Chapter 2 Summary

At the planing mill, Byron Bunch recalls the day, three years ago, when the man named Christmas first came to work for the mill. The man's clothes had been as soiled as a tramp's would be, yet the quality of the material in his soiled suit indicates Christmas is not a vagrant. Upon his arrival, Christmas does not socialize with the other men at the mill. He wears a perpetual scowl of contempt, and the other men make little attempt to speak to him. Bunch studies Christmas and notices that he is a hard worker. Byron Bunch believes that Christmas is penniless, for he does not change his suit nor bring food for lunch that first week. However, Christmas is too proud to admit it. When Byron offers him food, Christmas mocks it as slop, refusing to take charity. Yet, as Byron suspects...