothing of outside relatives and
friends and neither his wife nor chill
dren-nor himself for that matter
wished to be niggardly in their gifts.
His eldest daughter. Bertha, had gone
SO far as to intimate that it would be q
good time to give ma a new seal-skin
coat, and his wife had stated that it was
really time that Bertha had nice gold
watch. Florence openly declared that
she had lived year in hope of receiv-
ing a handsome stationary writing desk
at Christmas. Nathan evidently hoped
for yelocipede. Little Maria told papa
softly that she had never owned large
wax doll. Ned, the youngest, said,
iubilantly, that he had changed his
usual evening prayer to q petition to
Santa Claus to send him a very hand
some new sled and rocking-horse.
Mrs. Gray, with an evident attempt to
be remarkably economical, when she
saw how very sober the doctor looked
at these various suggestions, said, hesi-
tatingly, that she would try to make a
hundred dollars do for her Christmas
allowance; but she really could not get
much for eleven persons with that, es-
pecial1y as she wished to make him and
grandma and the older children some
handsome presents this year. .
'sNo, my dear, said the doctor, de-
.cidedly, Il can not spare any such
amount, if ] am to furnish the children
money for their purchases also. Fifty
dollars IS the very most can give you.
Take that, and omit me from your list;
/ will accept the other fifty dollars cash
now for my present. So saying, the
doctor kissed her. made some playful
remark and handed her five ten-dollar
bills. After She had left the room, he
sighed heavily. Mrs. Gray was a gen.
.erous-hearted woman, and she had
looked very much disappointed, hay
ing really hoped the kind doctor
would give her much more than she
asked for.
"This will never do, thought the
doctor; "the demands grow larger all
around every year. must inform the
children plainly that they can have no
more than they had last year, or they
win be asking for money in the same
ratio. =
When this information was given, in
a pleasant but firm manner, there was a
great outcry. They declared that they
could not get anything with so small
an amount; fifteen dollars apiece for al
most grown-up young ladies and q boy
five feet tall-fifteen dollars to be diyid-
ed among more than eleven persons; it
was preposterous.
In spite of the Wry faces, the doctor
was firm. He said tritely, as other
men say under such circumstances
sDo you suppose am made OF mon
ey?''