An Unfortunate Present

1895

"No; I never see anything of him now," sighed the girl in blue, stirring her chocolate mournfully. "He hasn't been to see me since Christmas, and I don't understand it, for I sent him a lovely present."

"What was it?" asked the girl in gray.

"I'll tell you all about it," said the first girl, with the air of one eager to impart confidences. "You know he writes poetry. He sends the girls he knows sonnets and things. Well, I wanted to give him something literary, you know, as a sort of tribute to his talent, but I didn't want to send him a volume of poetry. It would have seemed to suggest a comparison, you know. I thought a long time, and finally sent him" —

"What?" demanded the girl in green as her friend hesitated.

"A rhyming dictionary! Now can you see why he hasn't called? What are you laughing about?" — New York World.