Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-21
BELATED SLEEPERS
TT HE fiustered and tired-looking little
woman was taking a dish Of tea
for herself In the denarfmant store

II lluStSI6U anu tlIeU-lOOhIuS HILLS
woman was taking a dish Of tea
for herself in the department store
lunchroom and talking It over with her
shopping mate.
Dear me-" she walled, 'T hope there
won't be any sleepers sending me things
this year. deed do. Sleepers? Oh. that
what my husband calls 'em, and it's a
good name. too. II 1t is slangy. They're
the folks from whom you never expect to
get anything. you know, and OF course
you don't send them a thing. not even a
2-cent calendar. and then, day or so
after Christmas. why. along comes some
thing from them, and you've got to
scamper out and get something for them.
and then write them all kinds of horrid
fairy tales about how you had got them
their little gift away back early in De-
cember. but had forgotten to send it in the
rush. and-and. oh. all that awful story
telling.
why. there must have been nearly a
dozen sleepers to send me things last
Christmas. and not one of the things did
get till after Christmas. so that actual
ly believe sometimes that these sleepers de
liberately and a-purpose don't send folks
things SOS they can get them till after
Christmas. Just to make them feel me an.
II try to think ahead of time, Of all
the mean, old things that are liable to
will, can't always get all of them right
in my mind, and so every year am NOR
titled almost to death. I know. Of course,
that they never believe. when they get
something right back from me, any of
that stuff write about having had the
stuff ready to send them for weeks and
weeks-for of course 1 don't believe a
word Of it when they write me that
"Oh, yes. guess there are lots of them
that consider me a Christmas sleeper, too,
for send lots Of things to folk-women,
especially-that I haven't an idea In the
world are going to remember me. Now,
isn't that catty of mel OF course. it is. my
dear, but, then, you know, I've got to get
even some way, and know they'd do 1t
| to me if they only thought Of tin fact.
aren't there lots and lots of them that do?
and so-well. when I am Just perfectly
positive in my own mind that some mean,
stingy thing of a woman-the kind of
woman that always expects to win at
bridge, for example-when l am abSo-
lutely certain that a woman like that
hasn't an idea in this wide. wide world
of sending me even a penny Christmas
card, why, I'll just pick up some cute lit
tie inexpensive thing-ine Expensive, but a
gift. all the same-and do it all up In
box with holly and mistletoe and all that
and Just send It to her. with the cheer
fullest and cordialest Christmas greetings
written out that you ever saw-and how
they must boil!
"Oh, I know how they must boil when
they get these things from mel fix 1t SO
they don't get them till about December
27-for don't I myself boil when women
do that to me !? Deed I do! It puts me in
a perfect rage, especially If the weather
is bad. and have to go down through
the stores, that are putting all OF their
holiday stuff away. and buy things TO
send to them. and then SIT GOWN anu "file
'em excuses.
why, know one woman that made
four months tour Of Europe with her
well-to-do husband summer before last,
and, would you believe 1t, she never even
sent me one picture postal while she was
abroad. although she promised faithfully
that she'd send me lots and lots OF them:
And when she got back. why. she haon
even a teeny-weeny little thing by way Oh
a souvenir gift for me. though she'o Deen
everywhere. and she's woman o, na,
comes often to nv house for luncheon.
and her husband is wealthy, ana II
wouldn't have hurt her one bit tove
brought me home some dinky little thlng,
now. do YOU think?
well. that sort Of cut me-not tnat l m
piggy-wiggy or anything-and so last
Christmas, although we'd never ex-
changed anything more than little CHRIST
mas cards at Christmas. why, what oiu !
do but go and get her real nice niue
gypsy ring that came from buda-5es.n sun
II cost me 81, but was just bound and
determined that I'd make her Sit up ana
take notice. deed was
"Catch the significance of that Buda.
Pesth business? You see, shed spent
nearly two weeks in Buda Pesth on ner
tour. and. as say. she hadn't sent me any
kind Of little old souvenir, nor prougnt
me hack anything And so just thought
it was right for me to sort OF remlnu her
of something So, as say, got her that
gypsy ring that came from M L n;cast 1itte
note that / knew how to write saying
that the ring was from Buda Pestn,
where added. you Lad such a happy,
happy time, as know, last summer ana
so on and SO on.
..WelI. I'd be willing to bet anything
that that mean old thing was in per.
feet tempest of rage when she got thae
little gift from me, for she, OF course,
couldn't help but see what l meant, ta NICK
she got it. what did she do but send me
the handsomest study lamp OF funny
looking but handsome bronze that you
ever saw, with one of those green-fringed
written in her very incest way, tening
me-the idea! pooh!-that she'd sent TO
Bohemia especially for the lamp for me.
and that it had only just arrived that
morning, and she was SO pleased WIN ~. the ne
ring I'd sent her, and she hoped I'd be
pleased with the little lamp-and hadn
I seen at least three lamps, the exact
duplicate of that one that she'd sent to
Bohemia for right here in Washington,
on view in a shop window during the
holidays!
but somehow, there are always more
sleepers sending me things than I can
possibly guard against, and they worry
me almost to death-far more than the
people that I've just got to send things
to whether I want to or not-and just
uisb those sleepers would behave, deed
l do, I'd never be a sleeper myself. of
course, if nobody else was. but of course
I can't let these women play those tricks
on me without getting back at SOMEBODY
hit. oh. my, don't I just dread to have
tho nostnan call and the express wagon
- +hn aret fun or three DAVIS