Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-26
CHRISTMAS DINNER
THE POOR MAN IN A HOTEL
AWAY FROM HOME.
His Sad Condition Excites Sympathy,
but His Own Reflections Are
Not 50 Very Dismal.


dinner in a hotel far from home. Is 1t not
sad that the poor man should have to spend
Christmas in this great, gilded hotel? 1t
is very sad.
Is the poor man sad?
No. he is not sad In fact, he thinks he
Is playing in great luck. He would not
| swap places with Brother John, nor Sister
Mary. nor any of the folks at home. He Is
having bully time.
Why is the poor man not sad because he
has to spend his Christmas in a hotel?
Here comes the waiter with another small
cold bottle. Wait until the man gets q
whack at It, and he will tell you why he Is
not sad. . .
The poor man awoke this morning about
10 o'clock in a quiet ROOM near the top Of
| the hotel. and lying in a warm and comfort
able bed. He thought that If he were at
home he would have been awakened about
am. when Willie and Jimmy piled into
bed with him, the cold end of their nighties
giving him shock. Then, when Willie and
Jimmie had sat on his chest and on his
stomach. and kissed him several times in
the eye and once on the nose he would
nave arisen YEARLY from his bed and gone
down into the basement to shake down the
furnace. for mamma was crying that the
children would get their death of cold in
the parlor around the Christmas tree Then
ne would have found that the sable cook
lady from too much Christmas eve celebra-
tlon With gin and beer, had failed to show
up. That meant cold bread, slomicky cof-
Zee and an overdone egg for breakfast be-
cause mamma and big sister were too busy
getting ready for early church to bother
much about breakfast.
After that the library and parlor would
be all torn up with Christmas tree fixings
ana there would be footing of horns and
occasional scraps between the boys over
the relative value of Christmas presents
Ihus for two hours the poor man would
not nave had chance to smoke cigar
and read paper in peace
And then would come Aunt She and
uncle Henry with their berbboned pack
ages or carpet slippers, hideous ready-made
necktles and Uncle Henry's yearly box of
cigars. which the poor man gave the ianitor
always. and thereby had sweet revenge
Ihe poor man regretted that being away
from home today he could not give the
cigars to the tan-or, bat he thought maybe
mamma would give them to the narson, so
he was comforted
Then. at |" o'clock, he and mamma end
the children and Aunt Sue and Uncle
Henry, together with Brother Bill, who
would be sober by that time would go to
gran pas and gramma's to spend the day
and take dinner; and when the poor man
thought OF that afternoon he hurriedly
summoned the waiter and told him to fetch
another one
For Christmas afternoon at gran'pa's was
something fierce to the poor man. He
leaned back in his chair and lit Carolina
pef1ecto Wnlle ne thought about It, The
musicians played "Bedelia," but the poor
man did not care, for the perfecto was
good and, anyway, he could see the waiter
coming with that silver tub, with gilt
topped bottle protruding from the ice
On, yes, 1t was about those Christmas
afternoons at gran'pa's. They were fierce,
1or falr There was the stuffy sitting room
with uncomfortable, STRAIGHTFORWARD chairs,
and the smoky wood fire in the fireplace
which made him sneeze and his eyes burn:
and the conversation would drag, the chill
dren would quarrel, their mammals would
sniff at the presents for granpa and
gramma and talk about them afterward
Then there would be the long tedious
dinner In the middle of the day upsetting
his habits and digestion, and the smoking
OF some of Uncle Henry's bad cigars after
ward; then to kiss every damp-nosed child
goodbye and hasten home to take nap In
the Morris chair thankful the day was
drawing to an end.
But here-and the poor man looked about
him, breathing sigh of contentment at the
coy surroundings, the warmth and light
and music, and that little silver tub on the
floor by his side He smiled as he thought
that he would, when he felt like it and
every place was closed, ascend to his room
In the elevator and go to bed without
having to shake down the furnace STUN
bling through the basement in his CARPET
slippers while the chunks of coal on the
floor hurt his bunions
So, all in all, why should the poor man be
sad? He hoped he would have urgent
business next Christmas in town; that's
just how sad the poor man felt