The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-12-24
By Annie Eliot Trumbull

the first time, that dog remained quiet
and restful, and was found cold and
poisoned. and Mr.. Clifton was loud in
his accusations of the Billion boys and
their father, public opinion wavered
for a moment After that accident no
member of either family spoke to
any member of the other. That was
the way matters stood the day before
Christmas
1t was showing hard, and the after
noon grew dark rapidly, and the
whirling flakes pursued binding ca
reer. In spite of that, everybody was
out doing the last thing. Mrs. Clifton
was not, to be sure. OF course they
would have a big dinner, but even
that was all arranged for, although
the turkey hadn'l come and her hus-
band was going to stop and see about
it on his way home. She shuddered
as the possibility of its having gone
to the Billions occurred to her But
she didn't believe it had,-they hadn't
the same butcher any longer. Mean
while there was SO little TO do. 1t
was too dark to read or sew, and She
sad idle at the window looking out at
the passers and the driving snow.
Everybody else was in a hurry. She
wished she. too, had occasion to hast
en- down for a last purchase, or to
light the lamp in order to finish a
last bit Of dainty sewing. as she used
to do when she was a girl. She SEEM
ed to have SO few friends now With
whom she exchanged Christmas greet
ings. Was it then only for children
and youth, this Christmas cheer? And
must she necessarily have left it be-
hind her with her girlhood? No, she
II that She fplt tha 4
there was deeper significance in
tho ShristmaS-tide than can come
home to the hearts of children and
unthoughtfully, and yet it had grown
to be so painfully like other days.
an occasion for a little bigger dinner
that was about all. With an uncon-
scious sigh she looked across to the
Billion house. Plenty of people over
there to make merry Five stockings
to hang up. She wished she might
have sent something in. To be sure,
there was the dog but that was some
time ago Very likely the dog would
have been dead now, anyhow. She
felt herself, that this logic was not
irrefutable but she wished she could
have sent some paper parcels just
the same. So strong had this impulse
been that she had said to her hus-
band somewhat timidly that morn
ing
There are a good many of those
Billion children to get presents for.
more fools they that get 'em pres
ents, then" he has pleasantly replied.
81 don't suppose he has much to
buy them with" she continued.
HE had enough to buy poison for
my dog" exclaimed her husband, CIV
ing his newspaper an angry shake.
I'D almost like to send them in
some cheap little toys"
swell, as long as you don't quite
like to, it won't do any harm, he
said with some violence, laying down
his newspaper. and looking at her in
a manner not to be misunderstood
But you see that the liking doesn't
get any farther"
Its Christmas, you know" said his
plucky little wife.
"Oh, no, I don't know it!' he re-
piled gruff1y. 81 haven't fallen over
forty children a minute in the street
with their ridiculous parcels, and
/ haven't had women drop brown
paper bundles that come undone all
over me when they crowd into the
horse car. and / haven't found it i'm
possible to get TO the shirt-collar coun-
ter on account of Christmas novelties!
oh, no, / didn't know it was Christ
maS!"
After that there was really not
much to be said, for we all know
Christmas is dreadfully annoying, and
the last thing a man in this sort Oh
temper wants to hear about is peace
and good will.
Notwithstanding the fact that Mrs
Clifton looked over to her neighbors
with an envious feeling this dark af-
n CT cheer
not so Astounding as it had been in
more prosperous times. There was
not very much money to be spent this
year, and they were obliged to give
UP something. Mr.. and Mrs. Billion
had decided that it should be the
Christmas dinner; they would have a
simple luncheon, and let all the money
that could be spared go for the stock
ings. Each child had its own sum
to invest for others, and there was
still a small amount Mrs. Billion felt
strongly, as she went from shop to
shop But when she reached home
again she was somewhat encouraged;
there was such an air of joyous ex-
pectation in the house, and her purch-
asses looked larger now that they were
away from. the glittering counters.
Then each of the five children came
to her separately and confided to her
the nothing less than wonderful re-
suits of judicious bargaining which
had enabled them to buy useful and
beautiful presents for each of the 9TH
ers out of the sums intrusted to their
care, ranging in amount from the two
dollars of John to the fifty cents or
Cora Cordelia. She felt sure that
there were further secrets yet; secrets
attended by brown paper and string,
which she had taken the greatest care
for the last two weeks not heedlessiy
to expose,-riddles of which the solu-
ton lay perilously near to her eyes,
which would be revealed to her aston
ished gaze the next morning.
She had reason to believe that even
Cora Cordelia was making something
for her, and though it was difficult for
her to ignore the fact that it was
a knit washcloth, she had hitherto
avoided absolute certainty on the sub
ject So that altogether it was pref
ty cheerful afternoon at the Billions
Meanwhile, down in the main street
of the city it was a confusing scene.
II was darker there than where the
streets were more open; and although
there were several daring spirits of
that adventurous turn of mind which
leads people into byways of discovery.
who asserted that the street lamps
were lighted, it was not generally be-
h1nyuiyoo down