New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1914-11-18

year, said Simeon. that h th6l
amount that the 800 souls--no. guess
It must have been bodies-in our town
spent In the local stores. Now. bare
living expenses aside-which amt very
much for US all. these days-this
amount may be assumed to have been
spent by the lot Of us for Christmas.
OF course there was those. continued
Mr.. Buck. looking intelligentiy about
him. who bought most Of their Christ
mas stun in the city. But these-these
economic traitors only make the point
Of what Say the more So Without
them. the town spent this truly amaz-
ing sum In keeping the holidays. Now.
ask you. frank. could the town afford
that. or anything Hike that?'.
Bun Miles spoke out Of the extremity
Of his reflections:
That's funny crack he said, "for
a merchant to make. Why not leave
'em spend and leave 'em pay?"
'.Oh. I'll leave 'em pay ali right" re.
Joined Simeon. significantly. and stood
silent and smiling until there were
those in the room who uncomfortably
shifted.
Then he told them the word he bore
from Ebenezer Rule that as they. had
feared and half expected. the factory
was not to open that winter at all.
Hardly family represented in the
rooms was not also representative Of
factory employee. now idle these
seven months. as they were period
tcally idle at the times Of enforced"
suspension Of the work
What I'm getting at is this Simeon
summed It up. "and Abel Ames here
backs me up-don't you. Abel THAT
hadn't we all ought to come to some
joint conclusion about our Christmas
this year and roust the town up to it,
like a town. and not go it blind and
either get in up to our necks In debt,
same as city folks. or else quit Of
Christmas. individual. and mebbe hurt
folks feelings? Why not move intelli-
gent. like town. and all agree. out and
out to leave Christmas go BY this year?
And hare it understood thorough? 81
1t was very still in the little rooms
when he had finished. There seems to
be no established etiquette Of revolu-
tons. But something Of the uncon-
sci0usness of the enthusiast was upon
Mis- Mortimer Bates. and she spoke
before she knew:
'"So's we can be sure everybody else'i
know it and not give something either
and be disappointed too." she assented.
well. I'll bet everyhody'd be real re-
tieved.''
The churches has sanctioned us do
ing away with Christmas this year BY
doing away with it themselves" Oh
served Mis- Jane Moran .'That'd
ought to be. enough to go by.
1T don't seem to me Christmas is Il
thing for the churches to decide about
said Simeon. thoughtfully. 1T seems
to me the matter is up to the merse
chants and .recers and the family pros
yiders. Were. the ones NEST concerned
Us providers have got to scratch gravel
to get tUgether any Christmas ut all. ift
any. And speaking for MS merchants. 1
may say we'll lay in the stock If folks'il
buy it. But II they can't afford to pay
tor 1t we don't want the stock person
ally 49,
II guess we've all had thes expert
ence." Observed Mis- Jane Moran. of
announcing We wasn't going to give
any gifts this year and then had some
body send something embroidered by
"
hand. with solid months work on It.
But II We ali agree to secede from
Christmas we Can tay down the law to
folks SOS it'll be understuUd: No Christ
mas for nobody
Not to children said Mis- Abby
Winslow donbtfully.
~ idea is to teach 'em to do en-.
tirely without Christmas" harped Mis-
Rates I'VE cant afford one. Why
not let the children share in the family
prfvation without trying to fool 'em
with makeshift presents and boiled
sugar?"
Over in corner near the window
plants. whose dead leaves she had
been picking OF. sat .l.en Rourne-J.
Mis- Matthew Bourne she was. bne
ne4lly everybody called her Ellen
Boufne., There Is some law about
these things-why instlnctively We call
some folk by the whole name. some
BY their nrst names, some by the last,
some by shortening the name. some BY
q name not their own Perhaps there
u name for each Of us II only We
knew where to look. and folk intuitive-
y select the one most like that. Per.
haps some of Us. BY the sort Of miracle
that IS growing every day. got the
name that is meant for MS. Perhaps
some Of as struggle along with con-
sonants that spell somebody else. And
how did some names get themselves %
terridcaay everused unless o. some
strange might. say. kind Of astroloSi.
cal irregu'arity. Ellen Bourne sat by
the window and suddenly hooked over
her shoulder at the room.
III we've got the things made" she
said. cant We give EN-? If IT,. tn