Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

I J \ Vv Page Two THE CLINTON CHRONICLE Thursday, December 23, 1948 . ■ THE SEASON'S CHEER TO EVERYBODY To our many friends ond customers—the Season's best wishes for joy ond happiness. , . «*« • . * . jtt. By your thoughtfulness you have helped to make our Christmas a merry one and we wish the some for you. JOHN R. HOLLAND GROCERY AND MARKET ^ n r) L tjiifpriiiBi; We realize more than ever how much it means to have the friendship and good.will of folks like you. Please accept cur sin cere thanks end our gcocl svishes for a Prosperous NEW YEAR ■ y, - 7 - . ^ • i ' ' ■ A PITTS SERVICE STATION PITTS COAL CO. MERRY CHRISTMAS me things you have wished fc r . . . the ambitions and p ans that have been yours . .we hope they wi II all be realized during the coming year. And may the Holiday Season be a happy one and the New Year one of useful ness, happiness and success. HAPPY YEW YEAR L D. Payne & Go. DISTRIBUTORS TEXACO PRODUCTS DEALERS^. E.,APPLIANCES V f By CAROLYN GRANT IT WAS late when old Dan left the * laundry where he worked, and snow fell in great flakes from the dark sky. He stopped for a moment along the street, unmindful of the eager passersby and.4heir thought less jostling against him in their haste on this last night before Christmas. He lifted his face so that the soft flakes fell against his cheeks and melted in cold little drops of water that sought the deep lines sixty odd years had put there. Snow was a part of Christmas, and after days of hesitancy it had come—just as he and Maggie had al ways wanted it. “Snow makes the lights se^m brighter in the store windows, along the decorated streets of our little town and in our home on our tinsel-draped cedar tree. We haven’t missed many Christmases. Dan, having our snow.” It seemed long ago since Maggie had said that. Years, it seemed. Yet it had been only last year that they’d stood at their front window looking out at the dark sky, and Maggie’d said those words almost like a prayer. Dan sighed and let his chin drop into the upturned collar of his over coat and started on. He wished the snow hadn’t come. With Maggie gone, he could hardly bear its soft falling of down about him. He want ed to close his eyes against its brightness with the street lights shin ing upon it. He wanted to close his ears against the soft music that came from radios along the streets playing Christmas carols, and “White Christmas"—the song Mag gie loved best. Christmas had come again. But for him there’d be no Christmas— He stopped in front of Carter’s store, but minutes passed before he realized that he’d stopped there. not any more. There’d be only memories of other Christmases ed dying about him as the swirling snow, and the plans he and Mag gie’d made for this Christmas even before they’d carried out the last would pass without realization, now that Maggie wasn't here to help him carry them through. He stopped in front of Carter’s store, but minutes passed before he realized that he'd stopped there and was staring without actually seeing the array of Christmas toys behind the big plate glass window. His mind was going back. He was seeing again the glow in Maggie’s face as each Christmas they’d shop together for others. Last year it had been the widow Benson and her six little Bepsons, who would have been forgotten by Santa if they hadn’t bought them gifts. Long ago they’d begun the ritual. They had no children of their own. But Maggie’d said. ‘‘We’ll pretend that the children about us are. ours.” And her whole life had been one of giving at Christmas. This year they’d planned for the O’Shays. Thay lived in a little house down back of the old depot. “Little Billy’s just four and he’s never had a wagon, Dan,” Maggie’d said, planning even as they trudged through the snow with their gayly wrapped gifts for the Bensons. “And little Jeep has never had a doll that can talk and go to sleep.” Dan shifted his feet, standing there in front of Carter’s, and snow gathered along the stoop of his shoulders. Somewhere among Mag gie’s berfmgings~ was a list of the things she’d planned to buy the O'Shays. He remembered it. Each item came clear to him suddenly as the ringing of a bell, and it was as if Maggie stood by him then, warm and alive. She touched his arm and together they went into the store with its crowd of excited late shoppers. . A clerk came up tt) Dan. “Some thing, sir?” Dan’s eyes were filmed, but they were watery from age and being out in the cold wind, the clerk thought. - “Yes,” Dan said. *‘I have a long list of things to buy.” Maggie smiled, he knew he saw her smile, and she got to talking like she used to talk when they went out together to buy gifts on Christ mas Eve. ‘‘We’re like a house, Dan,” she said. “We can close the doors and windows and others can’t tell what we have locked inside. We live to bring happiness to others and for the good that we can do.” Dan looked up above packages piled high in his arms and smiled He said to the clerk, ‘‘Merry Christ mas, and now we’U be on our way.” The clerk looked strange. Old people, he thought, were queer, and he called after Dan, “Merry Christ mas to you, too, sir! Merry Christ mas!” , r:r v- v ■. , v •. ••v.’Nfjl ■ ¥:: m . "' a m* ■ ' ■ -? < ' /V ^ ■ To all of our friends and patrons who have helped moke our year so pleas ant— our best wishes to you ond yours for a Merry Christmas ... a Healthy, Happy, Pros perous New Year . . and a sincere hope that we may again enjoy your kind patronage during the coming year. WE WILL BE CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY OPEN SUNDAY Roddy’s Restaurant MR. AND MRS. P. L. RODDY ’ EftCIV CffRisTt^AS This little gesture comes to you \ 4 in true appreciation of the thoughtful treatment ond fine patronage you afforded us in the past year. We are truly grateful and in the most friendly way we know, we extend the compliments of the season. ■MERRY CHRISTMAS ■HAPPY NEW YEAR T. E. Jones & Sons Furniture . ,/ i. « \ \ /