It seemed to Sadie this day would never come, but here it was – Christmas Eve. She was bundled into her snow suit once again and now she was trudging across the north field with Gramps to the draw where he thought they could find just THE tree for the library table in the front room. It was hard for the little legs to walk through the snow, but Sadie did it uncomplainingly, chattering all the while about Santa and how he might bring the baby doll she wanted, etc., etc., etc. Gramps didn’t say much. He didn’t need to. But he was grinning broadly.
When they arrived at the draw, Gramps led Sadie to a pretty young fir tree. He had already chosen it, but he didn’t let on. What did she think, he asked. Yes, Sadie thought that tree would be perfect. So, Gramps quickly sawed it down and they started back to the house.
Ina, Ethel, and Shirley stood at the kitchen window, watching Sadie and Jack return – Jack carrying the tree with Sadie trudging along at his side.
Back
at the house, Ethel removed Sadie’s snow suit and sat her down near the stove
with a cup of hot chocolate. After his coffee and cookie, Jack set the tree in
the stand while Sadie watched through the window. It was just too cold for her
to go out again right then. And anyway, the tree was soon in the house on the
library table. Jack went back to the barn, leaving the women to fuss over the
Christmas decorating.
At noon, Ina happened to look out the window to see Myrtle approaching the house with her suitcase. “Myrtle! Oh no! We forgot about about Myrtle! Don’t let on!” Fortunately, Ed had remembered that he was to pick up Myrtle at the train station on Christmas Eve, so it all worked out.
Shirley,
Myrtle, and Ethel decorated the tree, allowing Sadie to hang ornaments on the
lower branches. Then Shirley placed fir boughs and holly over door casings and
pictures and red candles on the mantel. It all looked so nice.
And then, everything was just a blur of busy-ness, and just as the appointed hour arrived – 4:00 p.m. – Ina pronounced that everything was ready. The table was set with a grand dinner, and afterwards, Shirley and Jack made the big oak table round again, and Ina and Bertha filled it with all sorts of desserts and treats.
Then
it was time to light the candles on the tree, and with the bright halfmoon
shining through the window and bathing the tree in light, it was a beautiful,
memorable sight. The candles were allowed to burn for ten minutes, while everyone
enjoyed the peaceful scene.
The guests began to leave at 8:00 – this is the country, remember, and folks retire early. Each guest was given a box of candy and nuts and some of the pie that was left.
And now, it was time to get ready for Santa’s visit.
3 comments:
Can't wait to hear how Sadie liked her doll! (And I'm thinking Jack did a little something, too!)
That first picture was what I could imagine the farm house looked like on Christmas Eve. And on Christmas Eve this year. How were your festivities?
I, too, think about how the farmhouse must have glowed as the guests arrived. You know the Aladdin lamp above the dining room table was lit as well as many other kerosene lamps. But I kinda think it might not have been as bright as the cards show -- except in our mind's eye, of course. We took several evening walks, and as we returned, we loved seeing the lights in the windows and the colored lights of the tree in the living room.
I will recap our real-life Christmas celebration soon.
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