The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-12-24
AIDES
CHRISTMAS
FABLE
A Village Lover Who In
vested In Celluloid. :.::
How True Love Availed
Even Against a Bank Roll.

In Prairie Hamlet far from the mad.
dening Department Store, where arro-
CANT Wealth did not faunt itself before
the Humble, and where the People we're
80 Primitive that they did not know how
to get Money except by Working for it,
they we're making large Preparations
10 tear Things wide open at Christmas.
All through the abbreviated Commun-
ity the Women Folks were feverishly
popping Corn, and cracking Hickory.
Nuts on Flat.Iron and making home.
made candy. The Unmarried Kind
were secretively working on Yarn Nit
tens.
There was to be a Tree at the Church
and preceding the Distribution of Pres
ents there was to be Show, alias
Methodist Vaudeville, which consists Of
Pieces, Responsive Readings and the
best that the Choir can do. The Drug.
gist in this village had laid in what he
called an Elegant Assortment Of Holiday
Goods. He had all of Will Carlton's
poems and Counter full of fragile Toys
that smelled Of the Paiut, also
an attractive line OF Perfumeries
and some Toilet Sets. One OF these
Toilet Sets was the Prize Exhibit Of
his Stock. The Comb and Brushes were
of Celluloid, the Amber and White being
scrambled in very effective Manner.
The Druggist was willing to give Guar
antee that the Bristles were real. This
Toilet Set reposed in puckered nest Of
Yellow Satin. The Box was of Blue
Plush with neat Clasp and on the Lid
we're the Following, in Silver Letters
"Marry Y Mas"
Every girl in town came into the Drug
Store and leaned on the Showcase and
gszed longingly at the Work Of Art. 1t
was evident that the local Beau who
loosened up for $3.50 and gave that Toll
ct Set to his regular Sunday Night Dull
ciana would win in Canter. But there
was a general Doubt as TO whether any
one would be so Reckless as to fork over
$3.50 Just for Foolishness All who went
into the Drug 5 ore and stood in Solemn
Silence, admiring the Blue Plush, the
Yellow Satin and the cleaning Celluloid
conceded that the Outfit was Purity, but
they allowed it was too Fine for Actual
Use. IL was supposed that the Box
alone would come to SO Some said the
Letters on the Lid were genuine Silver.
Others contended that they we're merely
plate.
In every Household the Toilet Set was
q fruitful Topic. The general Verdict
appeared to be that, in all probability,
the Druggist would either have TO knock
off something on the Price or else be
Stuck. There had heen one or two offers
of$4 for the Piece de Resistance, but
the Druggist claimed that be had paid
more Than that for il, Wholesale. =
Three Days bel re Christmas there
appeared on the Yellow Satin Gard
marked "Sold" The News spread like
Wid-Fire that some one had blown
himself to the Limit. There was but
one Question agitating the whole Village
for the next two Days, "Who will ge
the Toilet Set for @ Clrstmas?" Specula-
ton ran rife and every Girl who KEEP
Company was hoping against Hope
even though her Cold Judgment tolC
her that, in all likelihood, her Fellow
had not seen $3.50 in six long Months
The Druggist had been pledged to Sc
crecy and it became evident that thu
Populace would have to wait un'l
Christmas to have it's curiosity appeased
The Village Wag whose name wat
Amos, had been oneof Several who look
ed at the Toilet Set and counted lheij
Money and passed out. lie loved CIR