The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-12-31
Mr. SPLICERsS
UMBRELLA SHOP

sold umbrellas. He mad a little um
brella shop in the window OF which
was a tremendous swirl made en-
tlrely of umbrellas with their polntl
together in the center and theiI
handles sticking out into space. H.
also sold umbrella stands, and hi
name was Mr.. splicer: He went t
his shop very early in the morning
and he. left very late at night, anc
when he wasn't selling umbrellas hi
was trying to sell umbrellas. He hat
an assistant who mended umbrellas
and when he wasn't mending um
brellas he was trying to mend um
breIlas.
Every morning at breakfast Mr.
spllcer would read the weather re
port. And as soon as he reached hi?
shop, he would go to the Windows
and say, What a nice rainy day.
or What a dismal s~unshiny day.
as the case might be.
Mr.. Splicer had a daughter who
always looked lovely, or was trying
to look lovely. And he had a wife
who looked happy and c~ontented, OF
else vas trying to look happy and
%contented, and she was the nicesI
one of the family, although they
were all rather nice as families 80.
Sometimes the lovely daughter
would drop in at her fathers shop
and IL she were wishing for a cleal
day, and it was raining, she would
exclaim, what a dreary day! ri
have to go home and stay indoors!'
But one morning the lovely daugh'
ter said at breakfast, @"oh, how glad
srtamp w arefgGlng to have a sunny
day, and t can 50 to- the picnic and
wear my best new dress!"
70 which Mr.. spIicer answered: "l
shall not sell move than two UNI
brellas to-day"
But, father" the lovely daughter
replied, III l do not go to picnics,
but merely try to go to piCnics, |
would have no use for the best new
dresses"
And Mr.. Splicer pondered a while
over that and said: This is a com.
plicated world. ! wish to buy my
daughter nice new dresses to wear
10 picnics,' and ! cannot buy her
nice new dresses IL it is sunny, AMI
she cannot go to picnics If 1t rains"
Father is always saying clever
things" said Miss Splicer.
"Or trying to-so!ve difficulties
said Mrs. Splicer, who was always
pleasant.
And then Mr.. splicer went OF to
the umbrella shop, and Miss splicer
went to the picnic.
And in the course Of the morning
an old lady came into the umbrella
shop and said: "Good-morning. Mr..
Splicer; do you sell, sunshades%
And MIR. SpIicer said: why no:
I've never sold s~lnshades.. I've never
even tried to sell S%unshades."
We'll" said the old lady, II
leave the order will you try to make
a sunshade for me?"
what color s%unshade?" said Mr..
SpIicer. who was a cautious man.
well, suppose We say a pink sun.
shade" said the old lady. II think
III have a pink sunshade."
"A pin$ %sunshade," said Mr..
Splicer. why. yes, ! think | could
undertake to make a pink s~unshade
If you should leave an order for one.
Very WE'LL" said the old lady. I'll
come for 1t on Wednesday, if You'll
please remember. Kindly have 1t
ready then"
And when she ha d gone Mr.. Spill.
er said to his assistant: do yoa
think you could make a pink sun.
shade"
~ could try to make a pink sun.
shade" said the assistant .
You're a very trying person." said
MIR. Splicer; "but go ahead and try"
So the assistant tried, and II
course Of time produced a pink sun.
Shade. lie was a trusting assistant
and always hoped for the best wleH
lie worked on anything.
And when Mr.. Splicer saw the sun.
shade he said: "You r a very help
full helper"
"You called ME trying last week.
said the assistant.
Last week you we're trying" sad
Mr.. spllcer, land you were trusting.
Now you are tried and trusted.
Make me another pink %sunshade."
And that is how It happened tina:
Mr.. SpliOer built up q large anu
prosperous business in 'sunshades, So
that sunny and rainy days were
equally agreeable to him. Thus the
family always were happy, and the
clever assistant eventually fell IN
love with Miss Splicer and spent
most OF his time writing p%oetry-or
trying to write poetry.-St. Nicholas,