The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-12-26
A CONTRAST.
a Queer Christmas Story, Not
Without a Moral

a. queer christmas story, MOI
Without a 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 DR.. Gray S
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. 1t 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.
or 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.
nh 10 ho.1
so far as to intimate that it would be a
good time to give ma q 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 a year in hope of receiv-
ing 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,
jubilantly, that he had changed his
usual evening prayer to a petition to
Santa Claus to send him 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, hest
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-
pecially as she wished to make him and
grandma and the older children some
handsome presents this year.
No, my DEAR said the doctor, de-
cdedly, 81 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 saving, the
doctor kissed her. made some playful
remark and handed her five ten-dollar
bills. After she had left the room, he
SigheG heavily Mrs. Gray was a gem
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
will be asking for money in the same
ratio
When this information was given, in
a pleasant but firm manner, there was a
great cutlery. They declared that they
could not get anything with so small
an amount; fifteen dollars apiece for al
most grown-up young ladies and boy
five feet tall-fifteen dollars to be divid-
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:
DO you suppose | am made of mon
eyP'
But Florence, who was a very sensi-
bic girl, quite Modified him by replying:
III you are not exactly made of money.
do think you are better than your
weight in gold, even it is almost two
hundred pounds. "
But Christmas only comes once a
year, father, said Bertha, coaxinoly.
"Thank Heayen!n exclaimed the
doctor, mentally, and remained obdu-
rate.
The sober faces about him day after
day, however, and the rather ostenta-
tious consultations going on as to how
to make little 60 so far, shook the
Doctors determination to such an ex-
Tent that he finally concluded to sur
prise his disappointed family-who
seemed now very disHustful regarding
his future intentions by giving each
exactly what had been suggested; in
that way he might even at that late
date escape the suspicion of being un-
feeling and niggardly. To do this,
however, he would be obliged to defer
the payment of several bills, instead Of
squaring up according to his hitherto
invariable custom on the first of Janu-
airy. But, he reasoned, he could cancel
all shortcomings in the course of two
or three months, and as for his failure
to lay up anything this year, that was
not OF so much consequence, since his
lie was heavily insured. By the way,
the payment was nearly due upon the
policy again, and the doctor sighed a
number of times, remembering how
tardlly payment OF his bills had come
in of late. Such was the state of affairs
at Dir. Grays the day before Christmas,
and there was avery similar state Of
affairs in half the elegant mansions in
which fashionable persons were deco
rating their Christmas trees with profuse
and elegant display.
"Ah, : thought the doctor, as he noted
the constant array Of parcels in the
streets, the Whizzing Of express teams,
the gayety OF the shop windows, the
glimpses OF Christmas trees, " this is
one reason folks are so 10th to pay their
DOCTORS bills about this time.
As he was passing 4 toyssAop d