Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-12-17
@oooooooooooooooooo

Far from the big, glowing fireplaces.
out of the sound of the pines, oaks and
the sea, where not a leaf breaks the per-
feet line of the horizon. the prairie Christ
mas is n very different thing from that of
the east. In the cabins on the wind
swept prairie the holiday time brings the
keenest of memories of the old days in
childhood's home. of family gatherings
and of big tables heaped high with the
richness of orchard and field. The dwell
ers on the plains have little opportunity
for such reunions. They have come one
by one in the hulging covered prairie
schooncrs across the level miles of sod TO
their new home. The next door neigh
Dor may have come from another state
or even another country. History in a
prairie community begins with day he
fore yesterday-and no questions asked.
The differences of nativity are forgot
ten when the holiday season arrives. If
not in the school on the Friday before
the great day. then in the same school
house, under the auspices of the Sunday
school. will be held Il neighborhOod re-
union in which all will join heartily and
the gentle art of producing happiness will
be practiced. In some ways these gath
erings are ut times pathetic. For in
stance, out on the prairies one day the
committee on Christmas tree met ut the
schoolhousc and talked the matter over.
II wish l had some of the evergreens
that grew on my farm in Vermont" re-
marked one.
"Or the ones we had in Wisconsin"
put in another.
whats the use talking about them
1t is 80 miles to Il green tree now, and
what are we going to do?" was the COM
ment of a third.
THE children want Il tree. Nothing
else would do?"
NO; we have promised that they shall
have tree, and such it must be-
So they studied the matter and in the
end came to Il plan. When the Christ
mas eve gathering came, on the little
rostrum of the Scho0lhouse was q tree.
To be sure, its branches seemed a little
stiff and in strained positions, but it
was Il tree. The committee had taken a
cottonwood saplinG, gaunt and bare. and
wound the branches with green paper.
making the whole into the semblance of
an evergreen. and such was the bearer of
holiday gifts that season.
Christmas is Il time of matrimOny on
the plains. Even more than in the cities
the young people hold this season sacred
to the god OF Love. The probate judge
is busy issuing licenses and performing
ceremonies, and the weddings in the lit
tie cabins are among the jolliest events
of the year. OF course there is Il chart
vari to follow. The western couple that
escapes that visitation is fortunate. With
shotguns and tin pans the boys, and
girls, too, sometimes, gather and serenade
the happy couple until the party is in
vited in to a treat. if ii takes all night.
The holidays are always times of sport,
but of kind which the cities and the
east know nothing of. For instance,
there is the neighbOrhood hunt, when all
the young men form sides and agree on n
scale of points for each animal likely to
be found at large. Then. after Il day of
hunting, they bring in the game and have
it measured by n committee which de-
cidcs who has won. The losers com
PEELED to pay for supper for all, and
after that is the inevitable dance, when
jollity reigns for the remainder of the
night. Surprise parties" are yet in
vogue. and every one must be prepared
10 have n party of twoscore drive up to
the house ut any time, ready for an even
ing of pleasure. As the visitors bring
their own catables, there is less embar-
rassment than would at first appear.
With such amusements and with the
good things of the market and of game
land for the Christmas dinner there is
little likelihood that the plains dwellers
will fail to enjoy the season.
Present giving among the settlers of
the plains is likely to be confined largely
effort involved in raising corn and wheat
to spend any considerable portion of the
crop in gewGaws for the ornamentation
of home or person. During the days Pre-
ceding the holiday the sleighs of tie