The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-20

ents. and then it's New Years, and then it's
Easter, and it's birthdays all the timel What a
way it is to keep festival! Stirring up all the
covetousness we have, appealing to our lowest
nature, as if we could not be glad without re-
ceiving tribute! AS for wedding presents, they
add horror to life-frst weddings are bad
enough, but glass, tin, leather, linen. silver
perfect vulgarity! If we live to be married a
hundred years we shall not have any of that"
II don't want any of that, Harry" said his
wife, gazing up at him in his TRADE out of pair
of limpid gray eyes that just now looked like
two tears or two great jewels glitterug in dew
II only want money enough for my Christmas
presents. A hundred dollars will get the whole
of them, and I'm sure that's good management
when you think of this family"
"A hundred dollars!"
''Why, always spend that"
ITO waste on Christmas folderols, and people
starving all around us!"
I'm sure it's not my fault if people are starv-
ing!" cried the wife. ''They wouldn't starve if I
ruled the universe. should portion things out
equally to every one alike. There wouldn't be
any Queen Victorias then with million dollars
year. and shop-girls with half-dollar day"
There wouldn't be any shop girls 1 suppose,
said her husband quietly.
Mrs. Trench looked UP again and the color
mounted her cheek. No shop girls-no shop
ping-the idea was perhaps appalling; her lips
quivered. II suppose" said the lovely little
imbecile hesitatingy "that men could take their
places"
Her husband laughed in spite Of the righteous
indignation under which he was laDoring. 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 own little corner is to dis
courage this promiscuous Christmas gift enter
prise. 1t is the discomfort of every head of q
house in Christendom who can't spare the mon
ey, and it half ruins young men, beginning life,
who earn pittances and have to remember every
body in their boarding houses because it's ex-
pected of them For my part, I wish the old
Pilgrim Fathers who forbade mince pies and
Christmas carols and all the rest, had their way
now"
II 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
crisp snow. and home coming, full Of all sorts of
happiness and good feeling. And you want to
abolish Christmas"
II never said wanted to abolish Christmas.
only say that, if this sort of thing is to be kept
up, wish it were movable feast and took
place at some other season and not when all the
halfyeary bills come in and man is dead broke
anyway as....ls.aa-4s--...--.-
"Why don't you abolish the half.yearly billsl"
cried his wife, IF you want to abolish any
thingw
"You begin" said Er. Trench.
u beginl must sgy. Harry ~-,ophi rweoss--
der II Co. " de. Spenser talks ~ ais wife!
s1jssdl aasf "a d, it was who ,r,nt my money in
u3lubs, and vent to races and hired yachts. and
had suit for every occasion and necktie for
every day in tine year, and took champagne with,
my lun.A, aud rent to the theater without my
wife. II who turn my dresses twice"
why shouldn't you turn your dresses if they
can stand it9 Many things are all the better for
turning--a new leaf for instance Pm going to
turn one to-day. And shan't furnish anyone
with single dollar to buy Christmas gift, and
that ends the matter!" and Mr. Trench, rather
indignant at this recaptulatlon of his short
comings, or long goings, rather, threw down his
napkin and shut the door behind him with a
gentle vehemencs that could not be called a
slam. but yet was certainly more than jar.
Mrs. TRENCH of course, burst into tears--Jo-
sephine, the maid. not being present. But it al
ways hurt her to cry, and, indeed, she was so
angry that her tears were more like sparks of
Go Co. 1o-
abolish her Christmas! Wanting to change
Christmas from it's season of SHOWS, and frosts,
and evergreens into paltry. warm, lifeless sum-
mer weather. Each allegation was pulse of
fame, and of course her tears were dried almost
before they fell. There always had been
streak of rneanness in Harry her 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 to her;
she never had an allowance like other wives.
Mrs. Courcy de Spenser had her own bank &C
count; for her part, she had to cut herself short
in everything her heat longed for, in order to
give her Christmas presents, every year since
she had married! II don't care" she cried aloud.
II shall make MY Christmas presents all the
same. But as he disapproves of them so strong
ly, / shall make none to him" And, very much
pleased with her 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 in the sun
to look at Its shame It's shame!" she
cried: MRS. Courcy de Spenser doesn't
have to sell her earrings, just to be decent!"
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 tina nked
her father when ne gave them to her. and ptied
him for the sacrifice, in his slender circum-
stances. that he made to do it. and hated herself
afterwards for letting him do it, and coaxed her
mother to dismiss the second girl and allow her