(A True Story)
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he year was 1944. It was Christmas Eve. World War II was in
full swing and finally going in favor of the allies on both
fronts. I was ten years old and my sister Ardith was twelve. My
Father, who worked in construction as an Ironworker, was on an
"overtime" job and was working many hours leaving
little time for more than sleeping and working. My Mother was
caught up in all the holiday ferver plus her normal duties as a
housewife and mother. It was getting near sundown, when my sister
and I realized that no one had yet bought a Christmas Tree! Panic
gripped us as we went to our Mother and asked her "When are
we going to get a tree?" She said that she was so busy she
had forgotten all about it. My sister and I volunteered, with her
permission, to try to find one. The streets were safer in those
days and she agreed. She gave us some money and told us to go buy
a tree and come directly home.
rdith and I started out on our journey. We knew of
several places where trees were sold and went to those first. All
of them were either out of trees or closed! At the places that
were open we would ask if they knew of other tree lots that might
still have some trees left. It was dark now and the places we
were told about were either places we had already tried or were
also closed or had no trees left. We started asking adults we met
if they knew of a place where we could buy a tree. All to no
avail. Our search had taken us pretty far from home now and we
had just about resigned ourselves to the fact that we would be
having a Christmas without a tree.
ith tears in our eyes we started on our long trek
home. It was starting to snow as we traveled and that picked up
our spirits some, but still.......a Christmas without a tree left
us very sad. We decided to take a shortcut across a railroad yard
that would cut our trip by several blocks. On the street just
before the rail crossing we saw a man in a heavy overcoat and a
fedora hat (they were very common in those days) walking toward
us. We pondered if we should ask him. He looked very somber. Aw
heck, what did we have to lose, we didn't have a tree anyway. As
he approached, I said "Hey mister! Do you have any idea
where we might be able to buy a Christmas Tree?" He stopped
and looked at us and said "You need a Christmas Tree?"
and then "Yes, I think I can help you....follow me." He
turned around and started in the other direction. We followed him
for several blocks until we came to a house where he turned into
the gate and asked us to wait. He went into the house and after
several minutes came out carrying of all things a Christmas Tree!
He gave it to us and said "Here, no child should be without
a tree at Christmas." We asked how much he wanted for it and
he replied "Nothing, I won't be having much use for a
Christmas Tree this year." and with tears in his eyes said
"My wife died this morning." We didn't know what to say
other than "we're sorry". We thanked him over and over
and then headed home. My sister was in front carrying the trunk
end and I trailed behind carrying the top. It was snowing pretty
hard by now and it was several hours since we left home.
ome of the events of that night fifty-four years ago
have greyed with time, but one event that stands out crystal
clear in my mind is my sister and I carrying that tree home, in
the snow, and singing Christmas Carols all the way. I'll never
forget the feeling. It turned out to be a great Christmas. We
never did find out who the man was, anything about him or
whatever became of him. Although he was grieving, I often
wondered if he realized how much joy he brought to two young kids
that Christmas. I never found out. I wish I did. Another thing I
clearly remember are the tears in my Mothers eyes when we told
her the story. It was her next to last Christmas. She died two
years later on December 2nd, 1946.
Jim Jensen
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My thanks to St. Celia's Corner for the great midi file
which she graciously made so I could use it on this page
