Return to Esquire v. Walker, Part 1
"The Knight Before Christmas"
Quoted from a letter to Esquire, Inc., from Vincent W. Miles,
November 1, 1940 (Records of the U.S. Postal Service, RG 28)
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Original Esquire Version:
'Twas the month before Christmas
And all through the flat
There wasn't a sign
Of a cane or silk hat,
Poor Doris was lounging
In her silken bed
With visions of mayhem
In her pretty head
When on her pent-house roof
There arose such a clatter
She sprang to her feet
To find what was the matter,
When in stepped in a gent
Who was all dressed in fur
And he started at once
Making passes at her...
He drank of her Scotch
And he drank of her charms
And he held her enslaved
In his two manly arms,
Resistance from Doris
Was not very strong
And somehow the moments
Just drifted along...
Then just as the dawn
Started lighting the sky...
He sprang to his feet
And he kissed her good-by...
And she heard him exclaim
As he started to leave:
"Just rehearsing, my dear,
I'LL BE BACK CHRISTMAS EVE!"
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Revised Post Office Version:
'Twas the month before Christmas
And all through the flat
There wasn't a sign
Of a cane or silk hat,
Poor Doris was lounging
In her silken bed
With visions of mayhem
In her pretty head
When on her pent-house roof
There arose such a clatter
She sprang to her feet
To find what was the matter,
When in stepped a gent
Who was dressed all in furs
Whose false-face revealed
A stray husband of hers...
She gave him a drink
And a casual hug
While wondering whether
To pardon the lug,
With Christmas soon coming
Temptation was strong
To let by-gones be by-gones
Although it was wrong...
But long before dawn
Would start lighting the sky
He sprang to his feet
And he kissed her goodby
But she heard him exclaim
As he started to leave:
"Just rehearsing my dear,
I'LL BE BACK CHRISTMAS EVE!"
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of NARA or of any other agency of the United States Government.
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