Thursday, December 24, 1953
0) : 5

WaRM THE HEART OF SOME UNFORTUNATE
LITTLE CHILD ON CHRISTMAS DAY
GIVE TO

The March of Dimes
Make this gun SeatovA Greeting

G d
RAILWAY AVENUE AT OLIVER

“Cowboy Outfittérs for the Cariboo”’

‘To all our friends we wish all

the good things that this
‘glorious time of year can bring.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
= ’
Pigeon’s Transfer
Claude and Sid

y Anne O’Sullivan
ESITANT but determined, Ran-
some had brought his fiancee,

Hilda, home for Christmas to his

parents’ mountain ranch, Now, on

Christmas Eve, Bridget his young

school-teaching sister, ind Gloria,

his white-collar sister, sat in the
pine-panelled living room, admiring
the yet undecorated Christmas tree.

And Hilda seemed to be getting

along particularly well wit. Glori

the ambitious, the contemptuous sis-
ter whose city veneer denied her
mountain heritage.

'§ the first to stir from the

rising but comfortable dark.

“I'll take care of it, Ma,” he called

toward the kitchen, “probably just

a blown out fuse.”

“Wouldn't you know it?” Gloria’s
voice rose sharply, complainingly.

“Hear that wind?” Ma asked with
the low, pleasant chuckle that char
acterized her to her family

Pa, armed: with a lantern,
stamped in the back door, shedding
snow as he shook his heavy jacket
off. “Brrr, a real snow-piling east-
erner, but the animals are all right.”

“Did you check the fuse box,
Pa?” Ran asked.

“Not much use—the wind prob-
ably took care of a transformer.
What's the matter, boy? When you
were ilving at home we didn’t even
have electricity.”

“Yeah, well, we still “got plenty
lanterns around?”

“Long as we got horsesense,
we'll keep the lanterns ready,” it
was Ma's turn to laugh. “Likely our

‘lights’ll be off two-three more times

this winter.”*

“It’s that Hilda he's thinking of,”
Pa said shrewdly. “Let's go in
with the girls. She's a fine girl,
Ransome.””

“We can’t trim the tree, Pa, when
the light strings won’t work,” Gloria
sounded petulant, dissatisfied. Was
Hilda disappointed too? Ran won-
dered.

Ma and Pa laughed, “You sure
have the all firedest short memory!”

“Remember the times we trimmed
the tree with popcorn balls and
all?” Bridget asked. “‘Let’s do it
tonight, shall we, Ma?”

“Why, of course, Pa am I'd get
a sight of pleasure ont of that. How
about you, Hilda?’

‘Vd like to help.” To Ran she
sounded enthusiastic, but maybe it
was just politeness.

“A sight more work too,” Gloria
pointed out. “Why you won't
mov.

orn Teed another lantern for the

“1 wish you’d let me help,”
Hilda said,

kitchen, Pa, if I'm to string cran-
berries,” Bridget interrupted zest-

lly.

AN KNELT beside the deep fire-

place, built by his great-grand-
father, to stir the coals. As a boy
he had risked burning himself to
pop corn in a frying pan; now
they had a long-handled popper. The
angry surge of wind reassured him
in a strange way. He was at home.
Safe and protected. If only Hilda
could share his feeling for. this
place...

He leaned on his heels, whistling,

as the kernels began to pop. “I wish
you'd let me help,” Hiléa said,
“Bridget sent me in with a bowl,
salt and butter.””
. Ran moved aside, finding it nat-
ural for Hilda to kneel and work be-
side him, Her eyes sparkled and
her face was flushed in the firelight,
but Ran missed his chance to ask
it she were happy when Bridget
summoned them to string popcorn,

Gloria held up a string of pop-
corn, “Not half so pretty as tinsel.”

“Means more," Bridget said,
“Seems like popcorn strings have
special beauty—the kind you can’t

a the Christmas tree was fes-
tooned with strings of popcorn and
cranberries. It looked beautiful to
Ran even before they moved pre-
sents underneath. He caught the
satisfaction on everyone’s face,
though Gloria still looked cynical.

Just then Hilda rushed out of the
room and went upstairs. When she
came back, she paused half: ee
in the doorway, an in he

—Central Press Canadian

Santa Claus must have been trying chimneys out for size in
London. For Van Heydinger, two, while doing some pre-Christ-
mas snvoping around the family fireplace, comes upon a pair of
boots like that associated with Santas costume. It may be that
Van's father had been engaged in a rehearsal shortly before the
discovery.

arms, “I thought you’d have re
piano and, now that the radio’s off,
maybe you'd like some carols? It’s

into the circle and saw the fami
make way for her, that Hilda was
one of them and his voice rose ex-
ultantly in ‘'O, Come All Ye Faith-
ful’.

H. J. Gardner & Sons Ltd.

Tre

Your Building Supply Dealer

} ] lay this happy Yuletide

~ season brim over with all good things

—with surprises as merry \

and pleasing as the findings under your
Christmas tree. To all our friends,

both old and new, go our warmest and sincerest

wishes for a Joyous Holiday Season.

Christmas is a tree with bright = and tinsel and the Star sop. lt is a
tumble of gifts, wrapped with pretty ribbon, beneath its green boughs. It is the
light and faith in little children's eyes on Christmas morning. It is the choking
feeling of joy in mother’s heart as the packages are opened. It is the tear that
wells in dad’s eye and he tries to bide it with a grin. oy is ‘the remembrances
of many other Chris by and d b:
golden time.

It is the sermon of the Story of Bethlehem. The hymns of the choir, the
candlelight service, the oliness, ‘of children's voices, the peace and goodwill
that can come into men's beas

bristmas is the big tall ae in school, the only tree some of the children
can call their own. It is the striped candy cane.

It is the joyful music of chimes and church belts, the carols from the
record shop, the spirit of the season that makes strangars friends.

It is the garland and the candle in the eee the cards on tne mantel,
the wreath on the door, the mistletoe bung for Sis. It is sincerity in a band-
shake, the wishes of glad tidings, the vocal pas in the hello from neigh-
bors,

Christmas is a light. A light that vanquishes darkness; the light of charsty.

every Saturday

Dancing “Wen a
Columbus Hall

MUSIC BY

Vic Imhoff and his Orchestra

No Christmas would be complete

for us without an expression
of the warm feeling that we have
for our many loyal and appreciative
friends. A Merry Christmas and
@ Happy New Year to all.
°

Borkowski’s Menswear