Evening star., 1932-12-25

~ PREPARATION for Christmas begins
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bration. 1t is whole weeks jubilation.
beginning on Christmas eve morning
and ending when the second morning Of the
new year sets men with mules and plows to
breaking up the land into seed beds for new
crops.
Christmas eve marks the birthnight of sweet
little Jesus, but it also marks the end Of the
whole years work. Even time pauses then to-
rest for a span Of happy days and nights be-
tween the joys and SORROWS of the year behind
and whatever the new year holds.
Before Christmas comes, the solid old quar-
ter houses, built long ago to shelter the slave
forefathers, are all dressed up to meet It,
Floors are secured until dingy boards are we'll
nigh white. Doors and window blinds are
whitened with clay from the big gully. The
same blueing that stains door and window
frames to keep out next Summers sharp
lightning decorates front doors with gay, tall
words, saying Merry Christmas and Happy
New Year." The MS and ps may be turned
hindpart before, but that makes no difference
for everybody knows what the words mean
The quarters children have their own school
now, and many read and write better than
their parents do.
When a storm blew the roof off the old
schoolhouse standing at the plantations far
edge, the big room Of Maum Anakys empty
house became the schoolroom, for Maum
Anaky has gone to Heaven.
The old benches which stayed under the
house, except when they were brought inside
Tor prayer meeting on Wednesday and Sunday
nights, now makes seats for school children
and stand in rows across the room week in
and week out. the whole year round
When Christmas comes no house in the
quarters looks nicer than this gentle old room
where Maum Anaky was born and died. Fresh
newspapers, brought with new-laid eggs from
the crossroads stores or from white people
living IN the neighborhood. are pasted neatly
over the side walls. Cut into scallops, they
cover the high mantel shelf: fringed and
sewed to hoops. they swing like great un-
lighted lanterns from the rafters
Maum Anaky's old crane and pot hooks.
fastened to the back of the huge chimney look
a bit lonesome with only one kettle of naked
water to steam over the blazing fire. Her wide
rock hearth. freshly Redeemed with clay for
Christmas, holds no three-legged spider or iron
oven to roast and bake bread and meat But
piles Of ashes on each side of the fire are
banked over sweet potatoes roasting for the
children to eat whenever so much work getting
the school house ready for Christmas makes
hunger gnaw at their middles.
Maum Anaky's little square pine table makes
desk for the teacher in front of the big fire.
place, but Christmas eve morning finds all the
books and papers put away In their place
stand Bible and a shining glass kerosene
lamp beside the old cowbell which calls chill
dren to school. All is ready for the watch night
prayer meeting to begin at first dark.
In the teachers hand that old cowbelrs voice
is stern it calls out to the children every
morning: Come on to school! Come on to
SCHOOL," But when old Uncle Peter rings it as
the first stars peep out on Christmas eve, it
chants solemn invitation urging everybody,
old and young to come spend the night prais-
ing God for the blessings He has given during
the wear