The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1913-01-16
MY WIFES
BIR TIDAY
By CARR SARGENT CHASE

n~ho" HoN HtlSs y iii dnu EtlN tie ttlf-
nishing of gifts for Inenlhers of the
family distresSes me. Hobby must
have a birthday gift for you as well
as me. and | must provide his as well
as mine Will you please relieve me
/ OF the responsibility by buying. some
] thing for me tn give you ;lli some
I thing for Bobby to give. you:''
! This WIS. not diSnip:isiilg to my: wife
for size is a fruSai woman and would
rather buy gifts for herself than that
| should buy them for her. fearing
that would be-tpo extravagant in the
matter. Btsides. she, has for some
/ time provided the family gifts for
birthdays and Christmas. However.
there is one feature of the matter that
needs careful attention Our hoy. Bob
| by. aged ten, is not taken into the
serret He * supposed to ASSUME that
] buy his and my Own gifts for his
mother. - ~. 49,.
! On this anniversary. lIeiug very much
| engaged, after throwing the burden on
] my wife's shoulders did not even
take the pr@'aution to shave the usuat
consultation with Bob as to what
should procure for him for his mot hers
birthday. The day before the anniver-
sary came round suddenly remember
ed the matter, reminded him of it and
asked him what be would like to give.
He prefers to pay for his gifts out of
his own money and. having an eye TO
business, suggested candy. well know,
ing that nine tenths OF it would 20 into
his: own stomach. lie gave me the
MONEY for the purchase. and ! straight
way informed his mother of his choice.
telling her Just what kind OF sweets
he preferred for her. or. rather. for
himself
My wife left box containing my
g1ft.for her in my closet, and SO busy
was | that | never thought to look ut
1t. The afternoon before her birth
day we walked out together, and dur
ing the walk she dropped III at a candy
store and. finding Il better article than
Bob had suggested for less money.
bought 1t. carefully instlucting me as
to the REASONS should give Bob for
the grange from MS order. '-~..
That evening | took Bob into my
study. shut the door so that his mother
could not ovHrhear our conversation
and Showed him the candy. explaining
at tile same time why the change had
bpenSmade. Unfortunately | told him
double the price paid. He heard me
through then said
aI';glaa. didn't suppose you would
aHossa4 ,iifl one 70 make such Il -.ily Of
you zsx...e Z. 4. = b,
:s'Whyir do you mean:', / ASKED quite
taken aback :.
80 charge you 80 cents for half a,
pound of candy"
Not being able to explain the matter,
tried TO get out of il by directing his
attention elsewhere. so | took the box
containing. my own present for his
mother from the closet and began TO
open 1t.
i Now. ii suddenly occurred to me that
/, | was ignorant of the contents Of that
box While unwrapping ii Bob asked
me several times what it was.
You shall see" ! said But the i'm
patieat Bob did not see. for there was
which found ii difficult to unite, so
kept repeating. You shall see. my bog,
what it il If you will only be patient"
/ al When got the cover off discovered
, that the gift had been packed in eS
! reFsiar. and | was obliged to hunt for
! uoI ms IN
which Bob continued to ask What lis
it," and i to reply You shall see"
But was cornered after all. for when
| pradured little round glass recep-
tacle. profusely gilded. with a. hole in
! the cover. didn't know what it was.
what is 1t, papa? again Bob que
rfed. this time with new meaning,
for he had never seen one of the kind
before any more than | had.
! Herr was a pretty predicament
had haaghr n present for mother with
out knowing to what use II was TO be
put Thar WAS dead giyeaway. l
looked II over. tuftHd ii upside down
aud took off the lid bnt for the life of
me coiild not make out for what it
was intended Finally hazarde;.:
Why. don't you know what that is.
Rob? Why. it's a--a thing Il lady puts
! on her bureau to hold powder. and
that hole in the top is for the handle
Of the thing she puts the stuff on her
face with. The handle sticks out
throu-fi the hole
Having said this directed Bob's at
tention again to his own present. and
he asked me If Ii would be allowable
for him to take just one.
Having staggered through the matter
with Rob and come ont whole by the
skin Of my teeth. went TO his mother
and said:
-t'nr heavens sake. Why didn't You
tell me what WAS file gift you had
bought for me t. give you and what it
was for?'
Il did tnlt you forgot.
What is the thing anyway? ! told
Bob Il Wis for face powder
Its hair receiver
What's IL hair rtseivef?"
"lt'S to put the hairs in that come
out of n womail's head when she
romils her hair
''I,o they go in at the hole in the
top.,
.0f course