The Washington herald., 1907-01-06
WOMAN ABOUT TOWN
Stories of Washington Life.

II was a summers ev'Hi9s in
The year two Thousand one.
The oldest living replied
Thus 90 bis grandson son
What was the fourth day Of JULY"
Twas always understood
To bc the dsy when evry one
Mad an the noise be could.
Why did We keep Thanksgiving Dayl
That day We kept oi old
With noises and each enc Cf us
Ate al that be could bold
and shat was Chrsimass In my youth
70 celebrate that right
We ate and drank and made noise
From early dawn TIL night
Aud New Years. Why that day, J think.
Was cliiefcst Of oT JOYS.
! kEow always ate and drank
That day, and made a noise.
But what meant all these holidays
You kept IA DAYS Of old."
The youngster asked The old man said.
Why. just what I have told
Perhaps in ancient times they had
4 meaning different;
But IN ms day, just food and drink
And noise was all they meant
What were they fOT I've told YOU that
go tack. now, 10 your TOYS.
ON holidays we always ate.
And drank and made q noise
Il always think that the stranger within
thy gates means ones own child" says
the mother Of my small friend Betty y
know I was always a Granger 10 my
mother, and try as hard as l will to un-
derstand my little daughter. she's still a
stranger 10 me. Not half the time can
guess what's going on in her mind. This
IS the first year that she hasn't been very
much depressed over going back TO school
after Christmas. She told me that this
was going 10 be the pleasantest January
she'd ever had. but she didn't offer an
explanation Yesterday I overheard her
talking Ia her aunt who is visiting US
and then / found out why Januarys go
ing 10 be pleasant.
It's so nice TO live in fiat, she told
her aunt. Last year and always before
We lived in a corner house, and We had
Wreaths in all the windows. We haven't
but two this year, and that makes it 50
much nicer for me.
What difference do the wTeaths
make2 / heard her aunt ask.
on said Betty, mother always ties
the wrcaths with wide red ribbon. and
when she takes them down l have the
ribbons 10 wear on my hair
Then she expressed herself on the sub
iect-and I'd never even guessed how she
felt
I hate red hair ribbons worse than
anything else on earth she said
Mother doesn't know it. but I do. and
every year but this I've had enough OF
them of the wreaths to last me clear
till spring This year l won't have but
tya ribbons 10 wear out before / car
have blue
The wreaths are up still. but when
take them down I'm going 20 put tins
ribbons in the FIRE. I shan't offend the
stranger within my gates this January"
Speaking Of ribbons makes me think o1
another friend Of mine who went to tht
matinee with me yesterday.
You didn't notice that girl in front Ot
us when she put on her coat. did you?'
she said. I'm glad / saw her. because
now i know what TWO OF my Christina:
presents are for. Two old friends Of mint
sent me the same thing II was a yard
Of ribbon with a crocheted ring sewed Z
each end. / couldn't imagine what the
dingus-a -ringus was for. but il seemed q
me 1t might be intended TO hang up some
where and stick pins into. Again
thought IL ought 10 be tackled up or huns
between two hoops 10 hold towels, OF but
ton hooks, OF hair pins. II didn't seem Il
fll any particular long-feIt want. any
way. ! fixed it. so I concluded that il
was just a Christmas present and no
meant TO be used. 1t was too long for q
belt and too short for a necktie. so I gave
il up That girl in front OF US had one