Calvin Synod Herald, 2000 (101. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2000-11-01 / 11-12. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD 5 Jest ‘fore Christmas When, jest‘fore Christmas, I’m as good as I kin be! Father calls me William, sister calls me Will. Mother calls me Willie, but the fellers call me Bill! Mighty glad I ain't a girl - rather be a boy, Without them sashes, curls, an’ things that’s worn by Fauntleroy! Love to chawnk green apples an' go swimmin’ in the lake -Hate to take the castor-ile they give for belly-ache! 'Most all the time, the whole year round, there ain’t no flies on me, But jest 'fore Christmas I’m as good as I kin be! For Christmas, with its lots an’ lots of candies, cakes, an' toys, Was made, they say, for proper kids an’ not for naighty boys; So wash yer face an’ bresh yer hair, an’ mind yer p’s and q's, An’ don’t bust out yer pantaloons, and don’t wear out yer shoes; Say “Yessum’’ to the laides, an' “Yessur" to the men, An’ when they’s company, don’t pass yer plate for pie again; But, thinkin’ of the things yer’d like to see upon that tree, Jest 'fore Christmas be as good as yer kin be! Got a yeller dog named Sport, sick him on the cat; First thing she knows she doesn’t know where she is at! Got a clipper sled, an’ when us kids goes out to slide, 'Long comes the grocery cart, an’ we all hook a ride! But sometimes when the grocery man is worrited an’ cross, He reaches at us with his whip, an' larrups up his hoss, An’ then I fall an’ holler, “Oh, ye never teched me!" But jest 'fore Christmas I’m as good as I kin be! Gran’ma says she hopes that when I git to be a man, I'll be a missionarer like her oldest brother, Dan, As was et up by the cannibuls that live in Ceylon's Isle, Where every propeck pleasea, an' only man is vile! But gran’ma she she has never been to see a Wild West show, Nor read the Life of Daniel Boone, or else I guess she'd know That Buff’lo Bill an’ cow-boys is good enough for me! Excep' jest ‘fore Christmas, when I’m good as I kin be! And then old Sport he hangs around, so solemn-like an' still, His eyes they seem a-sayin': “What’s the matter, little Bill? The old cat meaks down off her perch an' wonders what’s become Of them two enemies of hern that used to make things hum! But I am so perlite an' tend so earnestly to biz, That mother says to father: “How improved our Willie is!” But father, havin’ been a boy hisself, suspicions me Eugene Field (1850-1895) Pastoral letter to distant former members Dear Friend, Probably you are surprised to receive this letter from your old Church. This letter is addressed to you because you were a member of our Church and we still keep you in mind, no matter that you left us long ago. We know that you could not forget your Church even if you are either very close or very far from her. The Church remembers you and we know that there are times when you remember your old Church. It may happen that it occurred to you to send a greeting card at least at Christmas time to say: Hello, how are you...? You might belong to another Church, but your old Church is still “The Church” for you... Or did you slip away from the Church and you are not interested in the Church...? Still you can not help that the picture of your old Church appears in your mind and you feel warmth in your heart for the happy days when you were here, and you felt that it was good to be here... You also might remember your allegiance to your Church but somehow you feel that you do not belong anymore to that spiritual community where you were raised...? We cannot forget you, the empty pews tell us that you left, that you went away... It may happen that you remember the past, the old Church and days, years spent there... If not any other time it may at Christmas time... We are still around. A small but courageous group of people is still struggling to survive... As you receive and send your gifts remember your Church of bygone days and help us to continue our life and service for the Lord with your spiritual and material help also. We ring the bells to remember you and our former members at our holidays, who are in our hearts so close and still so far... Be with us to celebrate the birth of Christ at this Christmas time, be with us in your mind and spirit and you will feel that you will have a blessed holiday, a blessed Christmas... Avery blessed Christmas to you and to your loved ones: Francis Vitéz, Pastor Bishop Emeritus
