YULE POEMS: We found a few lighthearted verses in the Era from a
century ago that might bring a smile to our readers’ faces:

The Night Before

“’Twas the night before Christmas and all tho’ the store

A vast crowd of shoppers was seen on each floor.

They struggled and hastened from counter to case;

They elbowed and crowded and fought for a place.

The clock marked ‘eleven’ and still they must get

A present for Johnny and Fanny and Bett;

They ought to have bought them a long time ago,

In leisure and comfort, but didn’t you know,

And now they are struggling to get thro’ before

The clock strikes the hour to close up the store.

“ ‘Twas the night before Christmas and back of each case

A poor girl was standing, with weary, worn face;

She had stood there, it seemed to her tired, worried brain,

For years that were marked by long minutes of pain.

Before her the crowd, like a billowy wall,

Seemed swelling and rushing to overwhelm all.

With weary, weak fingers, she showed them the toys

They ought, days ago, to have got for their boys.

‘An hour!’ she murmurs — please 20 cents more!’

An hour, thank Fortune, they’ll close up the store.”

POST SCRIPT: Perhaps it’s because we’ve been so focused on the
Era’s Less Fortunate over the past few weeks, but it seems that
poem was written just for us. Every year we have some last-minute
gifts to purchase to make sure we serve every child and senior
citizen on our list. Compared to a hundreds years ago, though, at
least we have Wal-Mart which is open around the clock!

GAS PAIN: A couple surprising reports this week on gas
prices.

Rocco Camas phoned Tuesday to report that the lowest price he
had encountered between Bradford and Smithfield, N.C., was in
Ridgway! Sheetz was at $2.39. Rocco had been pleased to drive into
Johnsonburg were gas was going for $2.49.

Meanwhile, we also had a caller report that gas was at $2.49 in
Kane, too.

What was it in Bradford? We believe that Wednesday’s price was
hovering around the $2.69 mark. Go figure.