The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1937-12-09
Christmas On
Smoke Greek

mas tree at the little church at the
head of Smoke Creek that year;
and of the several families who
lived there, not more than half
were expecting Santa Claus. The
dark days had left the dismal little
valley or hollow even more gloomy
than it had been in better years,
when the mines across the ridge
in the next hollow gave some en-
ployment to the heads of the fami-
lies of Smoke Creek.
Jim Knox, who lived at the very
head of the stream, was perhaps
the most unhappy of all in the
little settlement" His wife and
only child, son of seven, had died,
and his nearest neighbor was Joe
Halfway, a bitter enemy with
whom he had many difficulties. So
that lonely night of Christmas eve
as Jim sat before the open wood
fire, with the light of blazing hick-
DRY logs his only company, he was
not without fear for his own safe
ty-he know Joe Halfway had
threatened his life.
AS he sat dreaming his eyes hap
pened to rest upon his rifle stand
ing in the corner Of the log ROOM
"gun or Joe pathways will some
day tell the tale" he said to him
self. He meant that one day, like
so many others down the lonesome
stream, either he or Joe would go
and using a common mountain
expression, with his boots on" He
did not care much if it should be
himself; life had come to mean but
little for him.
While Jim was th,Nc dreaming,
Joe Halfway sat in another log
cabin but few yards down the
stream. By chance Joe's attention
was called to a book on a shelf. The
school teacher had given it to his
daughter who had died from the
epidemic on the creek. The title
appealed to hin-4F'The Christmas
Carol" He took the book and be-
gan to read. Page after page and
chapter after chapter he read on:
It was the first book Joe had ever
read. It filled him with new visions
and new ways of thinking. He
read on till midnight and had been
so impressed that he decided to
read chapter from the Bible be-
fore going to bed. By mere acct
dent the chapter was one on the
birth at Bethlehem It's teaching
overpowered him-he had found
the more abundant life.
On Christmas morning when Jim
Knox went out to the spring for
pail of water he noticed some
thing like card tackled on Joe
Railways door. He saw no smoke
from the chimney, Taking in the
water, cautiously he approached
Joe's cabin in door, and read the
note which said:
"Dear Jim: You will find me
gone. I was reading some last
night in The Christmas CAROL and
in the Bible. i read that verse that
told of peace and good will to man.
Said to myself, My family is all
gone-the last was Mary. She left
the book to get me on the right
track. There's nothing in this hol-
low for me any more. Maybe I
can find work by New Years over
on Cedar Creek You and I never
could get along. So to make things
better for us both hereafter I am
leaving at9daybreak.. And Jim as
I say Goodbye I also wish to say,
Peace on earth good will to men,
And as another result of 'The
Christmas Carel'' two mountain
GERS were better men, and though
they had no Christmas cards or
presents, and no holiday programs,
the pines on the hillsides seemed
a bit greener and the music of the
streams seemed sweater.-From
Western Newspaper Union.