The daily Alaskan., 1915-01-02
A Mothers Christmas Plan After All It Was Not a New
 Departure.
By P. A. MITCHEL.

IS By P. A. MTCHEi. 2
 Mary" said Ernest Warfeld, I've shall have to ignore Christmas this year. I'm sorry, knowing as I-do how you and the children love the day and delight in making preparations for 1t, that such a course is necessary. But 1t costs money, and money have not. Indeed. nm afraid this Euro pean trouble Is going to throw me out of business"
 The words were spoken by the hus- band and father at the breakfast table shortly before Christmas. He had served an apprenticeship with 8 pub fishing firm, saving his money, in which he was assisted by frugal wife, until he had accumulated $lO,OOO. This he had used to set himself up in business, relying for success upon an idea he had conceived that he pos sessed a faculty for discerning those qualities in q novel which are calcu- lated to please the public. In thls he was disappointed. The public did not seem to fancy the books he published, and he lost most of his capital. Then came the war, and no one had money to buy books. The prospect looked very gloomy.
 T am perfectly willing. I"H'>L re- l aiH deem necessary
 II know you will. my Gr.". Us the disappointment to the chiGr,H that troubles me"
 "I will see that the children are sat Isfed with what We may be able to do for them"
 The husband made no further re- mark, turning over the pages of the morning paper llstlessly. He did not hurry to go to business, for there was little to do when be got there. Final ly his eye struck an advertisement and he threw down the paper with groan.
 That novel, A Mystery of a Mir ror,' has reached a sale of 100000 cop les. It was offered to me. and de- clined 1t. There's not a particle of lit erary merit in the who,e book. Whats a nublisher 10 do. I'd like to know, when the public will take in such rot as that and won't read real liteFa' ture?
 "The critics say that A Mystery or a Mirror Is ingenious" said his wife.
 Whats ingenuity 10 do with litera- ture? tell you there's no literary taste any more.'
 The wife was thoughtfully silent for awhile, then said:
 "We have for centuries been Judging literature by the same old standard and am beginning to think that we are partly wrong. According to this standard, there Is no merit in the work of a detective story writer who has made a great reputation and fortune besides. Our literary magnates say that l there is no literary merit in these sto- rles. once thought so myself, but l an beginning to doubt it."
 There's money in them-that IS, m some of them-at least for the author 1 Whoever wrote A Mystery Of q Mir TOT has made a small fortune. It's 8 dollar book. and 10 per cent royalty on q hundred thousand copies is SlO,OoO. If had accepted the rotten stuff ] might have made that out of it my self
 Never mind. dear. Better luck next time. think myself that publishing a novel Is like buying ticket in lot tery. If you succeed in tiding over the present trouble hope you will put your money into something that isn't ] so risky"
 Warfield made DO reply, but rose from the table with a sigh. kissed his wife and children and went to his busi- ness. AS soon as he had gone the wife and mother gathered her children about her and. taking them into her conh- | dence, told them that pIpa had lost money in his business and had request 1 cd that they ignore the coming Christ mas. She had d plan that Sh" thought would make the anniversary just aS ple:ISant as usual She didn't say what it was. hut pledged every child to make no mention of Christmas till Christmas came. They were all agog to know what the plan was. hut she would not tell them. Nevertheless. all agreed that. on papa'S account. they w0nld do just ] what their mother wished. l Whatever preparations for Christ mas Mrs. WarfeId made she kept her own counsel. if gifts came, into the house In advance she contriyedf to He- ccive them herself and hide them. But, whether they came Or-not, her hus- hand and children were ignorant of the fact. The husband being absent dur ing the day and. the children at school there was ample opportunity to take iu articles without their knowing any thing about 1t. The children, repoBing ! evPry confidence in their mother, made no complaint at not receiving funds tc spend for gifts for each others for mann ma had told them that she would provide presents for each to give. When Christmas eve came the =