Evening star., 1919-12-28


AN/ in a graveyard on Christ
mas eve?-Gabriel Grub !.
Gabriel Grub"
The goblins Of the Christmas carol
might also shrill out inquiry as to;
"Who dimes alone in cafe on Christ
mas afternoon"
But as the goblins will undoubtedly
do nothing of the kind. a woman de-
cided to find out first hand how loneli-
ness fares at it's solitary feast on the
day that glorifies the home. And hay
ing found out, she told about it-like
this:
II like to know things. but | reckon
pleasure simply to learn, except that
circumstance had snarled my own
Christmas plans into that thing we call
smithereens, Also, to do the fair thing
by my adventure ! dressed myself for
a regular spree and tucked sprig OF
holly i'm my coat. Also, again, I select
ed a stylish cafe frequented by nice
people, though I felt, of course, that
the place would look like a morgue OH
Christmas day-though ] am not per-
sonally acquainted with morgues-yet.
! even got an advance sniff of charnel
house chilliness as 7 revolved through
the circular door. which shows what
imagination will do, for:
Il was twirlcd into a gay radiance
OF light and warmth and Christmas gar
lands, with many fower-decked tables
crowded with jolly men and women,
whose laughter bubbled against back
ground of musc-and simply raptur-
Gus whiting of good dinner to come.
"A waiter seated me at a table whero
there was a plump and somewhat gar
rulous lady and debonaire, oldish man,
though you could see they didn't be-
long because he was looking over head
lines while she nibbled at crisp stalk
she had taken from the celery glass
waiting. as she told me, for friends.
This time last Christmas ] was
serving coffee to the boys just behind
the front-I wouldn't have missed
1T for the world. Did you get across
No? Well there were drives enough
I've been in every drive since l got
back
Il had to admit humbIy ,hat was
only one of the driven. and, at that
the man Clipped in with chuckle
and we were getting as gay as field
larks when the woman's friends
whlrled in and the man and l had
the tables to ourselves
And, honest, he was the interest
INCEST man! He knew Scrogg and
Tiny Tim and all the other folks who
live in Christmas carols-and he had
memories Of Christmas days in the
orient and for one especial high old
time at the Poodle Dog in Frisco.
Also he knew about the snowy pines
of Maryland and about trapping hares
aud freeing 'possums and what log
makes the cracklinest fire for Christ
mas burning. and most everything.
And when we parted he said-and
he looked as il he meant 1t:
81 have had many Christmas din
ners and many high old times, but
this is the first time ever felt what
the cards call the spirit of the Yule-
tide. 1t isn't likely we will ever come
together again. for I am bound for
the far east but I shall always think
Of you as Christmas carol--made by
the Lord instead of Dickens
(which was the best thing anybody
ever said of me before or ever will
again, but
What 1 want to get at is: Don't
ever shed sympathy on the fairly
prosperous person who has to dine
alone in cafe on Christmas after
noon-because it will be simply so
much emotion gone to waste"
A CHRISTMAS tree lay in front OF
a shop on Christmas night.
1t was pretty tree. green and
shapely. And 1t carried the pungency
of the woods in it's fresh running
sap, but no one had wanted to buy
il and take it home.
wouldn't it break your heart to be
Christmas tree and not get dressed
up in sparky things. with youngest ers
dancing all around and trying ia
sneak your sugar plums? And
wouldn't 1t hurt you to be that sort
of a human, with nobody to-