Evening star., 1933-04-24
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES Z. TRACEWELL,

The following contribution Il 20 old
fashioned that at first we decided not
TO print 1t, but, upon reading It over,
thought that probably there are enough
unsophisticated people left to enjoy
the picture 1t paints.
The missive, as left at this ONCE,
follows. Perhaps 1t will bring back
memories Of childhood days to many.
-
A Heaven Wreathed in RoseA
Their names really should have been
Mr.. and Mrs. Santa Claus, for he looked
every childs ideal of the Jolly saint;
she like q good substantial elderly Ger
man angel
Surely no one ever had . house 10
full Of pleasures for young neighbors.
There was an old-fashioned rose vine
that clambered up the east side Of the
plain old white frame house clear to
the second story windows. In some
way, then just miraculous, and still
unexplained, that rose vine had forced
every June you could 60 into that room
and see roses In bloom inside the glass.
In the bed room over the parlor there
was q register above the parlor stove.
You could lie down on your stomach
and peer into that seldom-seen room
below, with the big pink sea shells, the
wax flowers under q glass dome, the
flowered carpet, the whatnot displaying
the china dogs, and the pictures Of the
children. long grown, with children Of
their own now, and, rumor reported,
none too attentive to their parents.
There was grindstone under the
grape arbor. You turned 1t with a
xr,I, f,, D. g.
you could make 1t go!
There was a large turned-up kettle,
which on certain occasions was turned
right-side up over blazing fire for the
periodic making OF scft soap.
There was a little black-and-tan dog
called Jackie, which bit your Dad on
the ankle and tore his suit. Jackie
fell out Of the buggy in his old age
and broke his leg but wss carefully
Aursed back to health by his adoring
owners
He reclined during his invalidism
on small red cushion behind the
"settin' room" base-runner.
\ 4 y y
Out in the stable was Molly, the
ancient white horse, whose main duty
was drawing Mr. Santa Claus along the
road across the river to the truck patch.
OOHletuHeS, II you were very gOOQ, you
were taken along, with Jackie There
was boy lived next to the truck patch,
who painted beautiful pictures on glass,
deer and cows and trees and things
To paint on glass and have your effcrts
displayed to any and all callers by
doting parents became the moments
big ambition
II you would promise to be very still,
and not fall in the river, you could
sit on the bank and watch Bill fsh,
while Santa Claus hoed his potatoes
Then hcme again, with the buggy laden
with corn and tomatoes and string
beans.
While Molly was being unhitched,
you fingered by the kitchen garden.
with its foamy bunch of asparagus. that
somehow was too pretty to be associated
with mere vegetables; sauntered to the
pump, where you began to bathe your
eyes in cold fresh water, cnly to have
Mrs. Santa CLAUS warn you never to
wash your eyes in cold water, always
in hot. for cold water would congest
them"
And then the climax of the day.
Looking very mysterious, but not fool
ing you bit, Mrs. Santa would open
the cellar door and 60 down the steps
Soon she would be back, bearing a
large crock full of perfect soft ginger
cookies, just soft enough, just spicy