The Washington herald., 1907-12-29
BACHELOR GIRL CHAT
The Morning After Christmas
BY HELEN ROWLAND.

ing out something appropriate and signif-
cant FOR a girl is to find her downtown
on the following day in the act OF ex-
changing II for a parlOr lamp or a patent
curling IRON
Christmas, continued the Bachelor
Girl, ignoring the interruption, is the
most tragic and tragic day OF the year
20 a woman. It's the one chance she has
10 discover what a mans inner thoughts
are made OF. and-and-"
And just where he stands" put in the
Mere Man, helpfully.
And 20 see him IN his true light" cor
rected the Bachelor Girl.
And % size up his pocketboOk."
And 20 take the measure Of his soul"
Just as II a chap could put his soul
into No. 5 glove. or a hand-painted fan.
or a box Of chOcolatesi" scoffed the Mere
Man. disgustedly. especially" he added.
when he knows the gloves are going 10
be exchanged Tor No. IS and the ian may
be traded OF for a corset or a petticOat,
and the chocolates will be turned over to
a small brother or passed around the
community"
''As II that made any difference" re-
torsed the Bachelor Girl. fitting her nose
sCOrnfully. And. besides" she added,
when a man sends a woman the right
thing she doesn't trade - on or pass il
around. or-or throw L in the fire.
What does she do with it2" inquired
the Mere Man regarding the Bachelor
Girl with a signihcan. expression
The Bachelor Girl twisted the tasse! on
sofa pillow. as she replied softly:
she puts it away in a velvet lined box.
Mr.. Porter-and in her heart"
Mercy. What a junk shop your heart
rr7rrc 10 NJ, oh --rr
gage for IT, Or"
No. rejOined the Bachelor Girl. drop
ping the tassel and tossing her chin; 1T
goes for nothing; because it's almost per-
fectly empty Not in all the years I've
been receiving Christmas presents have
known half a dozen men who could IN
stinctiveIy choose the right thing. A
man may hide his feelings or his failings
az any other time Of the year, but on
Christmas they get turned inside out
Like his pockets" interpOsed the Mere
Man with a sigh
And continued the Bachelor Gil. IN
/ perturbed. any girl can weigh and meas
ure him BY one glance at the gift he
sends her. She may know perfectly well.
/ for instance, that the man who presents
I her with a bargain table calendar or a
pair OF cheap gloves would expect her 70
I do the cooking IL she married him, and 70
make over her last year s frocks. and trim
/ over her hats. and put out the gas before
I % O'Clock. and save all the cinders and
I the bread crUsts. and buy the family
/ furniture with trading stamps"
/ But ] don't suppose she'd know" in
/ terposed the Mere Man. that the fool
/ who squandered his last dollar on Amer
Z ican Beauty roses for her at s. apiece
would be liable 70 keep her guessing
/ when the rent was 70 be paid. or 70 come
home with a diamond ring. when she
/ needed h pew petticoat. or with tickets
/ for the opera when she was longing for
\ pair Of shoes OF a new cook stove"
/ Why"
/ because" he explained. rubbing his
/ chin absentIy. "it would be 500 awk-
ward You see" he continued, Il can't
/ remember 20 whom I've sent souvenir
cards. OF who got the plaster image I
/ picked uD al a bargain sale, or who re-
! celved the roses. or which one has ny
I photograph, or how many I've forgotten
| altogether. And I thought I'd managed il
/ al so nicely"
Managed Itg" repeated the Bachelor
f. Girl. scornfUily-
Why. yes" The Mere Man looked In
/ jured- I began collecting junk ever 50
/ long ahead Of time, and the day before
/ Christmas I heaped Il all in a corner and
tied the things in fancy bundles. and then
I addressed them all. without looking 70
see what was inside. I gave them 10 a
messenger hoy 10 deliver. and even If he
got them mixed up il didn't matter be-
/ cause they were all such perfectly non
/ committal things. and I had written the
same verse on every card It was beau
| tifuI scheme"
And just Ike a man." reioined the
/ .FrT al ,e--~
In one pile. and then spread il around IN
! Discriminatory on every woman OF his ac-
l auaintance- To him Christmas Day and
/ Christmas-Siv:ng are Just something 10
/ get done and over with"
And he's generally done for when they
are over with" sighed the Mere Man.
( heartily.
But 10 a woman" pursued the Bach
| el0r Girl. the day is saCred-it's the day
I on which her lover or her husband VIII
F., come 70 her with his heart in his eyes
and a burnt offering in his hands. Il
Z isn't what he gives her that matters, but
| how he gives: it's not how much he has
/ paid for it. but how much thought he has
put into IL She would rather have 90
/ cent bunch Of viOlets given with kiss
than a diamond tiara sent up from the
! jewelers. merely because he can afford il.
| and because Il makes a good showing
What she wants is not a collection OF
odds and ends. but something personal
| and significant. that viii stand out in her
l day Ike a jewel IN a ring; something that
viii seem TO come straight from the
mans heart. not from his sense OF duty
( or his pocketboOk. That's the difference
| between a man and a woglan. TO her
/ Christmas present is a sacrament, and 20
/ him it's merely
- sacrifceT' cried the Mere Man en-
! Enthusiastically
Her one thought is that It VIII be full
Of sentiment
And his one thought is that # may
show a little sense
And II II doesn't It strikes cold on her
/ heart
And the blow falls on his head What
are you dOing?" added the Mere Man snx-
iously. as the Bachelor Girl rose and
pulled out A chiffonier drawer
I'm looking" returned the Bachelor
Girl. ''for piece OF junk"
WHAT
''The piece you addressed to me"
But didn't address anything to you
You didn't?"
Z just ordered it sent up from the
Jewellers"
What
And I thought it would make a good
showing
Mr.. Porter"
And because I knew. in six minutes
after saw It. that wanted to give It 70
YOU"
The Bachelor Girl slowly drew forth a
tiny white package.
And that it would make you perfectly
happy"