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The Philanthropist's Christmas · The Children's Book of Christmas Stories

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  Speaker 1: Story number twenty four of the Children's Book of Christmas Stories.
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  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
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  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
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  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Alisa mc caslin, June
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  Speaker 1: two thousand, twelve. Children's Book of Christmas Stories by various artists.
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  Speaker 1: The Philanthropists Christmas by James Weber Lynne. Did you see
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  Speaker 1: this committee yesterday, mister Matthews asked the philanthropists. His secretary
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  Speaker 1: looked up. Yes, sir, you recommend them then, yes, sir,
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  Speaker 1: for fifty thousand, for fifty thousand, Yes, sir, Their corresponding
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  Speaker 1: subscriptions are guaranteed. I went over the list carefully, mister Carter.
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  Speaker 1: The money is promised and by responsible people. Very well,
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  Speaker 1: said the philanthropists. You may notify them, mister Matthews, that
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  Speaker 1: my fifty thousand will be available as the bills come in. Yes, sir.
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  Speaker 1: Old mister Carter laid down the letter he had been
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  Speaker 1: reading and took up another. As he perused it, his
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  Speaker 1: white eyebrows rose in irritation. Mister Matthews. He snapped, yes, sir,
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  Speaker 1: you are careless, sir, I beg your pardon, mister Carter,
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  Speaker 1: questioned the secretary, his face flushing, the old gentleman tapped
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  Speaker 1: impatiently the letter he held in his hand. Do you
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  Speaker 1: pay no attention, mister Matthews, to my rule that no
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  Speaker 1: personal letters containing appeals for aid are to reach me?
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  Speaker 1: How do you account for this? May I ask? I
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  Speaker 1: beg your pardon, said the secretary again. You will see,
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  Speaker 1: mister Carter, that this letter is dated three weeks ago.
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  Speaker 1: I have had the woman's case carefully investigated. She is
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  Speaker 1: undoubtedly of good reputation, and undoubtedly in need. And as
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  Speaker 1: she speaks of her father as having associated with you,
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  Speaker 1: I thought perhaps you would care to see her letter.
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  Speaker 1: A thousand worthless fellows associated with me, said the old
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  Speaker 1: man harshly. In a great factory, mister Matthews, a boy
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  Speaker 1: works alongside of men. He is put with. He does
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  Speaker 1: not pick and choose. I dare say this woman is
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  Speaker 1: telling the truth? What of it? You know that I
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  Speaker 1: regard my money as a public trust. Were my energy,
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  Speaker 1: my concentration to be wasted by innumerable individual assaults, what
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  Speaker 1: would become of them? My fortune would slip through my
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  Speaker 1: fingers as unprofitably as sand. You understand, mister Matthews, let
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  Speaker 1: me see no more individual letters. You know that mister
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  Speaker 1: Whitemore has full authority to deal with them. May I
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  Speaker 1: trouble you to ring? I'm going out. A man appeared
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  Speaker 1: very promptly in answer to the bell. Sniffin, my overcoat,
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  Speaker 1: said the philanthropist. It is er, sir, answered Sniffin, helping
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  Speaker 1: the thin old man into the great fur folds. There
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  Speaker 1: is no word of the dog, I suppose, Sniffin, none, sir.
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  Speaker 1: The police was here again yesterday, sir, but they said,
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  Speaker 1: as ow the police. The words were fierce with scorn.
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  Speaker 1: Eight thousand incompetents. He turned abruptly and went toward the door,
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  Speaker 1: where he halted a moment, mister Matthews, since that woman's
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  Speaker 1: letter did reach me, I suppose I must pay for
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  Speaker 1: my carelessness or yours. Send her? What does she say?
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  Speaker 1: Four children? Send her a hundred dollars, but for my
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  Speaker 1: sake send it anonymously. Write her that I pay no
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  Speaker 1: attention to such claims. He went on, and Sniffin closed
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  Speaker 1: the door behind him. Takes loosen the little dog. Ar Doney,
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  Speaker 1: remarked Sniffin sadly to the secretary. I'm afraid there ain't
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  Speaker 1: a chance of finding him now he ain't been stole,
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  Speaker 1: nor he ain't been found, or they'd a brung him
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  Speaker 1: back for the reward. He's been knocked on the edd
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  Speaker 1: like as not. He wasn't much of a dog to
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  Speaker 1: look at, ye see, just a pup. I'd call him
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  Speaker 1: an after he learned that trick a slippin' his collar off. Well,
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  Speaker 1: I fancy mister Carter seen the last to em I do. Indeed,
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  Speaker 1: mister Carter meanwhile, was making his way slowly down the
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  Speaker 1: snowy avenue upon his accustomed walk. The walk, however, was
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  Speaker 1: dull to day for Skittles, his little terrier, was not
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  Speaker 1: with him. To add interest and excitement, mister Carter had
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  Speaker 1: found Skittles in the country a year and a half before. Skittles,
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  Speaker 1: then a puppy, was at the time in a most
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  Speaker 1: undignified and undesirable position, stuck in a drain tile and
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  Speaker 1: unable either to advance or to retreat. Mister Carter had
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  Speaker 1: shoved him forward after a heroic struggle, whereupon Skittles had
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  Speaker 1: licked his hand. Something in the little dog's eye or
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  Speaker 1: his action had induced the rich philanthropists to bargain for
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  Speaker 1: him and buy him at a cost of half a dollar. Thereafter,
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  Speaker 1: Skittles became his daily companion, his chief distraction, and finally
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  Speaker 1: the apple of his eye. Skittle was of no known parentage,
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  Speaker 1: hardly of any known breed, but he suited mister Carter.
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  Speaker 1: What the millionaire reflected with the proud cynicism were his
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  Speaker 1: own antecendants, if it came to that. But now Skittles
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  Speaker 1: had disappeared. As Sniffin said, he had learned the trick
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  Speaker 1: of slipping free from his collar. One morning, the great
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  Speaker 1: front doors had been left open for two minutes while
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  Speaker 1: the hallway was aired, Skittles must have slipped down the
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  Speaker 1: marble steps unseen, and dodged round the corner. At all events,
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  Speaker 1: he had vanished, And although the whole police force of
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  Speaker 1: the city had been roused to secure his return, it
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  Speaker 1: was aroused in vain, and for three weeks therefore, a small, straight,
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  Speaker 1: white bearded man in a fur overcoat had walked in
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  Speaker 1: mournful irritation. Alone. He stood upon a corner uncertainly. One
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  Speaker 1: way led to the park, and this he usually took,
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  Speaker 1: But to day he did not want to go to
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  Speaker 1: the park. It was two reminiscent of skittles. He looked
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  Speaker 1: the other way. Down there, if one went far enough,
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  Speaker 1: lay slums, and mister Carter hated the side of slums.
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  Speaker 1: They always made him miserable and discontented with all his
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  Speaker 1: money and his philanthropy. Was there still necessity for such
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  Speaker 1: misery in the world? Worse? Still came the intrusive question
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  Speaker 1: at times, had all his money anything to do the
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  Speaker 1: creation of this misery? He owned no tenements, he paid
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  Speaker 1: good wages in every factory. He had given some such
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  Speaker 1: as few men have given in the history of philanthropy.
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  Speaker 1: Still there were the slums. However, the worst slums lay
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  Speaker 1: some distance off, and he finally turned his back on
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  Speaker 1: the park and walked on. It was the day before Christmas.
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  Speaker 1: You saw it in people's faces. You saw it in
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  Speaker 1: the holly wreaths that hung in windows. You saw it
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  Speaker 1: even as you passed the splendid forbidding houses on the avenue,
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  Speaker 1: in the green that here and there banked massive doors.
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  Speaker 1: But most of all you saw it in the shops
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  Speaker 1: up here. The shops were smallish and chiefly of the
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  Speaker 1: provisioned variety, so there was no bewildering display of gifts.
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  Speaker 1: But there were Christmas trees everywhere, of all sizes. It
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  Speaker 1: was astonishing how many people in that neighborhood seemed to
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  Speaker 1: favor the old fashioned idea of a tree. Mister Carter
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  Speaker 1: looked at them, with his irritation softening. If they made
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  Speaker 1: him feel a trifle more lonely, they allowed him to
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  Speaker 1: feel also a trifle less responsible for after all, it
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  Speaker 1: was a fairly happy world at this moment. He perceived
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  Speaker 1: a curious phenomenon a short distance before him, another Christmas tree,
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  Speaker 1: but one which moved apparently of its own volition, along
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  Speaker 1: the sidewalk. As mister Carter overtook it, he saw that
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  Speaker 1: it was born, or dragged rather by a small boy
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  Speaker 1: who wore a bright red flannel cap and mittens of
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  Speaker 1: the same peculiar material. As mister Carter looked down at him.
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  Speaker 1: He looked up at mister Carter and spoke, cheerfully, goin
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  Speaker 1: my way, mister Why, said the philanthropist, somewhat taken back,
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  Speaker 1: I was mind dragging this a little way, asked the boy, confidently.
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  Speaker 1: My hands is cold. Won't you enjoy it more if
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  Speaker 1: you manage to take it home by yourself? Oh, it
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  Speaker 1: ain't for me, said the boy. Your employer, said the
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  Speaker 1: philanthropist severely. It's certainly careless if he allows his trees
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  Speaker 1: to be delivered in this fashion. I ain't delivering it either,
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  Speaker 1: said the boy. This is Beale's tree. Who's Bill? He's
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  Speaker 1: a feller with the back. That's no good? Is he
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  Speaker 1: your brother? No? Take the tree a little way, will
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  Speaker 1: you while I warm myself. The philanthropus accepted the burden.
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  Speaker 1: He did not know why. The boy released, ran forward,
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  Speaker 1: jumped up and down, slapped his red flannel mittens on
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  Speaker 1: his legs, and then ran back again. After repeating these
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  Speaker 1: maneuvers two or three times, he returned to where the
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  Speaker 1: old gentleman stood holding the tree. Thanks, he said, say, mister,
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  Speaker 1: you look like Santa Claus yourself. Standin by the tree
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  Speaker 1: with your fur cap and your coat. I bet you
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  Speaker 1: don't have to run to keep warm. Eh. There was
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  Speaker 1: high admiration in his look. Suddenly his eyes sparkled with
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  Speaker 1: an inspiration. Say mister, he cried, will you do something
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  Speaker 1: for me? Come in to Bill's. He lives only a
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  Speaker 1: block from here, and jes let him see you. He's
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  Speaker 1: only a kid, and he'll think he's seen Santa Claus.
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  Speaker 1: Sure we can tell him. You're so busy tomorrow you
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  Speaker 1: have to go to lots of places to day. You
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  Speaker 1: won't have to give him anything. We're lookin out for
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  Speaker 1: all that Bill got hurt in the summer, an he's
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  Speaker 1: been in bed ever since, so we're givin him a
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  Speaker 1: Christmas tree and all. He gets a bunch of things,
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  Speaker 1: an air gun and a train that goes round when
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  Speaker 1: you wind her up. They're great, you boys are doing
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  Speaker 1: this well. It's our club at the settlement. And of
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  Speaker 1: course Miss Gray thought of it, and she's given Bill
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  Speaker 1: the train. Come along, mister, But mister Carter declined. All right,
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  Speaker 1: said the boy, I guess what with Pete and all?
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  Speaker 1: Bill will have Christmas enough? Who's Pete? Bill's dog? He's
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  Speaker 1: had him three weeks now, best little puppy ever saw
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  Speaker 1: a dog which Bill had had three weeks, and in
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  Speaker 1: a neighborhood not a quarter of a mile from the avenue.
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  Speaker 1: It was three weeks since Skittles had disappeared. That this
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  Speaker 1: dog with Skittles was of course most improbable, And yet
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  Speaker 1: the philanthropist was ready to grasp at any which might
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  Speaker 1: lead to the lost terrier. How did Bill get this dog?
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  Speaker 1: He demanded? I found him myself. Some kids had tin
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  Speaker 1: canned him, and he came into our entry. He licked
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  Speaker 1: my hand and then sat up on his hind legs.
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  Speaker 1: Somebody'd taught him that, you know. I thought right away,
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  Speaker 1: here's a dog for Bill. And I took him over
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  Speaker 1: there and fed him, and they kept him in Bill's
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  Speaker 1: room two or three days, so he shouldn't get scared
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  Speaker 1: again and run off. And now he wouldn't leave Bill
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  Speaker 1: for anybody. Of course, he ain't much of a dog,
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  Speaker 1: pete ain't, he added, He's just a put But he's
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  Speaker 1: mighty friendly. Boy, said mister Carter. I guess I'll just
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  Speaker 1: go round. And he was about to add half a
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  Speaker 1: look at that dog, but fearful of raising suspicion, he
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  Speaker 1: ended and see Bill. The tenements to which the boy
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  Speaker 1: led him were of brick and reasonably clean. Nearly every
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  Speaker 1: window showed some sign of Christmas. The tree bearer led
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  Speaker 1: the way into a dark hall, up one flight. Mister
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  Speaker 1: Carter assisted him with the tree, and down another dark
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  Speaker 1: hall to a door on which he knocked. A woman
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  Speaker 1: opened it. Here's the tree, said the boy, in a
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  Speaker 1: loud whisper. Is Bill's door shut? Mister Carter stepped forward
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  Speaker 1: out of the darkness. I beg your pardon, madam, he said,
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  Speaker 1: I met this young man in the street, and he
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  Speaker 1: asked me to come here and see a playmate of his.
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  Speaker 1: Who is I understand an invalid. But if I am intruding,
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  Speaker 1: come in, said the woman, heartily, throwing the door open.
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  Speaker 1: Bill will be glad to see you, sir, the philanthropist
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  Speaker 1: stepped inside. The room was decently furnished and clean. There
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  Speaker 1: was a sewing machine in a corner, and in both
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  Speaker 1: the windows hung reeds of holly. Between the windows was
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  Speaker 1: a clear space where evidently the tree, when decorated, was
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  Speaker 1: to stand. Are all the things here, eagerly demanded the
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  Speaker 1: tree bearer. They're all here, Jimmy, answered missus Bailey. The
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  Speaker 1: candy just came, say, cried the boy, pulling off his
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  Speaker 1: red flannel mittens to blow on his fingers. Won't it
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  Speaker 1: be great? But now Bill's got to see Santa Claus.
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  Speaker 1: I'll just go in and tell him. And then when
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  Speaker 1: I holler, mister you, come on and pretend you're Santa Claus.
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  Speaker 1: And with incredible celerity, the boy opened the door at
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  Speaker 1: the opposite end of the room and disappeared, Madam, said
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  Speaker 1: mister Carter, in considerable embarrassment. I must say one word.
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  Speaker 1: I am mister Carter. Mister Allan Carter. You may have
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  Speaker 1: heard of my name, She shook her head. No, sir,
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  Speaker 1: I live not far from here on the avenue. Three
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  Speaker 1: weeks ago I lost a little dog that I valued
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  Speaker 1: very much. I have had all the city search since then.
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  Speaker 1: In vain to day I met the boy who has
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  Speaker 1: just left us. He informed me that three weeks ago
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  Speaker 1: he found a dog which is at present in the
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  Speaker 1: possession of your son. I wonder, is it not just
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  Speaker 1: possible that this dog may be mine? Missus Bailey smiled.
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  Speaker 1: I guess not, mister Carter. The dog Jimmy found hadn't
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  Speaker 1: come off the avenue, not from the look o him.
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  Speaker 1: You know, there's hundreds and hundreds of dogs without home, sir,
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  Speaker 1: But I will say for this one, he has a
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  Speaker 1: kind o way with him. Hark, said mister Carter. There
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  Speaker 1: was a rustling and a snuffing at the door at
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  Speaker 1: the far end of the room, a quick scratching of feet,
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  Speaker 1: then woof, woof, woof, Sharp and clear came happy, impatient
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  Speaker 1: little barks. The philanthropist's eyes brightened. Yes, he said, that
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  Speaker 1: is the dog. I doubt if it can be, Sir,
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  Speaker 1: said Missus Bailey deprecatingly. Open the door, please, commanded the philanthropist,
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  Speaker 1: and let us see. Missus Bailey complied. There was a
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  Speaker 1: quick jump, a tumbling rush, and skittles. The lost skittles
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  Speaker 1: was in the philanthropist's arms. Missus Bailey shut the door
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  Speaker 1: with a troubled face. I see it's your dog, sir,
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  Speaker 1: she said, but I hope you won't be thinkin that.
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  Speaker 1: Jimmie or I, Madam, interrupted mister Carter, I would not
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  Speaker 1: be so foolish. On the contrary, I owe you a
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  Speaker 1: thousand thanks. Missus Bailey looked more cheerful. Poor little Billy,
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  Speaker 1: she said, it'll come hard on him, losing Pete just
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  Speaker 1: at Christmas time, but the boys are so good to him.
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  Speaker 1: I dare say he'll forget it. Who are these boys,
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  Speaker 1: inquired the philanthropist. Isn't there action somewhat unusual? It's Miss
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  Speaker 1: Gray's club at the settlement, sir, explained Missus Bailey. Every
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  Speaker 1: Christmas they do this for somebody. It's not charity, Billy,
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  Speaker 1: and I don't need charity or take it. It's just friendliness.
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  Speaker 1: They're good boys, I see, said the philanthropist. He was
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  Speaker 1: still wondering about it, though, when the door opened again
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  Speaker 1: and Jimmy thrust out, a face shining with anticipation. All ready, mister,
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  Speaker 1: he said, Bill's waitin for you. Jimmy began. Missus Bailey
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  Speaker 1: about to explain the gentleman, but the philanthropists held up
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  Speaker 1: his hand, interrupting her. You'll let me see your son,
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  Speaker 1: Missus Bailey, he asked, gently, Yes, certainly, sir. Mister Carter
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  Speaker 1: put skittles down and walked slowly into the inner room.
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  Speaker 1: The bed stood with its side toward him. On it
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  Speaker 1: lay a small boy of seven, rigid of body, but
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  Speaker 1: with his arms free in his face lighted with joy.
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  Speaker 1: Hello Santa Claus, he piped, in a voice shrill with excitement.
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  Speaker 1: Hello Bill, answered the philanthropist sedately. The boy turned his
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  Speaker 1: eyes on Jimmy. He knows my name, he said, with glee.
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  Speaker 1: He knows everybody's name, said Jimmy. Now you tell him
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  Speaker 1: what you want, Bill, and he'll bring it tomorrow. How
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  Speaker 1: would you like, said the philanthropist reflectively, and and he hesitated.
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  Speaker 1: It seems so incongruous with that stiff figure. On the
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  Speaker 1: bed an arrogun. I guess yes, said Bill happily, and
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: a train of cars broke in the impatient Jimmy. That
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: goes like sixty when you wind her. Hi, said Bill.
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  Speaker 1: The philanthropist solemnly made notes of this. How about, he remarked, inquiringly,
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  Speaker 1: A tree, honest, said Bill. I think it can be managed,
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: said Santa Claus. He advanced to the bedside. I'm glad
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  Speaker 1: to have seen you, Bill. You know how busy I am.
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  Speaker 1: But I hope to see you again. Not till next year,
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  Speaker 1: of course, warned Jimmy. Not till then, of course, assented
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  Speaker 1: Santa Claus. And now goodbye. You forgot to ask him
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: if he'd been a good boy, suggested Jimmy. I have
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  Speaker 1: said Bill, I've been fine. You ask mother. She gives you.
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  Speaker 1: She gives you both a high character, said Santa Claus.
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  Speaker 1: Goodbye again, and so saying, he withdrew skittles followed him out.
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: The philanthropists closed the door of the bedroom and then
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  Speaker 1: turned to missus Bailey. She was regarding him with awe
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  Speaker 1: struck eyes. Oh sir, she said, I know now who
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  Speaker 1: you are, the mister Carter that gives so much a
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  Speaker 1: way to people. The philanthropist nodded deprecatingly. Just so, Missus Bailey,
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  Speaker 1: he said, And there is one gift or loan rather
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  Speaker 1: which I should like to make to you. I should
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  Speaker 1: like to leave the little dog with you till after
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  Speaker 1: the holidays. I'm afraid I'll have to claim him then,
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  Speaker 1: But if you'll keep him till after Christmas and let
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  Speaker 1: me find perhaps another dog for Billy, I shall be
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  Speaker 1: much obliged. Again. The door of the bedroom opened and
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  Speaker 1: Jimmy emerged quietly. Bill wants the pup, he explained. Pete
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  Speaker 1: Pete came the piping but happy voice from the inner room.
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  Speaker 1: Skittles hesitated. Mister Carter made no sign. Pete Pete shrilled
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  Speaker 1: the voice again, slowly, very slowly. Skittles turned and went
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  Speaker 1: back into the bedroom. You see, said mister Carter, smiling.
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  Speaker 1: He won't be too unhappy away from me, Missus Bailey.
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  Speaker 1: On his way home, the philanthropist sought even more evidence
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  Speaker 1: of Christmas gayety along the streets than before. He stepped
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  Speaker 1: out briskly, in spite of his sixty eight years. He
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  Speaker 1: even hummed a little tune. When he reached the house
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  Speaker 1: on the avenue, he found his secretary still at work. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: by the way, mister Matthews, he said, did you send
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  Speaker 1: that letter to the woman saying I never paid attention
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  Speaker 1: to personal appeals. No, then write her please in closing
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  Speaker 1: my check for two hundred dollars and wish her a
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  Speaker 1: very many Christmas in my name? Will you? And hereafter
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  Speaker 1: will you always let me see such letters as that one.
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  Speaker 1: Of course, after careful investigation, I fancy perhaps I may
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: have been too rigid in the past. Certainly, sir, answered
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: the bewildered secretary. He began fumbling excitedly for his note book.
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: I found the little dog, continued the philanthropist. You will
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: be glad to know that you have found him, cried
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: the secretary. Have you got him back, mister Carter? Where
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: was he? He was detained on Oak Street, I believe,
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: said the philanthropist. No, I have not got him back yet.
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: I have left him with a young boy till after
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: the holidays. He settled himself to his papers, for philanthropists
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: must toil even on the twenty fourth of December. But
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: the secretary shook his head in a daze. I wonder
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: what's happened, he said to himself. End of The Philanthropist
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: Christmas by James Weber Lynne