Evening star., 1921-12-25
BRINGING IN THE TREE

COulQ not nave peeN taNSh t"A
the front doors of the church The
church still stands, and the doupie
doorway is sthere-diminished shrunk-
en-, attenuated Where Is the wide
and lofty portal Of long ago? 1t has
shriveled, even as the town of Antioch
has shriveled. And yet the Business
Mems Improvement Association In
sists that the town has grown at an
amazing clip. and points to the new
hub and spoke factory as backing up
the claim.
When the tree was brought in Anti
och was geographical center OF the
universe. The sun rose out or VII
derzen's corn field and set about
mile beyond Huttons hay press. The
first faint rumblings of Christmas
ioy were heard almost as soon as the
community had recovered from the
gorge practiced under the name OF
Thanksgiving. To arouse preiilh-
nary excitement the druggists began
to exhibit in their windows silver
bound combs and brushes. New stock.
supposedly. but we remembered some
OF the Olu IdNoIIlcS VI ehS S>N>A
fore-beautiful, but too expensive for
Antioch even at the most reckless
season.
Another early symptom was the IN
fiammatory development OF religious
sentiment among the. very young. On
the first Sunday in December the IN
fant class had spread beyond the
Of benches and
filled not less than six. The other.
classes, except Brother Sharpiey
mature Bible class. over in the corner
showed the same growth of interest
in lessons to be derived from the
Scriptures. Carrie Purvis. VINO was
secretary, read in her report that the
attendance had increased in two
weeks from 11O to 1S5. The McCabe
children. four in number. had been
reclaimed after many months of alb
sence, and were on hand, scrubbed TO
q soapy pallor and stranSled with
ribbons. No less than dozen boys
from the sawmill settlement (border-
land of civiliZation) had enrolled
themselves and were Stimulating an
interest in the Red sea episode. In
stead of hunting rabbits both morn
ing and afternoon. they were doing
all their hunting in the morning, and
In the afternoon were ranged along
the front row of Miss Cummings
class, the first one north of the stove.
TAMES BUZWELL was superintend-
) ent of the Sunday school and had
been for many years. Before each an
nual election of officers he declared
himself not candidate. After being
matted on by a representative COM
waited upon by a representative COM
could manage the school. he reconsld-
cred and promised to serve for Just
one more term. Mr.. Buzwell was /
product of Antioch. The supreme test
of worth is to attain eminence In i
town where one was known as boy.
James Buzwell had done this. When
he was about eighteen years of age he
had a full growth of beard and was
bookkeeper in Daltons general store.
When he was twenty-five the nomina-
tion for town clerk came to him un-
sought II was JdiiicS sSAA "AAo'
at funerals, walked ahead of the pail
bearers, and ordered up the livery
rigs for the mourners. BY the process
of natural selection he became secre-
tary of every republican convention
held in the township of Antioch.
About this time every man of pious
disposition who wore whiskers was
an ardent republican.
Mrs. Buzwell had been Humphrey.
The Humphrey tribe went west just
in time to meet the grasshoppers in
Kansas. but Mrs. Buzwell remained
to teach a class of girls in the Sum
day school. Some people used to hint
around that the BuZwells had alto
gether too much ".say" in the run
ming of the Sunday school
1t vast must have been-the
first Sunday in December. After the
infant class had trooped back from
the L in which the prayer meetings
were held on Wednesday evenings.
and the assemblage had sung Shall
We Gather at the River?' Mr.. Buzz
well, moving over the ingram carpet
with a cat-like tread, came to the
front of the platform and beamed
upon the restless company. He car
ried a lesson-leaf, which he continued
to roll and unroll as he spoke.
Can any of you littul boys or girls
tell me what day is coming soon?"
he asked. mo, don't say it yet. just
hold up your hands,"
Immediately the air seemed to
coagulate with wriggling fingers.
Superintendent Buzwell smiled be-
nignly.
Now. then, what is the day."
Grand chorus-'Christma
That's right, childurn, Christmas
is coming and-that will do. (This
to the eight or ten who still had their
hands up.) Christmas is coming and
in accordance with our usual GUS
tom we are to have Christmas tree
(Profound sensation as if all of them
had not known! A growing murmer
of excitement and saw-mill boys
arising, only to be pulled back into
their places.) Yes, we are going to
have a tree and mebbe old Sanity will
be with US. if the sleighing is good.
General laughter, affecting even the
Bible class) We have held a teach
ers' meeting and appointed commit
tees to look after the work. I want
to say that Squire Sharpley has
promised us a tree. That's right,
Squire. amt it?"
Squire Sharpley (rising): you can