Short Fiction · Chapter
Something for Baby explained
A poor, thinly dressed girl enters a fancy drygoods store on Main Street during the Christmas season, clutching a dime from her mother.
What happens
A poor, thinly dressed girl enters a fancy drygoods store on Main Street during the Christmas season, clutching a dime from her mother. She timidly asks a clerk for something for baby, but when pressed, reveals that baby is no longer with them and she is actually there to buy ten cents' worth of crape, a fabric associated with mourning.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Wealth
The contrast between the well-dressed buyers and the poor girl in patched calico highlights economic disparity during the holiday season.
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
The girl's request for 'something for baby' initially suggests a cheerful Christmas purchase, but the reality is a tragic errand for mourning crape.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The narrator observes the scene in the store and describes the girl's appearance and the clerk's interaction.
Key passages
“Something for Baby This is nothing but a slight jar in the happy holiday music; a minor note struck by the finger of Fate, slipping upon the keys, as anthems of rejoicing and Christmas carols make the Yuletide merry.”
This story is a small, discordant interruption in the joyful Christmas season, a sad moment introduced by fate.
Opening metaphor sets a somber tone against the festive backdrop.
“Please, sir, Mamma said I was to come here. Baby isn't with us now. Mamma told me to get—ten—cents—worth—of—crape, sir, if you please.”
The girl explains that her mother sent her to buy ten cents' worth of mourning crape because the baby has died.
The tragic reveal of the true purpose of the errand.