DECEMBER 15. 1951'

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Christmas CTame1ia

(By John Scott Douglas)

. -eaten:

51.-uogi-aphsrs hovered around as mi-la Manning unwrapped the ',,.lme that has just reached the I11; offices. There were startled 551,5 of admiration when the .,3pe1- fall away. revealing a pot- (pd can-lelia. Large and pure white. 0..cg;1t fol” crimson-touched petals. ii; heart was filled with delicate

1 stamens. , . F":52)"i',I, how bcautifuli" Tessie Fm).-11. "Who sent it, Marta?"

iv boy friend." Marta said. her .,,,..e'i1s1-m with ilappines.

--i didn't know ..amelias bloomed me for Christmas." said Bess lT'11t' Dal Baugurll does." said .1,-,,-1.. "But it's all crimson. Th'.s - 1 be :i new hybrid that Colby ' stocked for the Christmas

1:1 I

I (. -id Colby have developed it 1; self? she wondered. she re- i':c1'.l11r-red the day. when he had l1r.m1 showlilg her around his nur- Srl"1'. that she started to enter a 5111.111. new lath house at the back.

on the point of refusal, she

rrlnembel-ed than I olren date.

"Ill be glad to. Ml. Ladd". :

”l')oll'L go in there then he'd been an irrasgad as only a big. redheaded outdoor man can be. embarrassed by his own l'.1lI('llCSS. "Forgive me for speak- ing so sharply. darling. You'll un- lICl'slllll(I. some day."

111 the two years since then, he'd 1:cl'cl' explained his strange words. it was but one of the things that had marred a more perfect under- standing. The many broken dates urrr another. Engagements he (1 llI(I not keep because a truckload of 11i;1nt:. lnust suddenly be deliv- fifil. or a customer must be seen show the laying out of a new gartlrn.

"For you, Marta." said the imitciiboard girl. The girls dis-

i point. of refusal, 1 the broken date. "I'd be glad to,

She heard Colby's voice.

"I feel terribly to beg off on an- other date. Darling. nut Robe;-tg sprained his back lifting a tubbea tree. snd had t-I go home. About twenty customers are coming in to pick up Christmas plants this evening. and someone must be here. Let me explain about that camella-"

sick with disappointment. she said. "Never mind", and hung up. Tears prickcd her eyes. ,Wasn't she ever as important as a cust- omer? 1 '

"Garral Ladd wants a letter." said the girl.

Any of the other girls would have gone into a tizzy if he'd sug- gested a date. Only Marta had had the chance to refuse him, not once but many times. For to her. he wasn't quite real.

Now. with a confident smile. he dictated: "To do the town on Christmas live with a. lovely young blonde like you would make this my most wonderful Christmas will you say. tYes'? Devotedly, Garral Ladd." .

"To whom shall I address it?"

"To Miss Marta Manning."

Her cheeks grew warm. on the she remembered

you to take switchboard

Mr. Ladd." That evening. on her way home

b to dress. she stopped at a nursery

to buy a small tree for her apart- ment. The tree. she recalled with a. pang of disappointment, that Colby had promised to bring when he called. A woman loaded with bundles was leaving the nur- sery with a plant identical to the one Marta had received that morn-

ing.

"Isn't it lovely?" the woman asked. noticing Maria's glance. ”It's the new hybrid developed bv the Blake nursery." And she told Marta its name.

"I can call Gerral Ladd later."

the new Christmas camclias.

she asked humbly. or. customers so we can be to- gether Christmas Eve. made lne so proud and happy."

flower so beautiful. darling."

siarcdlat. the camclia he was wrap- ping.

priscci as she picked up the phone.

Suffer

I

Emxm L

nuunnx

(By Vers

stsndnig on her tiptoes. Mandy could see the whole bright array or ihrln-shiny red. blue and all- vrr ornaments spread out on the table. waiting for Santa's nimble lingers to arrange them on the int.

"Ptctteee", she murmured long- irisirs. If only Santa. would let her help him. Just handing them to h.111 one by one would be wonder- ful. She turned to Gerald, who was busily fumbling with train tracks and getting nowhere. "Ger- ry, you touch?" she asked. looking back at the ornaments.

nrrrlid looked up despalrlnglv lmm his train tracks. "sure. I itucilcd them lots of times" he Mid carelessly. "Only you can't." he added. "You're too little."

voices floated into them from the kitchen. ”The kid's old enough to know there isn't a Santa Claus. ant-un,v!" That was John Martin uno said that. John Martin. the mo? wonderful Daddy in the voiirl.

Thvv must.etil'. have been talk- in: about what happened before

Manning!

Little Children

Tarpley)

stairs.

Mandy was still looking over the edge of the table at the beautiful ornaments. If she touch them-just touch one-then nothing else would matter.

She hadn't meant to jerk the newspapers under them so hard-

bl-ans amww -

Their Christmas Eve Expectations

-. 4.w:es.-

Marts stood stunned when the woman left. Then. abruptlv. she turned back to her car. thinking.

She found Colby wrapping red paper around a pct holding one of

"Can you forgive me. Colby?" "I'll help wait

You've "it was the only name ior a She felt a touch of awe as she

How like Colby to express his love by naming it the Marta.

"It's just plain stupid carelessness on your part!” And he snatched the puppy from Gerald's arms and carried him down the basement

. could Just

she just wanted to pull the orna- ments a little closer to the edge of the table. But there it was- broken ornaments all over the floor-still shiny red. blue and sil- ver-but broken. "i'-'etteec", she said.

"That does itl" shouted Mom- iny. bursting into tears. She swept up the pieces and dumped them into the wastebasket. "You put the kids to bed. John. I'm going over to Mother's for awhlle-may- be therc'll be some Christmas spirit. left over there."

But John lay down on the sofa in the living room and fell asleep. He didn't wake up until Martha shook him frantically. screaming. "The children! The children are gone!" .

There was no anger-no accusa- tzons now. Just terror. John was the first to recover enough to start thinking. He ran down to the basement and found the pup- py gone. He went outside. and Martha was left sobbing alone.

She was picking up the tele- phone when she saw it. A light in the garage. John was standing at the garage door looking in-just standing there.

A small pine branch was prop- ped up in one corner-John had sllipped it off himself that after- noon because it made the tree look lopsided. From each twig of the pine branch hung a bright shiny piece of ornament. laboriously tied on with a string.

At the base of the Christmas tree slept a huddled mass of legs

and arms and a tail. The tail twltched a little and brushed Mandy's forehead. "Pretteeee," she nlurmured softly.

Ohristmas Dinner

Mother serves the dinner. Every-one sits in.

Restless after waiting

Ready to begin. V

Yearning, - and longing to eat.

Carve the turkey. Father'- Heap my plate up high Remember this is Christmas l'm a hungry guy.

Serve me another hei-ping. Tul-nips too. - 1 shouts May-be I'll have a drum-stick. And some more brussels-sprouts. Say. - do I feel full.

Think I'll take A little nap

Oh, .. why was i so greedy.

Yawning. - yawning. - all the time

Oh, - now I feel quite seedy

Undo my belt and let me lie. And perhaps, I will come to.

Leave me be and let me dream Lovingly, of you.

-Martin MacGougan

The Armenian church observes Christmas on January 6: Dutch on December ii: the French

have their own particular Christ.-I

mas obsei-vanccs. as have the Cler- mans.

ccMy p

Nwucr. Mommy had iixed ham- ir.11:rrs-ihcy always had hambur-I sort on Christmas Eve. and thisi ms. the first year Mandy COllIfl' hlnw a hamburger like everybody fab

"me was really nothing to gut iiwlrtbotit. Mandy and Gerald had) hr-:11 standing in the kitchen smrlizng the wonderful smells. wintr Mommy was iixing sll)'in8l'. Tl”! basement door was standing than to let.- out some of the amoktj liar trying. and lip the min hci

R . J: :hs could inst touch them I touch one-than nothing

..L"'Lwnuicl matter. Ctlmg -

. H ""9 Riel! at a time. all: 3;:-d his little head around on ' Maud Cd in ore.- EHERI I Ifv-d"Nl over the face. Gerald new I-"Vigil I fox terrier pup-he. . do!" be names of the differ-; -N . -- ut he had slwayswant-' . D.d:1'1;t terrier. mu came into the kitchen at 1m:Hi;l1l!I1l- its aetad even more llrtetl no In mm! And I” uuommyptvins terrible things to "may c en-ibie things thstmlda sq", m, J: Ind osrsia want to --I ma I! so he wouldn't boar. x... doc You to keep the bass- r closed!” Daddy roared.

if saw him first and scream- niiliw delirium. Gerald ran ml nicked him up-hs

u

"1 ""5 lquirmed and licked-I

Favorite Drink . . . "

Recommended by Santa. .. I

"” Yes, milk is a delicious, nutritious-filled drink approv- ed of and loved by all-even friend Santa! your holiday cooking-for extra fine, results . . . keep a bottle handy for a perfect ending to an important meal . . . or as a between-meals snack. Order our Garden City milk, ice cream or chocolate milk today!

PURE MILK co., LTD.

. THE . GUARDIAN. Cl-IARLOTTETOWN '

Imagination Br

my Anne Larsol.

for thou who begin early enough to put a bit of time and thought into their efforts. indoor Christmas decprations can be among the most pleasant of hol- iday chores.

An elastic I imagination can stretch your budget this year. since a lively eye can spot dec- oration suppiies everywhere from the cellar workshop and the coal bin to the sink cupboard.

The cleanser you use to clean the sink and the bathtub makes an excellent art muteri.-ll when it's worked with water into a paste the consistency of poster paint. Make up 11 bowl of this paste. give each child a paint brush. and you're all set for one of the merrieat decorating sessions ever.

Window panes may he adorned with reindeers. snowmen and jolly St. Nicks; glass-topped coffee- tables take on a festival air when sprinkled with white stars or a wreath design.

If you wish to join in the fun yourself. a nativity scene or a

PAGE FIVE

Indoors

Santa landscape makes an effective decoration for the mirror above your living room mantel. or, for a Christmas Eve surprise. try a free- hand drawing of angels or toy- maker elves on the bureau mir- ror In your children's room.

For a teen-agcr's holiday party, a decorated coal scuttle is sure to break the social ice as well its hold the .sctual ice and soft drinks. This conversation-piece is simple to make. requiring: only a daring spirit, a new cool scuttle and several gay shades of paint. Peter Hunt. who is known throughout the country for his gents a modified design" that suggests Christmas but is still sufficiently general that the scul- tlc may he used for various house- hold purposes throughout. the year.

John Drill. who is noted for his versatile designs in unexpected materials. turns to copper screen- ing at the basis of an attractive cornucopia for dining room side- board or hall table. To make one for your home. begin with, it rectangle of copper screening 10

by 11 inches, shaping it into :1

1..g.sr..1e

artistry with peusnnt designs, sug-.

I I I (. I

is

cone diagonally and with staples or sowing place with wire.

Stretch the mouth of the cone until it ynwns invitingiy to re- ceive an arrangement of silver loaves. stem ornaments and frost- ed snow ornaments. Roll the edges gently backward to give it a sweeping flair.

securing it into

The tail of the cone should he twisted until It curls upward.

This is finished with a smaller arrangement of ornaments.

Gay candle decorations to com- plement the cornucopia can be de- vised from wire. heavy enough to hold its shape. which has been wrapped around a hroomsiick to form a spiral. You'll need eight inches of wire for this. and flor- isis' tape--of the sort used for stems in corsages-to wrap about the wire before twisting it into its corkscrew-aitape.

To this spiral. attach three orn- aments made of metallic-paper fringe or Christmas tree bulb re- flectors through which stem orn- nmenis have been thrust. Slip the entire nrrangement down a candle to its base. Low candle- holdera are particularly effective when these adornmcnis are pair- ed with the cornucopia.

lf base metal is available in your neighborhood, an attractive candle sconce can he made from 12 cones of this material mounted

upon a circle of cardboard. The candles are held in spirals of heavy brass wire which is at-

tached to the back of the sun- burst. and silver stars with Christ-

mus-ball centers are used to adorn the whole.

est quality matching.

Al.

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