Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-12-31
TIE WOMAN WHO
FORGOT CHRISTMAS.

She was a sweet tempered and amiablc
old lady, with quite special gift for be
ing al wrong She rarely knew what
day OF the week it was. She never dated
letter correctly. She was in perpetual
trouble from forgetting to sign the checks
which she sent out or to indorse the
checks which she received. Her mcthod
oi SLING up income tax schedules had
/ prema turelv aged many clerks in the gov
/ erumcut employ. She wrote on the form
| questions OF the widest description, rs
! for instance: DO put down ArmoriaI
Bearings here. or is that Inhabited House
/ Duty, or ought | Go have done that on
the dog and butler papcr?' When the
ctusus inquiry arrived she had to tele-
graph to her solicitor to find out what
hen age was II WAS her fixed belief that
salmon was not in season unless there
was al - in the name of the month;
That ii her letter exceeded the one page
the envelope should bear two penny
stamps; that February had twenty seven
days as Il rule, but thirty one in leap
year. and that If she rcck lcssly left a
bill for thrcc-audSiN unpaid for more
thon one day She had thereby put it into
the power of any one whom it might
concern to make her bankrupt She be-
hcNed in the omuiscicncc of her solicitor
aud the omnipotence Of the local police
nan. She would never have questioned
the right OF the hitter to hang anybody
without previous trial or benefit of
clergy. She had always the most siren
uous desire to do her duty. but frequtut
~ had the yagucet ideas of what her
duty was
And in spite of all this She was not a
fool If many OF the ordinary affairs of
life strangely pcrpleNed her, or did not
interest her enough TO occupy her atten-
ton in the least. she was capable Of sud
den flashes of shrewducss in dealing with
them. Naturally, there had been those
who i'll matters OF business had thought
1t perfectly safe to treat her rs a fool;
7,'cAcloIh and ashes had been their por.
ton In her own special subject Egyp-
tology her knowledge was extensive aud
thorough, and the great Psychologists
spoke OF her with respect. Once when
staying in London. she had spent three
days in comprehensive failure to get to
the Crystal palace, which she bad sud
denly decided It was her duty to see; but
She never had any trouble about getting
to Cairo. In the country her house was
cNtellcntly managed by an excellent staff
Of servants, for if She was sweet tenn
pcrta she was not weak, and she knew
neatly as much about dinners as she did
about dynastic@ She could not endure
servants that did not know their work
or tGou place, or dogs that had not been
properly broken The faults which She
found it hardest t. forgive were those
that she had in the most conspicuous de
gree herself.
She had been beauty in her dav.
She was now a good looking old lady
and we'll aware of it with smiling face.
bright eyes. and beautiful snov-whita
hair. She sat at breakfast. staring with
an expression Of keen dismay al the date
line Of The Times lying on the table in
front of her. That line indicated plainly
and without comment that the day WAS
December ~. She felt pretty certain Of
| it, 1t had happened again. She rang
/ The bell
"rarslow, what day of the month is
Christmas day"
The twcnty-tttb. m1ady; tomorrow
Then, rarsiow why was / not told"
beg your ladyship> pardon but wa
had lom lady~hp'> instructions a, to
/ that" ~
"Irue. Wen, / shall want Jamc. f.
t'dc In with some telegram, in about n
quarter n au hour Iut rU
ring. And III see cook"
1t was quite true Three Ncar, befor,
that sweet tcmperpl Indy AMI .,,,;..s.