Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-12-20
ORIGIN OF THE YULE
LOG IN VIRGINIA
Widow Of Gen. George e. Pickett
Tells Beautiful Fable Of Christ
mas Custom,

The origin Of ;as Yule leg N yir-
g,sia is told Ia Pictorial Review for
December by the widow OF the ia
nous Confederate general. George L
Pickett
One time an old black man was
sitting in his little cabin on a noun.
tain side on Christmas Eve listening
to the cold wind howl over a world
Of snow and wishing that he had a
fire to warm him. when he heard the
cry of little child away out in the
cold The old man hobbled to the
door and looked Out across the snow
and Ehe wind came rushing in and
made him SILVER so that his 'onliest
two teef' chartered with cold. Again
the cry came across the snow and be
wished with all his power of long
ing that he could go out and find the
unfortunate little one; for the plain
tive cry of little child always goes
straight to the heart. A third time
the cry came and miraculous pow
er seemed to fill the old mans veins
His muscles became tense and strong
and he stepped from the threshold
into the snow, the crutch falling back
into the cabin.
In an instant he was walking over
I tie expanse of frozen snow with an
activity he had not possessed since he
used to "go ter camp meetin y. BY
and by he came to a little child
caught in snowbank. He lifted the
child and as it's little form touched
him a new strength came into him
and the small burden seemed to give
him wings to speed back to the lit
tie cabin. ell put the child on the
bed, drew the ragged quilt around II
and looked about to see If there
! M eff be a piece of furniture OF
which he could make a fire to warm
his SMALL guest
| At u at ms ant. he cav great log
r II across the threshold and INTO
tie cabin. He put the child on the
lccl.nf. at it WITH ;, yes IKE stars ana
they sent CLEANS Of l.eht that kineleii
the log with the mosf brilliant d.e
the old man had ever seen, and the
dingy little room was filled with rad.
iarce and warmth that brought a
glow to the soul as well as to the
body and seemed to flood the world
With light
AS the light wrapped the child IN
shining glory he laughed laugh
that was like a song of The heart and
hcated up and away. The old man
turned his eyes % where the fire
burned and watched the flames leap
in opalescent tints over the log form
ing the shape of cross in fire.
! AT this point in the narrative
'Brer Simon" usually became greatly
excited and his eyes kindled as he
went on in his rich dialect.
"De flames er de cross spread en-
chase after one-er-nudder, crawlin'
en- ereepin' in en- out en- around en-
about, a skadln' hyer en- a skadlin'
dar lippin' up higher and higher;
! frs iii blue blaze would come, den
yaller one. den bright red one
would flare up, en- den de blazes would
all mingulate darsefs tergedder-
red en- blue en- yaller an white would
all mix up wild de kindleation, colors
er de rainbok, en- crackle, en- crackle
an lip higher en- bigger en- bigger de
crackles a gitten' louder EN- louder,
en- de blazes gitten bigger en- bigger"
AS the old man watched all this
display suddenly and magically APP
peared liable covered with Christ
mas feast such as had never been
spread before his eyes. And never
again was he hungry or cold and
never was there a Christmas in old
! Virginia after that WITHOUT lne iule
log and the Christmas child to give
it light and warmth.
That is the story of The Yule log
as 1t is told in Virginia and as we
told it that Christmas Eve Of '63.
When the recital was ended the
hands OF the clock had Travelled past
the midnight hour and our party
speedily broke up, lis members going
to their separate quarters 10 rest and
to dream of other Chrlstmases when
the phantom of our unnatural war
bad not dimmed the glory of the
celebration
I Pnr at