1946-12-14 — Page 3

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THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1946.

CAROLINE'S CHRISTMAS,

or, the Inexplicable Infant

STEPHEN LEACOCK

at his funniest

"Enderby," he. sald, "can you pay?"

John Enderby showed all the pos- His mother had hoped that he "Ent," she said, "and warm your-

Beside him there crouched in the was Xmas Xmas with its grizzled face with fis unshorn stubble

bushes at the dark edge of the mantle of white snow scintil-airleken down with the lines of desion of an uncontrolled nature. At might have been with her at Xmas, self,"

out for the but Henry had written that it was

John rose from hia scat. umes he would reach

swamp roud, with eyes that watched) to leave

no child of that sort "Lawyer Perkins," shid the evary glitter of the coins, and, a lating from a thousand diamond vastating trouble. From time to time crock of buttermilk that stood beside practically impossible for him

enát a fresh stick of him and drained a draught of the Sing-Sing. He could not ace his way here." he said.

farmer, "give inc time and I will;hand that grasped a heavy cudgel of points; Xmas with its good he rose and

man whose close- "John, John," pleaded Anna. "Re-so help me, give me five years more black-thorn, tamarnek Into the fire with a savage maddening liquid, til his brain out. The authorities were arranging cheer, its peace on earth; Xmas thud that acnt a shower of sparks up glowed like the coals of the tumarne dance and sleighting party for the member what the Good Book says: and I'll clear this debt to the last cropped hair and hard-lined faco

Xing with its feasting and merriment; the chimney. Across the fire-place ure before him.

celebrations. He had some Things which are equal to the same

belonged nowhere but within the n straight-

walls of Sing-Sing. hope, he said, of silpping away un-thing are equal to one another!" Xmas with its-well, anyway, it at his wife Annu on

noticed, but his doing so might excite John sank back In his chair. backed chair, looking into the fire was Xmas.

with the mute resignation of her sex.

attention.

Or no, that's a slight silp; it wasn't exactly Xman; it was Xmas Eve, with its mantle of snow lying beneath the calm moonlight-und, in fact, with: practically the above list of necom- panying clrcumstances with a few obvious emendations.

Yes, it was Xmas Eve,

And more than that! Listen to where

was Xmas,

It was Xmas Eve on the Old Home, Alead. Reader, do you know, by sight, the Old Homestead? In the pauses of your work at your city where you have grown rich and NOILS, does it never rise before your mind's eye, the quiet old hoine- stead that knew you as a boy, before

your greed of gold tore you away from it? The Old Homestead, that stands beside the road just on the rise of the hill, with its dark spruce trees wrapped in snow,

the 'sou! and straw stacks' behind it;

barns and

What was wrong with them any- why? Ali, render, can you ask? Do you know or remember sa little of the

while from Its windows there alreaths life of the old homestead? When 1

""John," pleaded Anna, "leave alone the buttermilk. It only maddens you. Na good ever came at that.".

"Aye, lass," said the farmer, with a bltier laugh, as he buried his head again in the crock. "what care I if It maddens me."

cd

Of the trouble at home Anna had told her son nothing,

I

AN

ND why had Caroline no wed- ding-ring? Ah, render, can you not guess. Well, you can't. it waen't what you think at all; so there. Caro- line had no wedding-ring because she hnd thrown it away in bliterness, as abc tramped the streets of the great "Why," she cried, "should the city, wife of a man in the penitentiary

Then

No, Henry, could not come, There was na help there. And William, the other son. ten years older than Henry, "Ah, John, you'd better be employ- Ainal William had gone forth from the ed in reading the Good Book than in old homestead to fight his way in the your wild courses. Here, take it, great city. “Mother," he had said, father, and read itund she hand-when i make a million dollars i

to him the well-worn

black come home. Till then good-bye," and wear a ring zone forth with the volume from the shelf, Enderb

moment and paused a

held volume in his hand. He and his wifo and known nothing of religious teaching in the public schools of thele day, but the Orst-class mon- sectarian education that the former and received had stood him in good stead.

"Take the book," she said. "Read, John, in this hour of affletion; it brings comfort."

THE former took from her hand

he had gone.

How Annu's heart had beat for him. Would he make that million

child from what had been her horns.

was the old sad story. She had taken the baby and Inld dollars? Would she ever live to see tenderly, gently on a scat in the 117 And as the year passed she and park. Then she walked rapidly away, John had often sat in the evenings A few minutes after a man had pleturing William at home again, chased after Caroline with the bringing with him a million dollars, or sittle bundle in his arms. "I beg picturing the milion dollurs sent by express with love. But the years had passed. William come not. He did

not come.

Anna started from her musing.

can't help it.

When the sleigh started again the man in the bushes followed doggedly

cent."

"John," said the lawyer, touched In spite of his rough (dogskin) exterior, "I couldn't, if I would, These things are not what they in its track. were. It's ja ble New York cor peration, Pinchem and Company, that makes these loans now and EANTIME John Enderby had they take their money on the day, male the rounds of his or they sell you up.

He bedded the So there's your notice, John, and I outbuildings. that blinked in the am sorry! No. 1'll take no butter-fat cattle

light of

lantern. milk, I must keep a clear head to flashing

tho work." and with that he hurried out le stood a moment among his hogy, and, farmer as he was, forgot his Into the snow again.

troubles a

a moment to speak to each, calling them by name. It smote him to think how at times he had been or even to sell the cattle to clear the tempted to sell one of the hogy,

mortgage off the place, Thank God, however, he had put that temptation behind him.

John sot brooding in his chair.

A

THE old clock struck half-past eight, then it bolf truck quarter to nine, then slowly it strucic, striking.

Presently Enderby rose, picked a your pardon," he said. panting, lantern from its hook. "Mortgage think you have left your baby in for no mortgage," he said, "I must the park." Caroline thanked him. sce to tlie stock.”

Next she took the baby to the Grand Central waiting-room, kissed tenderly, and laid it on a shell

the lunch-counter. A few minutes later un oficia), beaming

with

satisfaction, had

"Yours, I think, madame," he said, as he handed it to her. Caroline thanked him.

It

a shaft of light from a coal-oil lamp, lave said that it is the Old Home- the weil-worn, copy of Euchid's about as thick as a slate pencil, that stand and Xmas Eve, and that the the other side of the cedar swamp bught to guess!

uning tamarack at the fire, surely you In the hollow. Don't talk to me of your modern searchlights and your Incandescent arcs, beside that gleam

You can see four miles away, from farmer is in great trouble and throw. "Elements," and, laying aside his hat THAT was that at the door? The brought it back to her

of light from the coal-oil Inup in the farmhouse window. It will shine clear to the heart across, thirty years of distance. Do you noi turn, I sny, sometimes, reader, from the roar ond hustle of the city, with its ill-gotten wealth and its godless creed of mom- mon, to think of the quiet homestead under the brow of the hill? don't! Well, you skunk!

It was Xmas Eve.

You

eyes.

with reverence, he read aloud: "The sound of a soff and timid rapping, angles at the base of ha Isosceles and through the glass of the door- triangle are equal, and whosoever pane, a luce, a woman's face looking shall produce the sides lo, tre stume the the Ore-lit room with pleading What was it she bore in her THE Old Homestead was mort-also shall be equal each unto each."

arms, the little bundle that she held goged! Ten years ago, reckless with debt, crazed with remorse, mad with despair and persecuted rheumatism, John Enderby had mortgaged his farmstead for twenty- four dollars and thirty cents.

with

The former put the book aside. "It's no use, Anno I can't read the good words to-night"

He rose, staggered to the crock of

buttermilk, and, before his wife could stay his hand, drained it to the last drop.

To-night the mortgage teli duc, to- night at midnight, Xmas night. Such is the way in which mortgages of thin kind are always drawn. Yes, sir, it The Huht shong from the window was drawn with such disbolleni skill of the homestead farm. The light of that on this night of all nights the the log fire rose and flickered and mortgage, would be foreclosed, mingled its red glaro on the windows midnight the men would come with with the calm yellow of the lamp-hammer and nails and foreclose Are. light.

nall it up tight.

At

Ught to her breast to shield it from the falling snow? Can you guess, reader? Try three guesses and see. Right you are. That's what it was. The farmer's wife went hastily to the door.

"Lord's mercy!" the cried. "What are you doing out on such a night? Come in, child, to the fire!"

The woman entered, carrying the Itle bundle with her, and looking with wide eyes (they were at least an inch and a half across) at Enderby and his

Then she had left it at the desk of the Waldorf Astoria, and at the ticket-office of the subway.

It always came back.

THEN Caroline had taken the child

to the country. At Brat she thought to leave it on the wayside, and she had put it down in the snow, and standing a little distance off, had thrown mullein stalks at it, but something in tho way the little bundle lay covered in the snow appealed to the mother's heart.

Anha, with true woman's kindness, asked no questions. She put the trunk. baby carefully away in a saw Caroline afely to bed in the

He passed out of the house, and standing in the yard, looked over the snow to the cedar swamp be yond with the snow winding

As he reached the house a sleigh was standing on the roadway. Anna met him at the door. "John,” she cald, "there was a stranger came while you were in the barn, and wanted a lodging for the night a city man, I reckon, by his clother I hated to refuse him, and I put him in Willie's room. We'll never want it again, and he's gone to sleep,"

"Ay, we can't refuse.” -

John Enderby took out the horse to the barn and then returned to his vigil with Anna beside the fire.

was.

The fumes of the buttermilk had dled out of his brain, Ho thinking, as he sat there, of mid- night and what it would bring. :,

IN the room above the man in the sealskin coat had thrown himself. down, clothes and all, upon the body tired with his drive.

"How it all comes back to me, ha muttered as he fell asleep." · "Tho same old room, nothing changed- except them-how worn they look," and a tear started to his eyes, Ho thought of his leaving his home ar

best room, and returned to her seat through it, for in the distance the teen years ago, of his struggle in the

beside the fire.

The old clock struck twenty minutes past eight.

lights of the village far away.

Down In the swamp; two miles nway, could he but have seen there moved sleigh, and in it

Then he sank heavily to his chuir.

If they "Let them foreclose it, will." he said; "I am past caring."

The woman looked sadly into the

Ah, if only her son Henry had wife. Anna could see that there was Anna, with the patient resignation been here. Henry, who had left no wedding-ring on her hand.

great city, of the great idea he had "Your name?" said the farmer's ENDERBY and his wife sat of her sex, sat silent, or at times them three years agone, and whose JOHN

conceived of

money, and of ho the kitchen room of the endeavoured to read. She had token bright letters still brought from time wife.

it, the Farm Company farmstead. Do you know it, reader, down from the little wall-shelf Bun- to time the gleam of hope to the

had insututed the simple system the room called the kitchen?-with yan's "Holy Living and Holy Dying.

man dressed in a sealskin coat and of applying the crushing power of Is whispered. Henry was in Sing-Sing.

AGAIN a kuck. sounded at the sille hat, whose face beamed in the capital to exact the uttermost penny. the open fire on Its old brick hearth She tried to rend it. She could not tatters brought news to his mother paused. "I want you to take the door. and the cook stove in the corner. Then she had taken Dante's "Inferno."

moonlight as he turned to and fro from the farm loans. And now hero There entered the familiar figura and stared at each object by the he was back again, true to his word, It is the room of the farm where She could not read it. Then she had of his steady success;

Price

baseball nine of the prison, a favou-

with people cook and ent and live. It is

of the village lawyer. His astrakhan roadside as at an old familiar scene, Kant's "Critique of Pare

in his bolt. million dollers the living-room.

Reason." But she could not read itrite with his wardens and the chap- Anna took the baby and laid it care-coat of yellow dogskin, his celluloid Round his waist was a beit contain "To-morrow," he had murmured, either. Lastly, she had taken the lain, the best bridge player of the fully on the top shelf of the cupboard, collar, and boots which reached no ing a million dollars in gold coin, will tell them. It will be Xmas." At any rate there sat old John | Farmer's Almunae for 1911 The corridor. Henry was pushing his then she hastened to bring ginss of higher than the ankle, contrasted and us ho halted his horse In an Then William-yes, reader, It was Enderby beside the plain deal table, books lay Jittered about her as she way to the front with the old-time water and dough-nut, and set it be with the rude surroundings of the opening of the road he unstrapped William, had fallen asleep. his head bowed upon his hands, his sat in patient despair.

Ispirit of the Enderbys.

fore the half-frozen girl.

little room.

(Continued on Page 10)

stricken farmhouse,

"My name is Caroline," the girl "I want shelter," she

first in the child."

2

the belt and counted the coins,

CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR GREETINGS

Hongkong Hotel

Special

Dinner Dances

IN

THE GRIPPS

with

THE ASTOR TRIO

LARISSA ANDERS

FRED CARPIO

and his

ORCHESTRA

THE HONGKONG & SHANGHAI HOTELS, LTD.

Repulse Bay Hotel

SPECIAL DINNER

DANCES

CHRISTMAS EVE NEW YEAR'S EVE Till 2 a.m.

RESERVATIONS FOR ALL

Repulse Bay Hotel

TEA DANCES

4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

CHRISTMAS DAY BOXING DAY

'NEW YEAR'S DAY

SOF FALLER and his ORCHESTRA DINNER DANCES

9 P.M.MIDNIGHT

Every Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday

TEA DANCES

4 P.M.—6 P.M.

Evory Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday FUNCTIONS- AT

RESPECTIVE

Peninsula Hotel Rose Room

Special

Dinner Dances

CHRISTMAS EVE

CHRISTMAS DAY

With Cabaret

NEW YEAR'S EVE

THE ASTOR TRIO:

and

LARISSA ANDERS.

Dinner Dances

NIGHTLY

(EXCEPT SUNDAYS)

PETE VALDERAMA

and his Orchestra

RECEPTION

OFFICES-