Middletown transcript., 1893-12-23

HfIA VII state Of sup
nd pressed excite
u GGN%v-E ment. It wa
yeS1nTVANI the Oath of De
Y<JgX-ET1V cember and ever
: the staid head
- = u bookkeeper seem
ed to have imbibed some of the spirit
of Christmas, for lie did not confins
himself so closely to his long columns
of figures as was his usual custom, but
ever and anon hid himself behind tie
raised lid of his desk and emerged
therefrom smiling amiabIy at any one
who chanced to be looking his way.
"Old man must have private bot
tie in there,'' commented a fippant
young clerk who had watched the un-
usual performance for half a dozen
times. Nav, be ain't,n put in the
small Office boy, who bad been Iof no
earthly good to any one for an entire
week, and who to-day spent the greater
part of his time in rushing around the
corner, where he glued his pert little
nose against the glass window of a
shop in which everything to make a
boys Christmas glorious was on view
"He's a-lookin' at somethin, pretty and
shiny what he's bought for his little
girl. I think it's bracelet. ANY,
how, / know he's goin' to give it away
case he wrote name on the box and
Merry Christmas, for / seen him do
it.n
1t must not be supposed that this
air of festivity 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 un-
locked his desk and sat down to the
accumulated mail that he always made
it his duty to inspect personally. Some
how he could not bring his mind to the
prosaic task with the readiness of other
days, his thoughts would wander and
every now and then he would bring
himself back to the pile Of letters by an
explosive exclamation that sounded
like fools
In coming to the office he had among
fallen over aumatic toys that were per-
forming their various function upon
the sidewalk. He had brushed into
women with bundles and men with
Chistmas trees; he had noted his own
office boy away from his post Of duty,
and had mentally determined to dis
charge him that very day, and finally
within the walls of his counting room
he had espied hobby horse under
Smithon's desk aid 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 Hi
ram Slade, staid man Of affairs head
a business house whose reputation for
financial strength and honest dealing
was world wids,. 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 penny went fool
ishly and to day be owned much Of
this worlds goods and owed his pros
petty to no man.
If he had glanced in the mirror hang
ing over i'm dark corner he would
have seen man aged before his time,
a thin faced, cynical man in shabby at.
tire. Hiram Slade didn't believe in
spending any more money than was
l..ssessss.ssi s11e!sss and mis- hat and
coat had done duty for many season.
"When ones rich, they cant afford to
dress poor" he chuckled, as he noticed
the stylish cut of the garment worn by
his clerks, whose weekly stipend all
went to buy clothes. EVERY one knows
/ could splurge if | wantedi to, there
fore don't. I'd rather have my mon
ey in bank than on my back" "
He had never had time Ito love OF
marry any one. His notbeF had died
when he was boy and since then be
had looked ON the world As a great
struggling mass of humanity, eacf
item of which was striving to get tht
better of the other. His house wal
conducted by grumpy old housekeepel
stone deaf. and consequently cheap
The wages he was willing to pay woult
prove enticing 10 any one Iable TO Sc
cure better place. His days were rul
on system and his nights followed sui,
Though the world recognized him as {
man of affairs. be never has inyitet
ont, and at 90 he had One or twG
friends as queer as himself and al
amount Of property sufficiently larg'
to deDar him from ever contemplating
q heavenly abode.
Ui-.ate he had taken an interest, il
glimpse now and them could be giyel
that term, in little typewFiter who's