Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-12-13

i always Slt
around hopefully waiting for IT
to snow.
Most recent years there has
been snow on the ground when
il was time to buy the tree, and
if snow is falling. IT IS that much
better.
Last year Kitten helped" me
carry the tree home. She held
onto one of the branches all the
way, but she believed that she
was helping TO carry the tree.
And that's all right. l hope she
keeps on wanting to help carry
the tree home.
This year will be her first
year OF helping TO decorate H..
By the way, friend of ours,
Fran Striker. has a method Of
making the Christmas tree
lights last longer. He got some
spare sockets al the dime store
and wired two extra ones into
each string of lights. They don't
burn quite as brightly, but they
last longer without burning out.
He says he hasn't had a bulb go
bad In two years. Bulbs seem to
be just about impossible to buy.
BY the way. the Meth family.
who felt funny about having
their Christmas tree up so early,
might as well decide that they
can forget about IT. ! have had
messages from number OF
people who have their trees up
already. Mrs. Emil Tolonen put
hers up last week because she
had been telling her little boy.
Karl, about Christmas trees, and
ne Just couldn't wait any longer
Ia see what a Christmas tree
looked like.
The earliest tree that l know
Of was put up by Mrs. Frank
Zebrosk Of 1918 Superior, who
set up the tree on Dec. 3. She
WAS expecting her son, Cadet
Gerald Zebroski, home from
training camp In California. Like
many another. he didn't get
home. His plane reservation was
Cancelled because some one with
n travel priority needed the seat,
but Mrs. Zebroski left the tree
up anyway.
Somebody else just told me
about a friend who remarked,
mo. re not going 10 have
Christmas dinner AT home this
year so we're not going 10 have
tree" We don't see the con
nection. although We do know OF
people who think that the tree
should be taken down immedi-
ately. the day after Christmas.
To US, though. the tree be-
comes a sort Of personality a
member OF the family that
ought 10 stay with US al least
until New Years.
And sometimes, IN fact, al
most every year, We start TO
think Of the tree AS realizing
what it is all about that the
tree. chopped down in its in
fancy, knows that II has been
chosen for this week or two OF
splendor
II wears its necklace OF lights
and its Shimmering costume Of
baubleS and tinsel. II makes the
world briefly gay and then its
needles begin 10 fall. lis branches
grow crisp and brittle. and il
ends its brief career in the fire.
place, in one final burst of fam
ing glory. Poor little Christmas
tree,
Such Sentimentalty, Just the
same. that's what Christmas is
for. Why. a couple Of days ago
on the bus | saw woman with
her two children, going down TO
sec Santa Claus. The youngsters
were girls, and cute young ones,
one about 8 years old and the
other s. and they couldn't sit
still. they were so excited
Their mother kept fussing at
them. Don't wiggie. You'll
bump that lady next to you! Now
hush up or we won't see Santa
Claus. Wen Just stay right on
the bus and turn around and 60
home. Put your mittens In your
pocket! stop giggling or we
won't go any farther"
|. for one. wished that she
would let them alone, let them
giggle and wriggle and antic-
ipate.
At that. all of us know how
the mother felt. She was prob
ably worrying about getting
enough shoe stamps for these
two growing girls. and wonder
ing how 10 clothe them. and
maybe how to pay the grocery
bills.
Obviously she wanted her girls
TO grow up TO be polite. we'll
behaved young ladies. and if
any one told her that she had
been nagging the youngsters,
she probably wouldn't believe it..
Just correcting them she'd
say.
But even knowing. how She
felt about IT, l wish she'd let the
two little girls be noisy and eX-
cited. and that's strictly selfish