The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-12-24
Christmas EDe

Little cullud Rastus come a-skippin'
 down de street,
 A-smilin an a-grinnin' at everyone
 he peet;
 My, ohf he was happy Boy! but he \ was gay
 Wishln' Merry Chris'mus" an "A
 Happy New Year Day"l Wishn' that his wishes might evey
 one come true
 And-bless your dear heart, honey
 I wish the same to you, Ellis Parker Butler, in the Decem-
 Der 1. Nicholas.
 If anybody should happen to ask you if this Christmas eve ism just about as happy as any Christmas eve that ever happened. tell them yes. for I've got a little story to relate that will prove peradyenture. with out a doubt, that what 1 say is ab- solutely true.
 Last, night Peggy and Dolly stopped in to see Nelly Waters and her little family, on their way home from Peg gy's Aunt Janets Christmas party for the family.
 Peggy took a long breath and threw back her head and said as they got out of hearing of Aunt Janet and her friends:
 T do not like these feasts where the mirth has t-you-remember CT ring
 "A family dinner" Dolly said. "is always rs- tree to me If every one of the rela- tives were of the same degree of lghtness and brightness"-
 You talk" Peggy suggested. "as If your relatives were Christmas tree ornaments and not human beings"
 We are all Christmas tree orna- ments," Dolly announced There Is my Uncle William, who is the big package, too valuable and heavy to be tied on the tree. so he is put under it, where he won't spoil all the fool little things that are to be strung around as emblems of Christmas. There is Cousin Louise, who Is in his class. The rest of the family are in more Or less degree ornaments and packages that bedeck the festive oc- casion."
 And you" Peggy asked what are you on the tree?"
 There was a time" Dolly replied. when was merely pink iced gum drop-in my infancy-then I grew to the woolly lamb stage. from that to the school girl book stage. l steadily advanced past bonbons aDd pink rose ornaments for my hair, and I've kept on until now Pm-Pm"-
 ''What"
 Oh, don't know" she replied. Pm maybe one of the square White pack ages that are good and sensible and necessary to every orthodox tree, but which just the same rebels at being strung up upon it."
 But why?" Peggy still persisted.
 Its such a mixup." she replied pessimistically. "Christmas trees now aren't what they were-say. quarter of century ago. Nobody has any fun any more in putting the presents on them, or in taking them off"
 Dolly" Peggy anticipated, If you are getting ready to launch into a Christmas eve monologue about hap pier days. please don't. There weren't any. And this Christmas Is as brand new and sparkling as the first Christ mas when they sang the Peace on Earth song"
 T don't believe it." Dolly replied SNcAtiJ' iSSt Q dSk -Ncliy. .Sn6 QOeEnll know anything about it-that's the reason she can settle the dispute con clusively."
 Nelly Peters has three kiddies-all mighty near the same age. She was in the dining room "fixin' the tree, the maid who admitted them said Would we go back?"
 We will.' Dolly said, and led the way.
 Even before they got to the door there was sound of the drooling ol young doves and the gurgles of the three, mixed with NeHys gay laugh. ter and John's-her husband-deet passed efforts to reproduce the voice of fierce grizzly for the edificatior of the baby.
 h They've got the two older ones l locked out" Dolly was immediate interest. They let the baby stay ir because they don't think her year-old mind can grasp what they are doing i to the tree"
 "Of course we could get .in-wt 1 could give the grown-up countersign We've got to see the tree" "Oh?' Nelly breathed ecstatically {! they are really interested in the tree, John." Dolly kicked me absent ly under my chair. Do you know. Nelly held a bright spray of holly be. ! tween her lips, that awful old Mrs Bowling came by here this afternoon and actually had the face to tell