The Oskaloosa herald., 1914-12-24
THE ORIGIN OF "
THE YU[E LOG
RWN HR Following story Of the oririr

4 u Lhe 4ule log In flrgi9ala 10
/ told I'm the Pictorial Review by
La Sale Corben Pickett IN an
article dealing with Christmas IN the
south in wartime: . 81.
One time an old black man was eft.
ting in his little cabin on a mountain
side on Christmas eve Hsteningsto the
cold wind howl over a world of snow
and wishing that he had 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 the wind
came rushing in and made him shiyef
so that his ''onliest two teef' chartered
with cold. Again the cry came across
the snow, and he wished with all his
power Of longing that he could 60 out
and find the unfortunate little one, for
the plaintfve cry Of little child always
goes straight to the heart. A third
time the cry came, and a miraculous
power seemed to al the old mans
veins. His muscles became tense and
strong. and he stepped from the thresh.
old into the. snow, the crutch falling
back in the cabin. Aa a,'
In an instant he was walking over
the expanse of frozen snow with an
activity he had not possessed since he
used to 'go to camp meetin'" BY and
by be came to little child caught In a
snow bank. He lifted the child, and as
its little form touched him q 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
IL there might be piece of furniture
OF which he could make fire to warm
his small guest. .e4
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 hight that kindled the
log with the most brilliant fire the old
man had ever seen, and the dingy
little room Swas filed with radiance
and warmth that brought a glow to
the soul as well as to the body and
seemed to food the world with light,
As the light wrapped the child in a
shining glory he laughed laugh that
ed up and away. The old man turned
his eyes to where the fire burned and
watched the flames leap In opalescent
ttnts over the log forming the shape
of cross In FIRE.
At this point in the narrative BFer
Simon usually became greatly excit-
ed. and his eyes kindled as he went
on in his rich dialect:
DE flames er de cross spread en-
chase after one ernudder, a-craWlin'
en- a-creepin' In en- out en- around en-
about a-skadlin' hyer en- a-skadlin'
dar; a-lippin' up higher and higher;
frs Ill blue blaze would come. den
a yaller one, den a bright red one
would fare up, en- den de blazes would
all mingulate darsefs tergedder-red
en- blue en- yaller en- white would all
mix wild de klndleation colors err de
rainbow, en- crackle en- crackle en- lip
higher en- bigger en- bigger; de crackles
a-getten' louder en- louder. en- de blazes
gittin' bigger en- bigger"
AS the old man watched all this dis
play suddenly and magically appeared
a table covered with a Christmas feast
such as had never been spread before
his eyes, and never again was he hun.
CRY or cold, and never was there
Christmas in old Virginia after that
without the Yule log and the Christ
mas child to give it light and warmth.