The Lucknow Sentinel, 1979-12-12, Page 391 uck00% Sentinel, Wednesday, December 19, 19/9,—Page x
We wish Thank You for
the warm
welcome
to the
community!
you all the
Joy of a `..
very Merry
Christmas
.Our first Christmas in Canada will always'remain in
my memory as the one which truly represented the
spirit of the season, My family and I were as poor as
church mice and yet we had so much to be thankful for
- we had each other.
,It was a green Christmas and i well remember the
face of my youngest child pressed against the window
pane, expecting at any moment to see white flakes
drifting down from the sky. She was a little short
tongued and made up the words to the tune of the
national anthem which the other kids had learned at
school. •
"Oh ,Canada, i can't thee any thnow."
The children questioned Angus about the lack of
snow and just how he thought Santa would make it to
Redtrees.
"Don't see many Christmases in Canada without
snow." He smiled whimsically. "But I phoned 'im so I
did -.I told 'im we ain't got no snow. 'e says tell them
Campbell kids I'm comin', so ! am.
After this brief discussion and the children reassured
about the appearance of Santa. Claus,.I mentioned to
Angus that I hoped thpy didn't get too excited. This
Christmas there would not be much under the tree
and we didn't even have a tree yet!
.My eldest daughter, more experienced and
realistic than the rest, was quick. to size up the
situation. She led my brood to the cedar swamp. They
returned happily home singing carols all the way and
dragginga young cedar tree behind them. There is ,.
something -about a large family which Is unique. They
might argue amongst themselves but when .the chips
are down they stand together.
Scissors., a pot ofglue and some .coloured paper,
--transformed an old frame house into a fairy. grotto.
With a.few nicknacks, a tree, evena. cedar, becomes
the most beautiful Christmas tree on earth. If a star
must shine from the top, it is amazing what can• be
done with a bit of aluminum foil.
I watched my little group of new Canadians building`
for themselves the first Christmas in their new land.
There was some sadness, of course, that it would be a -
lean Christmas but there was pride - such deep pride.
The lititle face at the window still looked for the
snow and the coming of Santa Claus. She kept turning
her. head to view the exciting activity which
surrounded her, and, asked over and over again.
"There'th no thnow - how will Thanta'th thled come
up the road ifthere'th no thnow?"
"l'm sure he'll find a way;" my oldest daughter
reassure her. e a way as one - eve y
Christmas. He'll come - you'll see."
From the old radio carne the happy music of..
Christmas. My wife was baking mince pies and the
room was filled with the:wholesome aroma. The wood
stove bathed us in a warm happy glow.: There was
intense anticipation .of all the joy we would share
together..
I Darkness cameto the rolling land but the little face
remained .faithfully pressed -'to the window She had
been silent for .,Some" .time she just waited and
believed what she had been told. When she spoke it
was in a tone which seemed to say, "I told you so."
"Thanta ith coming - Thee - he'th brought hith
hortheth."
We all crowded at the window,: and sure enough
there wasthe jolly old fellow himself, a little thinner
than 1 had: previously seen him, but nevertheless, the
one and only Santa Claus. There was aleamof horses
and 1 supppose even Santa had to be content with a
hay waggon instead of a sleigh. Nobody bothered to
question howthat decrepit old vehicle had managed to
.make it from the north pole!
Letters to the editor....
•from page 6
—` `Play'', a child's medium of
expression, is a vitally important part of ,a
child's adjustment to hospitalization and
recovery. After labouring long and hard to
equip the playroom over a year ago, we are
of course disappointed to see a playroom
area for the ward disappear. But far more.
than disappointed, we are intensely angry
to see the emotions and recovery physchol-
ogy of a child so blatantly abused.
Mr. Milosevic, we urge most strongly
that the Pediatric Ward be returned to its
former location. In this the Year of the
Childs we as a community must surely
consider the needs of our children with
More compassion and common sense. •
Yours truly,
The Kairshea; Women's Institute.
He burst through the door with some rather high
pitched Ho-Ho-Ho's!, 'carrying three dirty looking
sacks labelled "United Co -Operatives of Ontario."
"I've come, so i 'ave. i've got toys from my
workshop and some more I picked up fer yer which yer
neighbours asked me to bring. Ain't you kid. s lucky?"
He looked sternly at the little crowd .around him, "I
guess I come, ter the right place - this is the
Campbell's 'ouse ain't it?" They all nodded
reassuringly except one little blonde boy.
"The house belongs to Uncle Angus - but we live
here too and my name is Donald - I hope you've got
something for me."
Santa patted the blonde head lovingly. "I got
something fer•yer--,-so 1 'ave. I got plenty of goodies for
yous all." •
He withdrew packages one by one from the sacks
and called out the names from the labels. If anybody
guessed that the voice was familiar, nobody seemed to
care. They might have thought that Santa had started
a dairy herd at the north pole he smelled as though
he had just come outof a barn! .
When the sacks were empty, each child had three
packages and they were alt deliriously happy. The one
with the lisp dropped a bombshell! She walked up to
Santa Claus and tugged at the bottom of his ill fitting
red garment.
"Do you have anything for my Mummy and
Daddy?"
Santa looked down at the little child. He thought he
had planned everything so beautifully this was
something he had not anticipated. He shook his head
slowly from side to side.•
"No, l ain't," he said sadly. ''This is a Children's
Christmas\ so it is.. I didn't figure on. it being a
Mummy•and Daddy Christmas. Anyways - they've got
more than me." He looked intently at the little child
and I swear there was a lump in his throat.."I only got
kids -Nat Christmas, but yer Mummy and Daddy,
they've got kids all the time, so they'ave."
I think the whole situation was too much jor Santa'
Claus. He picked up the grain sacks and limped to the
door. My wife and I followed him out of the house; but
he didn't„sac, anything. He climbed ,up onto the
wagon, drove•down the taneway and disappeared into
the trees,
There were tears in my wife's eyes.
"Angus,”` she said. "Dear, dear Angus."
At the peak of happiness and joy it seemed as if' the
night was filled with the sound of bells and angel
voices:
If you make this a Children's Christmas,
You'll find happiness and then,
Within your heart of hearts a gentle voice will
whisper,
Of peace on earth and good will to all men.
Remember dhristmas nights of wonder,
In those childhood: days of yours?
Reach into yesteryear and find some long lost cheer,
Which once came from the thought of Santa Claus—
The
The Christmas light§,.the bells chiming,
The blessedplace which we calf home,
And in the young eyes brightly shining,
You -see every Christmas you have ever known.
So find a child to share your pleasure,
And in the east a star will shine,
For nothing means as • much as an infant's loving
touch,
To bring a warmth to this, sweet Christmas time.
Poem by D.A. Campbell,
To the Editor:
The Ripley and District
Lions Club wish to thank
all those people.. who
generously supported our
efforts to raise money for
the CNIB. The Canadian
National Institute for the
Blind will receive over.
MOO.
The Lions . would also
like to publicly thank the
below mentioned for their
donations to our township
project, the picnic
pavilion at Point Clark:
Wayne Lowry for the use
of equip►inent and Chester
Emmerton for operating
same; also to Jim
MacTavish Sr. of
ail
Lucknow for his donation
of gravel from his pit;
also ithanks to the
members of the' club for
donating their time and
material and use of
equipment.
Gerald N. Crooks DC
Assistant Secretary
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Klaus & Dianne Heinisch
HEINISCH SERVICE CENTRE LTD:
To our
cherished
customers
. thanks..
•
PROCLAMATION
CIVIC HOLIDAY
...Wednesday,`
December 26, 1919
BOXING DAY
1 hereby proclaim BOXiNG DAY, WEDNES-
DAY, DECEMBER 26th', 1979 as a. CIVIC
HOLIDAY.
GEORGE JOYNT,
Reeve
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FN
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C &. B. Builders
"Builders For Todays
Building Needs"
Carpentry and Cement Work
CALL
Alex Chisholm 529.7714
OR
Doug ' Blocker 5248147
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A
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PHONE AFTER 6 P.M.
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