SPECIAL DAYS



Christmas was really something to look forward to, as I was a firm believer in Old Santa, and he never failed me. He brought me a little stove that I could put fire in; but only when Papa was close by to supervise what I was doing. Also there were nuts and fruit. We only had oranges at Christmas.

On Sunday morning we would all dress in our Sunday best and get in the wagon and go to church. I would sit between Mama and Papa in the spring seat at the front; all the rest of the family sitting in chairs in the back of the wagon. We went to church at Walnut Grove, a Presbyterian Church.

I was in the card class and I still remember very clearly being in a children's day program; twelve little boys and girls, me being one of them. We were lined up on the rostrum all holding letters in front of us spelling out "Children's Day". I held the letter "E" and my line was "Every flower seems to say". The little girl next to me was holding "N" and she said "Nearer God we are today". That is all I remember, only how very important I felt as I walked back to where Papa and Mama were sitting.

During revival season, people would go and camp for the week, or as long as the meeting lasted. They would put up tents, and others would sleep in their wagons. But in preparing for all this, the women would bake cakes and pies and cook on camp fires in preparing the meals. Mama and we girls slept in the wagon and Papa and the boys under the wagon.

The services were conducted under a brush arbor. Would have morning and evening services, and during the afternoons the men and women would have separate group meetings. And one reason this is all so clear in my mind - I was only a little girl, but I was converted and joined the church at one of the night services.




Filling the Pantry Hard Times