Christmas Eve in 1907

I daren't say anything about what I have gotten the wife, in case she finds out. I will let you in on the secret next week. She has served me well this past year; the food on the table has been reasonably tasty, the house kept well, the chores looked after and the children clean. I said to myself last year that if I was satisfied by the end of the year, I would get her something special.

Now, here we are, the children laughing, the wife singing carols as she works at the tree. I wonder if anything could be more perfect? I may help by putting the angel at the top. After the wagon tour last weekend it snowed, so that now the boy and I have the sleigh polished up and ready for use. I had the oldest girl sweep the snow off the steps and path, too, so that if any of the neighbours should drop around, it will be easy for them to get in.

The youngest girl brought me the glass of cider a short while ago. It is getting so that a man almost feels guilty enjoying his glass of cider, what with the temperance people screeching about the evils of drink. While we men were getting the horses tethered before church the other day, old Elwood Warner brought out some spirits he has been making on his farm, passing the bottle around, in order that we could test the quality. We almost didn't get inside for the service, and if you think there were dark looks from Reverend Pottie, you should have seen the looks we got from our wives.

The oldest girl was snickering when I sat down. I have taken matters in hand, however, and her insolence will be a thing of the past. For her Christmas present, I have cut out a piece from the newspaper and framed it. It is full of good advice. When she reads it, she will realize the kind of young lady she ought to be.

The piece is called Brief Hints for Bright Girls, being a list of twelve things every girl should learn by the time she is sixteen, so that she can be a true lady. It says that she should shut the door and shut it softly, keep her room in tasteful order, have an hour for rising and rise at that hour, learn to make bread as well as cake, never let a button stay off twenty four hours, always know where her things are, never let a day pass without doing something to make somebody comfortable, never come to breakfast without a collar, never go about with her shoes unbuttoned, never fidget or hum so as to disturb others, and never fuss or fret.

I know that some of these are small things, but I have always believed that it is the small things that make the lady. I was going to add a part about how she must respect her father, but I couldn't figure out a way to put it in so that it looked like a part of the article. That is a shame, because every time I have reminded her of it she rolls her eyes.

I shopped for the boy and the youngest girl at the Douglas general store, here in the village. My, it was busy. The people at that store are so nice that I almost spent a dollar on the girl, before I came to my senses and returned the item to the shelf. I know the wife has been making things to give them, but I am far too busy for that sort of thing.

I ended up getting the youngest girl a lovely box of Moir's chocolates, that was reduced in price because it had been displayed too close to the stove. For the boy, I found a small axe that he can use to help with the firewood. He has gotten quite good at kindling, and when a little older will be able to take over most of the chopping.

The wife tells me it is time for me to put the angel on top of the tree. This is the big moment, the point when the tree is all decorated. I get up on the stool and hang the angel at the top, the oldest girl clapping slowly. It is nice when my efforts are appreciated.

The wife gets steaming mugs of hot chocolate and cookies for all, the dog watches everything from beside my chair, and the children begin to sing Christmas carols. I even join in – much to the amusement of the wife and children – when they come to the lines "We wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year."

- Thomas W.L. Sheppard, Esq., can be contacted at the old Benjamin Annis place, Hibernia