The morning call., 1890-12-25
A CALIFORNIA
CHRISTMAS IN '46.
The Recollections of the Day
Spent in Santa Clara.
Not Crust Of Bread Nor Cup Of Tea in the
House on the Morn That Christ Was
Born-The Welcome Visitor.
Written for THE MORNING CALL.

PiouOoA Va fOs NOuCnOS AoA shO shueAA
A%Ay of the following story of California
Christmas in early days. the circumstances
| of which came under her personal notice:
I'VE were among the immigrants of the
| fall of 1916. We arrived in San Jose in No
vember. but finding no shelter of any kind
determined to 60 to the old mission of Santa
Clara, where we had been told we could
find houses. The old adobes to which we
had been directed we're found in a wretched
condition, having no windows or chimneys,
and the tiles being off the roofs in many
places. But there was no choice - take
these or remain out of doors.
las the rains had commenced and the
country was in instruction, Colonel after
ward GeneraD Fremont being engaged in
the last skirmish of the Mexican war. q
shelter for the women and children was I'M
peratively necessary. Most of the able
bodied men had joined Fremont. and by the
middle of November the number of immi-
grants had increased in Santa Clara to
eighty women and children and about
twenty-five men. No sooner had Fremont
enlisted all he could among the immigrants
than he departed for the lower country,
leaving orders, however, with the command
ing officer at San Francisco to send pro-
visions to Santa Clara. For some reason.
however, most inadequate supply had
been forthcoming.
Severe illness had broken out in the
wretched company huddled together in these
miserable abodes, and starvation stared ali
in the face. The Spaniards could not be
prevailed upon to sell their provisions, and
to further the troubles of the immigrants,
no sooner had Fremont left than they were
besieged by tile Spaniards under Colonel
Sanchez.
"Simon Harris and family, consisting of a
wife and four small children, occupied a
single room in one of the adobe buildings.
Through the roof the missing tiles allowed
the rain to pour, making pools of water
here and there on the earth floor. The
smoke from the fire had the choice of many
exits, or was blown about the room by eddy
ing draughts. In one corner a wagon body
formed the uncomfortable couch of Mr..
Harris, who had been very i'll for some
time. 1t was necessary that The few men
left to care for the immigrants should take
turn in
STANDING GUARD AT THE FORT,
And Mr.. Harris being too i'll TO attend to
this duty, his wife was obliged to take his
place.
"She had just returned from fulfilling her
soldiers duty, wrapped in an old shawl,
her sun-bonnet Enthusiastically drawn
down over her face, and had replenished the
smoldering fire and attended to the wants
of her husband, when she took from, two
poor little beds her four beautiful children,
and proceeded to dress them. They no
sooner had their eyes fairly open than they
began to beg fer breakfast. But the day
before the provisions had given out. Though
the natives would sell none, Mrs. Harris
had, by panderng to the love of finery
| in the Spanish women, found means to feed
| her little ones for some time after the regu-
| lar supply had been cut off. She had sold
| her wedding dress and veil, in fact, every
thing that was sufficiently ornamental to
| attract their attention. But now she had
| nothing left 10 give her children but few
| pieces of maple sugar. This she divided
among them while She herself had nothing
| to recruit the energies a sleepless nightOf
weary watching and hopeless anxiety had
exhausted.
1T was Christmas morning, and Lena,
the eldest, lovely brown-eyed girl. after
watching her mother for some time, said:
Mamma, have you forgotten that this is
| Christmas?'
&C. No, child came family from the moth
er's lips.
"'But. mamma, wont we have anything
| to-day, not even bread?'"
-Four little faces gazed earnestly up at
| their mother. She pulled the sun-bOnuet
| farther down over her face, and the bitter
| tears fell fast.
Then a feeble voice came from the
wagon bed: Margaret, couldn't you give me
cup Of tea?' The tea had been gone for
days.
Mrs. Harris comforted her husband the
best way she could and then gathered the
little ones about her. She could not even
tell them the beautiful story OF the Christ
| child. for at this moment her faith had
waned-she could not believe in a Father
who watched over his children. so she
| played games with them, taught them to
| fish in the pools Of water, or ran with them
laughingly from place to place to escape
| the smoke when draught from some
source blew it upon them.
Before they had left the old home in the
| far-away East. the mother had made three
| big, funny rag dollies for the three little
! girls. The doll for the Oldest girl was very
| short and fat, and the one for the next one,
Mary, tall and thin. These dolls had been
A SOURCE OF BITTERNESS
| To the two older ones, for Lena had liked
| Mary's better than her own. Now, after
| their romp, they YEARLY sank down beside
the fire, and Mary said:
"'You may have my dolly il you wish it,
Lena. | don't want anything but piece
| of bread. And, oh, Lena, do you remember
the bread and butter Aunt Sally used to
| give us, with sugar on?'
'Lena's only answer was to lay her head
| on her mothers lap ana weep silently, and
| the little boy threw himself down and re-
| fused to be cOmf0rted.
| strength to fight against cold, hunger and
| WEAKNESS. She rested her head upon her
hand and closed her eyes. In an adjoining
| room woman had died during the night
| and she could hear the husband of the de-
| parted making coffin. The poor man had
| tried to buy the boards, but having been re-
| fused had stolen them. After the close of
| the war he was arrested, taken before the
| alcalde and fined S25. but not having the
| money was thrust into the calaboose and his
l Nn and SplI
ut rained and rained and the little pools
| were fast spreading. About noon the
mother sat by the fire and all her little ones
| leaned upon her. Lena said at length:
map
Just then the old blanket hanging in the
| doorway was pushed aside, and tall good
| looking woman who occupied an adjoining
| room appeared She held in her hand a
| plateful of smoking-h hot biscuits. Mrs,
| bled to their feet.
.''Oh. where did you get them?' eagerly
demanded Mrs. Harris
My husband had the good luck to get a
| barrel of -four and made them for you
Ii you could have seen the rejoicing
| over those biscuits, without butter, or jam.
or anythingl Poor little children, how they
| ate them and what good Christmas they
| thought il after all I! How they loved the
| good woman who brought them, and in all
| the years that have passed have never
| ceased to remember her with gratitude.
| Even the sick father ate hot biscuit and
| seemed better directly, though doctor now
adnys would shudder at the mention Of such
| thing.
That evening some supplies came from
San Francisco, the rain ceased TO falland
the next morning the sun shone SO brightly.
| the air was so mild and balmy and the re-
ports from Fremont SO encouraging that the
| whole face OF the earth seemed changed.
The most cruel fate relents at the holy
| Christmas tide"