Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-12-03
Mr.. Chirrup's Christmas

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 a Christmas
gift, or anything toput 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.
50, 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-extravaeant salary Lawyer
Ledgerly was ill-"too ill to be seem
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 so
small and Ills 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 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 glummer than ever, and beat the
"Devil's tattoo on the wind0w-sill, as
glum people generally do. For the
sight of the market stalls crowded with
Christmas luXuries, was not exactly
calculated to cheer up a man in Mr..
Chirrups circumstances.
lie was still gazing moodlly at the
well-lilled market stalls, at the crowds
of people, jostling and elbowing each
other when he suddenly started and
peered sharply from under his eye
hroWs. as if he had seen some one h(
knew.
That short, sleek looking gentleman
in the nobby hat and overcoat, with
huge market basket in one hand, and
cold-headed cane in the other. Surely
that was Mr.. Chirrup's elder brother
Rothschild.
AS he made the discovery, Mr.. CHR
rup-Mr. Rothschild Chirrup that is
was evidently pricing turkey;
monster turkey it was, too, the bigges
that Mr. Chirrup-either of the Mr.
Chirrups-had seen in the market
And the would-be purchaser held i
up, punched it, turned it around ant
held it up again for all the world as i
he were exhibiting it for the benefit o
his brother, looking glumly down iron
the window opposite.
But in reality he was deciding onl
IN his own mind that this was reall
the biggest, the plumpest, the tender
est 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 tn
time, came as near sneering as he ha
ever done in his life, when the turke
disappeared in his brothers baske
For bitter estrangement hal eXiste
between the two brothers from tim
immemorial-or thereabouts.
mo doubt he can buy turkeys
thought Mr. Chirrup-Caleb his ran
was. "No doubt he can buy turkey
and celery, too" For a big bunch
celery, large enough for a wint
bouquet, had followed the mammot
turkey to its hiding-place.
"And if there's one thing l Ill
better than another, it's celery
thought Mr. Caleb Chirrup, tryiI
very hard to look grabbed and reveng
ful, but not succeeding very we
! However, he did manage to look qui
savage and resentiul for him, which
: saying good deal.
Mr. Rothschild, in the meantin
pursued the even, though pompot
tenor of his way through the crov
which jostled him on every side. No
and then he stopDed ut the best-ill