Judge — December 18, 1897 — page 12: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Christmas Judge. THE PRESENT HE GAVE HER. **OH. YES,” said Mrs. Bickers, in reply to a question from Mrs. Tiff, who had just dropped in, “John gave me a Christmas present, of course, as he al- ways does, and I suppose he thought he was doing exactly the right thing ; but that’s just the way with men, they don't know how to please women and they never will, because they don’t try to study wo- men’s wishes and hopes and aspirations, and 1 don't know that John Bickers is any worse than other men in that regard, for men are all alike, there isn’t much to choose between them, although, as I was saying, I think that John really did try this time to get me something which he thought I'd like, and, as I say, the fact that he didn’t results not so much from his lack of affection as from his not knowing what I'd like. It was a mistake of the head and not of the heart, as the bible says; not that I read the bible as much now as I used to before I got mar- ried and:found the cares of a household on my hands, and with mighty little help from John, who thinks that when he comes in after his day's work he is entitled to take things easy, whereas a woman's work is never done, and a man doesn’t have any sort of pity on her, for he seems tothink that is her lot in life, and that if she objects she is rebelling against providence and considers herself above her station in life in which she was placed, and which she is expect ed to fill without grum- bling or criticism, which is more than I can do some- times, although I strive to cultivate a serene and cheerful disposition, even though it isn’tappreciated. But then, asthe poet says, *Women must work and women must weep,’ though when I quote that to John he just laughs. That's all he cares for a woman's finer feelings, which his coarse nature cannot understand.” “But what did he give you for a Christmas present?” asked Mrs. Tiff when Mrs, Bickers made a semi-pause for breath. “He gave mea sealskin sack, when he knows, or he ought to know, if he made a habit of know- ing anything, or of trying to know anything. that I was just dying for a bicycle.” A Pe “What ! that awful bore ? WILLA MENeY SiVETER, dag OS STERN AWAKENING. She stood beneath the mistletoe, A picture of content. He little dreamed a missile-toe ‘To him would soon be sent. “I'm going to marry Mr. Hinckly.” “Yes; but you see, my dear, he'll make.my life seem so long.” She stood beneath the mistletoe. | He little deemed a plot ' Or thought of parental muscle-toe, | Till the missile-toe he got. IT WAS DONE SUCCESSFULLY. S66 WELL, did you kiss W her?" asked “ Tmistletoed the mark.” HER SIZE. Cora—" What made that Boston girl say she would rather have a pair of spectacles than any- thing else for Christmas?" Merritt—""1 suppose she wanted something that would go in her stocking.” AS IF HE NEEDED IT. y +6 ]'M GOING to get Godley a bible.” } “Don’t doit; he'd take it as a reflection on his piety.” T’S peculiar, but the thing a | person really needs is just the thing not to give him. | A ROMANTIC AFFAIR. comicbooks.com