56 LETTER-FILES OF S. W. JOHNSON 



of greens in baskets upon their backs. They take their station 

 in the street or in the market place, and sit all day long, rain 

 or shine, freeze or thaw, and sell their commodities — gossip — 

 drink coffee — if cold, warm their fingers over little pots of 

 charcoal — and when night comes, travel 1 to 5 or 10 miles 

 back to their houses. I bought one day a bushel of apples 

 of a market woman, and she brought them to our room. It 

 was cold, and of course we had a fire. The old lady labored 

 up two pair of stairs without minding it, and setting down 

 her burden exclaimed, ' ' Oh, it is warm here, it is not warm at 

 home!" "We have had but a few cold days. But they were 

 hard for the poor, fuel here is very dear and many suffered 

 when the cold was most intense. . . . Leipsic is a well gov- 

 erned city. There is very little suffering compared with that 

 found in many German towns. But Mother, the paper is so 

 near full that I have space only to wish you a happy New 

 Year — a year of renewed health and strength. Most affec- 

 tionately. My dear Mother, Your, Samuel. 



Dear Sister Elizabeth, — The letters you have so kindly 

 written me have given me great pleasure, and with no lack 

 of pleasure I now attempt to answer. I shall tell you a story 

 of Christmas time in Leipsic, and all about the pretty custom 

 here of making little folks happy about these days. Many 

 good people here believe that Christ was born on the 25th 

 day of December, and nobody knows to the contrary — and 

 since the gifts of "peace on earth and good will to men," of 

 redemption and everlasting joy in Heaven which he gave to 

 his children by coming on the Earth to die for them, were 

 brought on Christmas evening, the good people of Germany 

 make their children pleasant gifts on this night, to make them 

 happy and remind them of the Savior who has given them the 

 great gifts. My good friend Dr. Zenker called on me the 

 23d of Dec. to invite me to his family Christmas festival to 

 be held the next day. I went at the appointed time, and found 

 4 other Americans, all acquaintances, invited to join in the 



