Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-11-13

human turkey" Tab had been heard
explaining patiently; .he knows me-
and he knows his NAME. He don't
expect us to eat him-why. yon can't
eat anything that knows its name"
But every one else was just merely
sensible. And they had been dis
eussing Christmas in this sensible
strain at the town meeting that night.
before Simeon and Abel preached their
plan for standardizing their sensible
leanings.
Somebody had said that Jenny Wing
and Bruce Rule. who was Ebenezer's
nephew. were expected home for
Christmas and had added that it
didn't look as If there would be much
of any Christmas down to the station
to meet them" On which Mis- Morti-
mer Bates had spoken out. p%hilosoph-
ical to the point of brutality. Mis-
Bates was little and brown and quick.
and her clothes seemed always to cur
tain her off, so that her figure was no
part of her presence.
II amt going to do a thing for Christ
mas this year" she declared. as nearly
everybody in the village had intermit-
tently declared-"not a living. breath
ing thing. | can't. and folks might just
as well know it. fat foot. What's the
use of buying tinsel and fimfam when
you're eating milk gravy to save butter
and using salt-sacks for handkerchiefs?
| amt educated up to SET it."
Mis- Jane Moran. who had changed
her chair three times to avoid a draft.
sat down carefully in her fourth chair.
her face twitching a little as If its mus
cles were connected with her joints.
christmas won't be no different
from any other day to our house this
year." she said. Wen get up and eat
our three meals and sit down and look
at each other. We can't ever spare a
hen-she might lay If we didn't eat
her."
Mis- Abby Winslow. mother of seven
under fifteen. looked up from her rock
ing chair-Mis' Winslow always sat
limp In chairs as If they were reaching
out to LIST her. and indeed this occa-
sional yielding to the force of gravity
was almost nef only luxury.
'4You amt thinking of the children,
Mis- Bates" she said. nor you either,
Jane Moran. or you couldn't talk that
way. We can't have no real Christ
mas, of course. But I'd planned some
little things made out of what had In
the house-things that wouldn't be
anything and yet would seem a little
something"
Mis- Mortimer Bates swept round at
her.
Children" she said, fought to be
showed how to do without things.
Bennett and Gussie amt expecting a
silver of nothing for Christmas-not a
silver"
Mis- Winslow unexpectedly Jared up.
whether it shows through on the
outside or not" she said, "Ill bet you
they are"
MY three Mis- Emerson Morse put
in Practically, .have been kept from
popping corn and cracking nuts all fall
SOS they could do both Christmas night.
and 1t would seem like something that
was something"
'aThat amt the idea," Mis- Bates in
sisted; II want them learnt to do with
OUT c"They'n learn that" Mis-
Abby Winslow said; they'll learn.'1
Happening as it does to most every
one of us to have no Christmas, they
won't be no distinctions drawn. None
of the children can brag-and children
is limbs of Satan for Dragging" she
added. She was remembering a brief
conversation overheard that day be-
tween Gussie and Pep, the minister's
son:
1--WE got a DOLL" said Gussie.
.I've got a dollar" said Pep.
MY went to a tea party"
said Gussie.
my mamma give one" said Pep.
Gussie mustered her forces. MY
papa goes to work every morning."
she topped it.
MY papa don't have to-" said Pep.
and closed the incident
81 can't help who's a limb of Satan"
Mis- Winslow replied doggedly."T can't
seem to sense Christmas time without
Christmas"
ut won't be Christmas time If you
don't have any Christmas" Mis- Bates
persisted.
4aOh, yes it WILL" Mis- Winslow said.
"Oh, yes it will. You can't stop that"
1t was Mis- Bates, who. from the
high backed plush rocker, raped with
the blue glass paper weight on the red
glass lamp and, in the absence of Mr.
Bates, called the meeting to order. The
Old Trail Town society was organized
on a platform Of membership unlimit-
ed. dues nothing but taking turns with
the entertaining. officers to consist of.
president. the host of the evening Tor
wife. If any. and no minutes to bother
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