Show 11 s t 0 1 t 1 4 w 4 I Before Christmas Th e R and After Poe I I t tOnce Once upon a midday dreary while I wandered weak and weary Through Through the quaint and curious mazes of a great department store While in doubt I hesitated hopelessly I contemplated All the silly trash and baubles I 1 had seen so oft before before- Seen and bought bought and and wished I many hadn't-many hadn't many many wavy times time before before- Sill Silly trash trash and and nothing more What V hat I murmured sadly sighing What oh WHAT AT shall shall I be bo bu buying buying- ng- ng Buying ing g for that Man liau for Christmas Tell me hue tell me I implore 1 To the clerk I T turned then speaking Must I ever thus thins go seeking seeking- I Seeking vainly something g novel for the man that I adore Something nat natty ty neat and antI novel for the thc man I most adore 0 4 the salesgirl Evermore It ItT Would T you Jon like liko some ome silk sits 1 su suspenders 1 Nay 1 I erred cried II Oh Oh Lord defend us Can I find no THING that senders have not sent him oer o'er and oer o'er gets ow n about out a 3 or chafing dish or or 01 Surely there is better Never Ne T nothing never those I swore swore- Yet whatever er I may get it shall be something Ill I'll deplore deplore- Something Something- I shall much deplore I 1 I 1 Deep into the crowd then plunging in my desperation lunging Right flight and left with foot and aud elbow elbo like a lunatic I tore Picked up tip this thing and then that one dodged a thin man and a fat one Tried Hied ed to keep my feathered hat on maddened to the very ery core Tried to keep from being sal sat on maddened saddened to the core core core- Maddened saddened sick and SORE 1 Til at last a clerk beguiling all my sad soul into smiling 0 o the counter something piling said Ive JUST what you'll adore See these lovely purple sox sox Ill Ill I'll put them in a n pretty box Ill box Ill I'll Wrap Trap them up up-there's up there's theres really nothing that a n MAN MAIN would treasure more 1 Give me those I cried then ihen weakly Give me those those and and nothing more Simply those those and and 1 NOTHING MORE MOllE Out Ont again and quickly flitting in the subway never never sitting Clutching wildly at at- ata a 1 strap those awful things o I homeward bore I Got them home the box unbroken But the only word there spoken At the sight of that strange token was Great Scott What are they FOR 1 Not to WEAR VEAR I hope I nodded And distinctly then he lie swore swore- Softly but distinctly SWORE Yet my heart within me aching awl and my soul within me quaking Tells me next year Ill I'll be breaking g all an my records as of yore ore Though he never may put THESE THESE- on t though hough I Ive I've e almost lost my reason I IY Y Yet ct I know n again nin next season on I will do to it all once more moreDo more more- Do it over EVERY Christmas just as I have done before before- 1 Do it thus for EVER EVERMORE |