Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1914-12-19
SECTION
Evening Star S
Daily Story
DISMAL JIMMIE'S XMAS
BY DOROTHY BLACKMoBE.

paper Synulcdle'
ITS the first Christmas I've ever
seen him really cheerful and merry
said Jane Crawford.
.'Who?" asked Barbara, her chun,
buttering a muffin and adding II 10
the stack of hot Drowned ones on the
plate before her. Jimmie Afford,
suppose you mean?"
Jane nodded Dismal Jimmie.
call him, Ever since I've known him
and that's forever, it seems-he
been calamity -howler, joy-killer!
But this year when everyone is any
thing but joyful at Christmas season,
and everyone IS working hard Tor
the poor war refugees and wounded
soldiers. Jimmie is as happy as
ark" Jane was busy trying the
coffee in the percolator and arrang-
ing the cream and sugar on her
studio table. Here they come now
she exclaimed as a loud tap oil the
lsnocker on the door startled the two
girls. 81 hope you IKE hlil' tha'
ALL"
lane ouened the door Two Young
tnsn stood lust outside, one of them
pantine for breath in an exaggerated
manner.
YsHowdy do, Jane?' Frank Morton
said. stepping in. "Ah, Babs, you on
cine-for once?' he added, stepping
over to the table where barbara was
taking the last muffin from the cleo
trlc toaster.
Dismal Jimmie still painted on the
threshold. "I was thinking, Jane,
that since there is no elevator in this
nuilding it's most fortunate for you
that there are stairs he said be-
tween breaths. And then his eyes
fell on Barbara sitting in the tiny
glow from the toasteT. he stoopeo'
painting, and whispered. Who it IL,
Jane? She's lovely"
Jane smiled indulgently upon HIM.
4 knew you'd think so. It's Barbara
Kent, who Is so interested in your
relief work Come, I'll present you.
The four sat about the studio tea
able and ate the hot English muf-
lns and became thoroughly acqualnt-
ed before they permitted Jimmie Al
gord to touch upon his present hobby
The dusk of a Inidwinter evening was
falling about them, and Jane had
lighted the studio candles before jim
ME began to talk of the work that
vas making him, for the first time in
his life, really happy.
"If you could know how guilty /
feel, sitting here in this warm, conf
Portable studio tonight, with thar
picture of human wreckage still vivid
in my mind, you wouldn't wonder
that ] hasten to enlist your aid he
said "I came back home for Christ
mas because l knew that you-yon
little group Of fellow artists here IN
New Workout OF the generosity IF
your hearts in this season of giving
would give your all to help the suf-
sering Of your kind on the other
side."
The others nodded-the two who
knew the young artist so lately re-
zurned to their midst and the girl
who had heard of him but had never
until today seen him. Anything we
aaye--or can get--is yours, old man, /
nuttered Frank Morton.
''Tm going back on the first boat
after Christmas Day and i want real
help to take with me-every cent you
would have spent on anything for
aifts--every cent. Just imagine this
studio and all it means to Jane, here,
wrecked and Jane driven from II
without q cent. to her name, And
imagine, still worse, if Jane were .
struggling man artist with a family
70 be responsible for! That's what
I've just left--that and many cases
like it, Nowhere to go and nothing
70 put in that nowhere when they
get there" Jimmie said with grim
8miie.
And yet it's the first time I've
ever seen you really happy, Jimmie"
said Jane, trying to tighten the
ghadows that were falling about the
little group. why, you hardly de-
serve the old name of Dismal Jimmie
do you?"
"it's the first time I've ever had
any real work to do and I've achieved
much since ] came back. You're
such a wonderfully sympathetic
bunch, you'd give your souls, be-
lieve. I can't be dismal in the face
OF that, can IT. he asked.
why, Babs,'' Frank Morton said,
turning to Barbara, "our friend here
has always been wet blanket
superficially, of course, you under
standard IL a baby happened to
arrive in town he worried about its
second summer If anyone suggested
8, picnic Dismal Jimmie always knew
it was going to rain. So now, behold
hini over something really dread
full he is cheerful! Can you fathom
human nature?
Jimmie looked at Barbara and the
light he saw deep in her eyes inter-
ested him more than anything he had
ever seen before in woman's eyes. Il
wouldn't believe everything that's
told about a studio table, Miss Kent,
he said.
Barbara continued TO look at him.
IT believe all you tell me Of your
earnestness in the work of alleviat-
ing the sufferers on the other side
Tell me more" she said. Il want to
help; I want to begin now"
And Jimmie told them What they
could do, and they made plans to have
a. Christmas tree there in the studio
10 which all their friends and fellow
artists were to be bidden. Instead of
receiving a gift, each was to bring
what he could in money to be given
10 relieve the suffering.
This party and the Christmas tree
were a success beyond the expecta-
tions of the four who had planned it,
and when Jimmie sailed back to-
France he took with him not only ma
terial help for the little colony of
artists, but he had Barbara Kent's
promise to be his wife, He, in turn,
mad agreed that he would never aga n
nave occasion to be known by his
former name of Dismal Jimmie.
But the tree in the studio and its
attendant mission were always known
among those who were there as "Dis-
NAL Jimmie's Christmas