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The Night
Before Christmas
Clement Cl&flß'fCoore
'Twas the night before GNftfktmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
to hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nesteld all snug In their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And Mamma in her kerchief, and I In my cap,
Hid Just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon, on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a luster of mid-day to objects below;
When, what to my wandering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whisteld, and shouted, and called them by name:
“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall!
Now, dash away, dash away, dash away, all!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet*with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So, up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With a sleigh full of toys and St. Nicholas, too.
And then in a twinkling I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around, 1
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. 1
Hi was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And<the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.
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The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head Ike a wreath;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump - a right jolly old elf;
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.
A wink of his eye, and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle;
But 1 heard him exclaim ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!”
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Trapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger,
the Christ Child came into the world to
lead the way to peace, love and happiness.
Gumming Supply Co.
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That’s an “I want one too” frown from little Carmen Donesa,
national March of Dimes poster girl, as Atlanta Braves Pitcher
Phil Niekro, right, shows her his 1971 Dimes drive award, with
Joe H. Gerson of Atlanta looking on. Carmen, born in Birming
ham, Ala., with open spine and water on the brain, is now an
active school girl in her new home in Ft. Wayne, Xnd., thanks to
March of Dimes treatment and operations since her birth eight
years ago. Gerson will co-chair the Georgia Dimes drive against
birth defects upcoming in January, with U. S. Rep. W. S. (Bill)
Stuckey of Eastman.
How to Keep
Yule Plants
Yes, those cherished holi
day plants can keep on grow
ing into next year.
As a tropical plant, poin
settias like plenty of water
and warmth—7o toßodegrees.
Be sure to keep these plants
in a warm place at night.
Though they blaze with
fiery-red-colored balls, Jeru
salem cherries are rather cool
natured. For them, the tem
perature should be held at 60
to 65 degrees. Avoid over
watering.
GOAT GIVES
One of Santa’s most un
usual stand-ins is the "Jul-
Bock,” a goat, once the
Danish gift-giver. •
In Scandinavia, evergreens stand for sadness. Gala ribbons
and papers, fruits and flowers, colorful balls and candies
are preferred holiday decorations.
“Tftany thanks for your loyalty and confidence.
Lanierland Drugs
Phone 887-7771
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MIZE BROTHERS
Intangible Gifts Are Bringing
Best Blessings, in Abundance
Among the treasures and
pleasures of Christmas, gifts
loom large—as all who greet
the Yuletide as a season of
laughter and a time to be
glad of heart well know.
Tangible gifts, large and
small, have their place in
the holiday scheme of things.
They’re the outgoing expres
sion of the generous Christ
mas spirit.
It’s the intangible gifts,
though, that seem to shine
most radiantly, Christmas
Decking
Halls Has
History
"Christ was bom on
Christmas day,
Wreathe the holly, twine
the bay. ”
From England of long ago
come the words of this carol,
showing the early role of the
bay tree and its greens in
decorating for Christmas.
Its use harks back to ancient
Greece, when both the bay
and the laurel bedecked
homes and public places in
symbol of triumph. As tradi
tional Christmas greens, they
reflect the same joyful spirit,
say the editors of the Grolier
Universal Encyclopedia.
Holly, of course, is still
popular as Yuletide greenery.
But nowadays, when it’s time
to deck the halls, bay leaves
are more likely to spice holi
day cookery, rather than hol
iday decorating.
GREEN IS SAD
after Christmas.
The delighted smiles of
children and the wonder in
their eyes, the privilege of
aiding the less fortunate, the
opportunity to cherish and
strengthen friendships and
family ties, the renewed
spirituality, the solid founda
tions of health, happiness and
love, faith and hope—these
are the intangible gifts.
Blessed indeed is the
Christmas that brings an
abundance of such gifts!
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Bagwell & Mathis
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To all men of good wi11...t0 all our
.
good friends ... we send greetings for a happy
holiday. We appreciate your loyal patronage.
BOOKER SMITH REALTY
int, ruivai in cuum 1 iNEWJj, DEC. 23, 1971. SECTION B
Greens Have Meaning
Greens that adorn home,
streets and stores at holiday
time entered the lore of
Christmas from pagan rites
of old.
The ancients believed that
each green had its own sig
nificance, and an ability to
do certain good —or evil
things.
Ivy, they thought, was fes-.
tive. Its convivial nature came
from Bacchus.
Yew and cypress had the
highest virtues. Theirs was
the quality, and the symbol,
of eternal life.
♦ * *
Mistletoe Has Powers
Mysterious powers by the
dozens have been credited to
mistletoe, among them the
power to heal, to ward off evil,
to summon ghosts and force
them to answer questions.
At present, the most prized
property of mistletoe is the
license it gives for plenty of
Yuletide kissing. Fortunately,
there’s plenty of mistletoe
Thanks to the birds, the
plant spreads widely. The
birds eat mistletoe berries
and carry the seeds to trees
near and far, say the edi
tors of the Encyclopedia
International.
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