North of Boston

THEY aint much happened sence the last riting. Leaves is down and dead and the country buttond up for winter. Paid my taxes and it didn't hurt much more than having a tooth pulled with no anesthetic. The Dreadnaught said it was time to start planning for Christmas. Not being no fool, I give her a check and told her to do the shopping for the various relayshuns.

Next evening, when I was awl alone in the house, I set down to make my own personal private Christmas list. First uv awl, a big bone with lots uv meat on same for our new Labrador. Then a cupple uv cases uv ale for the boys down to the jail. Some of them fellers is there on my say so.

For my son, a flash gun and case uv bulbs for his camera. For the Dreadnaught and our long-legged red-headed dotter, a big flask uv perfume and a Dartmouth scarf each. When you give a female perfume plus a lovely scarf you never do no wrong.

As for me, if truth was known they aint really nothing money can buy that I really need. Uv course they is lots uv things I want, but do not really need. Them things I need, money just cant buy, like taking the wear and tear uv twenty-five years uv day and night work offen the body and the forgiveness of God for the sins uv commission and the waste uv the precious hours and abilities He gives me.

I had a very wise uncle which used to send me a jack knife every Christmas. He sed "When you dont get that knife no more, why I'll be gone and you'll be the head uv the family. They wont be nobody older than you in the family to give you nothing and you wont be young no more."

He was right. I let the fire die on the hearth and went out and walked the Labrador and watched the hills under the stars and so to bed. It was a moment that stays with a feller a long time. Them of you as has turned that corner know just what I mean, and them of you as aint, never can know until you do.