STUDY AGRICULTURE THIS WINTER. Sec Page 10.
A Farm and Home Weekly For the Carolinas, Virginia,
Georgia and Tennessee. . -
FOUNDED, 1886, AT RALEIGH, N. C.
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Vol. XXVII. ; No. 51. SATURDAY, Dl4MBER 21, 1912. Weekly : $1 a Year.
CHRISTMAS AT THWOME PLACE.
(When the Hills Played Ghost and the Wind Whistled a Dance Tune.)
Written for The Progressive Farmer by Frank L. Stanton. .
I.
THE HILLS put on their caps 'of snow and stood in scary white
And the children said: "They're up from bed and playin' ghost
" tonight; . " ; ' ; . . ; . :. '. '. ' '
But when Santa Claus, he comes along the ghosts won't have a chance,
For the Wind will clap his hands for joy and make the cold hills dance!''
That was the word the children said as the firelight
threw its beams
v From the windoxvs bright on the winter night dream
A ing" the. fchristinas dreams; ; jxW'0 -
''for tne wind may Diowtne stars out wnen ineciouas
J , come at, his calV -;: .'; y i , 7 'vV
, JDUl imoiiH3 ijvc 111 iuc iuuuu ui lugs 111c awccicai
mr. stant. -dreatostff all; -: ;-' " - : ' '
III.
Don't envy tficlr city pleasures, for we hive Life's honeycomb
With Christmas times in te country and all our hearts at home!
And, listen, folks! When the children are bundled up in bed
There's a merrier, sound than the jingle of reindeer bells on the shed.
" , ' . ' .......
: iv. ' ,
Whistle over the housetops, Wind o' the Christmas Eve!
. Rumble and roar in the chimney! You're only a" make-believe!
Seems that you'd storm the steeple down, out there, so cold and gray,
r- But you've blown the Chrismas fiddle and the rosy girls our way!
V,
Come in! There's a thrill o' welcome in the tinkling of the latch:
'. "Come in!" says the singing Fire, "where Joy will meet his match!
Leave dull Care to the darkness, his way thru the night to feel;
Come in, and shake the snow off in a rollicking old-time reel!"
VI.
Talk of your op'ry pieces trillin' of birds in spring,
The Christmas fiddler knows the trick that makes a fiddle sing!
Listen: The music's with him: Not fa'r will he let it roam: .
"Down in old Alabama" makes the country feel at home!
ijNofear;we!ll'wake the rosy ones scare Santa Claus away;
In the holly hall there's room if or all, and it's far to break o'day.
And bless i us! There's Grandfather, with a dancing stepof old,
The glimmer of his gray hair near Mollie's curls of gold!
viii.
Isn't the deacon dancing? The goodness gracious kn'ows!-
Sure, hes swinging the widow, whose cheeks are red as arose!
The old-time fiddler pats his feet, and ain't it the joyous truth
That Age is "swingin' corners" with rollicking, laughing Youth!
IX. - '
Talk about times! We have 'em when Christmas time comes 'round
And children say the hills play ghost with snowy night-caps crowned;
For even the Cold Wind claps his hands and whistles a trumpet-call,
And the very hills bow "Howdy,' with "Merry Christmas all!"
FEATURES OF THIS ISSUE.
A CHRISTMAS STORY From One of the Most Readable of Re
cent Books : . . 12
CO-OPERATIVE CREAMERIES AGAIN When They Are Unsafe . 3
COTTONSEED AND COTTONSEED MEAL The Fair Basis of
.Exchange 6W 7
EIGHT SECRETS OF SUCCESS IN CO-OPERATION Mr. Poe's
Last Article on Denmark Tells Why the Danes Succeed and We
so Often Fail . . . 15
FEEDING HENS IN THE WINTER Some Alabama Experiments. IS
FINANCIAL PROBLEMS OF THE TOBACCO GROWER The
Man Who Depends on Crops Yet Unmade Has a. Bad Chance. . 20 ,
HOW CAN THE POOR FARMER GET' A START? -Some Things
He Must and Some He Must Not Do 6
HOW TO CURE MEAT AT HOME Directions by One Who Knows 5
KEEP THE BOAR TO HIMSELF Why He Should Not Run With
Other Hogs . T 3
PRESSING POLITICAL PROBLEMS Discussed by the Editors,
Mr. A. L. French and Mr. W. J. Shuford 15, 25
THE LIME-SULFUR WASH A Comparison of Commercial and
Home-Made Washes ' .19
THE STOCK-LAW AND LIVESTOCK More and Better Stock
Where the Law is in Force . ". . . . . 16
THE NORTH CAROLINA FARMERS; UNION A Great Meeting
Last Week '. . . . . . . r. It
WHAT ONE-CROP FARMING ENDS IN Soil Depletion, Always
.i ii
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