1908 



CHRISTMAS IX SIERRA \< >RTH 





denly (UK- of our Sierra rain- 

 swept down i .in us, which seemed the 

 best joke of all. In the midst of it the 

 horses were brought out of the slu 

 the ran hered up the bab- 



tucked them under their "slickers," 

 and mounted in hot haste; the wr. 

 and elder children spring to saddle. 

 Everyone laughed and shouted to- 

 iler while the rain poured, and off 

 y went, up the ridges, down tin- 

 trails, across the creeks in the pitchy 

 darkness ! Some had to go a mile and 

 some four or five miles in wind and 

 rain, but it was the most amusing event 

 of the season. 



\- I think it over and consider the 

 -abilities of the rangers' holiday 

 ison I am afraid that to write it all 

 d"\vn will sound foolish. Hut let it at 

 least be said that in the course of time 

 we ought tn be able to develop many 

 customs and usages all our own, and 

 to keep alive many of the better sort of 

 the old American traditions of moun- 

 tain hospitality. Besides and beyond 

 this I think- it likely that the fellowship 

 will widen, taking in, to some extent, 

 the other forests and offices and de- 

 partments ; that by and by the Gov- 

 ernment sealer on Sale 12-1-08 in 



1 'ike's Peak will ; 

 made Chri-t- 

 away up in the 



. mpics ; that all the in . ill 



writing Christ! 



ranger- they have camped with ; t! 

 snpervi-i rs from Ton-, 

 lie gathering red ap] 

 cutting great Yule I ik in . v 



vemher. and picking autumn 1> 

 and bringing in Christmas ti nd 



killing well-fatted holiday bin! 

 sitting at the heads of loy.g and n 

 festive tables where at least half the 

 toasts will have to do with the I 

 Service and its leaders. 



Does any man or woman e to 



know the price of the forest fellow- 

 ship? Coming into it, one mu<t learn 

 to give and to take "From each to 

 all, from all to each." \Yhen mind . 

 body are merged in the servio . 

 again as a child to whom all thii 

 seem new and wonderful and each day 

 a gift from the high gods themseh 

 Then such homely little celeVati 

 ours, where we give a little wooden 

 horse a.nd a poem, half tease, half 

 row, to the ranger who has lately 1 

 his saddle horse, become thing< 

 to enjoy and lastingly to remember. 



