Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-12-15
THE CHRISTMAS MYTH.
(By Chester Porter Bissell.)
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When l was a boy, on Christmas
eve l was told all the tales of Yule-
tide lore and my Imagination would
rise to 101 in the shade They told
me Of Santa Claus loaded down with
great bags Of presents and riding be-
Lind fast-running reindeers, and then
would hang up my stocking on the
mantle, for this wonderful Santa to
i IL. l was told to go to bed and
sleep. How could boy sleep on such
night as this l tossed on the corn
shuck mattress until my elder brother
threatened to throw me out; l strain
ed my ears to catch the sleigh bells,
and along in the small hours Of the
morn would fall in a sleep, only to
be rudely jostled rought about sun
rise asking If | were going to sleep
all day? l then remembered my
stocking and with a whoop and a
bound, I jumped into my clothes and
swooped down on the much-looked-
for stocking The stocking was there
ell right. But It did not seem to
have the necessary bulge that stock
| jngs should have after a visit from
this moving storekeeper. Hastily run
ming my hand to the toe. l hauled
cut pair of yarn mittens, A pair of
yaSn mittens; nothing else! Here, l
had been told Of the wonderful things
this man Santa Claus carried around.
| ] bad visions of red boots, drums,
boxes Of candy and other things. My
mother told me these mittens would
lie warm and to put on when l did
my chores. This was like the boy
that was paid five cents per day for
splitting the wood, and when he had
eaved a dollar his mother bought him
new sx. have always been dis
lppointed on Christmas. 1 never got
wnnt l wanted on this day l would
hint to my mother what kind Of a
tie l wanted and when the fatal day
arrived l would have handed me a
tie that I w, uld not have worn at IL
o'clock at night, at the bottom of a
coal mine, during a total eclipse OF
the moon. If / had my eye on an
especial brand Of cigars, my brother
would hand me a box OF Andrew
Jackson cigars-so called because
their contents was mainly old hick-
CRY; or If some kind friend sent me
q short quart of whiskey 1t would
tlrn out to be Meadow Lark brand,
! because after you took one swallow
Of 1t you would sit down in the wet
rrass and start singing, or get the
ark habit yourself.
Christmas should be known as
Swapping" Day. on this day you
may be given a pickle dish that has
| ieen going the rounds and you know
/ It has orce been in your family by
@ little Clipped place in one corner;
Iyet yet are expected to give a pyro-
teohnic shower of thanks. and later
lick yourself for not breaking this
dish when your formerly owned It.
Tut you get even on the deal by pre-
ssnt'n, this same dish to your sister
iil-law, who has just come into the
( mil and has never seen the dish
/ efore. on Christmas day you are
opposed to rise in spirits, The only
/ way you can do this with any degree
ct satisfaction. is to take the spirits
81 large quantities. Cases have been
Known where a man was actually en-
l3iying himself on this day even with
lIis pockets bulging outward with
Christmas cigars. ash trays and other
funk. If one meets Tom and Jerry
lon consecutive order; with persever-