Arizona republican., 1890-12-25

to believe that should any one go fal enough they would either find an ever green, or else. by some necromancy oI the nineteenth century, a withered tree would be made to put forth foliage especially for her boy. The child's "paternal" sent detail of men from his company in every direction, but no signs of green could be found in that desert land. Then the commanding officer now deeply interested in the cause, sent another detail of men for radius oi forty miles around the post, but with nc success. The soldiers, tired of the tedium of their confined winter life in garrison, without drills, parades, or scouts, undertook even more than was required of them, but the search was hopeless.
 Still undaunted, the doting woman thought out a way. Down by the river the skeleton of what had been green cottonwood sapling in the summer was cut the proper height, and fastened upright in box standard in sitting room. The branches of this she covered with green tissue paper, and cut leaves out tor it's sparse foliage. Fortunately there were tapers at the suffers, for these stores, of which there is one at every post, are like village shop, where the merchant starts out by huying "a little of everything" and as years ad- vance the old-time things are showed back on the shelves, or put out of sight, for there can be no "clearing out'' sales on the borders of civilization. Among this surplus stock, a box of old | Noah's ark occupants was unearthed, and few of the wooden toys dating back to the childhood of our oldest officer. The stiff little trees, with their verdant tops of curled shavings stained vivid green, were not more prim than the wooden soldiers, with the wonderful chest de- velopment, who grasped rgidly an old time gun; but the little king at this revelry reached just as greedily for the ram-rod-like soldier as he did for the colored glass balls or the apples bristling with cloves which swayed over his head.
 If one only considers that we were | hundreds of miles from a railroad, that it was the dead of winter, and that it was only with the greatest difficulty, and even at the risk of life, that our mail reached us, it will be understood what obstacles were surmounted to cele- brate even baby's holiday.
 One universal custom was for all of us to spend all the time we could together All day long the officers were running in and out of every door; the "Wish you merry Christmas" rang out over the parade ground after any man who was crossing to attend to some duty, and had not shown up among us. We usually had a sleigh-ride, and every one sang and laughed as we sped over the cOun | try, where there were no neighbors to bt disturbed by our gayety. If it was warn enough there poured out of garrison a cavalcade vehemently talking, gesticu. lating, laughing, or humming bars o | Christmas carols remembered from | childhood, or starting some wild college or convivial chorus where every body announced that they wouldn't 20 homo till morning." in notes very emphatic il not entirely musical.
 The feast of the day over we adjourned from dinner to play some games of oui childhood, in order to make the States and our homes seem little nearer
 Later in the evening when the music came up from the band quarters, ever, | one came to the house of the command | ing officer to dance.
 With garrison full of perfectly health ful people with determination to be merry, notwithstanding the isolated life and utterly dreary surroundings, the holidays were made something to look forward to the whole year round. ELIZABETH BACON CUSTER.