Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1897-12-25

stamps were AL COLkcCtly uILoiiScN II ,
the stampbook now. Treasure Island
was finished. and Tommy order for an
other of the same brand was still the
subject Of apologies FROM the bookseller
.'Herei Have you got my book yet,
asked Tommy, land if you haven't
why the dickens haven't yOug''
The bookseller referred 20 "the de-
lays in transmission inevitable during
the pressure Of business prevalent at
this season OF the year.
Tommy remarked "SlzittlesP' and .
walked out of the shop.
He would not SO much have minded I
having next 70 nothing to do il he had
only had somebody with whom 20 do II. |
Not being analytical, no grew dull ano
detected without being conscious Of the
reason for il. The day before Christians
day he cheered him up little A ham
/ per arrived for him containing much
/ that was edible and Jules Verne that
was readable There were letters from
India with Christmas cards and postal
orders in them. There were letters from
his cousins There were sundry small
packages containing presents. BE him
self was busy with the sending Of let
tiers and cards. and with a final rehears-
al of that tune he had been so anxious
to learn. The treble of it had by this
time been brought to satisfactory con-
ditiOn, and "A great deal Of the bass was
only a very little wrong. On the whole,
the prospects of making IL a proper
Christmas seemed to him much better
than they had done the day before.
That NIGHT when Tommy went up TO
his bedroom he did not go to sleep; on
the contrary. he adopted precautions to
| keen himself awake. He drank cold cof-
| fee of exceptional strength, made 20
= his order by local confectioner and
l brought up from the shop in medicine
= bottle This. in conjunction with the
D excitement of the Jules Verne, kept
5 him from sleep until ii o'clock 1t
, was at that hour, he remembered. that
the waits generally began at home he
q went down stairs 90 the dayroom, lit
v (as though there were no such things
Q as gas bills) both the gas jets, opened
\ the piano, arranged the music, clapped
d down the loud pedal and commenced.
II He played hard and be sang hard Tom
n my's rendering of ''Harki the Herald
n Angels Sing" could be heard distinctly
10 -as he intended it to be heard-al
's over the building.
l. "Now this" Tommy thought t
n himself. will be q surprise for Mr.. FL
IL ton"
u 1t was Up stairs In his own roon
Il Mr.. Elton could hardly believe his ears
ID Here was apparently an open defanc
ID of rules and discipline He put dow
y the manuscript Of Christmas Review
IL ed, ;" now approaching its maturity, an
S, dashed down stairs to the dayrOom.
&c "What is the meaning Of thisf" b
IL asked angrily.
1t Tommy smiled, turned round on th
IN music stool and explained
- 81 was going to have asked permits
ok sion," he said, "only 1 couldn't, b
sc cause it was meant to be surprise f
IS you. sir. and thought you wouldn
ie mind"
as mot mind row like this past
u O'Clock at night What are you talkin
about
d. well, sir, the boy that does Il
mt boots told me that the regular wal
10 never came up here, because Mr.. Bunl
never gives anybody anything.
ID, "You We no business to be chatterir
IT. 60 the hootboy at all "
MS Tommy's real excuse-that durir
INT the greater part OF the day there W
iad absolutely no one else TO whom he cou
lat talk at all--scemed to him too silly
no put forward
8 Il don't often do it, - he pleade
IN eve always have the waits at Chris
iay mas. and that gave me the idea didI
csc mean 20 do any harm F."
IN Every likely bat you znnst please
SEQ rnernbor that r. 81 rre- fttl1.A. You
tly given me no trouble so far. and
cir lieve that you didn't intend TO give a
xa- now For that reason L shan't punt
She you Now shut the piano and run ba
to your bedroom, and another time
ed to think before you do anything.
an Tommy thanked him, said good mig
Gus and went of 20 his room. It was al
ep failure, and he wished that he had AZ
ore er thought Of it Christmas was not
=. ginning very well.
TOT When Elton came down TO breaks
ana on the following morning. he foun'
ing white envelope on his plate Tomn
ced looking rather self conscious, watcl
was that envelope out of q corner of his eye
not Elton opened it Ii contained a Chri
ngs mas card On one side was a picture
ere a small church and hard frost. on
the other was written in a boyish -haI
attn with love and best wishes from
nae Maynham. Elton glanced at it q
MY put it down He never sent cards hi
at self and did not like receiving them.
ex- every pretty" he said "Tha
su- yoa, Maynham The compliments
the
sli- the season TO you" Then he relap
ON into silence and Schopenhauer. WI
for he got up from breakfast, he forgot
al take the card. Tommy brought it TO
EN- just as he was leaving the dining b;
fer "Ah, thanksl'' said Elton. "I'm
the ways forgetting my letters you know
in But this did not reassure Tommy.
,ook knew that the card was, like the by
oen- tune, a failure Elton sauntered
ten stairs to his own room and dropped
card into the waste paper basket. II
our my went TO church alone that morni
.ow- Elton explained that he had an inc
ent cold and thought it would be bet
ts," for him to keep to the house that me
stter ing AS matter Of fact, he wished
Ding finish copying out that bitter sat
old Christmas Reviewed. - 1t would
an additional point if it were fms
on Christmas day. AS he began "
{ all an uneasy idea flashed across him
ting he might just as well look after Tom
mps a little bit more and make things pl
the anter for him. Tommy apparently {
Christmas very seriously and VIC
ugh. like little more sociability. He m
up his mind to encourage Tomm
} the talk at dinner, and perhaps spend a
that minutes in the dayroom with him
zam- erward. Elton was not an unkind Il
5mas only rather vain, ySther selfish and
tur- quentiy forgetful By the time that
idea dinner bell rang he had forgotten
) lei about Tommy aud had worked up
mpo- detection and detestatiOn of life
TO be close application to Christmas Revi
z the ed'D to such a pitch that he nei