Memories of Christmas

My best and most remembered Christmas was the year I was six. It began for me about the time our country school started. My cousin Lucy-just my age-had come to stay with us while her parents went to South Dakota to explore a new job for Uncle Jason. Grandpa called him a neer-do-well although I didn't know what he meant by that.

Lucy and I spent many happy days playing-on one of these noisy days Mama sent us upstairs to take a nap and be quiet. As we lay on the bed, Lucy said, "I'll tell you a secret if you promise not to tell." I promised-and she said "There isn't any Santy Claus-our folks just buy us something and put it under the tree." Well, I was just shocked at that-but a promise was a promise so I couldn't even ask Mama if that was true. As Christmas drew near, Lucy began to wish for her parents to come back because, as she said, if they didn't come back she wouldn't get any presents.

Suddenly it seemed, it was the day before Christmas. At breakfast in the warm kitchen, I heard Mama say to Papa, "I think today is the day." "What day, Mama?" I asked. "Why, the day before Christmas," she replied. "Hurry and get dressed. Aunt Annie wants you two to come up and make cookies." Usually it was fun to go there-she and Uncle John had no children and were always very good to us. We spent the afternoon making and baking cookies.

Late in the afternoon her phone rang and she sounded excited as she turned and said to us, "That was your Papa. He wants you to be ready when he comes to get you." She met him on the porch and I heard her say, "Oh, I'm so glad." On our ride home we asked, "Did Santy Claus come yet?" "Not yet," said Papa. "Grandma is here to help us get our dinner ready." She greeted us at the door-helped get our coats off, then told us to go into the sitting room and wait for Santa. Papa and Uncle Jason were there, too.

Suddenly we heard distant sleigh bells-then stomping on the porch-then a firm knock on the door. "Elsie, you're the oldest, so you can open the door," Papa said. Timidly, I opened the door-and in Santa came. He was wearing a long fur coat just like the one Papa wore when he had to go to town on a cold winter day-and he had on overshoes with the top buckle missing just like the ones Uncle Jason wore-but I knew it was Santa because of his red nose and cheeks and red cap.

He shook hands with everyone then in a deep voice asked, "Have they been good?" "Yes," said Papa. "Did you bring them anything?" Without a word, Santa went to the big door to the parlor which had been closed tight for weeks and there-wonder of wonders-was Christmas. In one corner was a tree with real candles on it and close by a sled for Lucy, a Teddy Bear for Baby Raymond and for me-a high chair with my dolly Helen in it, together with three books. There was a story about Peter Rabbit and two about "Billy Whiskers and His Kids."

In the excitement of the moment I had missed Mama and I asked where she was. In a weak voice she called from the nearby bedroom. "Here I am, Sissy. Come, see what I have for you." There in the big bed lay Mama with a small bundle beside her. "I know you wanted a little sister, but they were all gone. So here is a little brother-will you help me take care of him?" "Oh, yes, Mama," I replied. Just then Grandma called from the kitchen, "Come everyone for supper; Mama and baby have to rest."

As I hurried through the darkened dining room, I felt sorry for my cousin who had doubted the magic of Christmas-for me, all the lovely things were true. I went to the window to see if the Christmas Star was shining for my little brother as it had for that other baby so many years ago-and it was!

-- Elsie Wallace