The Afro-American advance. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1899-19??, 1899-12-23

e ~ masiide. The Pay
M etu sofs had been
- reared TO Christi
mss giving, and every Payson knew that
he Or she might expect u present from
each Of the other Paysons, and so here
was Mr.. Sidney Payson fbacbrlor, mis-
anthrope and eyniel clbewlng his way
along State street with the other shop
pers
Mr.. Payson would have been utterly
miserable had II not bren for the fact
that he found seliiah joy In knowing
that the Christmas season brought
neither peace nor good will
He had reached that stage Of soul
distemper at which there can be no
happiness except by the discovery Of
misery III others. Mr.. Sidney Payson
was the kind Of man who loved 10 tell
invnlids that they were not looking as
well as usunl, and who frightened young
huabandsby predicting that they would
regret having married lie made II a
rule never TO put the seal of approval
on any human undertaking. and il was
q matter OF pride with him that he
could find sinister motive for every
act which othpr people applauded. lie
dealt In sarcasm. was perpetually bored
and might have Lost all interest In life
had II not been that he found eontin-
ued satisfaction In making himself
feared and hated. Some of his plous
friends used 10 aay that Satan had
got the upper haud with him. bat there
were others who minated that II might
be bile.
Imagine the suriy wrath aud the
sense OF humiliation with which Mr..
Sidney Payson set about his Christmas
ahopplng! Ia the first place. 20 go
shopping for Christmas presents was
the most conventional thing that any
one could do. and Mr.. passon hated
eonventinnaiitiea For another thing.
the giving Of u Christmas present cnr.
ried with II some esieence 81 affection,
and Mr.. payAun regarded any sign Of
affection a. one OF the crude symptoms
OF hafbaruus taste and deficient ednca.
tl0n.
II he could have assembled his reia-
tises at Christmas gathering and
opened few old family wounds. re-
snindlng his brother and his two sis.
ters IL snne OF their youthful folliss,
thus sharuinR them before the children.
Mr.. Sidney rayaon might have managed
20 make ont d rather merry Christmas.
Instead ~ thai. he was condemned 10
GO out and purchase gifts and be as
cheaply idi0tic As the other wretehed
a L.
ried along State street, Noworder that
be ehafed and rebeiled and yainiy
ionged that be could hang Grape on
every Christmas tree 10 che universe.
Mr.. Sidney raysan was not only hui.
initiated. He was greatly puzzled. ATT
eF wandering through two stores and
locking In nt 20 windows he had been
unable 20 make one selection. II seemed
Il htin that all the articles offered for
sase were sluKulafls and uniformly IN.
appropriate. The cnstom II giving was
farce In itself and the Asofekeepcrs
had d0ne what they could 10 make II
= siekenlng trayesty.
This was Mr.. PayNon's point al view.
err go ahrad and buy lot of things
~ harhaxarsl." he said ia himself. II
don't care a hank whether they're up.
pgapFiate or not"
AZ that moment he had an lnsplra.
tim Il was an Inspiration which could
have cstne TO no one except Mr.. sidney
Payson. II promised a speedy end 10
shopping difficulties. Ii guaranteed
BIN christmas 20 bis own liking.
Tie was bound by family custom 90
buy Christmas presents for his rela.
tlxess He had promised his sister that
he woaid Fememhvr every one In the
list. HUI he was uader no obligation
10 Vise presents which wnnla be wei.
come and appropriate. Why nor eisp
fu each of his relatives SOME present
which would be entirely useless, inap.
pfepssasr and snpsriiuous II wauld
eeFts thetn right for involving him Ii
Vie fool performances SO the Christ
rms ssasn 4 would hv hurlssaue
o. the vaoss foaglsh custom IL Christ.
fnas giving f, naltlh lFrstate ard nug.
81 as e.atises and probably tisepsr
aAelf hatred 81 him Az any rate. /.
~ps'A o. q satire On siily tradition,
aud. shaisk goodness. ID wouldn't be con.
sentgnnal
Mr. sidney Paskan went fnsa the girss
department. store and fonad himself III
shs book counter.
llaNe Yen any work which would b.
appropriate for an elderly gentleman
Of stsiaiens habits Aad oeep religious
cunNir8lank - II asked.
.sNs havw here fsle workA Of Faaviua
JosNphpx IN gwp salplnes." replied the
young Numan.
An rights iii take them be ealsl.
" want them Tar my nephew Fred. liz
nkes lndlan saofisa.s