第1章TheGiftoftheMagi

第1章thegiftofthemagi

onedollarandeighty-sevencents.thatwasall.andsixtycentsofitwasinpennies.penniessavedoneandtwoatatimebybulldozingthegrocerandthevegetablemanandthebutcheruntilone'scheekburnedwiththesilentimputationofparsimonythatsuchclosedealingimplied.threetimesdellacountedit.onedollarandeighty-sevencents.andthenextdaywouldbechristmas.

therewasclearlynothinglefttodobutflopdownontheshabbylittlecouchandhowl.sodelladidit.whichinstigatesthemotalreflectionthatlifeismadeupofsobs,sniffles,andsmiles,withsnifflespredominating.

whilethemistressofthehomeisgraduallysubsidingfromthefirststagetothesecond,takealookatthehome.afurnishedflatat$8perweek.itdidnotexactlyardeion,butitcertainlyhadthatwordonthelook-outforthemendicancysquad.

inthevestibulebelowwasaletter-boxintowhichnoletterwouldgo,andanelectricbuttonfromwhichnomortalfingercouldcoaxaring.alsoappertainingthereuntowasacardbearingthename"mr.jamesdillinghamyoung."

the"dillingham"hadbeenflungtothebreezeduringaformerperiodofprosperitywhenitspossessorwasbeingpaid$30perweek.now,whentheincomewasshrunkto$20,thelettersof"dillingham"lookedblurred,asthoughtheywerethinkingseriouslyofcontractingtoamodestandunassumingd.butwhenevermr.jamesdillinghamyoungcamehomeandreachedhisflatabovehewascalled"jim"andgreatlyedbymrs.jamesdillinghamyoung,alreadyintroducedtoyouasdella.whichisallverygood.

dellafinishedhercryandattendedtohercheekswiththepowderrag.shestoodbythewindowandlookedoutdullyatagreycatwalkingagreyfenceinagreybackyard.tomorrowwouldbechristmasday,andshehadonly$1.87withwhichtobuyjimapresent.shehadbeensavingeverypennyshecouldformonths,withthisresult.twentydollarsaweekdoesn'tgofar.expenseshadbeengreaterthanshehadcalculated.theyalwaysare.only$1.87tobuyapresentforjim.herjim.manyahappyhourshehadspentplanningforsomethingniceforhim.somethingfineandrareandsterling—somethingjustalittlebitneartobeingworthyofthehonorofbeingownedbyjim.

therewasapier-glassbetweenthewindowsoftheroom.perhapsyouhaveseenapier-glassinan$8flat.averythinandveryagilepersonmay,byobservinghisreflectioninarapidsequenceoflongitudinalstrips,obtainafairlyaccurateconceptionofhislooks.della,beingslender,hadmasteredtheart.

suddenlyshewhirledfromthewindowandstoodbeforetheglass.hereyeswereshiningbrilliantly,butherfacehadlostitscolorwithintwentyseconds.rapidlyshepulleddownherhairandletitfalltoitsfulllength.

now,thereweretwopossessionsofthejamesdillinghamyoungsinwhichtheybothtookamightypride.onewasjim'sgoldwatchthathadbeenhisfather'sandhisgrandfather's.theotherwasdella'shair.hadthequeenofshebalivedintheflatacrosstheairshaft.dellawouldhaveletherhairhangoutthewindowsomedaytodryjusttodepreciatehermajesty'sjewelsandgifts.hadkingsolomonbeenthejanitor,withallhistreasurespiledupinthebasement,jimwouldhavepulledouthiswatcheverytimehepassed,justtoseehimpluckathisbeardfromenvy.

sonowdella'sbeautifulhairfellabouther,ripplingandshininglikeacascadeofbrownwaters.itreachedbelowherkneeandmadeitselfalmostagarmentforher.andthenshediditupagainnervouslyandquickly.onceshefalteredforaminuteandstoodstillwhileatearortwosplashedonthewornredcarpet.

onwentheroldbrownjacket;onwentheroldbrownhat.withawhirlofskirtsandwiththebrilliantsparklestillinhereyes,sheflutteredoutthedooranddownthestairstothestreet.

whereshestoppedthesignread:"mme.sofronie.hairgoodsofallkinds."oneflightupdellaran,andcollectedherself,panting.madame,large,toowhite,chilly,hardlylookedthe"sofronie."

"willyoubuymyhair?"askeddella.

"ibuyhair,"saidmadame."takeyerhatoffandlet'shaveasightatthelooksofit."

downrippledthebrowncascade.

"twentydollars,"saidmadame,liftingthemasswithapractisedhand.

"giveittomequick,"saiddella.

oh,andthenexttwohourstrippedbyonrosywings.forgetthehashedmetaphor.shewasransackingthestoresforjim'spresent.

shefounditatlast.itsurelyhadbeenmadeforjimandnooneelse.therewasnootherlikeitinanyofthestores,andshehadturnedalloftheminsideout.itwasaplatinumfobchainsimpleandchasteindesign,properlyproclaimingitsvaluebysubstancealoneandnotbymeretriciousornamentation—asallgoodthingsshoulddo.itwasevenworthyofthewatch.assoonasshesawitsheknewthatitmustbejim's.itwaslikehim.quiemessandvalue—thedeionappliedtoboth.twenty-onedollarstheytookfromherforit,andshehurriedhomewiththe87cents.withthatchainonhiswatchjimmightbeproperlyanxiousaboutthetimeinanycompany.grandasthewatchwas,hesometimeslookedatitontheslyonaccountoftheoldleatherstrapthatheusedinplaceofachain.

whendellareachedhomeherintoxicationgavewayalittletoprudenceandreason.shegotouthercurlingironsandlightedthegasandwenttoworkrepairingtheravagesmadebygenerosityaddedtolove.whichisalwaysatremendoustask,dearfriends—amammothtask.

withinfortyminutesherheadwascoveredwithtiny.close-lyingcurlsthatmadeherlookwonderfullylikeatruantschoolboy.shelookedatherreflectioninthemirrorlong,carefully,andcritically.

"ifjimdoesn'skillme,"shesaidtoherself,"beforehetakesasecondlookatme,he'llsayilooklikeaconeyislandchorusgirl.butwhatcouldido—oh!whatcouldidowithadollarandeighty-sevencent?"

at7o'clockthecoffeewasmadeandthefrying-panwasonthebackofthestovehotandreadytocookthechops.

jimwasneverlate.delladoubledthefobchaininherbandandsatonthecornerofthetablenearthedoorthathealwaysentered.thensheheardhissteponthestairawaydownonthefirstflight,andsheturnedwhiteforjustamoment.shehadahabitofsayinglittlesilentprayersaboutthesimplesteverydaythings,andnowshewhispered:"pleasegod,makehimthinkiamstillpretty."

thedooropenedandjimsteppedinandclosedit.helookedthinandveryserious.poorfellow,hewasonlytwenty-two—andtobeburdenedwithafamily!heneededanewovercoatandhewaswithoutgloves.

jimsteppedinsidethedoor,asimmovableasasetteratthescentofquail.hiseveswerefixedupondella,andtherewasanexpressioninthemthatshecouldnotread,anditterrifiedher.itwasnotanger,norsurprise,nordisapproval,norhorror,noranyofthesentimentsthatshehadbeenpreparedfor.hesimplystaredatherfixedlywirhthatpeculiarexpressiononhisface.

dellaledoffthetableandwentforhim.

"jim,darling,"shecried,"don'slookatmethatway.ihadmyhaircutoffandsolditbecauseicouldn'shavelivedthroughchristmaswithoutgivingyouapresent.it'llgrowoutagain—youwon'tmind,willyou?ijusthadtodoit.myhairgrowsawfullyfast.say'merrychristmas!’jim,andlet'sbehappy.yondonknowwhataniee—whatabeautiful,nicegifti'vegotforyou."

"yon'vecutoffyourhair?"askedjim,laboriously,asifhehadnotarrivedatthatpatentfactyetevenafterthehardestmentallabor.

"cutitoffandsoldit,"saiddella."don'tyoulikemejustaswell,anyhow?i'mmewithoutmyhair,aini?"

jimlookedabouttheroomcuriously.

"yousayyourhairisgone?"hesaid,withanairalmostofidiocy.

"youneedn'tlookforit,"saiddella."it'ssold.itellyou—soldandgone,too.it'schristmaseve,boy.begoodtome,foritwentforyou.maybethehairsofmyheadwerenumbered,"shewentonwithasuddenserioussweetness,"butnobodycouldevercountmyloveforyou.shalliputthechopson,jim?"

outofhistrancejimseemedquicklytowake.heenfoldedhisdella.fortensecondsletusregardwithdiscreetscrutinysomeinconsequentialobjectintheotherdirection.eightdollarsaweekoramillionayear—whatisthedifierenee?amathematicianorawitwouldgiveyouthewronganswer.themagibroughtvaluablegifts,butthatwasnotamongthem.thisdarkassertionwillbeilluminatedlateron.

jimdrewapackagefromhisovercoatpocketandthrewituponthetable.

"don'tmakeanymistake,dell,"hesaid,"aboutme.idon'tthinkthere'sanythinginthewayofahaircutorashaveorashampoothatcouldmakemelikemygirlanyless.butifyou'llunwrapthatpackageyoumayseewhyyouhadmegoingawhileatfirst."

whitefingersandnimbletoreatthestringandpaper.andthenanecstaticscreamofjoy;andthen,alas!aquickfemininechangetohystericaltearsandwails,necessitatingtheimmediateemploymentofallthecomfortingpowersofthelordoftheflat.

fortherelaythecombs—thesetofcombs,sideandback,thatdellahadworshippedforlonginabroadwaywindow.beautifulcombs,puretortoiseshell,withjewelledrims—justtheshadetowearinthebeautifulvanishedhair.theywereexpensivecombs,sheknew,andherhearthadsimplycravedandyearnedoverthemwithouttheleasthopeofpossession.andnow,theywerehers,butthetressesthatshouldhaveadornedthecovetedadornmentsweregone.

butsheedthemtoherbosom,andatlengthshewasabletolookupwithdimeyesandasmileandsay:"myhairgrowssofast,jim!"

andthendellaleapeduplikealittlesingedcatandcried,"oh,oh!"

jimhadnotyetseenhisbeantifulpresent.shehelditouttohimeagerlyuponheropenpalm.thedullpreciousmetalseemedtoflashwithareflectionofherbrightandardentspirit.

"isn'titadandy,jim?ihuntedallovertowntofindit.you'llhavetolookatthetimeahundredtimesadaynow.givemeyourwatch.iwanttoseehowitlooksonit."

insteadofobeying,jimtumbleddownonthecouchandputhishandsunderthebackofhisheadandsmiled.

"dell,"saidhe,"let'sputourchristmaspresentsawayandkeep'emawhile.they'retoonicetousejustatpresent.isoldthewatchtogetthemoneytobuyyourcombs.andnowsupposeyouputthechopson."

themagi,asyouknow,werewisemen—wonderfullywisemen—whobroughtgiftstothebabeinthemanger.theyinventedtheartofgivingchristmaspresents.beingwise,theirgiftswerenodoubtwiseones,possiblybearingtheprivilegeofexchangeincaseofduplication.andhereihavelamelyrelatedtoyoutheuneventfulchronicleoftwofoolishchildreninaflatwhomostunwiselysacrificedforeachotherthegreatesttreasuresoftheirhouse.butinalastwordtothewiseofthesedaysletitbesaidthatofallwhogivegiftsthesetwowerethewisest.ofallwhogiveandreceivegifts,suchastheyarewisest.everywheretheyarewisest.theyarethemagi.