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/ 'i* ] Cissie Brown wasn’t bashful. Everyone in the office knew what she wanted for Christmas. "Just get me a man,” she said, "and I’ll be thankful for the rest of my life." The trouble with Cissie, every one knew, was that she had some far out ideas about the kind of man she needed. Cissie was look ing for a knight in shining armor or, his modern counterpart — rich, handsome, intelligent, and all of that. Cissie had been look ing for him for most of her 30 years, and, according to the girls in the office, had overlooked better than average type men in the process. Ted Kagle was one. Everybody knew that Ted had been in love with Cissie for years. He was too quiet, too reserved to say any thing about it, but you could see it in his eyes everytime he looked at her It wasn’t unusual that no one ever kidded Ted about it. Everyone liked him and every one knew he was the sensitive type But One Fred Watson had never said anything where others could hear, but he had gotten in a word or two from time to time When ever he raueht Cissie alone, he would say something nice about Ted He also had kind words for Cissie whenever he was with Ted and no one else was near He never suggested anything He was too smart for that He just passed a complimentary remark The office Christmas party was scheduled this afternoon, how ever. and Fred’s mind was else where He needed something to '■pike" the punchbowl He had done so for ten years and every one knew about it. even the old man He'd never complained, be- cause there were two punch h'wl> an! everyone just waited until Fred had his first glass of punch before deciding where to fill their glass Fred's phone rang It was the wife saying company was coming t>> for a visit before dinner I'll take care of it right away," he '•aid, happy for an excuse to run tii'- errand "doing to shipping for a minute." he said to no one in run ticular After an hour or so. the party was off as usual It seemed a little happier than in previous >ear". for some reason There was more singing, laughter, joke- tellmg Even the old man seemed more in the spirit of things Playing Santa Tilings were running more true to course when the time for opening gifts arrived The old man played Santa as usual, com menting on each gift, "Say. that’s nice isn t if’ Who had your name this year. Sam’" When he came to Cissie s gift, he said, as he always did. "Let’s see now young lady I’ll bet there's something nice in here for you ” K veryone knew what Cissie w as to say, as she had car) 1 year That s a small box. Maybe it is a gift certificate for a good man " No one expected Fred to say anything But he did "You guessed it. young lady It's a gift certificate for dinner and dancing at the Purple Ballroom All paid for Made out to Mr Ted Kagle ant Miss Cissie Brown" You could have heard a pin drop The old man cleared his throat "Fred, you haven’t "I haven't, sir, nary a drop On my honor, sir Cissie was waving the "certifi cate" before the audience Did you ever see such a novel gift’’ Thank you. Fred As for you Ted. I warn you 1 like to dance for hours ” Ted had found his voice, too "Fm not very good. Cissie, but you'll find I'm willing, and long- lasting " Everyone applauded Fred said, "Let's have another round of punch " They did, hardly anyone taking notice that Fred was not taking his punch from the same bowl he had favored earlier in the day. Pollution and Trees Smoke stacks in several areas are being blamed for the stunted and mishapen Christmas trees. Scientists believe that sulphur di oxide in the fumes kills the tips of some trees and causes others to lose their needles or grow buds in unsightly clusters EMIT AMERICA Holiday Blends Many Customs THE CHRONICLE, Clinton, S. C., Dec. 23, 1970—1-D ^ One of our early American recipes is Indian Pudding. It was sometimes made without spice, unlike the recipes that evolved in later years. Traditional Indian Pudding usually wheyed. In the following recipe, the pudding is baked in a hot-water bath and there's no wheying; instead a soft texture prevails 4 cups milk V3 cup enriched yellow cornmeal Va teaspoon salt A large egg stick butter Vi cup dark molasses Ya cup sugar Heat 3 cups of the milk until bubbles appear around the edge — remove from heat Stir together in a small howl the corn meal, salt and remaining cup of milk Pour into scalding hot milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring constantly — cook until thickened, about 5 minutes Beat egg and vigorously stir a little of the hot cornmeal mixture into the egg. Stir egg mixture back into cornmeal mixture, add butter, molasses and sugar Pour into a buttered 14 quart casserole. Set casserole into baking pan with hot water within an inch from top. Bake uncovered in preheated 275 degree oven for about three hours, top will be a rich caramel color Pudding may be served warm or chilled — it will remain soft in texture ami will not whey PUZZLE-UPS ... An enlarged version of “Puzzle-Ups” shows how this educational toy chal lenges and rewards children by testing their learning ability. Since all pieces in each puzzle in the set are inserted at different heights, and since all pieces can be moved, eyes rotate, wheels re volve, clock faces change. Chil dren combine enjoyment with practice in manual dexterity. Cookies Add Flavor To Happy Holidays C is for cookies — The nicest Christmas trees ever are those! trimmed with garlands of pop corn and cranberries and home made cookies. It’s an old-fash ioned idea that few mothers take time for any more. Even if you prefer your tree laden with tin sel and tights and expensive orn aments, don’t overlook the joy of making cookies for Christmas. It adds a warm and hospitable aroma to the house and gives children an inner happiness that can never be bought or forgotten. “Anybody found feasting or observing Christmas day in any way shall pay a fine of five shillings.” And so, throughout New England Pilgrim settlers had to treat Christmas as just another working day. Gover nor Bradford noted that “no man rested all day” on De cember 25, 1620, say the edi tors of Encyclopedia Ameri cana. Today, in the United States and Canada, Christmas cele brations are a colorful blend of customs from many lands. The main features of the holiday festivities are much the same everywhere—Santa Claus, Christmas trees, gifts, greetings, feasting, family visits, carol singing. Each of these customs has its own history, and for the student of holiday lore and legend, the fascination lies in the variety of traditions brought by settlers from other lands and assimilated into what is now a truly American, or truly Canadian Christmas. Decorating with Cards Displaying Tree Heat molasses in a heavy sauce pan. Do not allow to boil. Remove from heat. Add shortening and sugar. Beat well until shortening has melted Sift flour, add baking powder, salt soda, cinnamon, and ginger Add egg to molasses mixture and mix well. Wrap in wax paper or foil, chill until firm enough to roll. Roll out dough on a floured pastry cloth — >4 inch thick. Cut into "boys" with a gingerbread boy cookie cutter Decorate with eyes of black raisins, buttons of split peas and a bow tie of red cherries. Lay on a greased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven, approximately 15 minutes Makes about 15 to 18 boys TOP FUN Spinning tops battle in this game for kids With Battling Tops high speed color co lei) tops are sent spin ning into the center of the arena by their "trainer” The tops circle, collide, and spin away Last top to remain spinning is the winner Can Be Yule Project When children need a change from the toys on Christmas day, a promising project could be to let them see what they can do with the family greeting cards. Here are some suggestions from Jeannette Lee, art di rector for Hallmark. Tape or staple cards to lengths of ribbon and hang them on walls or doors. Make a Christmas wreath by attaching cards to a circle of cardboard. "Frame” cards with con struction paper. Decorate a screen with cards. Thoughtful Gift Easy To Give, Well-Received Recipes that are treasured for their ease of preparation or their own deliciousness make wonder ful gifts to share with friends and family. Recipes written in your own handwriting and ac companied by a container of the finished product, its a truly thoughtful gift For example fill a small crystal bowl or glass with Gourmet Strawberry preserves, which can be made any time. The following is very very simple and very very good Mix 1 tablespoon orange li queur with 1 cup strawberry pre serves Delicious! Around each of these trees choirs gathered and sang carols. The custom of lighting the National Community Christ mas Tree in Washington,D C. began in 1923 when the Uni versity of Vermont sent a large tree to President Calvin Coolidge. Add Special Touch In Quebec, customs from France lend their special touch to a Canadian Christ mas. France gave Canada the "creche,” gatherings after midnight Mass with family and friends, savory pork pies called “tourtieres,” collecting gifts from door to door for the less privileged persons of the community. After mass on Christmas Eve, the people of Quebec gather at homes of loved ones to participate in a night-long feast called “re- veillon.” Performing Pageant From Germany came the Nativity pageant, and the first play of this sort in the U S. was performed at the German Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity in Boston, in 1851. Children dressed as Oriental shepherds offered gifts to the Christ Child at the altar, singing carols at the same time. The gifts were later distributed to the poor of the parish. Christmas I^eace JKs we celebrate the Christmas season, may the symbols of jteace and freedom enkindle a fraternal spirit in all. Sunshine Cleaners 102 West Florida St. 833-1492 * * * * * * * * * * * * t V A04. TT cm- x-ivuiua Ob. OOO-Xt^l. •)£ "1 The custom of the Com munity Christmas Tree be gan in the early 1900’s with the people of Pasadena, Calif., who decorated a tall evergreen on Mount Wilson with lights and tinsel. Madison Square in New York and the Common in Boston were the scene of trees set up in 1912. In 1914 Independence Square in Philadelphia had its first holiday tree. ★★a*************************** 0$ This sleigh is filled with our best wishes, hoping your Christmas is merry and bright. ^Mason’s Gulf Service Station; * South Brood Street 833-2317 * * * ft***************************** Wo take this opportunity to wish every one of you a truly beautiful holiday. We enjoy serving you. 1 I s I X X X X X X X X * Styles by Darrell PHONE S.TMtm:. 738 W. Main St. Deck House And Boughs With Safety W ith the time for putting up Christmas decorations at hand, uncral suggestions are offend in the interest of safity \ great peril is fo overload electrical nrcuits It may not be heavy enough to blou. a fuse but could tause tlu uire to overheat and melt iruuLition. Strings of lights and exhnsion cords that have been stored could base deteriorated and should be thoroughly checked Further Cautions Pon t u urk on strings that arc plugged in Don't stretch light sfrin^s or extension uirint; Don't place flammable materia! mar floodlights. Keep electrical fixtures out of the reach of children. Don't use string lights on a metallic trie. Christmas Baubles Should Not Be Eaten HAWAIIAN TREE Norfolk Island Pine from Hawaii is said to be perfectly formed, easy to decorate, stays green and needles never falL The big drawback is that the trees have no fragrance. Islander*, like mainlanders expect a piney odor. Univers ity of Hawaii researchers and State Forestry Department predict that in time Norfolk Island pine will be the Christ mas tree of the islands. Too Early For Music Sacred Christmas music is fre quently played too early in the season — also too often and at innappropriate times and places. A project to encourage good taste would be a worthy effort for any club or group * * # i * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * $ f * I * Tree decorations are pretty but care must be taken to make cer tain they don’t wind up in a toddler’s mouth. Every year small children take samples of such decorations as icicles, artificial snow, glistening balls and berries The things that make them so attractive also at tracts children. Colorful holly berries are toxic when eaten. Tree balls are made of glass and plastic, and in addi tion to causing cuts, could clog the windpipe of a child. jmjwjmjRgjEwmznuHxatsnxaiMKXiKiWMrjmmiwtcar On our menu of wishes for you are second helpings of happiness, friendship and joy. Thanks. May all the materials for building a happy holiday be yours — gifts, good times, good friends. Merry Christmas. BONDS LUMBER CO. Hurricane Rd. MUSGROVE INN Helen & Harry Losson quiet serenity, let us reflect on the true message of Christmas. May your home and family be blessed with the spiritual joy and happiness that His birth taught us to cherish. With our greetings goes our sincere appreciation. -LO, INC. Clinton Plaza Shopping Center