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Show When Phillip Received ( That Christmas Gift PitlSCILLA was making pumpkin pies. Tho fruit cake had ben ripened and the turkey lay in festive state, stuffed with sage and onion. Although Al-though it was really a chicken, one didn't mention that, no more than one mentioned the fact that daddy wa3 Santa Ciaus, or that the little black stockings which hung before the hearlh fire would not be very full. There was only one blot in I'riscil-la's I'riscil-la's Christmas Joy. "I can't give Phillip Phil-lip anything," she said to her mother, worriedly. "It isn't as If he were a youngster and satisfied with red-yarn knitted mittens, or as if he were a poor boy, even, but when he sends me orchids, mother, I I don't know what to do." Phillip was the young man from the city who had been exceedingly exceeding-ly attentive to Rriscilla. Flowers he sent, and fruits and dainty candies, but not the simple, homely kind to which she had been accustomed. It was not this air of richness though that made Prlscilla's heart beat quick and thrilly. It was the simple, boyish boy-ish way of him. Dear? Yes, she had Just admitted It to herself. And now he was coming to Christmas Christ-mas dinner with her and her happy, humble family and Priscilla In her un-worldliness, un-worldliness, felt that she had no gift for him. Her mother, though, was wiser. She looked with a tender, wistful wist-ful pride at her fair young daughter, the daughter with soft eyes shining, with hair curled gayly In the steam of the fragrant kitchen, with rose-petal cheeks, blushed warm by young love and by Christmas. She finished her cooking and set the long white table where the hearth fire glowed and the Christmas tree was festive with red and tinsel. Then Phillip had come and the dinner din-ner was progressing, fluffy potatoes and gravy all brown, the roasted turkey tur-key which was a chicken, really, the old fruit cake and, last of all, the spicy pumpkin pie. The mother watched and smiled, but her eyes were moist a little, for every bit of food Priscilla served was as a gift. If only Dili could know. But no one could explain to Phil. After the meal was over and extravagantly extrava-gantly praised, the rich boy from the 1 city seemed comfortably at home. He I and Priscilla took a walk through the crisp, snowy Christmas starlight and 1 still she could not tell him that she had no gift for him. Back to the front j steps they came, then out of the shad-! shad-! ows Buddie Jumped and ran Into the I house. Phillip saw the mistletoe first and suddenly there was no need for explanations. The stars and the , snowtlakes saw him take the sweetest , gift of all. Maxine Chapman. (X 1527, Western Newspaper Union.) |
