Heppner Gazette Times, Thursday, December 23, 1954
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It is a pleasure, at this time of the year,
to greet owr friends, who, through
tihotr faith k) , have made this year
mm of continued progress.
We cherish your friendship and
patronage and say "Thanks to Everybody."
HEPPNER CLEANERS
THE PERSONNEL OF
EMME
- St n . . ' 1 1,1 " 1 1
By Don Wheeler
WE WERE In a dust covered
box that sat in the corner of
Mr. Barker's attic. All through the
year no one ever bothered about
us, but now, at Christmas time, we
knew that once again we would
be the center of attraction. Grum
bling and gruntmg, Mr. Barker
lifted our box into his arms and
started down the attic stairs.
Being a rather plump fellow
with a stomach that protruded so
far he couldn't see his feet, he
was, I regret to say, somewhat
clumsy. About half way down the
stairs he stumbled and our box
went tumbling down the stairs. I
was uninjured, but I'm afraid
some of my friends suffered from
the fall. A few minutes later we
were all unpacked and laid on the
huge dining room table.
"Well now, let's see, John," said
Mrs. Barker. "We can use this
string of lights, and this string
and, ohl We don't want to use
this old string again, John!
They've been around here for
years. Throw them out in the
trash with these other things that
were broken when you fell."
I was shocked! For years I had
been used to decorate the Barker's
Christmas tree, and now, simply
because I was getting a little old,
they were throwing me out! It is
true that my popularity with the
Barkers had declined through the
years. When I was new I was
used at the top, but each year
By Shirley Sargent
D ALPH RANSOME, a forceful
looking, dark-haired man of
about fifty, left the office early
Christmas Eve. There was no use
staying, he reflected almost bit
terly, the office staff had been hav
ing a Christmas party since noon
on company time. His family ac
cused him of not having any
Christmas spirit. Well, the office
staff had too much of it.
The gaily decorated streets were
lighted as he walked along the
downtown area. Hurrying crowds
seemed to be in a gay mood.
Ralph remembered the Christmas
of his own youth. He lived on a
ranch with four other brothers and
sisters, an aunt, two fatherless
cousins and his parents. With that
many mouths to feed, they were
lucky to find a dime, an orange,
About halfway down the stairs
he stumbled and our box went
tumbling down the stairs.
I seemed to find myself placed
lower and lower on the tree.
rfNPHn.N OmoON Winston om'6s uVp n t r em son aihihv 6tWH
Unwanted Home
My friends, most of them broken
in tiny pieces, and myself were
cast upon the trash pile in the
alley. I felt sorry for them. They
: had many years of use ahead of
j them had Mr. Barker been more
I careful, but now they could never
I be used again. But what of me?
I I wasn't broken; only a little old.
j For two days I lay on the trash
pile with my broken friends, and
; then, on the third day, a small
j child, who seemed to be searching
I the trash cans in the alley to see
i if he could find something of value,
I came upon me. With a cry of dp
light he gathered me into his tiny
hands and scampered out of the
' alley and to the edge of the small
town, where he lived in a broken
down littln old house.
I How glad were his brothers and
' sisters when they saw me! Thai
evening they trimmed their tiny
tree, it was scarcely three fee!
tall, and I was the principle item
of decoration. One of my lights
was placed at the top of the tree
and the rest were wound in and
about from top to bottom. Then I
the tree was placed in the front
window and for the first time in
my life I was given the task or
lighting an entire tree.
That evening it snowed and
snowed and the wind whistled
harshly about the corners of the
house. I was glad that I was ii
a warm house instead of being on
the trash pile in the alley.
A Visitor Comes
Suddenly there was a loud rap
on the door. When Mr. Cullen
opened it I heard a man's voire
ask, "Have you seen the Granger
boy? He was out playing this
afternoon and hasn't come home
yet. We think he's become lost
in the storm. The whole town is
out looking for him. Would yon
like to help, Mr. Cullen?"
Mr. Cullen quickly put on his
coat and scarf and followed the
man into the dark cold night. They
had been gone only about twentj
minutes when again there was p
knocking at the door. When Mrs
Cullen opened it, in stepped a tad ,
man, carrying a boy in his arms
The boy's ears and nose were blue
from the cold, and his teeth chat- ,
tered.
Mrs. cunen, said the man.
"this is Tommy Granger. I'd like
to leave him here while I go tell
his parents we've found him and
send word to the others to stop
searching. It's no wonder he was
lost in a storm like this. I was
almost lost myself until I saw the
light from your tree in the win
dow." How proud I was when I heard
those words. My lights seemed to '
brighten and shine as they had j
never done before; especially the
ona at the very top of the tree '
He felt excited. This was fun.
And challenging, too.
nuta and a hand-knit pair of socks
in their stockings.
Now it was vastly different,
Ralph thought. Christmas was
commercial and presents elabo
rate, often useless. Molly, his
wife, bought the gifts for their
three children. A less brilliantly
lighted store window attracted
him. Sports equipment was ex
hibited. Ralph remembered his
boy'a shout of pleasure last
Christmas when he had opened
something he wanted Darticular-
ly. "Gee, dad, how did you know?
Just exactly what I wanted."
And Ralph had to say. in hon
esty, "Thank your mother, son, I
just work here."
Julie, his nineteen-year-old, had
burst out, "Oh, daddy, it Just isn't
any fun when you don't take part.
You don't even know what you'ra
giving us."
After All, He Paid
Well, who paid for it? Ralph
thought now. So long as they got
what they wanted ... but did
they? Maybe Julie and Jim had
been trying to show him that they
wanted something from him.
Something he picked out. Ralph
thought again of his boyhood pres
ents that had been made espe
cially for him. Why, he realized,
that was what made them special.
The children were right then.
All he did was pay for their gifts.
This year he could pay double and
take a chance that he would
choose things they liked. It was
supposed to be the thought, not
the gift that counted anyway.
Why, last Christmas It was that
Jim had given him that awful
pipe rack. But Ralph had accept
ed it with pleasure and still dis
played it in a prominent place be
cause Jim had worked hard to
make something he could use.
And the ill-fitting, hand-knitted
socks from Martha. Those gifts
had meant more to him than any
store-wrapped package could. He
turned and hurried into the store.
Getting The Spirit -Ralph
shopp'd carefully among
the jostling crowds. H thought
carefully as to whether the gift
would be practical or not, appre
ciated or not. Molly was first and
that was easy for Ralph knew she
had wanted a watch for years,
The children were harder. Julie
was in college. She had every
thing. No, wait . . . She loved
music, tne type Kaipn had no
patience for. A Brahms symphony
wasn't entirely practical, but he
knew it would be appreciated.
He felt excited. This was fun
Challenging too. Other shoppers'
faces reflected his own growing
excitement. Next, year, he vowed,
he and Molly would shop together.
He backtracked to the camera de
partment. Martha, their seven-year-old.
was a photography fan.
He bought several rolls of film
ard a "How To" book. Then, Jim.
The boy lacked coordination, yet
liked sports. A basketball and a
punching bag. That ought to do it
Later, as he let himself in the
house, Ralph could hardly wait to
see their faces tomorrow. But he
didn't need to wait. As he placed
the packages around the tree,
Julie's delighted squeal brought
the rest of the family in. When he
turned around, he met four pairs
of shining eyes that expressed
their affection more clearly In
words.
"Gee, dad," Jim sputtered,
"you finally got the Christmas
spirit."
Ralph smiled back at them
warmly, "Guess it's catching, and
incurable." j
The simple familiar good wishes of ($3
V our friends and neighbor! truly "i j
jj make our Christmas merry. May j W
SfJf health . . . happiness . . . good jo f
rJ cheer and the best of everything A Ctj T1
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WITH BEST WISHES
From The Staff of
FARLEY MOTOR COMPANY
"We have seen His star in the
east and are come to worship
Him."
Matthew 2:20
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PHONE 6-9212 HEPPNER
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