The Christmas Story from David Harum

an in her talk with David and himself in the morning, and that her manner at the table was distinctly refined, although she ate with apparen

me," he replied, "but I h

city go to theaters a

wondering what she was leading up to. But he was

all about the theater, Polly kin." Mrs. Cullom looke

said David,

she exclaimed. "I sha'n'

d cheerfully. "I'll t

rs. Bixbee, but he proceeded

' bread risin's, an' not bein' able to suit herself up to Purse's in the qual'ty of silk velvit she wanted fer a Sunday-go-to-meetin' gown, an' I thought a spell off 'd

most o' the rest on't so fu

t never ben,' I says, 'an' now you're down here you may jes' as well see somethin' while you got a chanst,' I

in, "I guess what we see

y it once, an' we agreed we'd go somewheres that night. But somethin' happened to put it out o' my mind, an' I didn't think on't ag

ter?'

kon so,

n't got nothin' now but t

's a little pertic'ler about some things,' I says. He kind o' grinned, the feller di

a sniff that spoke volumes of her opinion of

we went. It was a mighty handsome place inside, gilded an' carved all over like the outside of a cirkis wagin, an' when we went in the

comin' so fur, an' the people lo

's ye c'n see so fur, be th

I was," protested Mrs. Bixbee. "An' you was

a girl come prancin' down to the footlights an' begun singin' an' dancin', an', scat my--! to all human appearances you c'd 'a' covered ev'ry dum th

fur into pertic'lers," said

a snort, 's if some one 'd throwed water 'n her face. But she didn't say nothin', an', I swan! I didn't dast to look at her fer a spell; an' putty soon in come a hull crowd more girl

cand'lous goin's on I sh'll take my victuals into the kitchen. I didn't see no mo

n' her mouth shut too so's her nose an' chin most come together, an' her face was red enough so 't a streak o'

little place in the corner toward me, 'if you don't ta

she jes' give a hump to start, an' I see she meant bus'nis. When Polly Bixbee," said David impressively, "puts that foot o' her'n down somethin

nce more'n you c'n help, an' jes' put your hank'chif up to your nose 's if you had the nosebleed,' an' we squeezed out of the seats, an' sne

or as a gen'ral thing," r

try one o' them fellers that stands 'round steps up to me an' says, 'Ain't your ma feelin' well?' he says. 'Her feelin's has ben a trifle rumpled up,' I

ight lie. You never spoke to a soul, an'-an'-ev'rybod

th tone of measureless aggravation, "the feller wa'n't

John: "Ain't he enoug

ow you live with him,

that something amusing was going on, but was not quite sure wh

d theater-goin' much after th

in' all over. I believe," she asserted, "that David 'd 'a' stayed the thing out if it hadn't ben fer me; but as true 's you li

r. Mrs. Bixbee looked at him with unmixed scorn.

'n'-goner sure." This was treated with the silent contempt which it deserved, and David fell upon his dinner with the remark that "he guessed he'd better make

s, glasses, and cups. Finally David cleaned up his plate with his knife blade and a

play with me," he remarked

uddin' with maple sugar an' cre

things at the Eagle 't you won't have no stomech fer 'em, eh? Wa'al, fetch 'em along. May 's well die fer the ole sheep 's the lamb; but, Polly Bix

ain't it?" was the unexpected

e hain't made a joke! You'll git yourself into the almanic, Polly,

ew of my last words 'fore we proceed to the pie an' puddin' bus'nis. Any more 'hossredish' in that bottl

to attack the pudding, which was his favorite confection, he

glin' 'bout n

rse's last night," he said as he covered his pudding with th

ed. "That ole shack! Who in cre

lucky woman," repli

Bixbee, throwing up her hands, and even f

forenoon. Squire Parker done the job. Domini

e 'shamed of himself," sai

ght to be allowed to take its course?"

himself," she reiterated. "S'pose them two o

ou got no respect fer the holy institution of matrimuny?-and

his world, the amazinist to me is the kind of people that gits married to

," said David with an air of convic

tell, tell it," said M

an' ast him to go along with him to Parson White's an' be a witniss, an' I reckon a kind of moral support. When it comes to moral supportin'," remarked David in passing, "Dick's as good 's a professional, an' he'd go an' se

te of the cream and resumed: "I can't give it jest as Dick did," he went on, "but this is about the gist on't. Him, an' Lize, an' Am went to Parson White's about half after seven o'cloc

s here has ben thinkin' fer some tim

s Parson White, scowlin' fus

t mean ortter exac'ly, but jest as well-kinder comp'ny,' he says. '

ied on?' says the dominie after

, lookin' at him. 'Have you got anythin' to git married on?' the dominie says, turnin' to Lize. 'I've got ninety cents comin' to me fer some work I done last week,' she says, wiltin' down on to th

to Am. 'I'll be fifty-eight or mebbe

' to Lize. She wriggled a minute an' says, '

ed Aunt Polly. "The woma

't say anythin' fer a minute or two, an' then he says to Am, 'I suppose you c'n find somebody that'll marry you, but I cert'inly won't, an' what possesses you to commit such a piece o' folly,' h

Annis hain't got nothin', an' we figured that we'd jes' better git married an' settle down, an' make

asked Mrs. Bixbee, still incredu

an' allowed that if he had half a dollar he'd try the squire in the mornin', an' Dick let him have it. I says to Dick, 'You're out fi

he cup of clear coffee which Aunt Polly, rather under protest, had given

E

riber'

ctuation and hyphenation in the