Brown Finds Himself.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1008, 24 December 1910, Page 14

Brown Finds Himself.

By "Sylvius."

A Christmas Eve Idyll,

t la tsl i; "All, Brown, you're. a lucky man! t/:; .;|; l'airicy' you—nothing, to think about but vour: own pleasure. Look at me^with fl ; - V: ; my. tribe!" . - . to tell he was a bit .sketchy. ;• lie had a, round, which lopped, b\<6t his collar at the sides and.camo out £. ..' between its two .points, in front. His piri- S stiff,' short-cropped'/ mouse-brown' hair 6': seemed- tb' be in a constant state'lof surf i ':- - 1 prise'at its owner, 'who was really a yl'.i' .'harmless;- good-natured person, ..with a .-.'Vl.!:steady' billet in. a' Victoria Street' warej ' . 'house. He had some idea, of impressing f; .- on Brown that ho /was: ..something, of a fe-\:.v..martjT,- ; but fat martyrs; hardly .pass, i^'y.' . ; ,he . merely cracked' hearty about. his jv ' ■ alleged woes, which received no corroborants Vtion from his pale. blue inclined-to-smilo. !*" :• eye?. ,' I' 'J ; ■'■- "Christmas—that's the . time; for you joupg■ fellows., I used to 'go it. myself once. . . '. If you don't want to'lose those, times, . remember 'Punch's'' advice i,} \" to thoso about to "marry. •. "Look at hie,"'as he dropped the largest, parcel: he'was holding .to the floor .of the ' car, and pulled out a handkerchief and ' ; ]mQpped his steaming brow; "Christmas fJ: i ifiis no joke when you've got five youngsters 'with .the; firmest belief that. Santa Claus , exists and comes, down ■ tho chimney .'in 'v''.the night., -Their mother, fills ' ,'om . up p." ,'.; ,With that'sort of nonsense!'and. old dad that's got to keep up the deon a'.few.pounds ,''a(\W"eejc. . 1 I'vo often, been going to :break it to 'em ]' .. -all that Santa-Claus is a myth, and that [' ' .the chimney ,is too dirty for anyone to ■ / come- down, let alpno --the;, ; stout .. old t-'i . ,0, /fellow in' the ! white. whiskers and'fur, but. |v[':. : ;:.r -Bomethinß keeps, me from doing .' it—it 'rid be such a crusher at Christmas time. .-. -?■!-lit wants doing at some other time. 1 Then, i -when Christmas does , cohie.v they'd : re'.member it was mostly humbug," and jv.V,,-.: iwouldn't expect so. much!" - : "Here's.-your, stopping place,", said i 'Brown. --. •- ,- ! "Bless me, so it is!" and with that ho tr ; - A gathered up his parcels; groaned as he p:' ; leaned low ; to grab the .big ohovon-.-tho' r. • floor, and stumbled out! in' a profuse, f-'^.'*■'' perspiration, calling out over his .'.-well-. '■' ' fleshed shoulder— . 'Look in. fo five minutes if you're | - " passing to-night ,

. • Brown was a thoughtful young i;; v ißan, of tho ' average type. ■; Capable '•ii' Enough -in his work, . not of tho • : .ultra ;. "good" typo', .exactly, ' yet '• . iwith lots of good points. He diet not U : V:|think it very, harmful to'visit, a bar .or - V jtivo of an. oil a hot V' ; ; flvehing, wEen the lager was on ice. That y v., and a game of. billiards, tho theatre," or ' . a picture show , now aild again, and, a ; 'stroll'round;filled irt'.his- quite ordinary ra'/i' .-ajid entirely innpcnouß..evenings;. It. was little jSTellie . Black, : who .' worked .' "at 3t'(-"Kirks," the Big' who had put | new'. • thoughts ' into his ' 'head for a- - i mbnth^past.Not that 'Nellie knew she " • • was- doing it. They had met as, mu'i'v jtual friends,', and had not . spoken V;V:j half-a-dozen times together,\ yet-: Brown l?";;..lhad.not been so regular a visitor to iW IMack's bar as was ; formerly' the. case. *: "Nellie was very muclr like.a pretty, girl Vv'TAhe had.'often seen in biograph pictures, ■■■ ' : and as these invariably ; depicted ,-T some 7 : V Slove - scene,; Brown's imagination was. set /h : ; : in ;motioh;'and he/was'groping'for . a lead. ! .if It *came' in. the car!: ; Jenkins; was only r' >-." half-a-dozen years his 6enior; vet lis'had A*; .Svb; 6hildren—what" was it. all'like 'this :. i other'existence; which lieant a wife and .children? With Nellie and t.hb biograph '■V.® lovers all; mixed in/his . head -Brown resolved to: take; Jenkins.at his' word, /and •; 'look ia; that-night. "J,' v r: It was 'Christmas Eve.'/Tho .parcels . ?' Jenkins'had been struggling with'in'-'tho , car were Santa Claus's truck, condemned :v- ]to play , a part in the great delusion. He dT»\;had-deposited.all except a' bag, of sweets .': • in- an and had bafely;.entered ; door..when;he was 'rushed; by 'four , : ; tiiiy girls, who nearly sent himsprawling■ in their . endeavour ,to -hug- his - legs, while a pink-faced baby: chuckled, a' wel- . come ; from its mother's lap. -.' y .^.:', ; ''Hore: we:.arc—steady!: ' Dook ,out;?for your. tees.: .'Hello,; ducky! ~ Hello, 'Popj;. Come' to .'daddy—come, now! . That's-"a----•>!v; big fellow—what. a great',man!":VThis" 'i;. from. Jenkins, as^he-caught up'ithe; baby 1 ,' 1 not/seeming a bit-like the Jenkins'on ■tho car..,. Ho was the one ■ thing wanting :in' the domestic pictures-nice, fat' fa>'.ther,. simply diffusing good nature all. ' round; '- . ','Say,: Jennie," 'said Jenkins,:after tea, 1 and ,the children" had been' put to bed,• ; "I've asked; young J)rbwn\to look in if 'hp's passing—the young chap in the ware- .' : ihouse who -was here the other night; l v ,' : Family's. in Christchurch; I've' seen him walking ;with• Nellie Black, next .door, twico. ' lie looked as if he liked her— meii always give themselves away! Nice girl, Nellie!" : .' fT : " :f .;, "Well, now, isn't'thatremarkable,"said ; Jfrs; Jenkins."u'"Nellie was telling me what . • a hard day was ahead of .them—from 9 in i/.: . the 'morning until 9 at: night—Christmas . rush, too, so I asked her to pop. in going : " home 'and have a' cup of' coffco and',-.a bit of cake!" v / . "Well, that's , all right. I can't say whether Brown'll turn . up. . Chances are 'V 'he,won't. The town's a bit.too gay for V V a young fellow to keep away from the lights!' P . '. .. ■■■.■■'. •>, ■ "Just;:fancy said' Mrs. Jenkins pen-, • '.j sively. ■ "Fancy what?" .said tho uniiniginative Jenkins. . "Oh, .nothing, I was only' thinking if 'Y-y '■ - - oh,: ifs nothing." ■' . .. : Then Jenkins sank' into an easy chair and spread out I'iir. Dominion while his cheerful -wife- cleared and ' made ' things snug and tidy about the room. Shj:had taken a fancy to Nellie,, whose . people' were -none too well off,' and'knew ■■y:.. Brown to,bo a steady, and,likeablo young fellow with good prospects at; the warehouse., ■ Hence .the/smile' Which played L;.; ground, the corner of her mouth as sho tro'tcd round. . '■■ .... Having finished the paper and smoked ;,. a couple pipes' Jenkins yawned out-r.. ' , "What aoout. this Santa Claus business? > —I suppose we'd .-.better get it over, and bo at rest for the night. - ■ - . "All' right, I'll get the toys and stuff fchein into the sack, while you dress up. things are j in; tho' bedroom,".- said ; Ififs.-, Jenkins," bustled off. ■:-' - ."H-ere, I saj', you'vevsewn your,boa-on -; to '.the, wrong coat—this is Brown's. He left;it here.the. other' night!" "What's'that?" said his wife!s;.voice in the'distance. . - "You've sewn your furs on to. Brown's : . 'coat. _ I can't get into his coat—nowhere near it!" " .; ' Just'at this stage: a tap was heard at' , the-door. Jenkins answered the- door. . ■ "How aro you, Brown? Come in, come >: in.: We're in a devil of a fix. Mrs. Jenkins has sewn her furs on to your coat," .- . instead of;-mine, and I can't play Santa. ;V ' Claus—the furred coat .and the whiskers, there's, nothing elso ih -him except the bag of toys!" . ; Brown suggested. putting tho toys into the stocking without, any Santa . Claus .A. appearance, but Mrs. Jenkins's, lower lip quivered at this. She had promised ■Pop" and "Bill" to wake, them when -I- -Daddy Christmas came—that was- why . she had stitched her furs to the coat. "Oh, no," we must have; Santa Claus— I've , got an idea. Let Mr. Droivn be Santa Claus. That .will make, it; all .the better, for the children will see: you as well, and won't have ,to wonder where you are.". - ,V \ ' ' "All right. Mrs. Jenkins, I'll .do it like ' a: shot. It'll be good fun, eh Jenks?" ' Jenkins was delighted, with the idea. — arid lie "and Brown retired to "make-up," while Mrs. Jenkins went to inspect tho • - children asleep and to stand by to wake thenv gently when tho time. came. "Famous.-Brown, you: look the part to '- a hair; You can wake them up—here ' ;; .'-.'v.comcs'Daddy Christmas!"- shouted the exuberant Jenkins. „, ~ ' ."Come on, kiddies, wake up! , said Brown through his Druidical whiskers.. "Come on, dears; plenty of toys for all. .'Ho. this is a merry Christmas! Heres a : dollv and a train, a Teddy Bear, and a ' ball'-what a jolly time yon will have! * the children were rubbing the (lew ; of" kindly sleep from their eyes, Mrs.-. '-■'"■'Jenkins' disaopearcd. Sho alone hart. lii>.inl n gentle tan at tho badC-door. Jho

'iriefi wrapped up i'A" the fun of ■the" thing did not miss her.' Jenkins had Bill in his arms, and :Brown was delving into tho sack for tho toys. - "Hero wo are— Billikens—tickle the soles of his feet,, and all tho gold in the world- could not prevent; you laughing. 'Ain't lie quaint?—look. Bill, that's for you! Here's a little doll's house for you, Jean—now you can bo a little mother and ploy at keeping house all day long." .' . - . "I like's to be a 'icklc ijiuvver," lisped little-Jean.

"Of courso you do, all little girls like to. bo little mothers, don't' they? Here's your baby!" With that he handed her n tiny little flaxen-lmired dolly. For some minutes Mrs. Jenkins, in an ecstasy, of delight, had stood at the door, •and beside her stood pale-faced pretty. Nellie Black, with the' wonder of the ages in her expressive eyes. _ "Who . is it?" .she whispered. with trembling speech. "Who is it?" said Mrs. Jenkins. "Why, Santa-Clans, of course.' Say, Santa Clans, haven't you got something for another littlo girl. Here's one Who would, like a Christmas Box!" , ' Santa Claus lost his tongue suddenly, and his whiskers quivered with embarrassment. "Never mind," said tactful Mrs. Jenkins. "Now, then, children, get into bed. Plenty of time, to-morrow for the toys. Good-night, pets—out goes the light!'. And out it went, the door of tho bedroom closed. 'Brown sheepishly removed his "make-up," leaving the beard to the last. "Oh," said Nellie, as it came off and revealed. Brown. "I didn't know Mrs. Jenkins didn't tell 'me—you ''Who says cake?" -broke, in Jenkins subtly. "Pour out tho coffee, Jennie, girl—come on, sit .down, sit down." They all sat down,-and under the influence of cake and-.coffee; the situation grew easier. It almost became jolly, and when at half-past ten Nellie said 6ho must go, Brown felt constrained to admit it was time for him to leave. "Sorry," said artful Mrs. Jenkins, "but -you can see Nellie, as, far as the gate instead of Bob having to go out in the cold —he's so sensitive to .cold," she added weakly. So tho two went out into the warm summer far as the gate next door. Brown felt like an aeroplane, but for. all .that, ho had found himself; Oh, .those'garden gates, what tales they could tell if they could only speak instead of squeak. Brown was glued to it for threequarters of an hour, and when at length he tore.himself away, "Nellie, like all women, had'the last, word.' ■ -'promise me one.- thing, Santa Claus— that we will have Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins .to. supper with us next Christmas Eve!" Brown leant over .the gate once more, but "never'spoke a; word..