| Show EW w MR U P by L L MASSON 66 WANT you to prom me that you wont sive give me e any christmas this year mrs airs whittler looked at ai her husband emphatically 1 1 11 I mean it she bho asserted absolutely and you wont girome give me any replied whittier experimentally peri mentally positively NOT iov la is it understood WI whittler littler who was just going out shut tho door came lack and sat down in front 0 of hit his wife uy my dear cirl ho he eald icim 1 I am glad that you have brought this up WO we may as well settle it bow as at any other time you yola know that for years we have been doing this sort of thing ayery about thia time we both declare teat ta re wont give each othel anything thou then just before Christ christgau mau we ive sneak out and each of us buys the other a present tula this year it will be the feame abrio we will promise faithfully not to do ita it but just an faure bure fato fate wo we ehalt break our word in view of thin aids ula alarming tact fact that wo we aro are apparently tho the slaves of c a yearly habit what bavo you to sug ceat simply this that wo we each of us ua agree now to buy the other a present 11 1 I know that you will set get roe me something I 1 dont fantl and I 1 know that you will do tho the encao me but that what wo vo havo have be been doing all along then I 1 dont sea aeo that wa havo have gained anything Haven twe we why not Are d doing cil ng it openly think of tho the moral I 1 uplift mrs whittler shook her head 1 I dont agree with you she said 1 I think it would be much better tor for us to select ourselves ours elvos the presents enill wo vo vant if you like ille you can como toe ae while I 1 get mine Non eliat wont do at aifili all it Is absolutely necessary for un ua to ca carry rry out the elem element ent of surprise there Is SOMO am sneaking s ne aking contemptible trait in human nature which makes us ua want once a year to surprise others that Is at the basis ot of rill all christmas giving wo ito a kind of impulsive irresponsible attitude which impels us to buy something that mt wo we delude ourselves bur solves into believing tho the recipient to Is crazy for while ill all w ought ough tto to kno know that its probably tha lost i thing on earth lie he or she wants antar would you rob us both of this 11 fiendish andish pleasure beverl the only thang to do Is to bo be aral natural I 1 therefore announce to you thit that I 1 am going to surprise you with a present and you j must to do the same with me ine mrs mra whittler considered well she said at last 1 I 1 suppose j that la Is really the best thing for us ua to do and I 1 hereby a gree agree to do it when christmas eve came therefore ther e the t h e time tim when the Whitt whistlers whittlers lers were accustomed to spring their annual surprises each efthem of them bore that perfectly confident and identically joyful air which usually preceded the present presentation of something we think the other person nis has be been on Ion longing glug tor for advanced with a aills sly aly dear ho he said 1 I have the sur r prise of a lifetime tor for you oh lob do tell met said mrs whittles with a hypocritical air of gaiety and nd anticipation although inwardly she aha shrank from tho tha ordeal 1 I know it la 10 ing that I 1 fantl hat do you suppose it la Is her husband cheerfully inquired Hf vent the least idea well it isit isalt Is A lt it Is ib gues fuessl oh I 1 tell me well its absolutely nothing now that a surprise mrs whittier burat b into tears you horrid she exclaimed exclaim eL 1 I shall ingver forgive youl but dont you know that it the le t value of tho the thing I 1 might oot not have liked it but the thought that you had tried to please me aou would id have been everything I 1 do that to youl you whittler beside himself with sudden remorse sprang to her side 1 I was waa only joking he be exclaimed breathlessly honest I 1 was only lok ink ank what have you got for me met she drew draw from a neighboring closet 0 a dressing sack over which whittler yent went into raptures all the time feeling like a criminal then with a solemn air he be drew diew from his bis pocket a twenty dollar bill it if you dont like it if he said laid your can exchange change oi it for something else elm mrs whittier shook her head t you intend to give it to me and im not going to take it now ebe eald drivas tm afterthought i but she folded it up and pat it back into i bla bis waistcoat pocket J til ill forgive you this time slie ehe 1 smiled but remember my dear that it Is ie very much botter better to go on year after year giving each other things that we dont want than to attempt to brcak ak up an old haast which after all as it I 1 founded u upon 1 a genuine human buman sentiment menti ment 1 I fi 1 ik vank ilai A un coa |
