The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1899-12-22

- y
- ssIt,> 5)l mastide. The Pay
~ Auff sons had b e G n
G6 reared to Christ
mas giving, and every Payson knew that
he or she might expect present from
each of the other Paysons, and so here
was Mr.. Sidney Payson (bachelor, mis-
anthrope ard cynic) elbowing his way
along State street with the other shop
pers.
Mr.. Payson would have been utterly
miserable had it rot been for the fact
that he found a selfish joy in knowing
that the Christmas season brought
neither peace nor good will
lie had reached that stage of soul
distemper at which there can be no
happiness except by the discovery of
misery in others. Mr.. Sidney Payson
was the kind of man who loved to tell
invalids that they were not looking as
well as usual. and who frightened young
husbands by predicting that they would
regret having married. He made it
rule never TO put the seal of approval
on any human undertaking, and il was
a matter of pride with him that he
could find sinister motive for every
act which other people applauded. He
ucalt IN sarcasm, was perpetually bored
and might have lost all interest in life
had it not been that he found contin-
ued satisfaction in making himself
feared and hated. Some of his pious
friends used to say that Satan had
got the upper hand with him, but there
were others who intimated that il might
b. bile
Imagine the surly wrath and the
sense of humiliation with which Mr.
slcney Payson set about his Christmas
shopping. In the first place. to go
shopping for Christmas presents was
Inc most conventional thing that any
one could do. and Mr.. Payson hated
eonNentionalities. For another thing,
the giving of Christmas present car
RED with it some evidence of affection,
ohG Mr.. Payson regarded any sign of
HHec1ion as one of the crude symptoms
OF barbarous taste and deficient educa-
ton.
If he could have assembled his rela-
uNeS ut Christmas gathering and
opened few old family wounds, re-
minding his brother and his two sis
tefS OF some of their youthful follies,
mus Shamine Them before the children,
Mf' sidney Payson might have managed
20 make out rather merry Christmas.
instead OF that, he was condemned to
70 out and purchase gifts and be as
eAeapiy idiotic as the other wretched
l,a L.
''eo along State street. No wonder hat
ne chafed and rebelled and vaialv
'oA8cd that he could hang Grape on
every Christmas tree in the universe.
AF. Sidney Payson was not only hu-
MINATED. He was greatly puzzled Aft
wandering through two stores and
"ohlnS in at 20 windows he had been
"'|oif To make one selection. Ii seemed
y MN that all the articles offered for
S'lc We're singularly and uniformly in
appropriate. The custom of giving was
.%ree in itself and the storekeepers
IA" done what they could to make il
slckening lravesty.
ihis was Mr.. Payson's point of view.
II 80 ahead and buy a lot of things
al haphezard," he said to himself Il
@'h care blank whether they're an
pr4pr,ate or not"
az 'hat moment he had an inspira-
s'oH' 1t was an inspiration which could
naNe n come TO no one except Mr.. Sidney
"yson. 1t promised a speedy end to
sNPPihS dltheulties. 1t guaranteed
N'1p Christmas to his own liking.
s'e was bound by family custom to
Nhiis mas presents for his rela-