The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1897-01-01
The Fitness of Gifts.

something was wrong WITH my next
door neighbor; / knew it the moment l
her face, framed in it's little red shawl,
coming up the garden path. "Christmas
giftv' l called out cheerily, as l opened
the door. A ghost of a smile lit up her
eyes, for moment, then crept down into
suspicious CULVER on her lips, as she
answered, well, there it's; jist that and
nothin' more" and giving the cord, which
not very gentle jerk, she threw the paper
and it's contents on the table. and as
looked in establishment at the lovely folds
of costly dress goods, lying there, she
went on: "Now, I'd like to know why
John got that for me instid O. giyin'
me the money as l asked him to. We
talked of Christmas more'n a nloiith ago,
an l told i'm to jist give me ten dollars,
fer a present this year; tibet he allis spent
tibet much or more, anyway, an [ needed
lots O. things tibet he'd not think to git fer
me. But he wouldn't hear to it. Lowed
it Wus unreasonable fer me to ask SIGH
sum; sed as how we'd promised to go to
Joels New Years, an course they'd
'spect some presents.
drather see us a lookin' prosperous, then
to hev presents from us; an, anyway,
less got lot of new things I couldn't
go. Now, would you thought that'd
made i'm mad? We'll, it did; an if I'd
sed another word, there'd been quarrel,
an tibet is somethin' l VOW won't ~hev:
Well, l skimped, an turned an dyed, an
the children, still hopin' as how John'd
change his mind an give me the money.
LAS night he brought me tibet dress! l
jist looked at it an thought of my OF
shawl as I'd he'd since George wus a
baby, an the bunnit, tibet I'd wore fur
five year an twas made over: then, an l
jist folded. the thing away in the burer
drawer an never sed one word. John
didn't like tibet, an he wanted to know
what wus the matter with the dress; if
'twaint nice 'nuf. tr-. .->
b" It's too nice, says I.
Its my money as bought it, sed he,
an if / don't think it's too nice whose
bizness is it?
there wonderin' an thinkin' why men
air tibet way. Why does a man alus
think his airnin's air his very own to
spend jist as he pleases? No matter how
hard a woman works, a cookin', an
cleanin', an a patchin', to keep him an
the children in at the knees an elbows,
she has !., no , right 81 to any money, cause
tried to enter a protest here, but she
was SO warmed up with her subject, l
could not stop her.
''Well, after awhile went to sleep,
an I thought / saw two great mountains
O. gifts. One wus all fine things an
costly, an the folks 'roun' tibet wus sor-
nv loolzin', an some wus a cryin'. no
ticed most of 'cnl wus wimen, but ther
wus some men, which shows tibet all
wimen heyn't larned the everlastin' fit
ness Of gifts vet. The other mountain
wus all common things, an useful, an
right in front of everything else wus the
shawl, an hood, an dress, an shoes, an
mittens, as I'd lowed to git if John'd
give me the money. An, If you'll b'leive
me. right in front of the other, a settin'
straight MP, an u GRIMM at me, like an
evil spirit, wus tibet Dress" and giving
her shawl ends an extra tie, she gathered
Zip the offending dress and went out, no
doubt still "a wonderful why Aunt
Louisa III Housekeeper.. ~: