The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-12-22
Christmas
Experiences
(Bv AIbe Martin.)

.
ever, heart is supposed T. be brimmin'
aver with real good cheer in tn an
ticipation O. tn, Christmas festival,
III, glorious annual festival when our
souls are supposed t. be filled with tn
beautiful an, lofty sentiment O. "Peacs
on Earth an good will toward men, !
even good will toward the paperhang-
er am tn clerk that calls us broth.
err Christmas is TIL one drive Oh
All th' year when everybuddy is ex-
pecteti Z come across an take chances
On rettin' somethin' in return. Christ
iAmus is supposed t. be tn one great.
festival o. th' year when childhood
comes int its own, an tn toy drum
an, tn, ear drum clash, when we get
tangled up in electric trains, an feel
0ur way thro' tn cheap, yeller cigar
smoke that fills th' livin' room, when
our apple green plush, Christmas
necktie makes its first an last ap..
Z uearance. Christmas is supposed Y
he tn, day tn celebrated annual turn
aver takes place--when ever slender,
painted princess gifts piece o shin
IN iewelry, an ever thin-spaced,
belted Lothario gifts forni-httin
cigarette case.
Christmus is also supposed t be
tn one brief, feetin'' day out O IN
whole three hundred an sixty-nve
when, thro, tn kindness an Thought
fulness o. tn more favored, the rant
smile o. gratefulness fits across IN
wan faces O. tn poor an distressed.
But what Christmas is supposed = be
AM what Christmas really is are two
widely different an distinct stories.
TIL beautiful time-honored annlver-
sary has been so over advertised, so
played up an commercialized, that It
has degenerated int a grand yearly
holdup. Theirs been so much printed
about shoppin' early, so many sug-
positions about what t give, SO much
advice about how T. select an wraE
an mail, SO much slush about tn
beauty O. givin' so much harpin' about
th' poor, tired clerks, an SO blamed
much naggin' about tn whole blamed
affair that tn month O. December has
come T. be th' most dreaded month o
all tn year.
Spirit Departs Early
Folks ioslle thro' tn stores more
like they wuz huntin' lid fer eer-
tain kind of stove instead of a gift
fer one near an dear. TIL famous
Christmas spirit deserts 'em before
they rit in the elevator. From ther
on Il becomes ftful, desperate hurt
Tiers no time to decide. We mus
act quickly. Somethin' must be goi
an got while tn gettin's good, Any
kind o. cigars fer paw, any. kind O.
mug fer nav, tn first sled we come
to fer Albert, an any doll thai
saueaks fer Jean Ann. TIL ordeal o
tryin' t. find somethin' fer someone
who you're afraid is goin' t give
somethin' e you is even more mad
denim than tryin' t. shop leisurel!
am cautiously fer jest tn very thlnt
Ellie or Henry would like. TIL wors
thing about shOppin' early IS havln' !
hide an automobile from Robert or
bedroom set from Dorothy. Anothe
deplorable thing about Christmas !
th' long string o. people we feel W
sought t. remember" that we'd like
ferget. o. course, this don't requir
great amount O. Christmas spirit
but it takes lots O. elbow grease al
self restraint. We kin go south ar
miss winter. We kin flee to tn high
lands an sidestep the food, or 6
abroad an skip a presidential elec
tion, but ther's no escape frur
Christmas.
Memories of Other Days
AS we grow older we feel tinge
sadness at Christmas time: Eve
with tn joyous shouts O. children al
tn happy, smilin' faces O. those abou
us we can't keep back tn men1orie
of other Christmusses, memories O. Il
dear ones who have passed beyon'
memories O. tn old family circle wa
back in tn mist O. years. One bias
of a toy trumpet, on tn clear winte
air brings that golden age back agai
-th' red swans head sled, tn ne
mittens fastened t'gether with
strand o. yarn, our first copper-toe
boots, tn, little stockin's danglin' fro
tn old mantei shelf, an tn savor
turkey dinner an tn blue fnottis
dishes.
II .allus feels like a defeated cand
date on Christmas day." says Te
Bfinkley. "Christmus is fine fer chi
dren an lovers, an it has some a
fractions fer mothers an fathers, b'
fer th' old and childless it's purd
much tn same as grounding da
'cept tn banks are closed. have t
dearest recollections of our o
Christmussrs at home. ! rememb
so well our last Christmus. We had
reunion. Brother Bob and Sis con
home. Bob wuz big blusterin' fe
ler-some kind Of a promoter an
wuz covered with emblematic pins a
watch charms. It wuz his first tin
home in years. kin remember ho
frail. mother looked beside him as
clasped her thin, tired hands abo
his neck. Sis wore big hat a
smelled like musk. It struck me she
changed lot. She didn' make en-
over mother t. suit me, an she har
ly looked at father. She went in t
old musty parlor and snooped aroun
@tSame ole junk she said as s.
looked at the glass cane that stood
th' corner. Then she picked up i
tie fancy box covered with varnish
peach seeds that wuz on tn cent
table. In 1t WIZ some old fad
daguerrotypes, an underneath tn
protected by glass wuz lock q ra
en hair mothers hair when she W
girl. Then she picked up some era
on portraits. 'Umph, tn ole fol
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