The ledger. [volume] (Gaffney City, S.C.) 1896-1907, December 25, 1903, Image 5
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The Tra.mp
ON THE
Park Bench
A Christmas Story by
£OE ANDERSON NORRIS
[Copyright, U<03. by Zoe Anderson Norris. 1
I T was Christmas night, and the
Philanthropists’ club was holding
its usual celebration of the fes
tival. The Christinas dinner had
arrived at the stage of the deini tasse
and remarks.
Naturally the president was the first
to speak.
"Reynolds.” said he, indicating by
the gesture of a massive hand the
member of the club situated on his
left, "you may relate your experience
last night in helping the poor. Accord
ing to our agreement, if you remember,
we were to expend a certain amount in
charity on Christinas eve, not only for
the purpose of giving immediate relief
so far us our funds went, but in order
to ascertain something of tbe extent of
the poverty existing in this great city
of New York, in which we live.”
The club members, among whom
was an artist rendered somewhat oon-
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“MY GOOD MAN, HOW COMB YOU TO BK
HBBB?”
spicuous by the length of his locks and
the exceeding breadth of his soft black
tie, lit their cigars as Reynolds rose.
“It was snowing”— he began.
“Skip all that,” hastily put in a news
paper man. "Of course, if it was ]
Christmas eve, it was snowing.”
“The hapless outcasts in the park
had ranged themselves as nearly us
possible according to the tree branches;
but, being large in number, they over
lapped them, some to the length of two
branches or more, so that these sat
unprotected from the snow, which soft
ly soaked them.”
The newspaper man raised his hand
aduioulshiugly.
“Will you permit me, Mr. President,”
Interrupted he, “to suggest that all
description be eliminated? Otherwise
we’ll be sitting here In broad day
light.”
“It may be us well,” assented the
president suavely, “to omit descriptions
of scenery, for, as the gentleman has •
Just stated, it may have the effect of
detaining us longer than is absolutely 4
necessary.”
Reynolds, reaching for a glass of
water, wet his lips before he began
again.
“1 buttoned my overcoat to the
throat,” he said then, “for the wind
was raw and keen, and walked up to
the first tramp 1 came to. He sat near
the fountain on the corner seat' of a
long bench. I touched him gently on
the sleeve and said to him:
“ ‘My good man, how come you to be
here?’"
The newspaper man leaned forward
ubsorbedly, his eyes agleam.
“Were those your exact words?” he
inquired in so rapt a manner that tbe
president once more let fall the fork.
Reynolds, disdaining the question,
sought in several pockets for a pocket
handkerchief, and, finding one at
length, delicately mopped his lids.
“The story he told,” he stammered,
“wculd have brought tears to the eyes
of the coldest hearted.
“It was not so different from the usu
al run of such stories,” faltered Reyn
olds. “He hud seen better days; be
not always been obliged to sleep in
a park, etc.; he had a wife and two
children; he had been unable to sup
port them; they were all three with bis
wife’s mother. As I say, it was not so
much tbe story us his manner of telling
it. It affected you beyond description.
It couldn’t help but affect you. I took
a five dollar bill from my vest pocket
and thrust it into his hand.”
“And then,” queried the president,
"what did he do?”
“He became so deeply affected,” re
turned Reynolds, “that I whirled about
and left him, unwilling to witness tb*
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overwhelming nature of his gratitude.”
He sat down. The artist coughed
ilightly, covered his mouth with his
hand a moment, relit his cigar, which
had gone quite out, and blew the
smoke to the ceiling.
The president motioned to his neigh
bor to rise. His name was Caruthers.
He scanned his, listeners attentively,
frowning as he talked.
"My experience,” said he, “resembled
to a certain degree that of my friend
Reynolds there. I must have visited
the same park. Union park, was it?”
with a nod to Reynolds.
“Yes,” replied Reynolds; “Union
park.”
“I circled the fountain,” he went on,
“and proceeded to a long bench, where
I stopped near a seedy looking individ
ual who in spite of the steady fall of
snow sat napping there. I tapped him
on the shoulder, roused him from his
sleep and asked We history. It was
rambling, as that related by Reynolds.
He had seen better days. Most of us
have. He had not always slept in
parks. Few- have. And, like Reynolds’
tramp, he had a wife and two children,
whom he had been obliged long before
to send home to the wife’s mother.
Like the story of Reynolds’ tramp,
there was nothing out of the ordinary
with the exception of the manner in
which he stammered and shook telling
it.”
At this jxnnt Caruthers appeared to
experience some little difficulty in ar
ticulating. When he had recovered,
“Really,” he finished, “it was distress
ing; most distressing. It grieved me
deeply. I thrust a five dollar bill iut<
his hand and hurried away.”
He had hardly time to resume Wi
sent when three members of the clul
rose simultaneously.
“There’s some fraud about this!’
they cried. “We went together. \V< .
saw the same man. He had the sarm
wife and two children who were liv
ing with the same old mother-in-law
.) Jove! We were so distressed w<
,'uve him $. r > apiece, and that mad*
fifteen good old solid dollars between
us.”
They Hung themselves back in theii
chairs and gazed in an excited .and in
dignant way from one face to anothet
in search of some reasonable explana
tion of the phenomenon.
The newspaper man suddenly stood
It was as if he bad just waked up.
“Was he tall and thin?” he question
ed. ‘‘Did he wear a shaggy red beard
long hair, an old slouch hat aflQ a rug
ged gray overcoat out at the elbows 1
and fringed with a mighty fringe
around the hem? I say, were bis shoes
old, and did he go barehanded In the,
snow?”
“Yes, yes,” answered tbe rest in a
chorus, “all that, and more.”
“Then,” declared the newspaper man.
“I, too, took out a five dollar bill and
made him a present of-it.” And, falling
limply back in bis chair, lie took to
tapping the arm of it with impatlem
fingers.
The artist had slipped out of the
room.
After a period he rettrned. trans
formed.
His beard was shaggy and red, his
shoes were worn at the toes and down
at tbe heels, his hat was one of the
t.
iff
A Poem of Christmas Eve
———ii Mi
M.OYSIUS ©DLL
>» rniTS** “ iS! 5
jre*
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And so vonv
f ® e up '
m
, you re uni- '
Shaking the cried Santa r , '
i °f his coat o, f s of s hof C ' aus -
7 "V^f/okes F^' and lce
In bed Sn ' P ' an ' ,erf ”lhat” S b0 ° f '
■ f . ! HeriLt*... ■ an d leag
ue
l 1*0 LL you once tor
“Now. 1®* . oi\i v Blue.
You doub '"’Lne on Chr , '* mt
~ It
ond rean
all.
“Now. M nu\v Biue.
Y ou doubting ^ V ^ chrlstmoS
That when as vou i
Vtn lust as r come roun d each]
A I V • i I ta M ^ I
m
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born
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dears'
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evd
^ year K orirt ^
A Came ^TJe'^ ‘ ha h0Uf6 -
nl4M-
vw . sonrietni
A atork# , the ch. j
Came down s t\rj^d
That stork and one:
^ S^urT® 4* lh8 '
We brou 4 , n t tie sonl
A dimpled m ' w ^l.
' That son was „ ^
d0ubt 'nfi bT/v T here
fMr- Z y,na ln your * 8,ue -
T <>e teles 0 f m hear ' ell ^
yrt a h r ; f
C Tgi SCe 'he gw r o and frm, rea '-
, 4 ' Ve f0 Vou^n^r Wwce
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y . 0u Sit.
^ Wee Billy Blue
Santas ^ of bed .
Hop ^f i the awful words
^-tremble ot had said
■ The t ^Christmas sock he puhed
out Of his enr Mll
A ^hROGATfON POINT ^
WasIntf^l J!! : i
fa
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“THAT,” BHOUTBD TBN VOICES, “IS THE
MAN!”
slouch variety, aud his overCbat was
gray and long and so fringed at the
hem as to assume the appearance of
having been fringed intentionally.
Ten fingers pointed at him.
“That," shouted ten voices, “la tbe
man!”
The artist bent a bumble and apolo
getic bead.
“Yes,” acknowledged he, “I am tbe
man.” ♦
“But you are a member of the club,”
they stormed. “You knew all about bur
plan of relieving the poor. You had
part of tbe money yourself. Why did
you take ours?”
The nilst shrugged weary ahouldera.
Ho spread out two deprecating hands.
“I urn an artist,” be explained aim-
ply. “I needed it.”
When monev talks It seldom bm
any trouble In finding a listener.
A CHRISTMAS DINNER
IN CONSTANTINOPLE
Tbe wife of • tbe proprietor of the
Levant Times iii Constantinople, Mrs.
Laffan-Hanly, wishing not long ago to
show to some of the inhabitants, of
that city what nn old fashioned Eng
lish Christmas waa like and incidental
ly to cement valuable friepdsblps for
her husband In certain Influential quar
ters. sent out invitations for fifty per
sons. There was a curious mingling of
nationalltiep in tbe gueata responding,
Greek, Persian. Turkish, French, Ar
menian, Russian, English, American.
Spanish, Hebrew, German, Italian, Al
banian and one Japanese. Possibly
there may have been more nationalities
represented,' but only thirteen different
languages were spoken*.
MK Laffan-Hnnly’s bouse was situat
ed in Pera, directly opposite the konak
of Fuad Paaha. As the guests arrived,
some on horseback, h few on foot, a
few in coupes, but more in sedan
chairs, the faces of the women In the
konak opposite could be faintly seen
pressed against the kafass. for Fuad
1’asba wns one of tbe guests and nc-i;
uf bis wives could accompany him
Hadji Rassim . Effeudi was anolluM
There were two Hebrew, bank direct
ors, the- Persian ambassador anil tin
Japanese consul.
Tbe house was built originally for a
Turkish residence, and three rooms
were decorated with holly and mlstie
toe brought all the way from England.
The Greek and Armenian ladles were
richly dream si In heavy silks and vel
vets tinder Uidr fur lined wraps. They
wore a.profusion of Jewels of barbaric
design. These ladies riot in bright colors
and dazzling effects, and on this occa
slou were painted red and white and
bad their eyebrows blackened. Tin
other ladles were handsomely dressed
but It remained for the two Jewish la
dies to exhibit tine diamonds In ex
trnvngant numbers.
In shell a mixed assemblage It was
almost impossible to establish anything
like sociability, mid the poor hosteifs
grew haggard with the effort. The
Turks locked on with preternatural
gravity, and bowed with exceeding |>o
lltones* on nil oceaslons. The Persian
ambassador, might have been a wooden
linage for all the expression on hi*
.ce, TIm* Alhmlan stood lu a corner
in solitary grandeur, his stiffiy starched
instanello standing out like a ballet
dancer’s skirt. The Japanese consul
smiled and bowed right and left with
praiseworthy impartiality. The Eng
lishmen stood in a group, while the
Greek, French and Armenian got to
gether and were soon talking with ani
mation, while the word “parades” fell
from their lips as if money was the
only thing worth mention. The Rus
sian. Spanish, Italian and German gen
tlemen paid strict attention to the la
dies, who sat in the two upper parlors,
while the men appropriated the main
room.
Miss Lufian-Uanly. the very pretty
daughter of the host and hostess, play
ed Chrjstmas carols on the piano, but
nobody listened, and It was a relief
when dinner was announced. It was
understood that tins dinner was to be
representative of the Christmas in Eng
land, and so there was a roast of beef
of astonishing proportions following an
enormous boiled fish on a wooden tray.
Two monstrous turkeys and a chicken
pie tilled the table, with tbe vegetables
and small tilings, such as pickles,
olives, etc. Everything was put on to
gether save the dessert. Wines there
were and pure water for the Turks and
Persians.
At last everybody was seated. Tbe
service was well done by three men
from the big hotel. The Greeks and
Armenians had come to dinner, and
they did ftlii justice to it. The rest of
the guests were more circumspect or
had smaller appetites. The amount of
bread they consumed was astounding.
The Persian ambassador was the
guest of honor, with Hadji Rasslm
Effendl opposite. The hadji was an
orthodox Turk of the old school. Fuad
Pasha was the same, hut he was in
some ways not so strict in his observ
ances. so he took a little wine. As the
first hunger passed, the wine began to
loosen tongues, and one would have
imagined oneself in a new Babel. Jests
and, couplets were made and toasts
passed back and forth in all the thir
teen languages spoken.
The dinner lasted nearly three hours.
The dessert consisted of a great plum
pudding covered with blazing rum aud
several fitu mince pies. The Turks
seemed tb have an instinctive fear of a
pudding blazing with Satanic blue
lights and took mince pie or fruits.
As so much of Turkish cookery is
based on minced meats the Turks
thought the mince pies were safe. The
Greeks and Armenians managed both
pie and fruits and ate with a “good
coming appetite” everything offered
them. Then came coffee and cigars,
and the ladies went back upstairs.
Mr. Laffan-Hanly had bis cue to
bring the gentlemen all up as soon as
he could, so that they might have some
Christmas games. They had become n
little more sociable among themselves,
but as soon as they were back among
the women the different elements sep
arated again into their component
parts, and it was desperate work to get
them interested In snapdragon. The
Turks seemed to fear the flames of al
cohol and would not even try to pull
out the plums.
Finally one of the Greeks sang one
of the native seesaw caterwauling
songs, and after that the games were
given up in favor of an impromptu
dance. The Persian and the Turks
E v o 1 u t i 6 n
OF THE
XmdwS Tree
A Yulelide Sketch by
JONATHAN JOYCE
[Copyright, 1903, by C. N. Lurie.]
T HE Christmas tree for the dis
play of presents is an evolu
tion. The true origin and sig
nificance of this arboreal fea
ture of Yuletide are uncertain. Appar
ently It is derived from an ancient cus
tom. The pagan races of northern Eu
rope had a deep veneration for trees as
the abodes of the gods. For instance,
the linden sheltered Bercbta, the spirit
kindly to babes. When celebrating
festivals the chosen tree of the differ
ent gods were decorated with lights,
wreaths and tassels, and offerings to
the spirits were suspended in the
branches.
The Romans used greenery In the
festivals of Saturn, celebrated In De
cember. and carried the custom among
the Germans. The Egyptians used
trees for interior decoration, their fa
vorite being the palm.
A work of fiction produced in France
over 700 years ago contains a descrip-
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TOAST BASHED IN ALL THE THIRTEEN
LANGUAGES.
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looked on gravely while tbe rest danced.
They maintained tbeir Impassible grav
ity until Hadji Rnssim Effendl sign!
fled that he wanted to go borne. He
was ill. ^ had, secure in his belie!
j of the innocence of the pie, eaten ttare*
big pieces. And tbe crust was shoit
ened with the fat of tbe “unutterable
flesh!” .
1 His departure broke up tbe party.
Not one of them bad understood uuy
thing of the object lesson on an Eng
; gllsh Christmas in spite of all tbe lar
. guages spoken.
i The (Atyr hostess’ hair turned white
1 that night, and next week her bus
band’s newspaper type was distributed
in the Bosporus. Hadji Rasslm ws*
the press censor.
GLADYS GEORGE JAMES.
1 mm in
A VERY EARLY USE OF THE CHRISTMAS
TREE.
tion of a tree having its branches from
top to bottom decked with burning can
dles, with the figure of a child at the
very top sending forth a brilliant light.
This tree in some way symbolized
Christianity, the caudles representing
souls aud the child typifying Christ.
It is said that the Christmas tree was*
adopted in France and. England m
1S4U. Prince Albert is yndited yvflh
having introduced it in England the
first Christmas following bis marriage,
which was in l^td. Within a few years
after that one of Un* trees at Windsor
castle bore gifts valued at $ 10,000. But
more than a century Is’fore Prince Al
bert's aiNcnt an improvised Christmas
tree, called a "besaut.” was carried in
processions in England at Yuletide. It
consisted of a pole decked with hotly
or other evergreens and ribbons, to
gether with oranges and apples and
sometimes a pair of dolls.
The irrepressible desire for novelty
has led to unique variations in Christ
mas trees. A society woman having a
couple of valuable pet dogs got up a
dogs’ Christmas tree and Invited forty
or more of the neighboring thorough
bred pups to tbe ovatlou.
TJie device by which Santa Claus
is cooped up in the trunk of a portable
tree, with his bead showing out at
times, is very simple, yet very taking
with young folks. It is accomplished
by having two empty barrels without
heads fastened one above tbe other
aud covered with moss, bark and
lichen. Through a knot hole Santa’s
voice is heard. The structure being on
casters, the imp inside can move It
about the platform to the infinite de
light of tbe children.
Another device for Laving a voice is
sue from the Christmas tree is accom
plished by the use of tbe telephone, the
receiver being bung in tbe tree. The
absent ones can then send familiar
tonls to those present, and when the
speakers are very dear and unavoida
bly absent the message Is tbe best
Christmas present that can be con
ceived of for the occasion. An elec
trical outfit for lighting Christmas
trees has been invented at amall cost.
One clever boy used It with novel re
sults by applying It to a magnificent
evergreen standing in front of his
home. It was lighted on Christmas
eve after a snowstorm which decked
tbe branches with fleecy garb. The
beat of tbe lamps melted tbe snow, and
then it froze in all manner of shapes.
When lighted up again on Christmas
night the pendent icicles and icy armor
glittered like 0 myriad of gems sn«
pended in the glare of shifting light'
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