The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1961-12-22, Page 14
'Merry Cbriattras son! Mer-
ry Christmas mother! Where is
everybodY? Don't you know
it's Christmas?
"'Look! We have a 'beautiful
window — see the sparkles on
the snow, Oh here's Our Christ -
As tree; see the lights twink-
ling red and green.
"Ye $ 5.1r1 There's walei in
taps, lots of hot and cold wa-
ter. Here's my big red chair.
Come here, Mandy, let's find
a bone for you. Oh look!
There's the sun it's so bright
and warm and wonderful."
Dad was tearing through the
house like a school boy just
nut on vaeation. His voice was
singing and bubbling! He
opened the front, door wide,
looked up and down the street,
closing the door with a flour-
ish, taking a deep breath,
'Merry Christmas! Merry
Christmas!"
What's happened to Dad, 1
had never seen him so ex-
cited; nothing he said or did
made sense. Now, 1 was high
on his shoulders, I had to duck
as we went sailing through the
doorways.
Mother sounded a little cross
"Bob, what's come over you?
Aren't you acting a little sil-
ly? Haven't we always had
that window and that front
door? 11 there weren't any water
in those taps then you would
be dashing to call the PUC.
Here let me feel your head to
see if it's hot."
Then Mother was scooped up
in Dad's arms. Oh what fun!
Somehow, I had caught the
spirit too. Yes it was Christ-
mas — Christmas 1961.
* *
Last evening was Christmas
eve, and after supper Dad sat
in his big red chair reading
The Exeter T imes - Advocate.
He chuckled over Cottons Com-
ments.
"Please tell me a story,
Dad."
Johnny is my name and
I am seven years old. I live in
a house on Victoria Street with
my mother, father and my dog
Mandy, She is a young black
puppy with long ears and soft
pearl eyes. "Please Dad tell
me a story."
Oh well, maybe he could
coax Mum to tell him a story.
Viler stories wern't as good as
ad's b u 1., . ...d a d
was talking but he couldn't uri-
derstand what Dad was say-
ing — maybe he was dream -
Ing.
Yes, Bob had been weary;
he had had a very busy day,
as all days seemed to be late-
ly. He just longed to get home,
have supper, get his favourite
paper, read a little and per -
was tried pet, jest to see if it
would run,
Yes, we love our little tem)
of friendly folk (one of whOrn,
we're proud to say, was re,
cently appointed to the gabi-
net),
So, I used part of our cellar
and filled in the concrete wall
to the prescribed thickness. Aly
it was small, but sturdy. We
fitted it with all its necessities,
stocked .it with food and said
to ourselves: "This is our own
"Fall -out Shelter,"
Could this be really happen-
ing to Us? Why did a God •of
love permit such things to
happen that we should have to
build a shelter? Everyone was
deeply stirred and worried,
mostly about our children, We
had lived most of our alloted
time — but our children needed
a chance, After all, life is
sweet. They deserved a better
world than the one they were
inheriting, Ml this concern be-
cause someone in the Soviet
Union was directing these test -
logs, Why didn't they stop this
man?
* * *
I wonder now what or who
is right, We saw these people
M their own country the
Ti,S.S.R. They seemed to be all
working together young and
old. They appeared to be hap
-
PY, The night we attended the
performance "Regaletti" in the
Leningrad opera house, some
were there in gingham frocks,
some in simple evening dress,
but all were entranced by the
stage performance,
We looked around at inter-
mission. One family of four
who sat in a box was dividing
an orange four ways and ate
it as though it were manna
from Heaven, Maybe it was.
We tried to buy one — you
joined the queue and if any
were left you might buy one
for 390, and it was small.
Every eye, every ear saw
and heard — what a produc-
tion! 'Lightning filled the man-
made sky, even the clap of
thunder, followed by the streak-
ing ram, looked and sounded
so real. The collapsed form of
the actress, the hooded black
figures that found her . . We
understood not the Russian
words but one did know the
meaning. .These people, now,
are they conscious of testing?
Then at the circus in Mos-
cow — the much famed cir-
cus, part of which Ed Sullivan
had in his show last winter.
The man who sat behind us at
this circus silently cut a piece
of pineapple with his jack knife
*and ate it, then touched me
on the shoulder. "What your
country?" I proudly said,
"Canada." "Is your country
haps snooze too, The very big big ..... ours?'' He spread wide
black headlines read: "ALL his arms. His tongue was
CANADIANS EXPECTED TO was twisting our English words,
BUILD FALL -OUT SHELTERS But my tongue kn:ew few Rus -
FOR THEIR FAMILIES." start words. His smile seemed
Dad read on. The size was to shine. He wanted to be
given kr family requirements, friendly.
That seemed small. Oh well, The black bear was now ped -
maybe it wasn't necessary.
"Pray God that it won't be headlights in a black arena.
needed," Prime Minister John The trapeze performer high
Diefenbaker had said on tele- on his wires, slipped, caught
vision the other night. "But bet- himself, balanced, s 1 i p p e d
ter be prepared", he had also caught himself, balanced, slip -
said. ped again amid Oh's and Ah's.
He read on, his head dropped It was a difficult feat. but on
lower, the print blurred. He the third try he perfected it.
was asleep, Yes! I'll build a The people clapping like a vol -
fallout shelter. ley of clattering army feet. It
* * * * was truly deafening. No per -
former could do badly with all
R was the first week in De-
Cember. Most people were this appreciation.
crowding the stores in our lit- The Silo* was over, the ma-
tte town, It was good shopping ling people crowded the doors
in our town; no parking prob- outside. Another queue lined up
lems — at least not like the for ice cream which was more
cities. Our stores had just ice than cream. They loved it
about everything one wanted all. So little makes them hap -
and the nice clerks knew us PY.
and tried hard to p 1 e a s e, I wonder if they are building
even though they looked tired. fallout shelters? After all, WE
They even sent our purchases have been testing tee.
home; no carting those big The masses of people in some
awkWard bundles. Our delivery countries are lead by the top
3 men are courteous, and some- few, but in our country we may
times if we changed our minds, elect the top few. We have a
"yes, we'll be glad to return vote if we but use it,
it for you". Which reminds me, how
Our children, too, were al- many of us ever attend our
Ways welcome in our stores, own local council nomination
even though little fingers some- meetings? We have the right
times clutched a dolly in a as the doors stand wide open.
pink dress or a small train Later, when the streets are
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A
7rEr,gni
exefer
Aeceild: •Aection
by MRS. M. C FLETCHER,
. ••
Was if a dream?
s p o r t 1 n g checkerboard pot The alarm was still sounding.
holes, we rail at the council,- Somehow the night passed but
men who were good enough to it still seemed night even
accept office to help make our though a new day had dawned.
town operate smoothly. Wonder if the sun was shin -
The old army saying, "If you ing?
can't beat 'em, join 'em," He had forgotten his pipe —
might be opportune. Let's give maybe it was just as well that
our council, mayor and school he didn't pollute such a small
boards our complete co -opera- place anyway.
tion and loyalty. We use the Johnny was crying. What
overworked phrase, "Put up or was wrong? "Oh Daddy, Mum -
shut up." Anyassociation or mie we forgot Mandy. I want
committee
is just as good as Mandy, Mandy will get killed."
are the people behind it. He guessed he'd have a
* * * * drink of water — not too much,
"So we built a fall -out steel because they had to be care-
ful of the limited supplies.
ter," always keeps coming to Wonder if the taps in the kit -
our minds. We were told we
would •hear a warning practice ellen were OK? I only hope
the hydro doesn't go off. The
siren. A couple of times we water pipes will freeze. The
heard, a short warning signal furnace will be off. Weren't
and then 1 o Ti g a n d hard,
THERE IT WAS AT LAST! we dependent an our hydro?
Yet so often we take all this
This time we all made for wonderful service for granted.
the shelter, each person run-
ning with some last minute pick
ups. We entered the the shelter. water or hydro supply is cut
for a few moments.
Yes sir, he was glad that he
had built it. We closed the large I remember my father car -
bulky door, all safely inside rying water in pails from a
now. well many yards from our
My, it was rather small, but house, even on wash day- for
it was the best he could do. Mother. We are rather spoiled.
Mary his wife was trembling, Oh well we are safe, in our
John cuddled near. He, big John shelter, but wasn't it cramped?
Robert, was trying not to be Hew did one get exercise? Won -
frightened. He opened the ven- der if the doctor and his fam-
tilator and turned on the bat- ily had built one? Who would
ailing a bicycle with dazzling tery operated radio. Y e s, help all the sick people if the
everything was working well. doctor were in his fallout shel-
Where was that flash light? ter? Dear God don't let any
Surely he hadn't forgotten it! of us get sick.
No, now I remember; finding Wonder about all the patients
it, he flashed it around briefly, over in our little hospital, the
but there wasn't much to see. nursing staff and our superb, -
At supper time no one was tendent, and all the employees?
hungry. Wonder what was go- We are fortunate to have such
ing on outside, Time seemed an efficiently managed hospi-
to have stopped TheTadio re- tal. Our board too—they gave
ports came in rather poorly. of their time, and seemed to
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i As an expression of thanks
and good will. •o
h•
,o.
we are extending at this time Ti•
Season's Greetings w.
0
and our best wishes v
':s; in the New Year. lo,
if
;I it
1 si:
1.
Prade Hybrid Corn Company
Clayton I. Abbott, Authorized Dealer'
E. A. Gagnon, Salesman
20.4658 -- PHONE 227.4796
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SEASON'S GREETINGS
ttit OW friends, we wish to extend our most
sincere Yuletide giteiing$. gay yOtt and fi010,1 itttVe
tl very Merry Christmasand *ay the New Year
bring Ltettlth, Happiness and Prosperity,
tgreetoes, Management And Staff' of
SHARE AND PROSPER
Exeter District Coop
enjoy the work. Guess maybe,
if we get out of here I'd better
give a little of my time.
"Oli God do let us survive."
Oh let's think of pleasant
thoughts,
"Daddy, les sing some
Christmas Carols " Somehow
it didn't just sound right, "Holy
Night, peaceful night; all is
calm, all is bright." Little
Johnny sang "Away in a man-
ger."
Now Mary held him closely,
The days and nights passed on.
One had lots of time to really
think1
All the time the radio gave
little in the way of comfort;
but it did say that we were not
so badly hit as some,
He wondered if maybe Mary
And be could taik as 'they used
to before they .each got AO.
fIeWhwith meetings. He
remembered the little jobs
around the house that she had
ipen asking him to do. seddell-
esaovocafe
December 224 1961
17 th,17 they seemed very
im-
portaot, if he could ;lest be
Spared to do them all. No he
really didn't ,know when they
bad had a really good talk..
Young John said he was.
V4.5f.4**.5TOVO-W,,A.W,Ox1R1***W#IF4WA.F.41100,**WO'00
most glad they were so close
together in the shelter.. Be
didn't see moll of Moillp NY11.9
v. •
was extremely b4, w4T41.
meetings, bazaars and so PlanY
Please turn tO pgge 1a
v*Pmcii.TeOgr~..1.01041;04100War*
Whether Santa arrives by reindeer or jet, we hope
he brings you a happy holiday season ... just as you've brought us a happy
year, through your patronage and good will. Many thanks!
PHONE 965
Huron Tractor and
Equipment Ltd.
IXETER
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. •
"k" •• .s"e'••,•-••
•
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There's a warm spot in our hearts for all the wonderful people
we have been privileged to serve throughout the year. Along withour thanks
we send -you our heartfelt Christmas wishes.
•
CANNYS .MILL LTD. •
Exeter
Alex, Carftey,„ Art and Etttrit40yees.
Whalen
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