The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-12-26
By William Wallace.

atlantic to the Pacific, and when ex-
,ensive forests stretched over great
.racts of land, through which the
loot of white man had not left its
print, the frontiersman living In the
,uter settlements" had small chance
o celebrate the Yuletide season He,
with his family, composed a small
world, which was too seldom enter
ID by an outsider. Neighbors were
It great distances apart, and their
ime was occupied In clearing the
and which was to become the tiue,
.ich fields from which their children
md grandchildren should reap such
'ich harvests.
In the early forties sturdy far
ner-or frontiersman; as those
'pathfinders" were called-moved
rom the outer borders of what was
,ermed civilization to new country,
ahere as yet the woodman's AK had
rot been heard or the curl of smoke
rom the log cabin seen by the red
aan, lurking about on the watch for
he intruding paleface. Into the
epths of a shadowy forest the from
iersman, accompanied by his family
If wife and two sturdy sons, went,
hunting a suitable location for a
,abin. They travelled in great
umbering wagon, covered with
White canvass stretched over bows.
vi their worldly possessions were
jut inside the wagon, the wife and
mother occupying the seat in front
md driving the yoke of strong oxen
yhich drew her carriage" In
ront of the oxen walked the hus-
and and father picking the road
hrough the woods and over the
Iills, now and again having to re-
race his steps on account of some
mpassable obstacle which loomed
uddenly before him. He went heavi-
armed rife over shoulder and
,pives in belt The sons walked be
rind the wagon, keeping a keen
ookout for hostile Indians, who
night try to attack from the rear,
like their sire, they were heavily
lrmed with guns and knives.
And so they went, farther and
arther from days of weary travel
hey halted near a beautiful spring
hat came from d rocky cliff over
langing a stream that promised to
q full of fish. Here the father and
,ons cut down trees and built cab
a, small, but large enough to aft
srd shelter from the winter which
fas fast coming on. In the spring
mother room could be added
replace built of fiat rocks, picked
rom the bank near the spring, fur
ished a roomy place for fire, both
or cooking and warming.
One evening, as the family sat
lround the cheerful fire of logs,
hating of the past, present and fu-
are, the mother quickly said: "Wel,
declare, Christmas is almost here
nd I'd forgotten to think about III"
'Why, can it be possible?" asked
ne father, reaching for the ever
seful almanac, which hung by a
tring looped over a peg near the
replace. Yes, so it is" he agreed,
canning the small print of the cal
ndar, Just three days off"
The two sons, aged, respectively,
A and 16, were not yet too old to
njoy the excitement and pleasure
ttending the holiday season, al
aough they had had small oppor-
unity to do SO since they were In
heir teens, for their father was a
ian who was ever looking toward
m In nll &,
nd further as the settlements grew
nd prospered and dangers became
sss about him.
well, I'd like to be back at
>ertonville," declared Samuel, the
lder son. "Therell be great times
here, I'll warrant, Neighbor Hig-
ems girls will have a Christmas
rec and a taiy-pull." E.
"Ah, yes" sighed Thomas Peter,
ae younger son, And over at
'eighbor Van Smiths theren be
'ig, wild turkey dinner and a lot OF
ne friends will have an invite there.
20 you mind last Christmas, mo-
her?"
eyes, the mother minded" and
: sent a pang through her good, ten
Ter heart to recall the pleasant and
iociable times they had enjoyed
nyhile living on the outskirts of the
tile village.
Ihe next day Sam and Tom (but
". So u.cknamed by their par
went with their guns to hunt
ne, the only kind of meat the
pad for their table in this wild
the world. AS they trudged
IA said: 81 wish we could
her some little surprise on
But / reckon it's out of
on"
Interrupted Sam. point
curl of blue smoke To be
lg to the sky through the
rees. That's not an In
iptire. White people are
ut comes from
psf come from round at
red Tam at atio go no.,