Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-12-26
Mrs. Trench and Christmas
BY HARRIET PRESCOTT sporFonD.
Copyrighted 1851

it's Christmas presents, and then it's New
Years, and then it's Easter, and it's birth
days all the time What a way it is to
keep festival Stirring up all the covet-
business we have, appealing to our lowest
nature, as if we could not be glad without
receiving tribute As for wedding pres
ents, they add a horror to Iife-frst we'd
dings are bad enough, but glass, tin,
leather, linen, silver-perfect yulgarity !.
If we live to be married hundred wears
we shall not have any of that"
" ! don't want any of that, Harry" said
his wife, gazing up at him in his TRADE
out of a pair of limpid gray eyes that just
now looked like two tears or two great
jewels glittering in dew II only want
money enough fer my Christmas presents.
A hundred dollars will get the whole of
them, and Pm sure that's good manage
ment when you think of this family"
:" A hundred dollarsr
"Why, l always spend that"
"To waste on Christmas folderols, and
people starving all around US
Pm sure its not my fault if people are
starving" cried the wife "They wouldn't
starve if ruled the universe. | should
portion things out equally to every one
alike. There wouldn't he any Queen Vic
torias then with million dollars year,
and shop-girls with half dollar day"
There wouldn't be any shop-girls, |
suppose said her husband quietly.
Mrs. Trench looked up again and the
color mounted to her cheek. No shop
girls-no shopping idea was perhaps
appalling; her lips quivered 3. I suppose, /"
said the lovely little imbecile hesitatingly,
that men could take their Places
Her husband laughed in spite of the
righteous Indignation under which he was
laboring. You see" he said, "if the
world is upside down it can't be righted
all at once. You can only do your best in
your own little corner. And one thing to
do in your little corner is to discourage
this promiscuous Christmas gift enterprise
1t Is the discomfort of every head of a
house in Christendom who can't spare the
money, and it half ruins young men. be.
ginning life, who earn pittances and have
to remember everybody in their boarding.
houses, because its expected of them. For
my part, | wish the old Pilgrim Fathers
who forbade mince pies and Christmas
carols and all the rest had their wav
now"
" should think YOU would be ashamed,
Harry Trench % cried his wife slowly. but
with gathering strength christmas
The one day in the year, The sweetest.
heavenliest festival, full OF green boughs in
winter, and children, and bells, and crisr]
snow and Homecoming; full of all sorts OF
happiness and good feelingi And YOU
want to abolish Christmas"
81 never said | wanted to abolish
Christmas. | only say that if this sort OF
thing is to be kept up, | wish it were a
movable feast and took place at some other
season, and not when I'll the half yearly
bills come in and man is dead broke any-
way"
why don't you abolish the half-yearly
bills" cried his wife, "if you want to aboi-
ish anything?"
You begin" said Mr.. Trench.
AZ begin. must say, Harry Trench
| wonder if Courcy de Spenser talks SO to
his wife? | should think it was who
spent my money in clubs, and went to
races, and hired yachts and had suit for
every occasion and necktie for every day
IN the year, and took champagne with my
lunch and went to the theater without nv
wife. IL who turn my dresses twice.
Why shouldn't you turn your dresses il
they can stand it? Many things are all
the better for turning new leaf, for in
stance. I'm going to turn one to-day.
And | shan't furnish anyone with a single
dollar to buy Christmas gift, and that
ends the matter~ And Mr.. Trench
rather indignant at this recapitulation OF
his shortcomings, or long-goings. rather
threw down his napkin and shut the door
behind him with gentle vehemence that
could not be called a slam, but yet was
certainly more than a jar.
Mrs. Trench, of course, burst into tears
Josephine the maid not being present
But it always hurt her to cry, and indeed
she was so angry that her tears were more
like sparks of fire. No money for her
Christmas Wanting to abolish her Christ.
mas! Wanting to change Christmas from
greens into paltrv, warm. lifeless summer
weather Each allegation was pulse OF
flame, and of course her tears were dried
almost before they fell. There always had
been a Streak of meanness in Harry, heI
y reflections ran on, for all he spent money
so freely and tossed it away to the first
asker; he never had any to toss away tc
her; she never had an allowance like othe,
Mrs. 10
own bank account for her part, she had
had to cut herself short in everything hel
heart longed for, in order to give her
Christmas presents, every year since she
had married " | don't care" she cried
aloud; shall make my Christmas pres
ents all the same. But as he disapproves
of them so strongly shall make none tc
him And, very much pleased with hei
first determination, and strengthened and
invigorated with her last one. she went
upstairs and took her diamond earrings
from their hiding place and put them into
the sun to look at. =" It's shamel lisa
shamep' she cried Mrs Courcv dc
Spenser doesn't have to sell her earrings
just to be decentw How splendid they
were Not very large, but OF clear water
like two great sparkling concrete sunbeams
themselves. How she had longed for them
before she had them; how she had
thanked her father when he gave them
to her, and pitied him for the sacrifice, in
his slender circumstances, that he made to
10 1t, and coaxed her mother to dismiss
the second girl and allow her to do the
parlor work herself for whole year till
she had nearly made it up, before her
father noticed what was going on.
Now father and mother were gone. and
the little hateful stones were only svm-
bols of her own selfishness she didn't
want to see them any more. All the same,
the idea that she was forced to part with
them whether or not was bitter But she
could have hundred dollars for them
easily. She knew Mr.. Sparkler very well,
and SO did Harry, and he would be glad
to CRAFTY her and make good bargain
for himself. And she put on her hat and
buttoned her jacket with emphasis on her
way down to the jewelers.. She hurried.
for if she did not do it at once she might
not have the impetus to do it at all. Harry
liked to see her dressed and wearing the
earrings. Very well; if he wanted to see
har 4,