Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-01-08
jim Hrmy Christmas
BY Col. ] A Watrous.

By Col. ] A Watrous.
What was my most memorable
Christmas?"
The one which always comes back
to me when thinking over Christmas
festivities-comes rushing in at the
head of the hne--is that of 1862, but
in telling of it it will be necessary to
bring in the army, and suppose
you do not want anything that re-
minds of war in a Christmas talk"
From number of voices, childish
and others, came, Yes, yes; that is
just what we want, a story about
Christmas in the army"
THE motion prevails and you shall
have what you vote ior-a story of an
army Christmas, said tht veteran OF
three wars--the Civil, Spanish Amer
can and the Philippine Insurrection."
There were many troops in and
about Manila in December, 1900. NJ
temporary home was with an Ameri-
can family that had rented a large,
beautiful mansion on San Sebastian
street, occupied by Spanish admiral
before Commodore Dewey sailed UP
Manila bay and said You may fire,
Gridley, when ready"
This patriotic man and his wife, a
former Wisconsin teacher, planned a
Christmas dinner and party. They in
yited dozen or more army officers
and their ladies'. The dinner did no.
differ materially from most Christmas
dinners. yet it reminded the diners OF
holiday events in far of America, and
the conversation soon turned In that
direction.
'One little army lady began to tell
about home Christmas, its tree and
the good cheer, when she was small
girl. No other Christmas has seemed
quite so heavenly. can see how love-
ly that tree looked; can hear daddy's
voice as he called of the presents,
can see mama's smile as we children
danced and chartered; I can see the
happy gathering about the table
Christmas laden; I can hear daddy's
request for blessing and-and, web
1t was all so sweet and beautiful Be
fore another Christmas came hadn't
any daddy
THE little lady's handkerchief was
not the only one that brushed away a
tear" 49,
Captain. this dinner reminde me of
the one our fathers have told US
about"
The captain was a son Of Wis
consin soldier of the civil war, and
the speaker a lieutenant, the son OF
another civil war veteran"
Tell us about it, said the wife OF
another captain.
eyes, we want that story said an
old major of regulars, who had come
down from the civil war.
It was after the battle of Freder-
icksburg, Va, in 1862. Four terminates
one of whom was my father and an.
ether the father of the lieutenant
here, were remembered by their
sweethearts. The four sweethearts
got up the incest kind of dinner
did all of the cooking themselves
and sent 1t to their soldier boys. Ac-
comranying 1t was a good. fat letter
from each of the girls to her particu-
lar soldier boy. They told us OF the
table they set In their small tent, of
the coffee they made, the comments
as they ate the good things, of the
four sweet girls, and how IL was all
enjoyed Before the war was over all
of the boys won commissions and
were wounded, two of them twice, yet
all returned home and married the
four girls. One of those girls was the
best woman ever born, and the lieu
tenant, here, will say the same about
another of the four"
And / will bear the same testimony
as to another of those blessed sweet
hearts of 1862" said the wife of the
other captain. "She was my mother"
1T Is my turn to speak" said the
old major. Il was one of the four to
enjoy that Christmas dinner hack of
Stafford heights in 1862. The mother
of my BARNS was second to none OF
the four sweethearts."
Then the four-the captain. the
lieutenant. the other captains wife
and the old major left the table.
formed fours. shook hands. laughed.
congratulated and had such a reunion
as seldom occurs"
We'll. we'll. we'll. what little BIT
of world II "a ANYWAY said the as