Evening star., 1946-12-25

George H. Williams, the real estate
man, told the Eatons, the Everitts,
the Nyes, the Chappelears and all
the other veterans who paid him
$500 or $1,000 deposits that the-
would be sitting down to Christmas
dinner in their own homes.
That was the dream. This is the
reality:
The Eatons will spend Christmas
in the one-room and kitchen fiat
three floors up in a rooming house.
The Nyes are still living in three
dark rooms over scale works. The
Chappelears, like so many of the
other veterans, are staying with
their in-laws. The Everitts are pay
ing SAT month for their one room.
Yule Trimmings in Room.
For many of the veterans this is
the first Christmas at home in three
or four years. Home" this Christ
mas was to be a five-room house
with plenty of grounds for the chill
dren to play. In actuality, home is
wherever the veterans have found
a place to put their families.
The wives have done what they
could. Sprigs of holly hide cracks
in the walls. Red bells brighten dark
rooms. Wreaths hang in windows.
In Traylor Rodgers two rooms, first
floor rear. at IA Eleventh street
Sc, Mrs. Rodgers has pinned
Christmas cards all over the cur
tains and put red tapers on the false
mantlepiece.
Wherever there's a child there's
a Christmas tree In the three
rooms tenanted by Mr.. and Mrs.
Charles M. Nye above the scales
shop at 734 Third street NV, a
small tree, cobwebbed with "ange]
hair" stands on a table in an alcove.
The table and the floor under it are
covered with gifts for 17-month-old
Elizabeth Anna tiny gold bracelet
with a blue enamel heart, dolls, silk
dresses, tin truck and football
from her father, a doll bed and a
set of cardboard doll furniture from
her mother.
Everitts Need Space.
"Weve been getting things to-
gether for her ever since my hus-
band got out of the Army" ex-
planned Mrs. Nye. I'VE wanted a
home with a yard for her to play
in, but I guess that's one thing we
can't give her this Christmas"
The Christmas tree occupies what
little space is left in the room occu-
pied by William G. Everitts, his ex-
WAC wife and their 10-month-old
baby, Donna Lee. Mrs. Everitts
worries because Donna Lee is going
to need space to move around in
soon and the bed, crib, the baby's
play pen, bureau and a chair take
up all the room.
This was the Christmas when a
dream of seven years was going to
come true for Mr.. and Mrs. John
Eaton. The 25-year-old wife began
to save when her husband went into
the service. She moved into the third
floor front at 822 K street Sc. to
save on rent money. She went to
work every day at S am. SO she
could put away her husbands allot-
ment checks She bought what she
had to for 6-year-old Kathryn but
nothing for herself. She worked un-
til she got sick and when her hus-
band came home last July she had
saved $500. With his 5000 muster
ing-out pay, she had $1,000. She felt
now she could buy her dream. She
gave the 81 900 to Williams as down
payment on a home.
Dubious About New Saving.
"It's the first time in our life we
ever had a chance to have any,
thing" she said in a low voice.
Curly says we saved It once, we can
do it again. But with the baby COM
Ing, don't know"
For Kathryn's sakes.zthe Eatons
put a lot Of effort into kheir Christ