Christmas is a joyous time of year for all

Christmas time is a joyous time of the year and a time to gather with family and friends as we celebrate the birthday of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If it is possible, you dream of going home for Christmas. And it definitely starts an old timer into reminiscing and brings up memories that have been hidden for years. 

You see, when you have eaten as many birthday cakes as I have, you accumulate a lot of stories. I grew up in that ol’ Erath County ranching country and one side of our spread bordered the Malone ranch. 

This ranch was owned by Mance Malone and he was a young’un back when Methusala was a pup, so needless to say, he was an old timer at the time we knew him. He was dried up and wiry, bowlegged and his skin was darkened by the sun, but he still had a twinkle in his eye and a grin from ear to ear. 

Let me tell you he sure had some wild tales and did not need much of an audience to start him rambling. If us kids chanced to meet him at the little country store where he came for a mid-afternoon break for a coke and peanuts, he would mesmerize us with his tales. One such story is the inspiration for today’s poem. 

Now according to Mance, his Mama raised him right and taught him to read the Bible and pray and that enabled him to make this trip in a raging blizzard. To hear him tell it, he made that 10-day journey through that blizzard with nothing more to eat than some biscuits and jerky and was wearing two long sleeve shirts to keep him warm. 

That ol’ Gent said that the wind blowed so hard it blew his mustache clean off his face, then the ice and snow made icicles hang from his hat so thick that it cut out the wind and made his ride a bit more comfortable!

He said his pony had a photographic memory and knew the way home, so he just gave him his head and sat back and enjoyed the ride. As I recollect, this happened near Christmas time. He had been cowboyin’ on a ranch in South Texas and he was headed home for Christmas. Now, it was about a 10-day ride horse back and just after he started a bad blizzard blew in and this is his tale of how he survived in order to get home for Christmas. 

He gave his pony its head and tried to hunker down in that saddle.as best he could. He pulled his kerchief tight and his hat way down for protection from that wind. He started early and rode until dark when he made a cold camp and hunkered into his bedroll to wait out the storm. He crawled out the next morning to a world of white and a temperature cold enough to make his horse hump up. He choked down a biscuit and some jerky and began to saddle up there before daylight. 

When he throwed that ol’ cold blanket on his pony, that ol’ pony was just a shaking until he shook himself warm! Then he took a knee to thank the Good Lord for keeping them through the night and read the Christmas story in Luke Chapter two from the Bible just like his Mama taught him to do, and promised himself that he would see his Mama for Christmas. 

They headed out as it got light enough to see, willing that ol’ sun to warm him up. Soon he began to recognize the country he was riding through and knew the old home place wasn’t much farther and his journey was near over. Now when he rode up to the ranch house and hallowed, they had to heat water on an old wood cook stove and then throw it on him just to defrost the ice that had built up on his legs and saddle. 

But, since those icicles had stopped the wind from blowing his whiskers off, they had grown into a white beard that made the folks think he was Santa Claus. And it took near about a month of Sundays for him to quit shaking and get back to normal! But his Mama was glad to see him!

As Christmas Comes

He sought shelter from this early winter storm,

That blizzard blowed through the night,

He hunkered down in his bedroll, tried to stay warm,

He knew it would soon be daylight.

He saddled that roan before the day could break,

Something he did every day,

He took off his dusty hat and hung it on a stake,

Took a knee and began to pray.

Most every day would start the same,

It’s just sort of what he did,

To give thanks to the Good Lord from whence he came,

An’ try to follow his bid.

Christmas time was coming as the days rolled by,

Bringin’ mem’rys of the past,

The stars twinkled bright in an’ inky sky,

Soon to be daylight at last.

He thanked the Lord for the Christ child that came,

To save the world from its sin,

Glory to God in the highest as the angels would proclaim,

Joy to the world, and to all there-in.

His travel had been long an’ hard an’ cold,

Ridin’ to the old home place,

Like the prodigal son returnin’ to the fold,

A trip made safe by God’s Grace

Oh he thought about home and his Ma’s sweet smile,

An’ the smell of Christmas time,

The blessed birth of the Christ child,

On that long ago Christmas, so sublime.

Now he’s headed home, his heart all a glow,

With thoughts of Christmas so grand,

He’s seeing landmarks that he used to know,

And the quarter circle C brand.

So he spurred his pony into a lope,

‘Cuz home was not so far away,

As he raced onward,his heart leapt with hope,

On this wonderful Christmas Day.

©  Ol’ Jim Cathey

 Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

God Bless you and God Bless America!

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God Bless you and God Bless America!