 What theme could be taken from this story?
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Galaxy Science Fiction December 1956. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. The Christmas party at the Boston branch of Hartshorne-Logan was threatening to become more legendary than usual this Christmas. One out of every three dirty stories started by party attendees had remained unfinished, because each had reminded someone else of another story. The recently developed liquors which affected the bloodstream three times faster had driven away twinges of conscience about untrimmed trees and midnight church services. So the climax of one tactic did not simply overturn the foreman. "It's all in the spirit of good, clean fun!" cried Mr. Hawkins, the assistant general manager. Mr. Hawkins himself, acting by reflex, attempted to return the portrait to its place until new glass could be obtained. To hear more of it, he said to her: "I'll bet that's been in there ever since the picture was framed. Finally, from an anonymous voice in one corner: "Would the warp work over eighty years? But I remember that my grandmother never bought anything from Hartshorne-Logan because of some trouble her mother had once with the firm. She found scissors in her sewing box, tossed a cushion onto the floor, sat on it, and began to open the parcel. The twine sprang away from the carton as if it were alive. Ann grabbed her daughter's arms, held them above her head and pulled at the dress. A triangular trio of jacks stuck out from one end. The bottom of the carton contained the detective outfit that they had ordered for their son. Ann glanced at its glaringly lithographed cover and said: "Les, about Sally. Sally began to walk, then rose and again floated, this time toward the hassock on which the manky lay. The hassock was a livid shade of green. A neon, demanding, screaming green that clashed horribly with the soft browns and reds in which Ann had furnished the room. She jumped up, strode to the hassock and picked up the manky with two fingers. As the door closed, he saw the entire interior of the dark closet brighten into a wet-lettuce green. I'll tie a paperweight to Sally's dress and that'll hold her down until we undress her. "Maybe you'd better start a letter to Hartshorne-Logan. She kept her eyes determinedly off the tinge of green that was showing through the apron pocket and didn't dare look back at her daughter's unsettling means of propulsion.
 don't try to change the past
 don't try to change the past  it's important to try new things  people can't be trusted  there's a solution to every problem