Screenland Plus TV-Land (Nov 1952 - Oct 1953)

Christmas Is SO Important! Continued from page 19 sing the traditional off-key carols, munch on gobs of popcorn and look at the gaily wrapped gifts with much speculation. We try to hustle the younger two children off to bed after everyone's hung up their stockings, each bearing our individual names. David is still young enough to put out a midnight snack for Santa, a glass of milk and a peeled orange. Lonnie discovered the glass of milk put back in the refrigerator a couple of Christmases ago and exclaimed, "When did Santa stop liking milk?" Then she did a bit of deduction and now she loves the spirit of Christmas on a more adult plane of thinking. The children help put the presents around different parts of the room: the family's under the tree, and under the piano is where the cook's and members of the household's gifts are placed. The pets' presents are placed where they'll most likely know Santa has been. Sue and I stay up very late — sitting on the floor in front of the tree — remembering each Christmas. We recall each ornament and who discovered it and bought it. Christmas lights from the potted plant illuminate the room and the yule log is huge and burns all night. We have already warned the children not to awaken us before seven thirty in the morning. Such excitement! Such a rush! Sue and I — all of us — in robes and slippers, around the tree. Such an unwrapping of packages that took so long to wrap. Such exclamations — "Just what I wanted." "Do you really like it?" Last Christmas, my gift to Sue was a furry white robe lined with red taffeta — with red satin slippers and a red chiffon nightie to match. Of course, everyone models their gifts but I think Sue had the edge on everyone. She looked like Miss Xmas in person. We sit and luxuriate in the happiness of it all and breakfast on Christmas coffee cakes and coffee and admire the tree. "If only Mother could be here — " That thought always comes to my mind. If only she could have lived to have enjoyed a real Christmas like this. I see her fashioning a Christmas wreath out of discarded tree trimmings I had found in the throw-away cans back of a store. She had a piece of red crepe paper — and we carefully placed a bow and put it on our door. This was way back when I was a kid and the big depression was on. My father had died when I was five — and shortly, I began to learn the hard way about Christmas without him. I mean the kind of Christmases where a boy had a shining new bike, a new pen and a new sweater to wear to school, and a big, brown turkey oozing with dressing and cranberry sauce — were pretty pictures in magazines and store ads — as far as we were concerned. Living on the edge of Pasadena, one of the wealthiest cities in America — I would often ponder the fact that just one block up the street, a schoolmate and his mother and father had everything, and down across the tracks where we lived — we had so little. Mutton was eight cents a pound, and when we had meat — it was usually mutton. Most of the time we had potatoes and we were lucky to have bread. But so were thousands of other families — for jobs weren't to be had. Mother was pretty and sweet. She would say how we must be thankful to have mutton for Christmas. I'd eat it and smile for her sake. Later, my stepfather, who was a painter— a good one, except in those days, he would paint a whole room for three dollars whereas today, the same labor would cost around seventy-five — knew how much I yearned for a bicycle. If I could only get a bike, I could get a paper route — or run errands — and make some money, I'd say. Cutting lawns, pulling weeds, just anything I could get to do — never earned more than a quarter or so and that had to go toward my school books. My clothes were old and mended. Everyone, I felt, knew I was very poor, but I made up my mind they'd have to respect me somehow. If winning swimming matches and athletic sports would do it — I tried. For this at least, I was (Please turn to page 54 ) Small Fry Clamour for Little Angels at $1.98 At Your Favorite Variety Store For a good little girl — these "best dresses" mean a holiday for Mom ... a cinch to care for. Wonderful butcher linen in confectioner's colors — washes and irons in a wink. They are pre-shrunk, vat dyed to guard against fading and shrinking — with generous hems, too. Only $1.98. Sizes 1 to 3. Here is a small-package glamour for the little miss who will be a hit in dresses designed just for her styled by 12tuaa Alii At these stores in your neighborhood McLellan Stores H. L. Green S. S. Kresge W. T. Grant G. C. Murphy Neisner Bros. J.J. Newberry S. H. Kress McCrory Stores 51