The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1873-12-25
A Curious Christmas Tree.

When it became generally known
that Aunt Matilda was to have a
Christmas tree, the people of the
neighborhood took a great interest
in the matter. John Walker and
Dick Ford, two colored men of the
vicinity, volunteered to get the tree.
But when they went out in the woods
to cut it, eighteen other colored peo-
pie, big and little, followed them,
some to help and some to give ad-
vice.
A very fine tree was selected. 1t
was pine, ten feet high, and when
they brought it into Aunt Matilda's
cabin, they could not stand it up
right, for the old colored woman's S
ceiling was rather low
When Harry and Kate came home
from school they were rather sur
prised to see SO big tree, but it was
such a fine one that they thought
they must have it. After some con-
sideration it was determined to erect
it in a deserted cabin, near by, which
had no upper floor, and was high
enough to allow the tree to stand up
satisfactorily. This was, indeed, an
excellent arrangement, for it was
better to keep the decoration of the
Christmas tree a secret from Aunt
Matilda until all was completed
The next day was a holiday, and
Harry and Kate went earnestly to
WORK. A hole was dug in the clay
Aoor of the old cabin, and the tree
plarted firmly therein. 1t was very
firm indeed; for little colored boy
named Josephine's Bobby climbed
nearly to the topmost branch, with
out shaking it very much. For four
or FIVE days the work of decorating
the tree went on Everybody talked
about it, great many laughed at it,
and nearly everybody seemed in
clinad to give something to hang
upon its branches. Kate brought a
large box containing the decorations
of her last Christmas tree, and she
and Harry hung sparkling balls, and
golden stars, and silver fishes, and
red and blue paper angels, and candy
swans, and sugar pears, and glitter
ing things of all sorts, shapes, and
sizes upon the boughs. Harry had
a step-ladder, and Dick Ford and
five colored boys held it firmly while
he stood on it and tied on the orna-
ments. Very soon the neighbors be
gan to send in their contributions
Mrs. Loudon gave stout woole1
dress, which was draped over a lowel
, branch; while Mr.. Loudon, who wa:
i not to be diverted from his erigina
idea, sent an army blanket, which
Kate arranged around the root of th'
D tree, so as to look as much as posi-
l. BILE like gray moss. Mr.. Darby, wh'
e kept the store, sent large pape
bag of sugar and a small bag of tea
which were carefully hung on lowe
branches. Miss Jane Davis though
e she ought to do something, and sh
contributed a peck of sweet pota
toes, which, each tied to a STRING
s were soon dangling from the branches
d Then Mr.. Truly Matthews, who di
b not wish to be behind his neighbor
, in generosity, sent shoulder of bf
= con, which looked quite magnifcen
+, as it hung about the middle of th
d tree. Other people sent bars Of soal
n bags of meal, packages of smohn
d tobacco, and flannel petticoats.
J. pair of shoes was contributed, an
is several pairs of stockings, whic
y latter were filed with apples an
s. hickory-nuts by the considerate Kat
le Several of the school children ga1
r sticks of candy; and old Mrs. Sara
ID Page, who had nothing else to spar
of brought a jug Of molasses, whic
n was suspended near the top of tt
tree. Kate did not fancy the appea