Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-12-23
~ The Spirit of Christmas. 4
(J. j. Bell, il December Housewife.)

"You ought to be jolly proud Of
what you've DONE" put in Harry
Nice cigarettes, those"
II am proud Of what I've done
| which was more than the mere maxi
ing Of some money. That becomes
rather humiliating in view OF these"
He jerked his head in the direction
Of the unfortunate invitations"
Seems to me there's a good deal of
snobbery about tho modern Christ
mas spirit" He halted, and then
said suddenly: IL suppose you've
got to go North for your Christmas,
Harry?"
Eyes. l shall be away for two
days. You are dining with me on
the twenty sixth, remember" Steel
nodded.
The other caught a wistful look on
his face ere it passed. Don't spend
another lonely Christmas, old man."
| he said softly. 81 don't believe YOU
| would regret accepting one of those
invitations"
Steel got up and ran through some
papers on his desk, also those lately
flung on the table. He came back to
the fireside with several, which he
handed to his friend
81 find ! have four invitations for
| Christmas dinner. You know the
people, or at least who they are If
you can extract any Christmas spirit,
pure and simple, from any OF these
four invitations, I'll reconsider my
decision"
Harry inspected the invitations.
He could not have said a word
against any Of the senders, and all
the dinners, he knew, would be sump-
tuons indeed. Yet his countenance
fell. TO gain time, perhaps, he ask
cd what Gilbert precisely meant by
Christmas spirit.
kindness Of heart" Gilbert gruff-
ly replied. 'The Christmas spirit,
pure and simple"
Harry silently returned the let
ters.
Better a dinner of herbs where
love Is the host murmured, a lit
tic mockingly, it may have been.
Cant you get me an invitat ton writ
ten out Of sheer kindness OF heart,
Harry?" he went on. 81 shouldn't
mind pity for my lonely state. |
shouldn't mind posing as failure in
hot ir< -, =,
believer in the Christmas spirit, and
I-well, l haven't denied its exist
ence. But can you prove its exist
ence apart from families, friends like
regulation charity? Can you find
any person to ask me to dinner oil
Christmas Day Oh no other grounds
no other grounds, mind you--than
human being left out in the cold?"
"Give me time" said his friend
Lets talk Of something else"
| con! l don't intend to refer to
the matter again." Gilbert returned
carelessly, an" did most Of the talk
ing for the est Of the evening.
1t was when Harry was leaving
that he said: "If l get you the invi-
tation you have suggested, on the
conditions you have named, will you,
without fail, accept it?"
Gilbert laughed. "Without fail,
O, my champion Of the Christmas
spirit! But be sure it is pure and
simple!"
The friends met frequently during
the ensuing three weeks, but, despite
Gilberts chatting and somewhat
ironic inquiries concerning the Christ
mas spirit, pure and simple, Harry
refused to be drawn on the subject.
On the evening Of the twenty-third,
however, he presented himself a t his
friends house. He brought with
him large bag. He was travelling
North that night.
"Wcll,' he began, when they were
seated in the library, "I've got you
that invitation. I've also accepted it
for you"
Ho produced an envelope and
handed it to his friend. 1t was ad-
dressed to "A339-Couricr ONCE"
Gilbert extracted letter, written
clumsily on paper Of poor quality. 1t
was dated from a quarter of the
city which he knew to be neither
fashionable nor plutocratic. He read:
| ~
be pleased to see you here on
Christmas Day for a bit Of din
ncr. We take it at p. M for