The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, December 22, 1966, Image 46
SEC. C — PAGE 10 The Newberry Sun, Newberry, S. C., Thursday, December 22, 1966
1^5
New Year
Reunion
By J ames Michel
The morning after Christ
mas brings to most of us the
realization that time in fleeting
and the arrival of a New Year
is upon us.
Joe Brown is no exception.
Christmas for the Brown family
held been exactly what you
might expect for a family in
cluding five lively boys, ages
two to ten.
Joe dreamed of spending a
week at a nice, quiet, isolated
oasis in the Sahara and he
wished there were some way to
beg, borrow, or fashion an
excuse plausible enough to es
cape an annual obligation —
the year-end reunion at the old
Brown farm in Connecticut.
It was, of course, a great
time for the grandparents. Two
sons and two daughters, with
ever-increasing broods, came
each holiday season, in a tradi
tion now more than a dozer
years old.
Periodically, the brothers
and sisters would secretly agree
that it was just "too much."
They scattered visits through
out the year, hinting to the
grandparents that they "j ust
might not be able to make it
for the New Year reunion."
But, they always did.
"1 do have this big deal
working with the Fettex Com
pany," Joe said to Sarah on
the morning after Christmas.
"And, you have until Feb
ruary to work it out," Sarah
responded.
Joe had expected no sym
pathy. Sarah's parents were
dead, killed several years ago
in an automobile accident. To
her, the family reunion was
something of an obligation,
and she didn't mind using this
particular word to express her
attitude on the subject.
that Tom was after.
Grandfather Brow n enjoyed
the children, but he spent most
of his time in the rockingchair,
a gray shawl wrapped around
his slender shoulders. The past
year had not been too kind to
him. Jack observed.
When departure time came,
grandfather, ignoring the com
ments of his dutiful wife about
"exposing himself to the weath
er, walked out to the car. " Fm
glad you came. Joe." he said.
"So am I,“ Joe responded
"We’ll be back soon." Hemeant
it. He also intended to have a
word or two with his brother
and sisters about the merits of
the Brown family reunion.
MERRY
CHRISTMAS!
"But, what about the kids?"
Joe asked. "You know they’ve
been passing colds back and
forth for weeks now.'’
"Maybe they’ll pass them on
to some of your relatives,”
Sarah countered. She was not
necessarily fond of all of her
in-laws, although no one but
Joe had ever had the slightest
reason to suspect such feelings.
It was snowing when Joe
eased the car down the lane
and parked beside the ancient
frame house. Grandmother was
beside the car before anyone
had an opportunity to alight.
Through the big front window,
grandfather Brown waved a
greeting.
Grandmother’s greeting to
five boys took several minutes.
Some felt they w r ere too old to
be kissed; the others, perhaps
by set example, ran or dodged
until they were cornered.
Joe Brown put his arm
around his mother’s shoulder.
"No one else here, yet?”
For just a moment, he
thought he saw a distant gleam
in his mother’s eye. "Jack has
called. Two ofthekids are down
with something or other and
they can’t come.”
"What about Susan and
Patricia?”
"Patricia called. They’re
snowbound, she says. Some of
the roads have been closed and
they don’t know if they will be
open to travel or nok”
(It w as the quietest reunion
at the Brow-n farm for some
years.) Susan called and
grandmother explained only
that Susan would not come,
something to do with a newjob
OdingsofJim^
May your holidays be
enriched with the happy
harmony of love, abundance,
and renewed friendships!
CLAMP'S
1402 Main Street
City Filling Station
Telephone 276-4395
Newberry, S. C.
Friend Street