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"ThedooroenedandJimsteedinandclosedit.Helookedthinandveryserious.Poorfellow,hewasonlytwenty-two-andtobeburdenedwithafamily!Heneededanewovercoatandhewaswithoutgloves.
Jimstoedinsidethedoor,asimmovableasasetteratthescentofquail.HiseyeswerefixeduonDella,andtherewasanexressioninthemthatshecouldnotread,anditterrifiedher.Itwasnotanger,norsurrise,nordisaroval,norhorror,noranyofthesentimentsthatshehadbeenrearedfor.Hesimlystaredatherfixedlywiththateculiarexressiononhisface.
Dellawriggledoffthetableandwentforhim.
"Jim,darling,
"shecried,
"don&aos;tlookatmethatway.IhadmyhaircutoffandsolditbecauseIcouldn&aos;thavelivedthroughChristmaswithoutgivingyouaresent.It&aos;llgrowoutagain-youwon&aos;tmind,willyou?Ijusthadtodoit.Myhairgrowsawfullyfast.Say&aos;MerryChristmas!&aos;Jim,andlet&aos;sbehay.Youdon&aos;tknowwhatanice-whatabeautiful,nicegiftI&aos;vegotforyou.
"
"You&aos;vecutoffyourhair?
"askedJim,laboriously,asifhehadnotarrivedatthatatentfactyetevenafterthehardestmentallabor.
"Cutitoffandsoldit,
"saidDella.
"Don&aos;tyoulikemejustaswell,anyhow?I&aos;mmewithoutmyhair,ain&aos;tI?
"
Jimlookedabouttheroomcuriously.
"Yousayyourhairisgone?
"hesaid,withanairalmostofidiocy.
"Youneedn&aos;tlookforit,
"saidDella.
"It&aos;ssold,Itellyou-soldandgone,too.It&aos;sChristmasEve,boy.Begoodtome,foritwentforyou.Maybethehairsofmyheadwerenumbered,
"shewentonwithsuddenserioussweetness,
"butnobodycouldevercountmyloveforyou.ShallIutthechoson,Jim?
"
OutofhistranceJimseemedquicklytowake.HeenfoldedhisDella.Fortensecondsletusregardwithdiscreetscrutinysomeinconsequentialobjectintheotherdirection.Eightdollarsaweekoramillionayear-whatisthedifference?Amathematicianorawitwouldgiveyouthewronganswer.Themagibroughtvaluablegifts,butthatwasnotamongthem.Thisdarkassertionwillbeilluminatedlateron.
Jimdrewaackagefromhisovercoatocketandthrewituonthetable.
"Don&aos;tmakeanymistake,Dell,
"hesaid,
"aboutme.Idon&aos;tthinkthere&aos;sanythinginthewayofahaircutorashaveorashamoothatcouldmakemelikemygirlanyless.Butifyou&aos;llunwrathatackageyoumayseewhyyouhadmegoingawhileatfirst.
"
Whitefingersandnimbletoreatthestringandaer.Andthenanecstaticscreamofjoy;andthen,alas!aquickfemininechangetohystericaltearsandwails,necessitatingtheimmediateemloymentofallthecomfortingowersofthelordoftheflat.
FortherelayTheCombs-thesetofcombs,sideandback,thatDellahadworshiedforlonginaBroadwaywindow.Beautifulcombs,uretortoiseshell,withjewelledrims-justtheshadetowearinthebeautifulvanishedhair.Theywereexensivecombs,sheknew,andherhearthadsimlycravedandyearnedoverthemwithouttheleasthoeofossession.Andnow,theywerehers,butthetressesthatshouldhaveadornedthecovetedadornmentsweregone.
Butshehuggedthemtoherbosom,andatlengthshewasabletolookuwithdimeyesandasmileandsay:
"Myhairgrowssofast,Jim!
"
AndthenDellaleaedulikealittlesingedcatandcried,
"Oh,oh!
"
Jimhadnotyetseenhisbeautifulresent.Shehelditouttohimeagerlyuonheroenalm.Thedullreciousmetalseemedtoflashwithareflectionofherbrightandardentsirit.
"Isn&aos;titadandy,Jim?Ihuntedallovertowntofindit.You&aos;llhavetolookatthetimeahundredtimesadaynow.Givemeyourwatch.Iwanttoseehowitlooksonit.
"
Insteadofobeying,Jimtumbleddownonthecouchanduthishandsunderthebackofhisheadandsmiled.
"Dell,
"saidhe,
"let&aos;sutourChristmasresentsawayandkee&aos;emawhile.They&aos;retoonicetousejustatresent.Isoldthewatchtogetthemoneytobuyyourcombs.Andnowsuoseyouutthechoson.
"
Themagi,asyouknow,werewisemen-wonderfullywisemen-whobroughtgiftstotheBabeinthemanger.TheyinventedtheartofgivingChristmasresents.Beingwise,theirgiftswerenodoubtwiseones,ossiblybearingtherivilegeofexchangeincaseofdulication.AndhereIhavelamelyrelatedtoyoutheuneventfulchronicleoftwofoolishchildreninaflatwhomostunwiselysacrificedforeachotherthegreatesttreasuresoftheirhouse.Butinalastwordtothewiseofthesedaysletitbesaidthatofallwhogivegiftsthesetwowerethewisest.Ofallwhogiveandreceivegifts,suchastheyarewisest.Everywheretheyarewisest.Theyarethemagi.