Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-19
TAKING 4 FAMILY
BACK TO THB SOIL
Being the Experiences Of . Gov
ernment Clerk Who Sets Out
to. Lower the High Cost OF
Living.

Christmas at Sunny Knoll is going to
| be some celebration. Never before did
we make such extensive plans. and
IL don't think ever before felt quite SO
much Christmas spirit. We have just
one regret, and that is that we have
no big open fireplace with a wide CHM
new down which Santa Claus might
come. as he used to do in the days OF
long ago.
have set UP a wood heater in our
snare room upstairs, and 1t is to be the
I"christmas room" There never has
been any furniture in it. so the children
are to have 1t for their own, not only
for Christmas. but as a play room the
rest of the winter. The tree is to be
there. and there the stockings will be
hung Christmas eve. There Is an old
strip of sleigh bells hanging up in
dusty back corner of the tool closet In
the barn that don't believe the KIDS
know anything about. About midnight
Christmas eve, after the lights are all
bed. Tm going to take these down the
road a piece and come back to the
house with more juggling than you
could shake a stick at. Jim Is openly
Claus, and Ned's faith isn't very strong.
! but I bet those sleigh bells will bring
them back into line.
Plenty Of Christmas Greens.
The boys have had a tree picked out
for weeks, one that grew on our own
place, and in the woods back OF US
they have located not only holly with
berries, but mistletoe as we'll. There
Is plenty of running pine in the woods.
too. so we shall not only have plenty
of christmas green's" but they'' not
cost us a cent.
AS a matter of fact, I'm going to get
| of cheaper this Christmas than ever
before within my recollection. Jane
has a wide circle of friends and rela-
tiyes to whom she always makes gifts.
but this year everything she sends is
to be Sunny Knoll product. She has
become a 'Spug' with a vengeance
and preserves. 1 got some corrugated
board cartons, one size holding six and
the other a dozen Of her fancy Jelly
glasses, and she is going to send them
by parcel post: Each carton Will con
alike, and should think they ought to
make acceptable gifts to people who
live in town and haven't much oppor-
eunity to do preserving.
Her sister who lives in Baltimore is
to get a dressed turkey, one from our
own flock, and she plans to send dressed
chickens to two or three Of her closest
friends in Washington. They are
women with whom she is sufficiently
Intimate so there will be no smack OF
charity in the gift. Everybody on her
| gift list, l think, Is to get a dozen
fresh eggs, which also are to go by
butter Is to go to each Of a couple Of
friends who are especially fond Of it.
James salt rising" bread always has
been famous among her acquaintances.
and about dozen small loaves or TINS
are to complete the list
1 don't know whether I am going
to be able to satisfy Jim and Ned or
lnot, Diplomatic and frequent inquiries
have ELECTED from them both the same
balks on the gun. I'm inclined to let
them have 1t, but, Of course, 1t wouldn't
do to get them one II Jane Is going
to msEine sud sudden n aad WITH Xlolsne death
Thinks They've Earned a Gun.
AS a matter Of fact. think the boys
have rather earned the right to a gun.
I remember that when we first talked
of coming to the country they were
leased not a little because Of their
promise that they would keep the fam
lily larder supplied with game. If they
haven't exactly fulfilled this promise.
| they at least have shared and trapped
eight rabbits during the past week
and eiEht rabbits in one week is q
pretty ABUNDANT supply, thank you.
They Insist that not only could they
get a lot more rabbits If they had a
gun, but that they could get partridges
as well. I have some doubt about
their ability to shoot cartridges
| with a 90 rife, and an Increased sup
ply of rabbits would be a somewhat
questionable benefit, unless they could
fact that I think two boys living in
the country. twelve and ten years old.
ought to have Q gum We the boys
timidtty this time, but another Christ