Once Over Lightly

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET Dept. (too late for the last Christmas issue and too good to hold for the next): Friend Barney was barely sober and out of work. His Christmas season had been one long, dreary round of interviews, the waiting for each one worse than the waiting for the one before. One afternoon, with three anxious hours to kill, Barney decided to wander through a department store. He rode the escalators up, but the crowds were too much. His thirst grew as he struggled through the aisles. Finally, when he encountered the crush of parents and children lined up to see Santa, he abandoned the fight and turned to leave, planning to head for the nearest pub. In a fit of something or other, he waved at Santa and yelled, "Hi, Santa!"