The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-01-11
John Jynks and the An.
gel.
BY HELEN ATTERIpGE.

Ecs,atic joy and peace were in the
face: the raiment was woven of gold
and rcd-gold i'll the lights and rcd
in the shadows. 1t was Il shock tC
John .Jynks to see one who had bcel
blowing the organ. twas IN angel
John .Iynks was an cminently respec
able man; his silk hat was on IL chair
and his slim umbrella was in the cor
ner. In fact, hewas SO very respecta
BILE that it is surprising to think ht
had anything to do with an angel
But, then, it was through n mistake
John .Jynks was AZ serious man.
Ills face WAS long, and inclined to be
scpulchral by reason of exceeding
gravity. In fact, his tastes were SC
serious that lie was practisinga dirge
on Christmas Eve.
John .Iynks was not any relation
tothc". links family or the ".Dcnkins'
family; he spclt his uame with a ~
lie was dcccndcd from the Zwinke
family. who were to be found in lie,
neva in the fifteenth century. This
waS his own opinion: but his opinions
were like his property-not shared by
anybody else. .
One of his opinions was that Christ
mas wns bore. That morning lie
had expected IL business letter, and
instead lie got TN invitation to Mrs
Wimplcs party, over the way, on
Twelfth Night. He had stuck the
card in the edge of the looking-glass
with u growl. He go toa party-not
he! lie had never been present at
such useless nonsense since lie was
ten years old. And that thing came
instead of a most important letter!
John Jynks felt perfectly annoyed
by Christmas,
His letter might come yet, but all
the deliveries would be late. Anoth-
err f0rm of useless nonsense would be
in the wny-thc plague of Christmas
cards. John .Jynks felt that Christ.
mas was eN;lsperating.
Then the waits last night-only to
think Of tllem!-playing brass i'll
struments out of time, and putting
ones teeth on edge when one wanted
to go asleep-singing at the doors
till one longed to he IL boy again to
steal to the kcyhole and squirt water
down their Threats. John .Jynks
thought of this vengeance without
II smile. Christmas was enough to
sllatter a mans nerves: the one com.
fort about it was itcould not happen
to anybody more than once year
Then think of the Christmas box,
cs the dao after-the ringing ut The
door by the postlnan, and the dust.
man, and the gasman, and the wat
erman-and even the taxman; for to
the ai1righted Imagination of John
Jynks it seemed that even the tax
man was of the number who had the
impcrtincnce to come for u Christ.
mas-box.
Besides what a crowd were in the
streets, laughing hurrying, joking,
shopping. 1t made Mr. .Jynks i'll
positively i'll to think OF tllcstoppage
OF business and the waste of time.
What did people want holidays for?
What did they want to ask for?
Holidays stopped work ana made
them poorer; and laughing was
the worst form of itllcness.
Thinking these thoughts, John
Jynks had cometllis morning upon
the boy Wrought to blow the organ.
The boy was carrying an unwieldy
parcel, and was followed by u small
sister, !. small brother, and a dog,
all in the most insane state of laugh.
ter-except the dog, of course. for
the dog was u sensible animal.
When Mr.. Jynks had prodded
Tommy in the ribs with his
umbrella, as IL serious remind.
cr of neglected duty, Tommy
had taken it as !, joke and staggered
out Of the way, and the parcel had
burst and let out the neck of a goose
amid shouts of delight.
Leave that parcel, and come and
blow the organ" Mr.. .Iynks had said
severely.
"Plcnsc, SIR" Tommysnid, "Ican't
leave him, sir. It's our goose going
nome. and he can't go home by him
self, sir"
Then lie quick"
"As quick as lean, sir. Butifyou'd
only feel the weight Of him, SHIP
This to Mr.. links! 1t was appall-
ing.
II shall expect you in five minutes, -
said the grave and serious gentle.
man: and. turning the corner, he met
Miss Wimplc, with her arms full oil
parcels. When he tried to shake
hands with her she dropped six, and
every time he picked them up she
dropped four or five more ofall shapes
and sizes. And the more she drop.
ped, and the more she was delayed
and Inconvenience, the more she
laughed, as ifwasallin fun. Nothing
but the notscnsical spirit of the sea
son again! But this was a much
worse case than Tommy and the
goose.
Daisy Wimplc was the merricst girl
in all the town. She looked as fresh
and rosy in her warm fur us if she
were young Springtimc mnsqucrad
ing in Winters dress. She looked
straight up at Mr.. Jynks' long fac,
with the sparkling glance of IL pair o
most innocent eyes, and she said
brimfrl of glce:-
"Do tell me, Mr.. Jynks' have vol
any idea. where u Punch-and-Judy
livcs?"
Mr.. Jynks was surprised. He wa,
morc-he was shocked. 1t was thu
very last remark one could expect
from girl of refinement to II man o
mature years and intellectual pur
suits.
ell tell you how it is" she said
chattering AWAY, with IL funny puz
zled air of business pickering the
pretty forehead for IL moment. 'On
Boxing Day it is the factory girls
tea-party; nni we have ten sliIlings
over out of the funds. and / thought
Punch and Judy would make them
lnugh-and | saw II man in tho
square the other day, and he said il
was ten shillings IL night-only We
slinn't lie able to have Toby, because
Toby is ten sllillings morc-Tobies arc
very dear"
Mr.. Jynks shook his head ut Daisy
and the world in genc.,.,,. hit you
are not going to carry all thes, par.
cells round the Gown in this seircll?'
he asked.
s'Oh no, these ore for the Christmas