A MERRY CHRISTMAS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 849, 18 December 1929, Page 10

A MERRY CHRISTMAS

Judging by the appearance of th« shop windows, Sam says that eVfn thing points to an early Christmas this year. In fact he wouldn't b« : surprised to sec it come at ary tin | Sam has been doing his Christm»j shopping, and doing it early. Sam says that he always believe* in shopping early to avoid the rush of those who shop late to avoid the earlv rush. There's too many, as it were Sam says that the ideal, time for j Christmas shopping is the moment i when the tail end of the early ru*h is first disappearing round the top : of Queen Street. Timing your instant well, you ena 1 just dash up Queen Street. buyin s right and left, and jump clear before the awful roar of galloping feet indicates that the first frenaied phalanxes of the Late Rush have swept round Customs Street corner and are irresistibly thundering up the road behind you. But you have to be quick. Sanf says that an aunt of his tried it once but she wasn't nippy enough oa her pins. She died game however, and went down biting. Sam says that her last stand is still remembered and spoken of with bated breath whenever old timers get together to smoke and yarn, over their bygona bargain sales and Christmas rushes.

*Ac Last slXuo Sam says that there is yet another way of avoiding the Christmas rush, and that is to shop really early—say, at five o’clock on the previous Christmas Eve. By doing that, you save yourself much bother, as you needn't worry about Christmas presents until the next Christmas Eve. When that comes you buy for the following year and so on. Sam says that this plan would save the shop assistants a lot of worry. Shop assistants undoubtedly have a definite grievance against those thoughtless people who leave their shopping until late, hut Sam says that no one could complain if everybody bought their presents a year in advance. Sam says that Christmas can't be far off because he met Mr. Christmas in one of the shops and asked him when he was going to hold it. Mr. Christmas wouldn't tell him, however, and went on taking balloons from a stand in the shop and giving them to children. Sam wanted Mr. Christmas to give him a few of the other things in the shop, hut. he wouldn’t. Sam says thatit looked fishy to him, especially as he saw another Mr. Christmas in another shop. Sam says that one of them must have been an imposter and that he’s going hack to denounce him publicly.

The window displays are very flu® this year. Sam says he admired on* window so much that he bought au his Christmas presents in that P>tf' tlcular shop—2 dozen bottles ' Sam says that he can't help thinld** how surprised and pleased he’ll 00 when he gives them to himself 0 Christmas Eve. In the meantt® 5 he’s keeping it a deep secret. Sa “ says that it may he a wise child v knows its own father, but it s wiser child who knows itself when i ’ dressed up in white whiskers and red flannel dressing gown. Altogether, Sam says 1 hat this 100 - like being the best Christmas t 1 he’s had this year, his motto “Pleasure first and Bismuth aIIB ward.”