Show CHRISTMAS NOTE The foU J Christmas story toas Sen in when I was I Student at the Roosevelt Z and was 1 mission- I o the 1 Ser trw available by 1 J I by Jim I of Healing rime Has a Way And Renewing a R hi Things 1 Faith in I CHRISTMAS time is a I acred time and brings mem- tries to most but to anny son of Newton favorite of the community for musical ne Christmas stands out as hough it had been I remember the hustle and of the evening and my father calling from the car for ne to hurry or we would be He had built a nice fire in fireplace and made mother and promised he'd as soon as his number on program was Mother was not unhappy a-bout staying at home because she was too happy over the birth of my new little and trying to gain back her Father had popped and buttered yummy popcorn and the smell was wonderful through the combined with the scent of newly cut pine tree and pine branches on the I came down the two at a took a peck at the new little bundle of kissed my grabbed a handful of climbed in the car and we were It was a perfect Christmas soft snow covered the ground and there was a slow snow still The Christmas program was the usual but when my father stood up to play his violin my heart pounded with pride and love until I felt like it would break through my That beloved I could the feel of it within my and hear the soft beautiful tones that could carry through and fill the whole j Father had told mc I was a good pupil and it did eem like I could feel the tones without them even being I When the time came that we slip away we quietly went to the It was cold and coughed and sputtered as we started home The roads were icy so we did not I think I dozed because I jumped at my father's startled voice and I looked out to sec our house on When we got there my father jumped out and ran into lo get my mother and little Ho got my mother ind went back to get my little sister hut he never The car went in flames with Mother's arm was terribly burned and hew I suffered over I thought life would never be worth living Mom thought so but life has a way of going on and we did become happy the two of It was not until this peace came to us that I thought of Wrote Prize Story he violin I think I had longed for it without knowing and it became just like an ache in mc to hold and possess a violin like my father had had and to play like my father had I told our Dan what was in my It was an early spring day and he you have good potato land down on the lower Why don't you plant a patch of apus and maybe you can get that I'll plow the ground for you and help you what I The potatoes were planted and a fourteen wear old boy had the best patch in the Dan kept his watchful eye on me and my potatoes and suggested the right time to He didn't have to tell me to weed them and keep them I practically lived with those potatoes that summer I It was about the time that the potatoes were knee high that I was standing out In them as the sun beat down on my back thinking of my All at it was as if someone had kicked mc in the seat of my and I realized I how wrong it was for me to want a violin for myself when my mother had an arm that was wrinkled and ugly for want of doctor's From then on the violin was That patch of potatoes equalled anything my dad had and filled the bin clear to the When they were sold they brought enough money for the and Mom was home for It was a different kind of Christmas fewer packages under the but the smell through the house of the but- popcorn that I had mingled with the smell of cut pine boughs reminded mc of another and of other when there had been music and laughter throughout the house We went to the Christmas It was still the usual and i shepherds and then home There by the tree was a I box and a Merry In that box was a violin with a card fastened to On it was is the violin your father helped us pick out for our He could never play A violin has to be loved to be played and we would love to hear you play this The Dan There in the soft light I took the violin In my I knew the piece father would have I knew the way he would have played and sud-lenly there was in the house smell of yummy buttered mingled with the imell of cut pine There was soft music for a holy and the quiet laughter of those with contented |