1928-12-15 — Page 34

Felir

CHINA MAIL CHRİSTMAS SUPPLEMENT, 1928.

"the little shop round the corner."

Delightful

Christmas

Presents.

HATS and GOWNS.

=

7, Ice House Street,

AN

APPRECIABLE

PRESENT

19

Best German

RIQUET CHOCOLATES

D

In beautifully decorated boxes, ‚all 'sizės, moderately prices

to obtainable at BITZER & CO.

2nd Floor, Queen's Bldg, '

Ico House Street.

0000000

CHRISTMAS WITH JACK TAR. THE ATLANTIC'S CHRISTMAS

}

(Continued from Page 17.)

As the captain and his officers make their smiling progress from mess to mess, volley after volley of cheers accompanies them. At each table the decoratious, often as beautiful as they are ingenious, are ad- mired and praised; the food is sampled and approved; cordial greetings and good wishes are exchanged. And when the last mess has been inspected, the captain, standing in the contre of the deck, addresses a few simple eordial words of good wishes, invites the men

his health in. 1

10

drink

.GIFT.

(Continued from Page 13.)

CHRISTMAS

HUMOUR.

ALLOA! Haven't seen you for ages.

"H you're motoring down my way

Christmas-time-you might drop in.”

"I've given up the car. I travel in an

"Oh, well, then, you might drop out."."

"Willie, what is the meaning of 'taxider-

But Amos Stokes hardly noticed the culmina-aeroplane now." tion of this tragedy of the sea. Mr. Tun- bridge was speaking-gasping out unbeliev able words.

"A taxidermist is i feller than runs a taxi-cab."

"Captain's wife died baby born-mist' ?". alive! Captain dead-killed by falling mast. Baby hero-alive-alive!" The mate edged into the shelter of the companionway and

"No, dear. A taxidermişt is a man who opened a bundle he carried in the crook of his stuffs birds. Have you never seen one?'"

"Yessum. pint arm. A newly-born baby's face, puckered

Our doctor came, to dinner but peaceful, showed.

last Christmas, and the way he stuffed tur- snatched the bundle. There was a choking key showed that he must be a taxidermist." thickness in his throat as he softly entered "Your wife was telling my wife that his cabin. He tried to move soundlessly, but you've got all your Christmas presents paid because of his burden, the door escaped his for." hand and slammed to a wild roll of the ship,

of beer, and makes his exit to thunders of cheers and રી chorus "Give it to me!" said Amos Stokes, and of "For he's a jolly good fellow!" which al- most lifts the roof. Then the boatswain blows a shrill blast on his whistle, and Jack falls on his victuale with the appetite of a hungry lion,

'He

day.” Yes;

J-

"Yes; paid for the last of them yester-

"Lucky dog! I haven't even begun to think of the presents I've got to buy."

Neither have we. My wife was speaking last year's presents."

of

Now begins such a time of feasting and and the noise. wakened Ethel, who turned fun as few but our sailor-men can ever know.big, wild eyes on her husband's face. -

"Baby" she moaned. Amos Stokes laid To the clatter of knives and forks, jokes and laughter, the good fare disappears down the bundle in her searching arms. She drew slowly and hungrily to her starved breast. Jack's capacious throat, until at last he is obliged to cry "Halt!" He has feasted better The wildness faded from her eyes, leaving

them filled with golden wonderment. Amos A Sunday school teacher had been telling than any king, and can eat no more. has drawn his beer, has drunk the King's held is breath, watching life triumph over the girls of the class about the devil. health in grog-and now for a good smoke the menace of death. Ethel smiled at him- to crown it all! Cigars, pipes, and cigarettes are produced, and soon hundreds of cloude are rising in grateful incense to my Lady Nicotine and Jack's cup of happiness and content is full,

Walking home, Mary said to Betty: "Do

a smile of growing radiance. Then the baby you believe there is such a person as the whimpered, and she held it closer, hushing. devil

Betty: "No; there's no such person. it-crooning the eternal mother song over

With new masterfulness, It's like Father Christmas-it's only your its downy head. she motioned Amos. away, but her accom-father." panying smile Was A benediction, too. Lumpy of throat, yet exalted, Amos returned to the deck, to pound Mr. Tunbridge wildly Toim giving ye this pig for a Christmas pre- between his rheumaticky, aching shoulders.

And now for the music! What Jack loves, above all is a song with a rousing chorus; and there is plenty of talent to keep the concert going for hours if they wish "Old Atlantic's given up a proper Christ- it. If the singer has a voice like a disabled mas gift!" he gloried. "Blast it-bless it! fog-horn, no matter, so long as his song has She'll never know, unless some fool tulks." "They won't talk-I'll see to that," suld a good chorus in which Jack can do his sten- torian bit towards "raising the roof." Thus Mr. Tunbridge grimly. "Looks to me as if gong and chorus and rapturous applause for the wind was freeing for a straight run low in sequence until Jack, hoarse of voice home." and purple in, face, has at last had enough, ... and is ready for a dance or any other fun on deck.

Thus in dance and song and skylarking and frolic of all sorts the hours pass all too quickly until at last "out pipes" is sounded, and Jack reluctantly turns into his hammock, weary, it is true, but blisfully happy in the knowledge that he has spent his Christmas Day as jovially as any man in the Empire, and has added another red-letter day to his calendar.

A man who happened to be fortunate enough to win a turkey in a Christmas raffle chanced to meet his daughter as he was carrying the bird home. Wishing to swag- ger a little, he said:

་

"My word, lass, we'll make an attack on turkey to-morrow. This is a real Constan- tinopler, this is."

"Aw dare say it is," replied the daugh- ter, smiling. "But you might have asked for a Bagdad"".

Irish Farmer: "Now, Pat, me bhoy,

Sel.."

Pat: "Thank ye, sorr. Shure it's just like ye!"

from

Guest (departing

Christmas party): "We've had a delightful time.”

Hostess: "I'm so glad! At the same time I regret that the storm kept all of our best people away."

"I was awake when Father Christmas came last night, mummie.!!

"Were you, darling?"

"Yes; and he bent over in the dark and kissed me. And what do you think, mum- mie? He uses scent exactly like yours!"

Doris: "Let's play at being married" Edward: "We can't do that. Mummie said we had to keep quiet.'