Zurich Citizens News, 1974-12-23, Page 11MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1974 ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS
A LOOK BACK TO THE 1870's ... A STORY BY LAURA INGALLS WILDER
Eow Poor P
QWbta I (hat's Birthday
"Christmas was coming.
The little log house was
almost buried in snow.
Great drifts were banked
against the walls and win-
dows, and in the morning
when Pa opened the door,
there was a wall of snow
as high as Laura's head".
A paragraph from Laura
Ingalls Wilder's beloved
"Little Books" — true
accounts of the pioneer
life that the writer exper-
ienced, from her 6th to
18th years in the 1870s
and 1880s; her restless
father moved his family
from a Wisconsin forest to
Indian Territory to Min-
nesota and finally to the
Dakota Territory.
The books were pub-
lished between 1935 and
1943.
The family endured
many hardships — bit-
ter -cold winters as well
as stifling summer heat.
They lived first in a Yog
cabin, later in a dugout by
the creek, then, later in
shacks — wherever fate
(and Father) moved them.
They went through cy-
clones, droughts, plagues
of cicadas, yet the Ingalls
family shared love and
faith in each other, and
they always celebrated
the birthday of the Christ
Child.
For a Christmas in the
big woods, when the house
was blanketed with snow,
Ma baked bread, beans,
cookies ... distilled vine-
gar and baked dried apple
pies! Truly a doughty
soul. They entertained
relatives . Aunt Eliza
and Uncle Peter and the
cousins who arrived on
Christmas Eve on their
big bobsled, sleigh bells
ringing.
Some other Ma and Pa
would have thrown up
their hands at the sight of
them — maybe got the
shotgun off the cabin wall
and picked them off from
a window — but not the
Ingalls ! They shared their
good things — the chil-
' n"en "slept in a row on the
floor — the grown-ups,
wherever they could find
space.
PAGE 11
Christmas Eve found
them aglow with antici-
pation, in a circle of love.
In the morning the chil-
dren found gifts in their
stockings: a pair of bright
red knitted mittens and a
stick of red -and -white
striped mint candy. Guess
who the Christmas Fairy
was ? She must have earn-
ed her reward in heaven,
but that Christmas Day
she received all the reward
she wanted, in the sur-
prise and happiness ex-
pressed by every child.
For Laura, the smallest
child, there was also a
homemade rag doll with
black button eyes, black
yarn hair and a dress of
pink and blue calico — a
doll "so beautiful that
Laura could not say a
word."
On other Christmases
there were no presents.
The Ingalls family were
lucky to have their lives.
However, Ma had saved a
bundle of "Youth's Com-
panions" that had been
sent them by long-delayed
mail or via a passerby.
Gather 'round the tree for song ... laughter.
Rekindle friendships ... extend good tidings to all.
To our loyal patrons greetings and thanks.
J11111111111111IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII11111.:
Remember ... It's =
sense to see =_
Snider's E.
Huron County's
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While the light lasted
they read the stories. Pa
even managed to buy the
store's last two cans of
oysters, so their Christ-
mas dinner had a festive
quality.
All the "Little Books"
tales are fascinating, and
you can be sure that the
adults who gave them to
children made a point to
read them first. The stor-
ies have an ageless, time-
less appeal. They contain
the essence of Christmas
. selflessness, apprecia-
tion of the simple joys,
and love of family life.
In the Ingalls family
the little Christ Child
dwelled, not only on His
birthday, but every day. •
Climate Key
to Time of
Holy Birth
The evidence that the
journey of Mary and Joseph
from Nazareth to Bethle-
hem took place in the dry
season, that is, before the
onset of winter, depends to
some extent on what we
know about the climate of
Palestine today, which,
scholars believe, is not very
different from what it was
during the time of Jesus.
The annual mean tem-
perature is a pleasant
enough 62.8 degrees Fah-
renheit, with a range from
a high of 112 degrees to a
low in winter of only 12
degrees.
While the lowland plains,
nearer the Mediterranean
Sca, receive heavy rains
from November to April,
winter in the hills can bring
biting frost, bitter winds
and even snow.
Larry Snider Motors
LIMITED
EXETER 235-1640 LONDON 227-4191
Open Weekdays Until 9:00 Saturdays Until 6:00
gt's the
happy time!
We send
our wishes
for a merry
season of
gatherings with families
and friends. And it's the
time to say thanks
for letting us serve you.
The pleasure has
been ours. We look forward to
more Christmases with you.
CENTRALIA FARMERS' SUPPLY
LTD.
Bill Elliott -- Centralia