Evening star., 1937-12-24
Memory of Author of might Before Christmas Honored New York
Spend Xmas
with Your
Family
Christmas Letter
That Every One
Should Read.
BY EMILY POST.

FOR today have saved this letter:
Christmas to me brings nostalgia
remembrances from which I shall
probably never completely be able to
escape. But If I can perhaps impress
you, dear Mrs. Post, with my story,
50 that you will print it, I know
shall flnd some relief in the thought
that others who have homes are read
ing this.
ITO 60 back as far as can remem-
Der, which was when my sister and I
were very young children, Christmas
In our house was q time of elaborate
preparation. For days before the 25th
the house was spicy with the mixing
OF mince meat and the baking of fruit
cake and cookies, mingled with the
aroma of evergreens. Then there was
tense excitement when the time came
for our many relatives to arrive.
"As We grew older, and more know
ing, we shared, of course, in more of
the Christmas Eve preparations. And
as more years passed, the cousins from
far away stopped coming to spend
Christmas with us. They had school
parties at home, and some of the aunts
and uncles were not well. But even
when we were to be alone, the house
was just as fragrant as ever with the
evergreens and the browning cakes.
And now, instead of waiting for
Christmas Day, we always gathered
together on Christmas Eve and as the
clock struck IL, exchanged greetings
and presents.
When the sister, who was ny twin.
and I had begun to take more inter-
est in beaux, We more or less belittled
mothers and fathers continuance of
this ritual, since We Lad been more
than once reluctant to leave a CAV
holiday dance in order to be home be-
fore the stroke of IL. !
Then finally, the year we were 49,
my sister became engaged, so on
Christmas eve I went to a dance
alone. AS usual, like Cinderella, as
IL O'Clock drew near, did not want
TO go home. But unlike Cinderella.
knew very well that it was time to 20.
Ihere was a man at the party whon
wanted so much to impress and 1
couldn't ask him home to a family
nreslde ceremony. And neither did
I want to leave him to discover some
other girls attractiveness. So I
stayed
When arrived home an hour
later the lights in the sitting room
were out, but by the embers in the
fireplace I could see the unopened
gifts under the tree. In our room nv
sister was undressing She had spent
the evening with the family OF her
fiance and had only just come In too.
Before we turned out our light,
mother came to wish us a Merry
Christmas and good night. After she
left, neither of us felt like going into
further raptures over what had ear
lier seemed such heavenly evening.
Next day mother was as busy as
she always was at Christmas, and as
gay. But father didn't mince mat
tiers in telling us that with 1854 eve
nings in the year to 60 out, 1t was
little enough to save the remaining
one for mother and himself
Before the next Christmas mother
and father had met with fatal ac-
cident. My sister and her husband
had moved to South America, and in
deepest mourning I spent my Christ
mas alone. In fact, Christmas is the
one day in the year which I usually
spend alone.
If you have space to print this let
ter, I don't believe any more need
be said to those who have q mother
and father"