MR. SPLICER’S UMBRELLA SHOP

New Zealand Tablet, 18 January 1912, Page 53

MR. SPLICER’S UMBRELLA SHOP

• ' There was once a gentleman who sold umbrellas. He had a little umbrella shop ,in* the window of which was a tremendous swirl made entirely of umbrellas with their points together in. the centre and their handles sticking out into space. He also sold umbrella ’ stands, and his name was Mr. Splicer. He went to : his shop very early, in the morning, and he left very late at night, and when he wasn’t ' selling umbrellas he was trying to, sell umbrellas. He had an assistant who mended umbrellas, and when he wasn’t mending umbrellas he was trying to mend umbrellas. Every. morning at breakfast Mr. Splicer would read the weather report. And as soon as he reached his shop, he would go to the windows and say, ‘What a nice rainy daw!’ or ‘What a dismal- sunshiny day!’ - ” as the case might be. Mr. Splicer had a daughter who always looked lovely, or was trying to Jook lovely. And he had a wife who looked happy and contented, or else was trying to look happy and contented, and she was the nicest one of the family, although they were all rather nice as families go. ■ - Sometimes the lovely daughter would drop in at the father’s shop, and if she were wishing for a clear day, and it was raining, she would exclaim, ‘ What a dreary day! I’ll have to go home and stay indoors!’ / But one morning the lovely daughter said at breakfast, * Oh, how glad I am. We are going to have : a sunny day and I can go to the < picnic - and wear my best new dress!’ _ '- To which Mr. Splicer answered : M shall not sell more than two umbrellas to-day.’ , v _ * But, father,’ the lovely daughter replied, ‘if I v do not go to the picnics, but merely tried to go to the / : picnics, I would have no use for the best new dresses.’ And Mr. Splicer .pondered a "while over that and said, This is a complicated world. X wish-to buy my daughter nice new dresses to wear to picnics, • and I cannot buy her nice new dresses if it is sunny, and she go to picnics if it rains.’ : - \ \ ‘Father is always saying clever things,’ said Miss "■ Splicer. „ ; ■ ' ' Or trying to—solve difficulties,’ said' Mrs. Splicer, . who was always' pleasant. And then Mr. Splicer went off to the umbrella shop . and-Miss Splicer went to the picnic. And in the course of the morning an old lady came into the umbrella shop and said: ‘ Good morning; Mr. Splicer, do you sell sunshades?’ -,■, . i x

« And Mr. Spicer said : ‘ Why, no; I’ve never sold sunshades. -I’ve never : even tried to sell sunshades.’ ; ■ i| / ' Well, said the old lady, ‘if I leave the order will you try to make a sunshade for me?’. - ‘ What color sunshade said Mr. Splicer/ who was ■ ? a cautious man. - , ‘Well, suppose ■we say a pink sunshade,’ said the ' > old lady. ‘I -think I’ll have a pink sunshade.’ 2 x / / A pink sunshade, ’/ said Mr. v Splicer. ; ‘ Why, ;yes, I think I could undertake to make a pink sunshade if you should leave an order for one.’ ‘ "---, i?I ‘ Very well,’ said , the old lady. ‘ I’ll come for it on Wednesday, if you please remember. : Kindly have it ready then,’ ■■■"/.- _ : And when she had gone Mr. Splicer said to his /" assistant ; -‘ Do you think you could make a pink sun- ? shade?’ / -- . .. ‘ I could try to make a pink sunshade,’ said the assistant. ‘ You’re a very trying person,’ said Mr. Splicer, ' but go . ahead and try.’ - -/ / ././,: —/ So the assistant tried, and in course of time produced a pink sunshade. .He was a trusting assistant t and always hoped for the best when he worked on anything. . - ■ J * And when Mr, Splicer saw the sunshade he said You are a very helpful helper.’-'; ' • - , You called me trying last week,’ said the assistant. ( ‘Last week you were trying,’ said Mr. Splicer, and you were trusting. Now you are tried and ■ trusted/ Make me another pink sunshade.- ; 'And that is how it happened; that Mr. Splicer built up a large and prosperous business in sunshades, : so that sunny and rainy days : were equally agreeable to him; that the family always were happy, and the clever assistant eventually fell in love with Miss Splicer and spent most of his time writing poetry—or Irvin? to write poetry. 19 J 5 ,