True XMAS story of Celia Drake.

From: "Paul Drake" To: VA-SOUTHSIDE-L@rootsweb.com Date: Monday, December 24, 2001 12:37 AM A true story: *** It was well into the terrible American Civil War when, on the cold, northern Ohio XMAS Day of 1862, little 3 year Celia Drake died, the cause now long unremembered. Had she lived, she would have been an aunt of my father. In those times, death was frequent among little children. So it was that no one who ever remembered that little girl lived long enough to be acquainted with me, and I had never heard even a single story of her or of her short life. Now, I probably do not believe in ghosts, apparitions, or communications with the dead. Still though, tiny Celia has very quietly, gently, and ever so peacefully stolen into my mind and thoughts EVERY XMAS morning since I first saw her headstone in 1952, 90 long years after her death. My wife knew of my love for prints of early American scenes, however I had not EVER discussed or so much as mentioned little Celia to her. Though I had absolutely no knowledge of and had NO part whatever in its selection, the first XMAS after our marriage, my wife gave me a large and beautiful winter scene with sleighs and people arriving at an early American farm house. Guess what the title of that print was ............ "Christmas Day, 1862" *** Happy Holidays to all. Paul