Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 December 1905 — THE CHRISTMAS TREE. [ARTICLE]

THE CHRISTMAS TREE.

(According to Tommy.) Th* trees in our orchard and down by the well In summer time give us our elder and Jell; The apples and peaches, the quinces and pears. The plums I can pick from my window upstairs. Ail grow In the summer; and oh! it's a treat To have all the nice Juicy fruit you can eat. But none of the summer stuff satisfies me Like that which we pick from the Christmas tree! The frv.lt of the summer Is good In its place— With stone-brulsy feet and with tan on your face It’s flue to ellmb up where' the robblns have found A nice yellow apple all mellow and round, And take It away from th? robber so bold While he nnd his mate fly around you and scold. It’s fun at the time, but It never could be As nice as the fun of the Christmas tree. One time I remember my bad cousin Jim Dared Charley and me to ellmb out on a limb No bigger than one of my thumbs; and I did “Cause Jimmy w.as calling me “Sissy-boy kid." The limb—well, you’re certain what happened, I guess. And Jim got a whipping; ’cause big sister Bess Told Jim's pa and ma what happened to me— I never fell out of a Christmas tree. The Christmas tree grows In a night, and It bears Things lots and lots nicer than apples and pears— I’ve seen on Its branches doll babies and drums And steam-ears and soldiers and big sugarplums; I’ve gathered new mittens nnd picturebooks, too, Right off from the bent-over twig where they grew. And candles grow lighted there, so you can see ’Fore daylight the things on the Christmastree! Sometimes In the pnrlor, sometimes in the hall. Sometimes In the dining room—best place of all— The Christmas-tree grows with its wonderful fruit. And sometimes It has a pine-box for a root! The funnv thing Is that I oftentimes find Right there what for weeks I had had on my mind. And always, on Christmas, who wants to see me • Had better look under the Christmas-tree. —Strickland W. Gillllnn, In Leslie's Week Iy.