The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-14

"Well, I never did," proclaimed Mrs.
| Smith on the Gath of December. NO
body does a thing to help me, and the
way things go does beat everything.
| feel as IL l should fly, I'm so nervous.
When this is over I'll go to bed. That's
what I'll do"
Mrs. Smith made the same remark
| every oath of December, and
the family should have been used 10
ii, but the observation never failed to
| cast a gloom.
1t worked like a charm. that system
of hers. 1t began on the 22nd.
on that day she said. loud and
clear, so that all the members Of the
family might perceive and mentally
note her self-sacrifice:
I'm tired to death. There's Just one
thing I'm thankful for, and that's that
! Christmas only comes once a year.
The next day she varied the words,
but the motif, as musicians say, was
| the same.
II ache all over I can't keep this
up. l feel that / shall drop before
| long"
The family always looked appreh en-
| sive. Mrs. Smith never did drop, but
then she might at any moment. They
| all regretted having carelessly told. in
| a moment of holiday enthusiasm, what
they wanted for Christmas presents.
| Indeed, an atmosphere OF crlminality
lowered over the tree. The pleasure
had been purchased, you might say,
with mothers life blood. This is at
any time a depressing thought. II
played havoc with the holiday spirit of
the Smith family.
The Smiths were an average family.
Mr.. Smith worked pretty hard, and he
| liked holiday as well as the next man,
The boys and girls were all at school,
and they talked Christmas for the en-
tire month Of December About the
time when the shopkeepers began to get
in barrels of Christmas green the holi-
day spirit began to stir vigorously In
the soul of each young Smith, They
made out lists of things they wanted.
| They were long lists, but the writer's
| did not expect to have everything.
They weren't the kind. they would
have told you. who wanted the earth
with a fence around II, and 1t wasn't
very hard to please them.
Mrs. Smith was an average mother;
perhaps little more conscientious
than a good many. She wanted the
best for her children, and she worked
hard to give 1t to them. She worked
hard, anyway, with only one servant
to help her; but the children were not
little any more, and she might have
tried hard. She never tried at Christ
mas time. She worked herself into a
| frenzy that not even by poetic license
could be called fine. The children
wanted things, and the children should
have them. John and his wife, and
James and Ellen and Cousin Maria
| came to dinner every Christmas and
they were to have the best of dinners
There was nothing inhospitable about
Mrs. Smith; and in housekeeping mat
tiers she thanked heaven that she was
not as many other women-shiftless
and happy go-lucky.
So every Christmas she, went vigor-
ously to work, and. In her enthusias site
| desire to keep the letter of Christmas
the holiday had its spirit crushed out
| of all recognition. She never suspect
ed for an instant what she was doing
| Could a woman keep Christmas better
| than by giving her children everything
they wanted, and by serving dinner
| to her relatives which should prove
both her regard for their tastes and
her ability as housekeeper7 1t never
entered Mrs. Smiths head that any
woman could do better, or that holiday
fun and goodwill were preferable to
elaborate preparation.
When Christmas morning dawned
she was "all unstrung" She said,
do be quiet" to the smallest Smith
| when he made a noise over the pres
ents she had worked so hard to pro-
cure for him. Later, wnen he blew the
trumpet she had secured after search
ing all the stores for just the kind he
wanted, she said he would drive her
to her grave yet.
While Ethel was dressing for dinner
in the charming white frock her
mother had made with all the care and
pains love could take, Mrs Smith
went in and nagged her about being
careful not to spot H. John, Ellen
and the rest were greeted with a fee
bic smile when they finally arrived,
and the hostess was so tired that her
interest in the gifts they had brought
was perfunctory to the verge OF In
suit. At dinner every time the young
people laughed, Mrs. Smith screwed
up her eyes in pain and murmured to
Johns good-natured wife that It went
right through her head.
The guests did not stay to tea. They
were duly invited. but said they guess
| ed they'd better be getting home Mr..
Smith would have urged them to re-
main, but his wife murmured hyster-
ically in his ear: Let 'en go IL our
company don't suit them.''
After they had departed Mrs. Smith
lay down on sofa and closed her
eyes. The family, while outwardly
| deferential, was disappointed. Last
year she had gone to bed. and they
had brought the young Browns over
and had played games. Now, with
mother on the sofa, they had to be
so careful about not making any noise
that II was no use at all TO ask any
body over.
They lighted the Christmas tree and
the candles fickered prettiy Mrs.
Smith had spared no pains 10 make
II lovely. The Christ-child looked
down az them from the topnost
branch, Peace and good WILL" smiled
the Child. but Mrs. Smith was keeping
her eyes shut. because hickering lights
are 10 bad for headache.
/. BY and by the candles went out
The young Smiths went or TO bed
Say, Dick" said the smallest Smith
10 the next-tO-the~smallest Smith. Il
like Fourth Of July better than Christ
mas don't your
Brother John and bis wife, IN their
small home. sat At their ease,
my" said John, she's "A good $50.
man. bat she II wearing"
~ was a great dinner" assented his
happy-Ro lucky wife. "lfnf we'd have
had a better tinse home. Let's w not
20 70 p@xt year"
mo, we've got 70 60" asserted
John. "suf Il ems only Wasut ~ fke
] H..