The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-11-06
CHAPTER I
The Christmas Tree

Here and there above the roofs
and gables, caves and steeples that
are the skyscrape of New York, there
towers an occasion church spire
great, sensitive, kindly finger
pointing to Heaven.
The Church Of the NATIVITY holds
aloft just such finger-but it rises
from SNUG, sleek, soft hand.
An habitue of New York's most
fashionable club would feel quite at
home in the Church of the Nativity
There is the same rich simplicity in
both, the same warm comfort, and
above all, the same exclusivcness
But a threadbare man would be as
self-conscious in one institution as
! in the other.
! A fleeing winter sun, homeward
bound on Christmas eve, peered
through stained glass windows upon
a scene Of disorder not in keeping
with the primness it usually found
in the rich shadows of these stately
walls.
, Crumpled paper, boxes and wood
shavings were scattered everywhere
Bits of abandoned string scrawled
strange figures on the floor.
| Rising above this confusion tow
cred a giant fir tree, decked with the
lights and colors Of an Aurora Bore
ais. Tinsel and trinkets weighed its
boughs. A young girl poised on q
step ladder, draped strand of silver
on already overloaded branches, then
sat down awkwardly on one of the
| steps.
| A woman, dressed too youthfully
for her 40 years, and too tightly for
her $50 pounds, turned slowly, sur
veying dazzling ball held level with
her eyes. AS she faced the ladder
she glimpsed other ornaments.
"Dilly!" she reproved. "Dilly, for
PHYS sake pull down your skirt
She turned to a third feminine figure
! bending over a box. II don't know
what skirts are coming tot"
They're not coming to the
ground, mother, you can be sure of
that" billy rejoined flippantly.
billy, otherwise Daffodil Gillian
was pretty even before she learned
that nature had adjuncts sold in
, small round boxes. Twenty years
old, she was 80 years witty, 40 years
wise, so years worldly and GO years
cynical.
II can't understand why our
young women want to go around
locking like chorus girls" Mrs. Gil
liam complained irritably.
perhaps they've noticed the kind
Of men that marry chorus girls
; Leila Thornbury remarked, looking
up from box of toys. At 80 Leila
| had left one marriage behind, carry
ing away court-awarded spoils of
war. There was something feverish
| and restless in her eyes, something
deliberately attractive in her man.
ner. te
"Ive two engagements before dim
ner," said Mrs. Thornbury, finally,
land I've got to 60 home and undress
for the opera"
~ gave up the dance for this"
boosted Dilly. sa
"But YOU all waste your time SO
dreadfully," objected Mrs, Gillian.
"I'm busy, too, but my life is given
to the service Of others" -.
"What could be sweeter!" her
daughter Knocked.
"Dilly! Nobody knows better than
you that I've never had selfish
thought. Mr.. Gillian"
"Of the Gillian Groceries, Inc.,"
interjected the girl. s.,
"Mr. Gillian says I'm far too good!
!; Only yesterday gave 500 pounds Of
coffee and sugar to the Salvation
Army"
"And today" interrupted the in
corrigible Dilly, "father jumped the
price of sugar to 80 cents!"
Mrs. Gillian saw the futility of
further argument.
zone gets precious little reward,
can tell you," she said with rising
emotion. II sent helpful thoughts
from the Bible to all Mr.. Giliam's
employees! Now they're on strike,
and the man that got BE content
with your wages is leading the
strikers"
She rummaged in the toy box to
conceal her agitation.
where's the Star of Bethlehem ?"
she asked absently.
1T doesn't work, mother!" ex-
planned billy.
"Are those your husbands men on
the front steps?" Mrs. Thornbury
asked after moments pause.
HOb NO ,o;d Mrc Gillian 9th oco