Mr. Jinks Hands Out the Holly

The Children's Friend/December 1958

David had just finished making a snowman. He was very large and round with the jolliest face ever. He wore a high hat and a red plaid muffler, although why any snowman should want a muffler, David didn't quite know. He only knew that it seemed to suit Mr. Jinks.

            Of course his name was Mr. Jinks because that was what David named every snowman he had ever made. He had made several-three this very winter, but not one of them had seemed as handsome and jolly looking as the present Mr. Jinks.

            "I'm glad that you're close to the sidewalk," David told him, "because you look as if you were wishing everyone a Merry Christmas."

            He had just added another coal button when the parcel-post truck drove up and the driver carried a huge box into the house. "I'll bet that's the holly Grandpa sent from Oregon," David called, following the man into the house.

            "Yes, I'm sure it is," replied his mother. When they had opened the box she said, "There's an extra lot this year. We can make wreaths for every one of the front windows."

            David helped, and when all the wreaths had been made there was a large basket of small pieces left over.

            "I wonder what we can do with these?" she said. "They are much too pretty to be thrown away."

            "I know!" cried David. "I'll let Mr. Jinks give them away. He can help make a merry Christmas for everyone who passes."

            "I think that's a lovely idea," Mother agreed. "And I'm sure that Mr. Jinks will think so too."

            First David made a sign which read "Merry Christmas. Help yourself." Then he took the basket of holly out and propped it up in front of the snowman. After that he stood in one of the front windows to watch the people pass.

            Mr. Bromley, the banker, was the first one to come by. He was walking very fast and looking straight ahead. David was very much afraid that Mr. Bromley was going to pass right by without so much as a glance.

            But no, he saw the sign and stopped long enough to put a sprig of holly in his buttonhole. David could see a smile on the banker's face and he couldn't remember ever having seen him smile before. But then, he reminded himself that he didn't see Mr. Bromley very often and that maybe it worried him to have so much money in the bank that belonged to other people.

            Next came Mrs. Ross, who worked in the bakery. She was walking slowly, as if she was very tired. “I guess that she has been making hundreds of cakes,” said David to himself. When she noticed Mr. Jinks’ smiling face she smiled back and took a spring of holly. Then she walked along as if she weren’t nearly so tired.

            Some boys with ice skates came next. They each took some holly and called to the snowman, “Thanks, old fellow. A Merry Christmas to you, too.”

            David watched people go by until it grew too dark for him to see any longer. Almost everyone had stopped to pick up a spring of holly. “Mr. Jinks sure made a Merry Christmas for a lot of people,” he said to his mother.

            “So he did,” she smiled, “With the help of you and Grandpa.”