Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutWingham Advance-Times, 1981-12-22, Page 100,4 Decd • • ' .124: • ,•;:•,•; Snowy Christmas year Mt All over htte town of Grumps; iiegtple scurried along tirevoled streets on their Net* 1! e„ There were no • Mb . lights because it Cott too much. People eweren't wrapping gifts in bright shiny paper because it was far too eepensive and besides, a brown paper bag Worked just as well. Children ran along the sidewalks pushing and fight- ing. Awry shouts and grum- bles rang brightly through the air, while people pushed, pushed and pushed! In a brightly lit building, an old man sat in his office counting money. He had white hair, merry blue eyes and whistled a lot. His name was Ittr. Ebeneezer Gringe, the town'smoney loaner. Bright Christmas lights danced in bis windows and a beautiful tree shone. He was working alone now for he had sent his employee, Mr. Bob Greed*, , home earlier that week. •finally he picked up his .coeV and cane and walked elderly home thr.ough the *It,He humnied a carol, which gained Min a few angry glares and snarls. M. Gringe, reached his hoie„ Where more lights • and another tree sat. One filch of the light switch and nothing. Gringe Scratched hit head and; flicked the switeh agatn. Still nothing Suddenly a movement at his dimr-knocker caught his eye. • The :brass dooreknecker had changed lido: the gros- tesque face of a ghost: It vanished and the sights flickedoo- . shaking his head, dringe went upstairs to his room and proceeded to start ahiagefirein thefkeplace- .•A nigh , • .; AntIC:Cep,. a *W1 of t 1 L a bright ca,t210S 44 riSet-; inhisbigchgic y, a strong wind blew open the Curtains and •almost toppled, poor Gringe „ • as over! As if OAS enough, the door fl open and in Cam%,,, glOstlY ghost, dapiJ in holly and mistletoe,. He nailed ortt!ably,,at Gnnge • and shook his hark..., 'Hi, there, Mr,' Pie!. I'm your PL-Partrtqo member? Dead these- 7 years. You know I've been watching yotrand I just want to say --- REPENT! Before it 'e too late!" "Rere. . pent?" asked Snrooge. "Why?" "Bcause you're too good! Look at you. Smiling and laughing and Ho, ho, ho-ing It's disgusting! You will be visited by two more ghosts this evening who will help you. Now I must leave. Goodbye, Gringe! Remem- ber, two more ghosts will come and you will be saved_ from the same terrible fate as me!" And with that, the ghost vanished. Gringe slowly closed his mouth and picked himself up. Just as he was straight- ening his nightgown, another gust of wind blew him head over heels. Through a door leading into his study, he could see a bright light and a huge giant sitting at a table covered with geod food. Gringe adv ed slowly into the,rim, and stared at the la ghing hgure. • "Who . . . who are you?" Gringe asked. I'm the ghost of ,Christ- mas past," be chortled pier- . 'ray. "I'm here to reminisce with. you about your inaspast," "Bwoise you. must be remMad of .the Most hor- rible childhOod You • had. Come." .Gringe and the Ghost .of Christmas past vani• shed through, the wallk onto' an.„7. expanse of snow in the teiW • ter "Where are we, Mr Ghost?” "We are at your childhood • home. See! There are some of your frieode!" He pointed at the wagon carrying six or seven children, all with frowns and gloomy expres- sions. "Why, that's Carol and . And Lynn! Ili! Hey, there!" Gringe waved frantically but the wagon rolled right by the screaming ghost "Now I must take you back ! " thundered the ghost. "But . . but why! We had such gloomy times back then "Didyou know . . " Before Gringe could *finish his sentence, he was whisked back to his warm, cozy room. "Oh, dear, dear, dear." • Cringe muttered. He headed back to bed when, guess what? You got it. Another wind blew poor Gringe over • onto his back. This time a white cloaked figure sled across the floor" towards Gringe. It said nothing and Gringe was too frightened to say anything. It pointed towards the window •and Gringe and his silent partner floated out the window, into the crisp air and landed at a cemetery. Gringe found his voice. "Are .. are you . . the . the. Ghost of Christmas ,Yet to:Conte?" Motility the ghost nodded yes and pointed at the tomb- stone.. It said Mr Ebenezer Gringe! Frightenedi Gringe • drew -away. •• "Take Me back! Take me back!. I will 'my -.walls.- • • He covered beneath his arms, and then:discovered he was back in his'werm mom. Sunshine shone throughthe windo• ws. Grin& iturtiedly through Open the window and called to a froWning boy passing by. "Hey you! What day is . e shotited. • "ClI's Day, OK? Don'tbugbie • Gringe suddenly slumped his shoulders and frowned. In a different kind of way he felt better. He poked the fire until a small flame wavered. He watered the soup down and growled happily. He made a; mental note te call I3oh Grauchit hack to work Today was no different than any other day, It _was just Christmas and that didn't matter, • Gringe Walked to the window and gaited at the unhappy, growling People and realized what a fool he hadbeen, He was saved!! Resat down to finish his thin soup. F!' away in the distance he thought he heard ,the Sounds of laughing He •shuddered as 'he realized again how close he had come to being downed to a life tined with joy and happiness. Really! Who ever heard of such a thing! e • ;1=',...• t In my opinion Santa is If Santa Claus is Canadian, is he so hard up he has to sell lottery tickets'? Of course we've all seen that commercial that shows good old Santy out peddling lottery tickets. Is old Santa having financial trouble? Has anyone really thought about the old boy having monetary problems? No! Nobody has. I mean, he must be hi trouble. Do you know how much it costs to keep eight reindeer fully ser- viced and fed? No doubt about it. Operating costs are climbing and the jolly fat man probably isn't quite so jolly. Let's take a gander at old Santy's predicament. First, fuel. Of course you realize that it is goieg to cost a iery , large amount of money 't• o keep filling his furnace oil tank, especially when it will have to be specially de- livered. (There aren't many roads at the North Pole you know). He can't even put in a combination furnace to burn wood as -well as oil because there aren't, even any trees 0:1 ChttillaS is •still Christmas To write an editorial at this time of year is very difficult for me. After all these years and' centuries of celebrating Christmas, thousands of • people have written every- • thing about iL Maybe that is an exaggeration but try thong) I might, I can't think of any beautiful imspiratienat_ message to pen down. • To put things very simply Christmas is still Christ- • mas, no matter what year or what century or whatever. People and countries may Change, but Ctaistina.s var- ies very little_ Material thirs, him lights and gifts, are ever-changing bat -basically theway people feel about Christmas is the same. Everything is just more modernized, that's all. One thing that hasn't changed, are the children. After all these years, the kids are still kids; excited, glowing, vibrant and so inno- cent. All in all, Christmas hasn't really changed and espe- cially, the children_ From all of us here on the School Page, we wish you the "best -est” Christmas ever ! —By Liz Brydges AN ANIMAL'S CHRISTMAS By Bonnie Burchill We all know about Santa Claus with all his toys, Which at Christmas he'll give to good girls and boys. But don't you ever wonder what your pets would get, If they didn't worry and they didn't fret? • STALLION Born to live, born to run Born to race under the sun Born to fly across the sands Born to show all the lands Born and raised to be the best Born to gallop without a rest Born to prance, to love to fight Born to show to all °your might Born to rear, to kick and buck Born to be holder of all the luck Born to live, born to run Born to race under the sun. —Bon Burchill Christmas Greetings from Everyone at the MANOR HO°11EL what if your dog, the entire long year, Didn't chase stray cats and wandering deer At Christmas would Santa give him to bite, A dinosaur bone, now that's oat. of sight! If your cat, yes, the one sit- ting right there, Had caught all the mice from every where. Then at Christmas it surely would seem, Hestiould get a year's supply of milk and cream. If the animals all over the world had Christmas too, I think they would just wish for owners like you. And every day of the year, not just Christmas day, They'd show their love hi many a way. u uP•them... No doubt about it. an.i9**lliajrell4)ystsfaaret manapro imbingb-'', all fire 4nite so , jolly. e a gender at old - Sat cament. First, e you realize g to cost a very Varg&am t of money to keep fifling his furnace oil lank; eepeeially when it will .-e specially specially de- liyerede rl'he.re aren't many roads'atAtie North Pole you know): 170 can't even put in a corabination furnace to burn wood as well as oil because thet&nren1 even any trees 'up there. No doubt about, fuel mest cost the old boy big bucks!': Second Toy Maker Union o doubt those little devilswith pointy earsare scalping,. '-Santa for every' buck they get phis bene- fits like 11- weeks paid ma- ternity • :::',,,,,,,iiiilea,enive,ploymegentnoo Y in- surancerand the like. Yes, evenAacita' has trouble with lalicn*"•finloon•and lives with the te4,that: he will be the victim Ofa six month wildcat strike- that will put him far behind schedule. Third. Competition. For years •-•ft tiotv' has been' illigneeridith 'competi- tion. 'Massive 'department stores Ioaded with Japanese; toys and offering mote var- ietytlian Santa could hope to cope with. For **mei-how isthe old guy Wong to learn to build the -world's best seller, electronic games? Anything that has more than a wind-up motor is way over his head. He can' 't even hire* a computer engineer fOr no one will move to Santa's 'hai-sh 'and forboding climate and mail order- Computer courses aren't muchhelp. Fourth, Maintenance. Without the shadow of a fillthrhcewg r` Ilis *Vet% the life msuraiePgenliOu Mahe out el this worldand ,his drivers licence must be cm?* Mean loo — age: • Pitttoima; A.44t*sox.,04iton I. North vehicle; Red, • two Power: 32 Light:. brightand. Wisiiiikaitegal*Ple• All toki, I think the joily• Patting up with thanhis share -10i - 4Avto, hitthe Sake of the thousands -Wf,ritflff. "Whig allge1SalVe". "MiSt "Yes, be*IgO he..• makes: Christmas fun for all Ito •-m, toddle*. who would othetwioe349tvoridwfitiltex.;,..' ‘f. • , -. Car�lineMuIvey.12F,,. r *Oa • of Children in the world; Is My Opinion! Pewtress IN TOVIN? 1E1' IN PUT OUT IIAT FOR TOBI An7aitakk eve reresteelieliet lee= v!e„ Wagon Phone 3574215 0 'Wag' :My citer414faalftthere--.1aaa011 a' thing and.nhy.mommyflever "Yes,-itewite ORO has said there is!et, so Santa , it: • katlitoriison • - ' "Of -maim, imeawieLie firings Joe things at anis.txlla*Ome." Par.,B. "Of course, because he brought me a kitty -cat at airistmas,"' Barbara Smith tan. "Yes I do, because I'm a bad little boy," ° Donald CaseinOre 10B. Most people I talked to believed in Santa Claus. This seems like a reasonable resPoose because, as ollo. intelligent people know, S*0,toOloosie:reat- d for all the people who beitetekite —Nima . . " • • .0 A • et's w•rap- 041.1.!llais . .....warroett iitilSies and: ' sancefethiriksfro,alk,. .. . „,,,,„....,-: noir dorestine .,,s. •1 T°4:,lrfieicinrelgiursua:tdcustomers verfterYailistoft4a prospetouktwlar. PonandponothrBriitocit and statTof 'SS• ORE„ Ciley an 4'0 0 es" Of tScW. t j • Merry Christmas and Happy New Year FROM ALL THE STAFF • •01.'"'"'''.'"AF • • n • •••••: BANK WINGHAM 113 anta Jolly good wishes to all our dear friends hope your day is filled with happy songs! •Teeswater Creamery Division of Gay Lea Food ' qt George, Mary and Family o loyal patrons we extend our thanks and best wishes for a wonderful, white • Green's • Meat Market