The Washington herald., 1913-11-30
ORIGIN OF THE YULE
L0GIN VIRGINIA
Widow of Gen. George E. Pickett
Tells Beautiful Fable of Christ
mas Custom.

| The origin Of the YUle log in virginia
Is told in Pictorial Review for December
by the widow Of the famous Confederate
general, George E Pickett
| One time an old black man was Sit
/ ting in his little cabin on a mountain
side on Christmas Eve listening to the
| cold wind howl over a world of snow
and wishing that he had fire to warm
him, when he heard the cry Of a little
child away out in the cold. The old man
hobbled to the door and looked out across
| the snow and the wind came rushing in
| and made him shiver so that his "onIiest
| two teef' Chartered with cold. Again
the cry came across the snow and he
wished with all his power of longing that
he could go out and find the unfortunate
little one; for the plaintive cry of a
little child always goes straight to the
heart. A third time the cry came and
miraculous power seemed to I'LL the old
mans veins. His muscles became tense
and strong and he stepped from the
threshold into the snow, the crutch fall
ing back into the cabin.
In an instant he was walking over
the expanse of frozen snow with an
activity he had not possessed since he
used to go ter camp meetin" BY and
by he came to a little child caught in a
snowbank. He lifted the child and as its
little form touched him a new strength
came into him and the small burden
seemed to give him wings to speed back
to the little cabin. He put the child on
the bed, drew the ragged quilt around it
and looked about to see II there might be
piece of furniture OF which he could
make fire to warm his small guest
At that instant, he saw a great log
roll across the threshold and into the
fireplace. The little child was looking
at 1t with eyes like stars and they sent
CLEANS of light that kindled the log with
the most brilliant fire the old man had
ever seen, and the dingy little room was
filed with radiance 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 q
shining glory he laughed a laugh that
was like song of the heart and
loated up and away. The old man
turned his eyes to where the fire
burned and watched the flames leap in
opalescent tints over the log forming
the shape of a cross in fire.
At this point in the narrative "Brer
Simon" usually became greatly ex-
cited and his eye kindled as he went
on in his rich dialect.
DE flames er de cross spread en-
chase after one-er-nudder. a crawlin'
en- a creepin' in en- out en- around en-
about, skadlin' hyer en- a skadlin'
dar lippin' up higher and higher;
frs Ill blue blaze would come, den
yaller one, den a bright red one
would flare up, en- den de blazes would
all mingulate darse'fs tergedder-red
en- blue en- yaller an white would all
mix up wild, de kindleation, colors er
de rainbow, 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 dis
play, suddenly and smagically appeared
a table covered with a Christmas 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 the Yule log and the Christ
mas child to give 1t light and warmth.
That is the story of the YuIe log as
1t Is told in Virginia and as we told
II that Christmas Eve OF '6S. When
the recital was ended the hands of
the clock had travelled past the mid
night hour and our party speedily
broke up. its members going to their
separate quarters to rest and to dream
OF other Christmases when the phan-
tom of our unnatural war had not
dimmed the glory of the glory Of the
celebration.