The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-24
MR.. SHADES
CHRISTMAS DAY.
From the Philadelphia Times.


room of Slade Il Co. had been in state
of suppressed excitement. 1t was Dec.
"a, and even the staid head bookkeeper
seemed to have imbibed some of the spirit
of Christmas, for he did not confine him
self so closely to his long column of fig
ures, as was his usual custom, but ever
and anon hid himself behind the raised
lid of his desk, and emerged therefrom
smiling amiably at anyone who CHANGED
to be looking his way.
'Old man must have private
| bottle in there" commented a flippant
young clerk who had watched the unus-
ual performance for half a dozen times.
Nav, he amt" put in the small office
boy, who had been of no earthly good to
anyone for an entire week, and who spent
the greater part of his time in rushing
| around the corner, where he glued his
pert little nose against the glass win
dow of shop in which everything to
make boys Christmas glorious was in
| view. Hes a-lookln' at something
pretty and shiny what he's bought for his
| little girl. think it's bracelet. Any
how, L know he's goin' to give it away,
/ cause he wrote name on the box and
/ Merry Christmas, for l seen him do it."
1t must not be supposed that this air of
festiyity escaped the observation of
! Hiram Slade as he passed through the
outer Office to his own particular den,
| marked Private" Nothing ever escaped
! him, and though every one did his best
| to appear as usual the air was so full of
! Christmas gladness that he would have
been much less keen not to take notice
of it.
AT last he shut himself in and with
deliberation peculiarly his own unlocked
his desk and sat down to the accumulated
mail that he always made it his duty to
inspect personally. Somehow he could
not bring his mind to the prosaic task
with the readiness of other days. his
thoughts would bring himself back to the
pile of letters by an explosive exclamation
! that sounded like fools"
In coming to the ONCE he had almost
fallen over automatic toys that were per-
forming their various functions upon the
| sidewalks He had brushed into women
| with bundles and men with Christmas
trees; he had noted his own Office boy
away from his post of duty and had
mentally determined to discharge him
that very day, and finally within the
walls of his counting room he had espied
a hobby horse under Smithson's desk and
had seen the glow of an especial happiness
on the head book-keeper's face, and as
these thoughts crowded, thick and fast
into his busy brain he exploded once more
into that one word, fools"
And fools he thought them, did Hiram
Staid, staid man of affairs. head of bust
ness house whose reputation for financial
strength and honest dealing was world
wide. He hadn't time for such nonsense
He never had had time. From his early
boyhood days his mission in life was to
work, to work and to save. Never a
penny went foolishly, and to-day he owned
much OF this worlds goods and owed his
prosperity to no man.
If he had glanced in the mirror hanging
| a hn
man aged before his time, a thin-faced
cynical man in shabby attire Hiram
Slade didn't believe in spending any more
money than was necessary for clothes,
and his hat and coat had done duty for
many season. when ones rich, they
can afford to dress poor" he chuckled, as
he noticed the stylish cut of the garments
worn by his clerks, whose weekly stipend
all went to buy clothes. Every one
knows l could splurge II I wanted to,
therefore l don't. I'd rather have my
money in the bank than on my back"
He had never had time 10 love or marry
any one. His mother had died when he
was boy and since then he looked on the
world as great, struggling mass of hu-
manity, each item of which was striving
to get the better of the other. His house
was conducted by grumpy old house
keeper, stone deaf, and consequently
cheap. The wages he was willing to nav
l
to secure a better place. His days were
run on system and his nights followed
suit. Though the world recognized him
as man of affairs, he never was invited
out, and at 40 he had one or two friends
as queer as himself and an amount of
property sufficiently large to debar him
from ever contemplating a heavenly
abode.
OF late he taken an interest, if glimpse
now and then could be given that term in
little typewriter whose desk set close
against the window of the large ofice
building just across the alley. Early as
he always was at his desk, she was stin
earlier at hers, and when he left at night
the click Of the keys could almost be heard
through the glass partition as her nimble
fingers flew industriously over her work
This morning, when the mail had been
sorted and he had growled out his orders
to the men whom he paid to serve him, he
looked across the alley, and, with another
emphatic explosive, pulled down the shade
and turned on the electric light, though
1t was still broad daylight. The girl was
there bending over her work the same as
usual, and on the plain black frock was
pinned bunch of glossy leaved holly with
its red berries glowing against its dark
background.
Even she has to do something idiotic, Z"
he muttered TO himself. Probably spent