Christmas in 6 39 didn’t take much to he fine By JERRY WEBB University of Delaware NEWARK, Del. - Christmas came to our farm in a very special way back in those days. It sort of spread over the countryside and spilled out of strange parcels and tumbled down attic steps. It came in small packages tied with bright ribbon and in large red socks hung from a smoke-, blackened fireplace. Measured by today’s standards, it was simple - even meager, for times were hard and there wasn’t much money to be spent for un necessary items. The whole thing probably didn’t cost a hundred dollars, counting all the presents given and received and all the food eaten by the three generations of family gathered there. It must have been 1939 or TICKET ORDER FORM All seats $6.00 - session ■ No. _ Tickets Name: Address: ■ City State Zip m Send remittance with stamped, self addressed envelope to; I Penn Winternationais | RDI, Box 316 | Cogen Station. PA 17728 ‘4O - the first" Christmas I can really remember. The country was in a depression and no one was hit any harder than an Ozark farm family. But, we had Christmas anyway, even though it must have meant some real scraping and saving. It’s funny the things you remember about a Christ mas that happened so long ago. The big gift was a sled. Not your typical shiny new job bought in a hardware store. This was handmade of oak and painted red by a grandfather who gave what he could - his time and talent - to make a small boy happy. That was the stur diest sled ever made. The runners were solid pieces of Wood bound with metal strips so they would last. It was about the same width and length as a modem sled Session I $ Session II $. Session ill S. Session IV $. St. or Rd. Jerry Webb but there was no way to steer it and it weighed at least 30 pounds. There were other gifts that Christmas but nothing as important or as practical as that sled - it was Christmas and always will be to me. Oh PENN WINTERNATIONALS ANUARYI9,2O,SI Pennsylvania Farm Show Arena Harrisburg, Pennsylvania *46,000 PURSE FEATURING THE NATION'S BEST SUPER STOCK AND MODIFIED TRACTORS, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME SUPER STOCK FOUR WHEEL DRIVE TRUCKS! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmq Main Entrance Cameron St , " "l" i ■ a " ” /X^ r. n n n n n RP " • '\v u s\ yy • uuu u u «*»■ m f m mm m m m Mark Preferred Section Ist Choice X . 2nd Choice XX 3rd Choice XXX jure, I remember other' Chrikmases and other gifts jut nothing quite so special. There was a cap with ear flaps, a leather jacket with a funy lining, my first pair of cowboy boots and a cap pistol that shot six caps at a time in a cylinder just like a ■eal six shooter. I suppose a country kid ;oday would be offended by the things I remember about Christmas - homemade *resents that we gave and •eceived, comic books ex changed with classmates at the school party, large family gatherings where great-aunts and uncles crowded the house and told stories by the hour. Christmas was different with three generations living in one large house. There were traditions to be followed, things that had to be done. The tree was cut on Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 23,1978 the farm and trimmed mostly with homemade decorations. A fire burned in the fireplace day and night for at least three days, certain stories were told and read every season to remind us of what Christmas meant and why our family observed it the way we did. I have strong memories of a country church and a one room school - both were important at Christmastime. There was something great about the closeness that developed in those rural institutions that are gone now. I still remember my lines from one of those Christmas plays when I was perhaps 10 or 11 years old and had a leading role in the school Christmas play. There were about 30 of us in grades 1 through 8. And one teacher was responsible for our education and cultural* development. She tried hard, but I doubt many great scholars or actors came out of that room. But our Christmas parties were something - lots of popcorn and homemade candy, a gift exchange and handmade NiV Nero is said to have eaten leeks to clear his speaking voice. AGWAY SPECIAL PRICING ON ALL SIZE MILK TANKS FROM NOW TILL JANUARY 31. 1979 Lower Pouring... easier cleaning... faster cooling... AGWAY FARM & HOME STORE (aGWAy) 1140Dilk^illeRd Lancaster, Pa. 717-394-0541 presents to take home to our parents. We were a small, close knit group in that com munity. We grew up together - same school, same church, same 4-H club. We knew each other’s families and it was not unusual for the teacher to have educated our parents. 1 knew those kids so well and yet, except for my own brothers, I don’t know where one of them is today. I can remember their names and I can still see their young faces as they were then. That one-room school is gone now - consolidated a few years after I graduated. The farm house is gone, too - torn down to make way for a highway. And the fields where I used to shock wheat and nde horses became a shopping mall. I suppose most of the people from that first Christmas are gone also. I remember that Christ mas long ago as clearly as last year’s. And as I prepare for my own family’s Christmas I think back to a time and a farm house and a feeling that was and is Christmas to me. My 103
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