Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-25
The Santa Claus of Laurel Forks
By Rovena Anne Halbert
Uncle Wealth Was Heart He
Tried Silver Dollars the Riddles Christmas
RnT

! such luck-luck that founded new re-
spcct for Uncle Ebe. But the experts
opinion. after spending many days up
the hollow. turned this resnect to quiet
laughter on the old man. The ore was
not In large enough quantities. was
too impure to mine successfully. There
were. he said, some lean samples
yielding 20 per cent, but not enough
to pay.
The light in Uncle F.be's eyes did
not die when the stranger left He
retired to filling his knob. dreaming
meanwhile OF silver. the kind from
which coins were made. When the
rows of seed had all been carefully
covered over by hand he raised his
body proudly to view his work. to look
beyond to the Christmas the little
patch would bring TO Laurel Folks.
peculiar stiffness in his joints stopped
him when only half erect as he could
stand--forebodings of guar sea
SON" He trembled. His nervous eyes
went up to the northeast sky ques.
tionablyH 1t was thick black. Uncle
Ebe sought solace. help in prayer. 1t
was not for himself that he asked
God to keep backwaters out of Salt
Lick. Surely He knew that there
were children. always children, to
think Of on the birthday Of his Son.
Uncle Ehe's God IL he heard him.
did not stay the elements. They bat.
tied high above and way beyond the
hills OF Cox and swiftly the refuse OF
tho heavens came sweeping down
black and mad Ohio River, crowding
into the small streams. which emptied
into 1t. It's angry overflow, dread back.
waters. Up Salt Lick Creek they
rushed. rising. rising. and no force. no
means to turn them back until they
covered Uncle Ebe's titled acre. There
they stayed 10 wait for the owner Of
their mother river to be dimmed: until
she called for them to return to her.
The flood sent Uncle Ebe up Laurel
Hollow to safety. He went with tears
large and singing in his heart.
The backwaters did s,ibside-sneaked
down the creek like thieves. taking
their loot along. leaving the bottom
land naked plundered strip OF muddy
earth. Uncle Ebe did not come out OF
Laurel Hollow to see the waste. He
stayed hidden. Indignantly injured.
COX became accustomed to missing
him. The children gave up In
despair. Laurel Hollow had let him
up" just az 1t had every other fool
who went into 1t. Hadn't he moved
his board-and peg cabin up there with
all the "nxinS'? OF course he would
never come out. Who wanted TO share
his fate by following him? They dis.
cussed him so until the end Of Autumn
and then one day he appeared. like
ghost, to startle them.
He was a little older. graver. and
more bent that day In early December
when he came to Thomas. but he
swung his crooked leg out in the same
important manner. Children looked on
curiously and silently retreated. afraid.
He carried the Christmas sack. knot
ted In the middle, something weighing
the bottom Of It. Questions. hundreds.
were hurled by the inquisitive who
followed him, but Uncle F.be had not
learned new way of answering those
who displeascd him.
Kent ] hev no piracy? Haint my
doin's all my own
After his usual manner he went TO
pugh'x store and gave part OF his
Christmas order. A litie timidly and
suspiciousiy jamie ADDED the bill and
announced It's total. Uncle Ehe had
been little more extravagant and gen
erous this year. did he know II? Rut
the old man waved away the warning