What A Little Girl Found There (2)

She was the eldest of 6 children, and the Depression was hard on them all. But Grandfather said they came from 'good stock', and there was no doubt they would come through.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/monkeyc/95679450/

One day as the little girl walked along the road she saw some children skipping along in her direction, and they were holding oranges. Oranges - what a rare treat! Oh, how she would just love an orange right about then. She could almost taste its sweet tanginess on this hot, dusty day. If she had an orange, she would peel it slowly and eat it slowly, taking her time to savor it...but what were they saying about the oranges?

"They're government oranges! Yes, really. They came in from Tacoma and families can claim them!"

The little girl continued walking toward home, thinking about the government, and thinking about oranges. Then she thought about home. She learned a lot at home, because Mother and Dad seemed always to be talking. They talked around the table; they talked in the living room after the children were in bed, their ideas floating upward and through the heating register in her bedroom. 

Even at 10, she was pretty certain that one of these ideas might be paying cash for oranges. It was an idea that many held, in those days. It was not wrong to receive government oranges, and each family had to decide for themselves. But for now, she would wait for them.

Months passed. The days grew short and cold, and soon it was time to think about Christmas. Would it snow? One could always dream, even during the Depression! The children poured over the much-used Wards and Sears catalogs, looking and dreaming and sighing with delight at each page. All this looking and dreaming was really half the fun. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevewall/332832383/
At last it was Christmas morning, and the children ran squealing toward the Christmas tree. The oldest girl walked in more slowly, her eyes wide and watchful. She saw her littler siblings discover her own gifts for them - gifts she had made and spent time over, finding just the right thing for each. 

At last, she glanced around the room and saw the stockings hanging there on the mantel. They looked suspiciously heavy...with something quite large and round in the very bottom. Could it be..?

She ran past the tree, and past the children on the floor. She took her stocking down and began removing its contents: the hard candy, some sweet small gifts from her mother, and then - she upended the stocking to find - an ORANGE! Oh joy! 

She wanted to eat it right then and there, but remembered her summertime vow. She would find just the right moment to peel it slowly and eat it slowly - taking her time to savor it.

Christmas. The Christ Child. Oranges. Warm food. Happy children. And Mother - standing nearby, laughing and smiling her own sweet way, and Dad - holding the newspaper just so, but peering over it toward his oldest daughter. A twinkle in his own eye, beaming over the heads of the children.. right at her. 


The best things in life are free.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thelotuscarroll/8222110342/

See you along the way!

the SconeLady

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevewall/332832383/">Steve took it</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/monkeyc/95679450/">monkeyc.net</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelotuscarroll/8222110342/">Lotus Carroll</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>