The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-10-28
No. Holiday Plans.
(By Mabel Herbert Urner)


Warren's mother was to have the
family Christmas dinner. The dinner
was to be at o'clock and after dim
ner there was to be dinner for the
grandchildren" The "grandchil-
dren," of course, meant Carries chill
dren, for Helen's baby was only four
months old.
Helen knew that she must go: for
Warren's sake she would have to go.
But she looked forward to it with
anything but pleasure.
! She knew that Carrie and Car
rie's children" would be the center of
interest they always were. She never
went there to a family dinner that
| she did not come away hurt and in
dignant at some slight or fragrant
inattention.
Warren said it was partly her fault
| because she was always cold and re-
served with his people. But how could
she help that when she never felt
comfortable or at ease with them
And she had never forgotten nor for
given their treatment of her when
she first went there as a bride.
Carrie had had all the family at
her house for dinner on Thanksgiv-
ing. But Helen had positively re-
luS0u " SO. OiIS tAIISW IlICy HOulo
have to go to his mothers for
Christmas, and she told Warren most
emphatically that she would not go
to both. So he made the excuse that
they Wanted one holiday dinner to-
gether.
HeIen's Turn.
Of course, Carrie had not liked it
Indirectly Helen had heard as much.
And yet, if she had gone, she knew
Carrie would have managed in some
subtle way to make her most uncom-
|fortable-she always did.
But now the worst of it was that
it was her tie to have them all for
New Years. Since she didn't want
them, she would have given anything
to have gotten out of it, but it was
so plainly her turn.
While, of course, she had some of
them at various times to tea or din
ner,4she had not given a formal din
ner for the people since she had been
married.
Warren had suggested it several
times, but on one excuse or another
she had always managed to put it off.
But now he insisted that it must be
New Years.
So it had all been arranged almost
a month ago. His fataher and mother
and Robert, Frank and Edith made
five; and Carrie, her husband and
her three children, five more, and she
and Warren-twelve in all.
They had counted it all out. Their
dining room would seat twelve, but it
would be somewhat crowded.
The fact that she had not gone to
Carries Thanksgiving dinner might
mean that Carrie would not come.
Helen secretly hoped that she would
not, but as yet she didn't know.
The Holiday Burden.
Never before had Helen dreaded
the holidays as she did this year. A
dozen times day she found herself
wishing they were over. If only she
and Warren could spend them alone
together, or with a few congenial
friends! But This people" dominated
everything.
Warren had been raised with the
idea that the holiday time was one
of close family reunions But he did
not seem to realize that as they were
not her people, how hard it all was
for Helen.
And the baby made it harder. She
had always secretly resented the fuss
and attention that were given to Car
rie,s children; but now that she had
one of her own, which she felt would
not receive half the attention, she
knew how much more jealous and
recentful she would be-
She felt that it would be much bet
ter not to take baby to the Christ
mas dinner. She wanted to say that