The Evening Index from Greenwood, South Carolina • Page 6

1. 4 1 1-1 ii "i i'V ('T 'i-K y-i win! i i i i 4 i 1 8 H. VU )tfdh. NIt AND THEN CHRISTMAS. DAYS offer you some Suggestions on Gifts that are Pleasing, Useful and Lasting'.

Lamps as Presents. If you have elettric lights, a Handsome Portable Electric Lamp would be a nice present to your better half. We have some splendid values in Oil Parlor and Hall Swinging: Lamps. All moderately priced, and of best grades, Other Suggestions. Handsome Carving Sets, pearl and stag handles fine cutlery Clauss guaranteed cutlery razors and accessories.

Perfection Oil Stoves, they save time and labor. Electrical Fixtures. Come to us for Electrical Supplies, wire, sockets, globes, shades in fact, anything needed in the electrical line. Cut Glass and China. In cut glass we have beautiful items, not only cut glass for the table, but other things as well, vases, toilet articles, very suitable for young ladies.

A present of cut glass shows fine taste and and is always appreciated. Our China display is very attractive, both individual pieces and in sets. A Haviland China Dinner Set would make the wife a magnificent present. Some choice toilet ets to select from. Beautiful jardiniers and umbrella stands, To Farmers.

Don't forget our big stock of Poultry Wire and Fencing Now is the time to put up our fences PAINTS PAINTS! PAINTS 8 Moore's Pure House Colors for painting. These paints give perfect satisfaction. When figuring on a bill of 8 painting, always specify "MOORE'S PURE HOUSE COLORS." I Gambrell liardwaire Compaimy, s. cl Si Greenwood, TWr'-r--'-' 1 Christmas When I Was a Girl Christmas When I Was a Boy. By a Greenwood.

Lady. Ey Capt. W. R- McKinney. The Eve of Christmas.

I sit alone before the dying embers Nay. not alone, for Memory is here With all her shadow troops of dead Decembers. That bring me back the dreams of every year. And these dim. pallid visions to me clinging.

Hreathe low: "We arc the memories of a child." Their whispered words and silent gestures bringing A thousand fancies, rich confused and wild. went off there was a fuss. I can tell you. It was a great trick to slip up to a person's bouse wijh one of there things and shoot it off. We-would thing and thought mighty little of tho-e who did.

There was plenty of whiskey in evidence at Christmas time in the conn try. luft was a rare thing to sec a man drunk. All of the old people can testify to that. "Twistit'ication" par-tics were thing in those days. It was the fashion for the young ladies to wear hoopskirts and four of them would till any ordinary room.

I remember once we were out on a sern.ule down below Hold Springs and stopped at a ho'l-c wh re "Twistiticatioii" party was going on and we all joined in. I bad the old You ask mc to tell you of Christmas when 1 was a girl, "seventy years agci," my. what a lapse of time to go back over! The approach of Christinas, however, always carries one back to the days of long ago. and especially thv days when one was a night dance, and make merry generally. The little girls of my time got dolls, some homemade and some bought in Charleston or Augusta.

The little boys had to do on things to eat. I suppose. We had no Christmas trees either also bore holes in stumps, all them with gunpowder and set them off. It always affected the stump consider Clll.ll. i istmas (ireenwood county.

at i ur home or in the churches then. rst Christmas tree was here iA Christmas "when 1 was a bo" was something different from the observance of today. We had not then got into the ornamental branches. The people were a little more simple in their ways of doing and thinking. But I think they had just as good times then, some will think better times, than we have now.

Sixty five years ago, in the lower section of Greenwood county, in and around Phoenix and Shatterticld, my range in those days, people began to get ready for Christmas by having plenty of things to eat. If it was cold enough. Christinas came about hog-killing time, or bog-killing time would happen about Christmas, ju-t whichever way you chose to put it. The good folks would have every are Mat tune oi od, in the old P.aptist churchJ mi it wa eiil'ghti ned. ably.

These were sport of the small set Whenever a crowd of them got to getlter during Chri-tmas there would be games, such as mumble peg. roly hole, bull pen. etc. Another favorite trick was to stretch a rope across the road at night and try ti get an hveiv l.t'ty pomg; pretty a i' i Cambridge street, torn hu'ij; and d. os the b.i.ll an back we ut dn- i.

e.iis ago. If Christmas day! HI tit le Moei.n pie faiih. 1 )f es ti liled pl.ice for -e l.ig i Id Ii oilier et to come in a run. hell Icr came on Sunday, we had preaching; in the church. When I got a little older I 'pent st.cral Christ masses away from home at old augllt I re i v.

Mac I il I i.i i e. to 1 1 many i v. orrie- mi their shoulders i i i as now. the. had their and more, but at i time, all wa-pi -a-ure and jobnivition.

We had iii! a time i'i living hen. Well, to begin at the beginning. Not long before Christmas, my Wi.ii fcoly h-e; and while Ma-, idled iir v.ii'.i ci gladness. And brought the dear oh thing ready for a big Christmas ri-i the girls' school near Columbia. We had only two days' rest from schoof then, and very few girls went home.

dinner they hit that rope, they alway knew it. 1 remember once, a crowd of u-at set a rope across the ro.n. as a trap for a crowd that was com ing down the road by the old llutch isi place. We set up a yelling am here tlu-y came full tilt. They Cer tainly did feel the ground that night Another thing that was a great fea plenty of fresk hog meat, es, spare-ribs, tnutton.

and m. is saint of yore, And then with tender thought i. sausage lather Would carry loads oi cotton Hid turkey. Un Christmas day the poo for All got big boxes of things to eat Augusta, that is to Hamburg that was the market then. I suppose.

1 from home, but no other presents. pensive sadness Passed gently from your' life for evermore." pie in the settlement, as a rule, went to church. I believe there was always a good attendance at the churches. Then they would go home though its decline was then begin-1 The girls all joined in and made a He would come back loaded to the nresident. ture was serenading by the young In -y lv, inn ever tlu-y went out on -er." rade-.

and aner they bad been "toililied" at a g.iod many bolts es. I remember once we stopped at an old fellow's hoiw down in Shat terlield and lie wanted to gi with us. lie said to "Billy, you'll have to take care i nie." I told 'him I would. Wheji we got to little Reedy Creek, not far from lbdd Spring, we had to cress a log. The old man said to tpe.

"Hilly, you'll have to lead me." Instead of leading him on the folks. We would have a couple of The ast red ember crumbles into with things needed for another year, the things we Could not raise and and have a big dinner. Neighbors nigger fiddlers, a drum or two made isenj. Kiciiards. nis wite and lit- 1 i would be invited in and a big time fit cheese box with a sheepskin generally given.

I forgot to state stretched' over it, a lot of bones like that the day always started off with see. in minstrel shows now, triait- make at home. Then. foo. he.

have things for Christmas. Clothing. to cat were sent to us by stage coacht dresses, for the slaves, fruits that It was the custom at our home, we would have to buy for Christmas, way back then, to have a big dinner a "cheese' or two and lots of things, on Christmas day. All the relatives- Christmas morning, we children, a in the neighborhood were invited. We i an eggnog before breakfast.

This Kcs Mrts things to mak was essential and universal. fuss that was called music. Kvery ashes: Without the peals of joyous chimes I hear: Across- the east a bar of rose-light Hashes. And. lo! another Christmas-tide is here.

1 he sleeping world t6 throbbing life has started, The morning finds me wrapped iti pensive mood: log. I led 1 1 1 in by the side of it. He i big family of. girls, would run down did no decorate the housrf. howevcri stairs and call: Christmas." That' part of the Holidays came will and "Christmas Gift.

and in the yafd us years after. where a crowd like this would they would be invited in. treated cake and otlur things to eat a. id plen ty of toddy. rolielimes these par-ivs would get too much' toddy before the serenade was over.

I remember on? trit to' the home a went into the water wilh a splajdi. It was oer- bis head. Well. We gof him' on; went a j. ilie hill to build the slaves had come up from the This Christmas dinner was a din tire to dry tile old man.

The boy spirits of my chilhood have de i After the dinner, the young folks of various ages would have various amusements. We did not have many toys in those days. In fact, there were none of the gimcracks we have new. The gifts were candy, apples and things to eat. Fancy jringcr-cakes would be a feature, too.

Our young Americas did not have" any fireworks like they buy now out of stores. Instead of that we made our own fireworks. One particular kind that. I remember vs a ball of yarn soaked in turpentine. We would set bad a big time I.

re. They won iioiiiing un to he il take i 1 1 1 about quarter and were calling "Chris'mtis ner sure enough. The cook and her Give. Massa." and the same for helpers and my mother were worked "Missus. The men always wanted, down almost.

The list of things fo and got a "dram" that morning. And the table included a whole roast pigj parted. nd left my its dawn of wo ding him ami would hold him manhood. close to the tire as long as they! Klla P.etitlcv, in Xew Orleans many of the women, too, wanted a with either an apple or a small was could stand it It great fun that night. little nram.

irje always oi corn in his mouth, all the other had a "Sunday dress" of bright col- things that come, with "hog killing," obi citizen below I'll eui. Th? had such a good time and vtayed so long that when they went out to get on tjicir horse, no man got on his own horse, but climbed on somebody else's nag. There was a wholesale horse swapping in the neighborhood next day. Pistols were not in fashion in those lays, and if there was any row "in the Christmas." Turkey shooting was another sport ored calico for the women and a iiiw spare ribs, backbone, sausage, etc. A "head handkerchief." This calico was whole ham, a year old, was always a then.

The match would be held in in edd field. There would be an n.rla A 4 W. i.sv nit vin-a gome vc Ktl uuwduays, icdiurc, pigs reel jciiy, iruits oi ast 4 abundance of turkeys to be shot for cither. Oftentimes there would te kinds, many kinds, of cake, homef marriages among the darkien at made mince pies, -turkey, syllabuty ej at these matches. The fine, shots in those days used rifles.

There were Christmas time, and whenever there and so on. Th invited guests would a The Season of Joy. Fcelin' mighty thankful Along the frosty ways, An the fiddle an' the banjo 1 Bring back ourdancin' days. II. The wild winds whistle lively, An' blessings seem to fall; Thank heaven for a fireplace; Hands 'round 1 There's soom for were any at our home the wedding come early and spend the whole day.

feast would be spread on tables un-. We would have music on the piano this afire and throw it up in the air. When it fell to the ground, we would run and pick it up and throw it up again; This was in the days before Roman candles, skyrockets and aJJ 'such dangerous things came into play. We did not have any cannon crackers cither, but we had something "just as good" if not more dangerous. This wat a gourd filled with gunpowder and then tightly wrapped with stout thread.

When this thing der great shelters and all of us and parlor games, blind man's buff. no shot guns. The Rush boys were fine shots, about the best in the settlement." Old man Jakie Rush and old man Dave Rush were fine shots with a rifle. Things are changing all the time, and Christmas ways change there was a knocking -down and an end of the matter right there. Nobody ever got hurt.

The slaves always had holiday; and the mistress always gave each one some little present. knew one or two slave owners who worked their slaves during Christmas, but the settlement as a whole -did not do such watched the interjst and thimble and other games partook of some The feasters were as well behaved' as 'anyone, could wish After theMsupper" they would Oh, it was a happy, merry Christmas time seventy years ago here, lust as -it should be now! and in the future. I I too but the 4rue spirit should ways be the same. Frank L. Stanton.

go to the quarter and have an all MWfc 2m llx- I.