Christmas Anticipations

Lucy Furman with her boys Christmas Anticipations by Lucy Furman Monday. Already the air is full of Christmas talk and plans. Besides the great tree here in our school for the entire neighborhood , the workers and teachers expect to have seven or eight trees in other localities, thus bringing brightness and cheer and the Christmas story into many sad and colorless lives. I should have been glad to have a tree over on Trigger; but a gathering there in the present state of feeling would be extremely dangerous, and by Nucky's advice, I have abandoned the hope. "I'd like to have you come over," he said; "but Trigger haint no place for women or women's doings now." Another excitement is the telephone just set up in our village, connecting us with the railroad and the outside world. —All the boys went down this afternoon to see and hear the marvel. Wednesday Morning. I have begun teaching some of the beautiful old English carols to our boys and girls,—it seems peculiarly fitting that these children of pure English stock should sing the carols centuries ago upon the lips of their ancestors. But the task is an uphill one with the boys,—they refuse to take any interest in this or any other Christmas preparation. When I 24 reproached them to-night for their apathy, Philip said, "Nothing here to take no interest in,— won't be no chance for no Christmas doings till we git away from here." "But there will be great Christmas doings," I said, "just the very best that can be thought of." "What,—you women aiming to lay in a store of liquor and do a lot of shooting?" he asked, with dawning hope. "Horrors, no!" I exclaimed. "The neighbors up the branch they invites us to their house and treats us aChristmas ," said Hen; "but Keats he haint half a man,—I can drink twict as much as him!" "Self-brag is half-scandal," exclaimed Keats, angrily; "it's because I've had white swelling and typhoid I can't drink as much as you, you sorry little scaldpate !" "Paw and me got so drunk last Christmas we couldn't roll over in bed," piped up Jason. Taulbee, the great stickler for propriety , summed up the matter authoritatively : "Folks would think they was bad off if they couldn't pass around a jug of liquor a-Christmas," he said; "they would feel like it weren't showing hospitality ." When I remember that this was the idea of the entire Christian world less than a century ago, I cannot be too severe upon my boys, distressing as these conditions are. Killis spoke again shortly. "I want every boy here that can get to my house on Clinch a-Christmas to come, and see a good time," he announced. "Come the Saturday after New Christmas. I can't drink myself, on account of what paw said; but I got good-and-plenty for my friends. And maw she'll give you all you can eat. And we'll shoot off all paw's guns and pistols." There was unanimous acceptance, even by boys living nearly forty miles distant from Killis, Nucky's being qualified by the condition, "If the Cheevers haint giving too much trouble at home." I sighed deeply. "Boys," I said, "you know what I think about drinking; you know I consider it very, very wrong." "Quare women has quare notions," remarked Joab, forbearingly. "Them's the good times I alius seed aChristmas ." "Me, too!" echoed the other eleven. "Didn't you ever hang up your stocking , or have a tree or get presents?" "Never heared tell of the like till I come here." "But it's the greatest possible fun," I insisted. "Fun enough for women, may be, but men,—gee!" "Gimme a big jug of moonshine!" shouted Joab. "And a galloping nag!" cried Nucky. "And a pistol in both hands!" added Killis. "Boys," I said, "is it possible you can be willing to spend the holy season of Christmas in drinking and shooting?" "Only way I ever heared of anybody spending it," said Philip; "everybody does it. If there's...