| Show Christmas with Pioneers held deep religious meaning Christmas on the as new bands of pioneers pushed ever westward to carve an empire out of virgin plains and was in marked contrast to the present There more then in the of The Book shepherds in a certain country wat- ching focks by Thc the closeness of the the virginity of the new world and its hum- We one Ume had stood Christmas in those days somehow seemed much closer to that first Those beak ones crossed Night and yon The fajth of the was that the Wise christmas Eve the pioneer gather in a crude little church or schoolhouse children recited their pieces and sang songs about birth of the christ ganta would band out mosquito-bar sacks of a golden orange or an apple to each one Childhood rapture would make that meager offering truly a gift of gold and Homemade sleds and sleighs ed over the snowy countryside with sleigh bells jingling accompaniment to the 0 Jingle Except in the forest few enjoyed the sight of a Christmas But always they hung up their an old custom of It was a lucky boy who woke up Christmas morning to find a new jack- knife in his a lucky girl who a string of or a calico don from nta But that made from spare strips of bright probably was more treasured than any modern doll that can say go to sleep and perhaps require a Children who received a slate pencil or a shell box a little affair covered with nta ning a small mir- were of For no Christmas was com- its popcorn and ropes of molasses taffy In rare there might be a bag of In the isolated it wasn't so easy to gather with one's neighbors to There were wolves In the timber and being caught in a sudden storm on the pioneer trails spelled Christmas In some places meant a bobsled ride or perhaps a square often followed by a turkey costing 25 if generally were in the form of utilitarian mufflers or homemade For the there might be a piece of intricate handiwork to which some enterprising friend had devoted her spare time for Throughout the holiday a die burned In the attic guiding late-faring travelers to shelter-the Star of Bethlehem on the But with all these hardy folks had as much fun as grea dren who again this year will celebrate by exchanging elaborate dancing to name feasting with no worries f ha nothing in the electric |
