"I heard that you ladies were here," she said, "and I thought you might like to have the privilege of helping a little in those charities," and she began to unfold some papers which she held in her hand.
"Oh, my dear Mrs. Paton, do not ask me to-day, really," exclaimed Mrs. Delancy, holding up her hands. "I am among the poor myself to-day, and you know charity begins at home. I really haven't a cent to give to any one else. I'm stony broke, as the boys say. I have laid out so much money to-day for necessities!"
Mrs. Paton then turned to my aunt and said, "Gwendolin, do give something out of the thousands you are expending on self-indulgence to help those who have not the necessities of life!"
Taking the paper into her hand with an ungracious air, my aunt wrote down a certain amount, and then passed it back.
"Dear me!" sighed Mrs. Delancy, as soon as Mrs. Paton had left the place, "how tired I get of those people with their solicitations for some Y. M. C. A., or Y. W. C. A., or something else eternally. They'd keep a person poor if one paid any heed to them, really! Some one starving or unclothed every time! It does annoy me so to hear harrowing tales!"
January 1st, 1——
Last night there was a sound of revelry in this great land. At the solemn hour of midnight, when the old year was dying, and the new year was just being born, one class of people in this American city rushed out into the open streets, cheering, blowing horns, ringing bells, and making all possible noises on all sorts of musical instruments. Another class celebrated the birth of the new year by eating an elaborate meal. This is what appeared in the morning paper regarding the latter:
"One million dollars was spent last night in this city celebrating the birth of another year. More than twenty-five thousand persons engaged tables at from three to ten dollars a plate in the leading hotels and cafés."
How fond of eating Americans are!