Our Christmas 'Reason for Not Going to Church' (J.P.S)

Time: 11.15 pm, Saturday, 30th December, snow beginning to fall. This girl, who still has nine parcels to deliver, several of them insufficiently addressed and all of them presents for children urgently needed for New Year's morn, is asking the policeman where 'Honeysuckle Hollow' is. "Honeysuckle Hollow? Second turn to the left and it's the last house at the top of the hill, the very last house; it's covered with ivy, and you go up a lot of steps to it."
"And, if you please, where is 'The Hut'?"
"Oh the Hut! You are a good bit past it; it is the big white granite house with the stone lions at the gate."
"And where's 'Labrador'?"
"Labrador? Labrador? Ah, but you beat me there, lassie!"
It will be near 1 am when she gets home, and as she has been on her feet since 8 am to-day, she will be in such a deep sleep to-morrow that her mother will not have the heart to waken her in time for the forenoon service.
'Labrador', - as after vainly seeking for it all Monday forenoon she will find out on Tuesday when a lady calls in at the shop to say that, as her little daughter's New Year Doll has not been delivered yet, after being ordered on Saturday evening before half-past nine, in PLENTY of time to be sent home that night, they need not trouble sending it NOW - turned out to be the name of the upperflat -entrance by the back- of a house whose front door flat has lately been changed from 'Tierra del Fuego lodge' to 'Madagascar Villa'.

(This first appeared in the Morning Watch for January, 1912)