Life — December 4, 1897 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

498 cause their parents were dead. They sat upon the floor because they had pawned all their possessions in order to obtain the means to buy food. The rich carpets, costly bric-i-brac, the Louis XIV. furniture and the stove, all had been sent to their unele, Mr, Simpson. For a long time Hortense and Eloise had supported themselves by of the manufacture of holes for buttons, but the vention of butte had deprived th port. And now they were wonderi ing whether it better to freeze to death or allow death by s take them in a quiet and decorous manner, or to write a story of a nd a half for the Sunday edition of a great metropolitan daily on “How It Feels to Die by Starva- ion.” They were yet debati er’s shrill whistle soun and the name of Smith was called out ina 18, ng voice. Hortense made a break for the door and received an envelope which bore the ad- dress of the Someday Publishing Company. With trembling hands she tore open the missive, A check for $300 fluttered to the floor and was grabbed by El who stared at it as if it were a supernatural apparition, and then rose to her feet and executed a joyous but exceedingly indecorous skirt dance. In the meantime Hortense had perused the letter. It was as follows: “Misses H. ayy E, Sarri—in 1837 this vepted from Jonathan H. Smith a means shirts and collars n of their means of sup- wonder- were rvation to over- when the letter carr ed on the stair sonort netr house a “pip YOU MAKE A WIT Last NigHT?” “No, BUT SOMBONE IN THE AUDIENCE DID.” THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. “on, IP ne We ion, irs novel, to be paid for on publication, have published it, As, upon invest we find you to be the sole surviving b of the late J. HL. Smith, whom we tind to your grandfather, remit check in payment for the MS, Please sign and return enclosed receipt. “Tur Somepay Peutisiise Co.” have been we exclaimed Hortense remarked Eloi ne for the mince p “We are save * Let’s go out and eat, Christmas Day was a happ with bells, carols, turke: re on earth, cranberry sauce, goodwill 8309 could not save them per- manently, but it kept them alive to be the heroines of other Christmas stories, to be published hereafter. HE first gift of the New Year— Hope. WOULD ONLY Look THIS way!” Christmas Eve. THEN AND NOW, WE Bsstened through the frosty air With hearts aflame and cheeks aglow. The Yule-log burned bright on the hearth— We decked the balls with mistletoe. While all around the ‘ssage clear, Without, within, we seemed to hear, To sanctify the endin “Lo, peace on earth, car— miwill to men!” While vow we hasten to fro. and trolleys fleet, cherish mistle! } zs now, with furnace heat! But shopping, presents—ob, dear met Such frenzied, rushing mobs are we That our refrain now, sure, should be— “Mad rush on earth, queer gifts to men!” Judith Spencer,