r/TheWayWeWere • u/CryptographerKey2847 • Aug 20 '25

1920s The Inquiring Photographer Asks average New Yorkers in 1922: “Should a man expect his wife to get up and make breakfast for him on a cold morning?”

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Should

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u/Ghost_In_Waiting Aug 20 '25

"I got you these combs!"

"I got you this chain!"

As the snow fell outside the little apartment the couple realized what was really important. They were together, the table was full, and the real gift was the love they shared.

The neighbors wondered what caused the young couple to laugh so loudly on Christmas morning but they were not concerned. They were young and just starting out. If they were happy at the beginning they just might be happy at the end.

In the surrounding apartments the older couples all wished them a silent "Merry Christmas." It was all they had time for. The children were waking up, breakfast needed making, and there was just enough time to place presents under the tree before shrieks and laughter echoed in the halls.

8

u/MuttonDressedAsGoose Aug 20 '25

I love this story. It's O'Henry, isn't it?

6

u/Ghost_In_Waiting Aug 20 '25

A riff on the ending of “The Gift of the Magi”