Evening star., 1921-12-25

Mrs. Ella Wilson, Serepta Nebeker
and Elmer Crane.
Committee on distributing presents
Capt G.. W. Helsey, Wilson Batchel-
der, Frank Bowlds. Juanita Simison
and Emma Thornton.
Executive committee-Superin
oent Buzwell. Gideon Welborn, Capt.
G. w. Halsey and the Rev. Ernest
Riddle.
LIVERY year these ponderous COM
mittees were named and yet their
publication deceived no none, for it
was known that Ezra Bliss would
get the tree and put it where it be-
longed, while the Buzweils would alb
solutely boss all the subsequent cere-
monies.
OF course. no one but Cap HalSey
could call off the presents. He had
deep cavalry voice with a sand paper
rasp to 1.-THE kind of voice. every
boy imagined. that General Phil
Sheridan brought with him en- the
day that he rode down from VIM
chester, twenty miles away Cap"
Halsey had been in the Legislature;
also in the Army--a lieutenant. Soon
after the suspension of hostilities he
was made a captain, by general con-
sent. Although he never went to
Sunday school and was. in fact.
worldly man, being an auctioneer of
wide repute and profane accomplish
he, HI Ni,-If nd
vocally impressive that the public
overlooked his shining faults For
instance. usually he returned from
soldiers reunion with his sword
hanging from the small of his back.
1t was likewise known, weeks in
advance, that Ezra Bliss would bring
in the tree.
At least ten days before Christ
mas the committee on decorating the
tree met at Mrs. Buzwelrs to string
popcorn and make the candy sacks.
Each sack was made of a wiry mos
ouito-bar or netting-fashioned rude
ly into the shape of stocking-and
when ready to be put on the tree
contained some four ounces of mixed
candy of the most deadly colors.
Every child who had been enrolled
for three weeks preceding Christ
mas was entitled to one sack of this
koury sweetness and one medium
sized orange. The popcorn strung on
threads was meant to be merely dec
orative, although it was told, one year,
that the. saw-mill boys had pulled
down about hundred yards of 1t
and eaten it. threads and all
These preliminaries relating to
candy sacks, popcorn and cornucopias
did not hold any burning interest for
"us boys" because we were barred
from the semi-social doings at the
Buzwell house. But when Ez Bliss
brought in the tree. that was when
We began active cooperation.
No doubt every town of the Antioch
description has an Ezra Bliss. He
dertaking of a quasi-public character
that called for physical exertion.
Buzwell commanded the realms of in
tellect and spirituality. Bliss did
heavy lifting, and asked for no re-
ward except the word of approval.
k* X X
TOUR days before Christmas came
lazy snowfall-big, cottony
flakes-that blotted out the black
roadways and pine sidewalks and
made the lane out to Squire Sharp
ley's an unbroken trail of the very
whitest kind Of white. When the
snow came we knew that Ezra would
get out his sled. 1t really is good
deal more Christmaslike to have the
tree brought in by sled. Ezra had a
long-waisted Jumper" that he had
made all by himself. using two sap
lines for the runners. On winter
evenings he would take the young
people over to Marvin Junction for an
oyster supper and keep them out un-
til nearly midnight. No one ever
heard of his charging for this service.
That was the trouble with Ezra. He
had no business gumption. Busy the
year round-could turn his hand to
anything and never appeared to be