g on his mind.

"I hope you'll excuse me, sir," says he, touching his hat to Old Man
Wright. "I didn't mean to be late; but, you see, it was Christmas
Eve----"

"Why, that's all right," says Old Man Wright to him. "Don't mention
it--Christmas is due to come once a year anyhow."

"I'll not let it occur again," says the chauffore, touching his hat
again.

"What? Christmas?" says he. "You can't help it."

The man looked at him kind of funny. I knew then he'd been celebrating
the night before, and I was right glad he hadn't begun to celebrate
until he'd drove us home, for he was jerky yet.

Christmas is a time when folks ought to be happy. We wasn't happy none
that day. I never seen before what it was to be real poor. Here in this
town, where there is so much money, it seemed like there was hundreds
and thousands of people hadn't saw a square meal in their whole lives.
You couldn't hardly stand it to see 'em--at least I couldn't. We spent
our day that way--our first Christmas in town--trying to feed all the
hungry people there was; and we couldn't. It was the saddest Christmas I
ever had in all my life.

That night Old Man Wright and me didn't stop to put on our regular
eating clothes, as Bonnie Bell said we ought to, and we all set down in
her dining-room for dinner, feeling kind of thoughtful and thinking of
how many people wasn't going to get no such a dinner that night. As for
us, we had plenty; and, believe me, there was something which filled a
long-felt want for Old Man Wright and me. What do you think? Why, ham
shank and greens!

"Sis," says her pa, "you certainly are thoughtful."

We could see out our windows over into the Wisners' windows--it seemed
like they had forgot to pull down their blinds, same as we had. They
didn't seem to be nobody at home, only one young man. He come in all by
hisself, all dressed up, and there was three men waiting on him at the
table. At length I calls attention to this, and Bonnie Bell turns her
head and looks across.

"William," says she, "draw the blinds; and be more careful after this."

VI

US AND THEM BETTER THINGS

Well, things rocked along this way and we got through the winter
someways, though every once in a while I taken a cold along of being
shut up so much. There wasn't nowhere to go and nothing to do except to
read the papers and wish you was dead.

Old Man Wright couldn't stand it no more; so he goes downtown and rents
him a fine large office