New Yorkers

$1.87.  That  was  all.  Every  day  when  she  went  to  the  shops,  she  spent  very  little  money.  She  bought  the  cheapest  meat,  the  cheapest  vegetables.  And  when  she  was  tired,  she  still  walked  around  and  round  the  shops  to  find  the  cheapest  food.

She  saved  every  cent  possible.  Delia  counted  the  money  again.  There  no  mistake.  $1.87.  That  was  all.

And  the  next  day  was  Christmas.  She  couldn't  do  anything  about  it.  She  could  only  sit  down  and  cry.  So  she  sat  there  in  the  poor  little  room  and  she  cried.  Delia  lived  in  this  poor  little  room  in  New  York  with  her  husband,  James  Dillingham  Young.

They  also  had  a  bedroom  and  a  kitchen  and  a  bathroom.  All  poor  little  rooms.  James  Dillingham  Young  was  lucky  because  he  had  a  job.  But  it  was  not  a  good  job.  These  rooms  took  most  of  his  money.

Delia  tried  to  find  work,  but  times  were  bad  and  there  was  no  work  for  her.  But  when  Mr.  James  Dillingham  Young  came  home  to  his  rooms,  mrs.  James  Dillingham  Young  called  him  Jim  and  put  her  arms  round  him.  And  put  her  arms  round  him,  and  that  was  good.

Delia  stopped  crying,  and  she  washed  her  face.  She  stood  by  the  window  and  looked  out  at  a  gray  cat  on  a  gray  wall  in  the  gray  road.  Tomorrow  was  Christmas  Day,  and  she  had  only  $1.87  to  buy  Jim  a  Christmas  present.  Her  gym.  She  wanted  very  much  to  buy  him,  something  really  fine.

Something  to  show  how  much  she  loved  him.  Suddenly  Delia  turned  around  and  ran  over  to  look  in  the  glass  on  the  wall.  Her  eyes  were  bright  now.  The  James  Dillingham  youngs  had  two  very  special  things.  One  was  Jim's  gold  watch.

It  once  belonged  to  his  father  and  before  that  to  his  grandfather.  The  other  special  thing  was  Delia's  hair.  Quickly,  Delia  let  down  her  beautiful  long  hair.  It  fell  down  her  back,  and  it  was  almost  like  a  coat  around  her.  Then  she  put  her  hair  up  again.

Quickly.  For  a  second  or  two,  she  stood  still  and  cried  a  little.  Then  she  put  on  her  old  brown  coat  and  her  old  brown  coat  and  her  old  brown  hat  turned  and  left  the  room.  She  went  downstairs  and  out  into  the  road,  and  her  eyes  were  bright.  She  walked  along  by  the  shops  and  stopped  when  she  came  to  a  door  with  Madame  Eloise  hair  on  it.

Inside  there  was  a  fat  woman.  She  did  not  look  like  an  Eloise.  Will  you  buy  my  hair?  Delia  asked.  I  buy  hair,  Madam  replied.

Take  your  hat  off  then,  and  show  me  your  hair.  The  beautiful  brown  hair  fell  down.  $20,  Madam  said,  and  she  touched  the  hair  with  her  hand.  Quick,  cut  it  off.  Give  me  the  money,  Delia  said.

The  next  2  hours  went  quickly.  Delia  was  happy  because  she  was  looking  around  the  shops  for  Jim's  present.  At  last  she  found  it.  It  was  a  gold  chain  for  the  watch.  Jim  loved  his  watch,  but  it  had  no  chain.

When  Delia  saw  this  gold  chain,  she  knew  immediately  that  it  was  right  for  Jim.  She  must  have  it.