| Show I I n i I i Christmas for I Adults Ity Mm Maty l Graham Conner Donner 1 c i i n II fn gle Rio child In the then B f t n II mb ni m I 11 II I y now mid and e b I Christmas they nil E agreed was a n time tit 1 t for o r children At A t I i 0 ray imy rate they all allt alla t a Ji t Itt Ih said that They had scattered sent scat t I rell as RII sometimes do and tho those thore left In the town were two older families Yen It tt was true There j It wasn't n II single lIngle child In the family I now nOl They hl had nl nieces niece 11 and nephews Ii small children they thy knew and were I fond of to toI I whom hom they Mould give present pres y ent eats They would give nice presents Ion loo f k They themselves I would he sensible I I They would not Rive give presents to each Illch E other They were grown Why i should they go In for tor something that 01 1 was wt's distinctly n a possession of child child- hood I They would have Christmas dinner t tr Im together etler That they had I finally decided de Ie- 1 cued thy they could rould not forego Oh the theother I other ruling was very Iry sensible anda and I I I a 1 they nil mill lI im agreed reed hut well hut well It Willi quite quile Children belonged to at Christmas Christmas to children Let 1 r It remain that way r I The rho family who lived down n by the theold i old mill were having the time Christmas dinner limo Tho other family were coming comIn com com- coming In ing to It and were going to bring the l mince rills pies and the plum s ns as 11 their part oP or the Christmas feast They Thy wonted wanted to do something about a n 1 1 Christmas dinner there dinner-there there wasn't any ape ape- ml reason for It but they wanted to do something 21 The ho tl table blo was set let the night before There wasn't much mooch to do Christmas 1 Fi sLl f f t morning Later Inter they would go to church and nd Join In singing the Christ Christ- mat lUll hymns That flint would bu he suitable to the day to day to the holiday holy day Joy jor But nut t there was n a time In between between between-a a a time before when lien the children had hn had hads s j their presents while presents-while while still they were werey 1 y children before they had grown up or ortt tt i gone away That would be curl- curl ti outstandingly empty No one talked about It No one sold said saida solda a aVor Vor word 1 But Hut none of ot them could quite 1 hear bear to 10 think of ot that Christmas present pros pres I eat ent time when tho the packages were opened when hen there curious eager excitement und and pleasure dell delight ht In jj ones one's own gifts amid In the gifts of n. n others lIi No one sold said a n word No one knew i what each I h other was thinking tit lint But early that morning one of ot the thet t 4 members of ot the family down n by hy the mill telephoned the other family and asked them to come down early I 1 Just fixed up one or two little things said the one who had d telephoned tele tle phoned a little shyly and to her ber own family she said the same They came Every one gathered About bout the old old table that had been brought brou out every Christmas It was wasa a n shaky old table tallie but It somehow seemed to be a part of Christmas And AndIn AndIn In no time It was covered with gifts gift I Every one had surreptitiously y been heen fixing up tip little presents for tor each euch other And the table groaned under Its weight of or packages tied with gay old ribbons bonA and tissue paper as ns of ot yore But we agreed o we wouldn't give giveR 1 R any Christmas presents to each ench other oilier this year they murmured from time timeto timeto to t time We sold said we wouldn't have a 8 Christmas celebration now that we were rr nil all grown up we said was ns entirely a aday aday day tiny for tor children YI Yes the hail had sold said But nut t so they so III deeply deeply deep dep ly Iy was wag the Christinas Christmas celebration n round around the th shaky old table before the big fireplace rooted In the heart of each ah that th they couldn't In spite of their resolves do any differently I think one of thrill them sold said when I hil hol harm hn 1 l lilt elm t j pie thoughtful little gifts and amid surprises sur stir that Christmas should be for tor every one olle No one Is II too old to enjoy It ft It And how proudly they said to their I I friends us S they met after church You must come ome In and see sel our pros pres i i NItS eats Wo Ve not lovely things Just JustI what we wen n wanted nt Ill I'll I 1 Q mi un Union I Christmas Wisdom A foolish man U is one 1 who ho doesn't i know what his wife wants so he hf I go goes 8 and gets It probably It-probably a clothes wringer ft A wise 1118 kno knows knol ss his hll wife needs a n pair of arches but hut lots has wit enough to buy Lu tier her double decker Judo earrings I Martha hamming Banning Thomas I Mistletoe toe when not lIot suspended Is s regarded re re- carded by h th the superstitious a as a harbinger barI har bar I binger r of or bad luck London London |
