The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1884-12-26
Mis1e llanenns.
Mr.. Chirrup's Christmas.

Mr.. Chrrup was glum. Any one else, any
| one with Il less amiable disposition, that is,
| would have been "cross" under the same
pIovocaton.
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 II Christmas gift, or anything to
put in the chldrens stockings, and no pros
| pective turkey, or mince pie and plum.pud
ding for your Christmas dinner, you are ex-
cusable for being glum.
So, at least, thought Mr.. Chirrup, as he
sat looking out OF the window of Lawyer
Ltdgerys office, where he was employed at
II hy-no means eXtravagant salary. Lawyer
Ledg, ry was il-"too i'll TO be seen" his
| mother-in-aw said. So there was no hope
of anticipating his next quarters salary, as
he had sometimes done on similar pressing
occasions.
For Mr. Chirrup's salary was so small and
his family SO large, it was not much wonder
there was usually some difficulty in making
the salary stretch from one quarters end to
| another
All these things Mr. Chirrup pondered as
he sat looking out of the window in Lawyer
Ledgerlys office, which was OH 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, as glum
people generally do. For the sight of the
| market stalls crowded with Christmas luxu-
ries, was not exactly calculated to cheer up
man in Mr.. Chirrups circumstances.
He was still gazing moodlly at the well
| flied market stalls, at the crowds of people,
jostling and Glowing each other, when he
suddenly started and peered sharply from
under his eyebrows, az if he had seen some
| one he knew
nobby hat and overcoat. with a huge market
basket in one hand, and Il gold-headed cane
in the other. Surely that was Mr.. Chirrup's
elder brother, Rothschild
| AS he made the discovery, Mr.. Chirrup-
Mr.. ROthschild Chirrup that is-was evident
| ly pricing II turkey; a monster turkey 1t WAS
too, the biggest that Mr.. Chirrup-either of
| the Mr. Chirrups-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 were exhibit
ing 1t for the benefit Of his BROTHER looking
glumly down from the window opposite.
But in reality he was deciding only in his
own mind that this was really the biggest,
the plumpesr, the tenderest and most tempt
| ing looking fowl he had seen yet, and there.
fore he would lake it. And plump it went,
forthwith, into Mr.. Rolhschid Cnirrup 5
huge market basket, which seemed yawning
| To receive it.
MIR. Chirrup-our Mr.. Chirrup this time,
| came as near sneering as he had ever done in
his life when the turkey disappeared in his
brothers basket. For bitter enlargement
had existed between the two brothers from
time immemorial-or Whereabouts
mo doubt he can buy turkeys" thought
Mr. Chrrup-Caleb his name was. "No
doubt he can buy turkeys, and celery too"
For big bunch of celery, large enough for a
winter bouquet, had followed the mammoth
turkey to its hiding, place.
"And if there's one thing like better than
another, it's celery" thought Mr.. Caleb CHR
rup, trying very hard to look grabbed and re-
vengeful, but not succeeding very well. How
ever, he did manage to look quite savage and
Iesentful for him, which is saying a good
deal.
Mr.. Rothschid, in the meantime, pursued
the even, though pompous, tenor of his way
through the crowd which jostled him on
every side Now and then he stopped at the
best filled stalls, and added relays of vegeta
bes and other articles to the contents OF his
roomy basket.
rinded oranges and lemons, "scuds" of can
pounds, also disappeared in the same ample
receptacle.
"Humpb! | trust the little Rothschilds
have well seasoned stomachs to dispose oi
all that trash," ought Mr.. Caleb, sarcasti
cally. Though in reality he could not have
told whether his brother was bachelor or a
Benedict so long had been the feud between
them, And then, Mr.. Caleb Chirrup's hum
BILE aboie was many blocks removed from the
aristocratic precincts of"West End" where
his brother resided.
The elder Cnirrup-for Mr.. Rothschild
was the elder-seemed at last TO have com.
pleted his purchase of edibles, and paused in
front of flower stall, where he selected a
pot of crimson and white chrysanthemums
THE very pot" thought Mr.. Caleb, glum.
ly, THAT picked out over a month ago, as q
Christmas present for poor Patty.
Poor Patty" was Mr.. Caleb's wife,
Mr.. Rothschild, however, deposited his pur.