Alice Drake’s First Christmas Tree

I had my first Christmas tree, I think I was 12, somewhere around there.  Said to mom “mom I’m gonna have a Christmas tree this Christmas.  She said “what are you gonna dress it with”?  I said “I don’t know but I’m gonna get a tree”. So I left the house and went up behind Mr. Ned Barry’s house  and I got the tree where Mr. Ned Barry well where Marion lives now. I cut a tree and I brought it home and I put it in.  I had some crepe paper and I got that ready and I said to mom “I don’t know what else I’m gonna put on it … She said to me “why don’t you go over to Mr. Jim Smith’s and see if he got anything”. So she gave me five dollars and I went over to Mr. Jim Smith’s.  I was always afraid of Mr. Jim Smith, I suppose because of his mustache, I dunno.  I went in the store and he said “well little girl what are you looking for today” and I told him I was looking for some Christmas decorations.  I was wondering if he had any there in the store.  He said “no, I don’t”. So anyway I was leaving the store and he said to me little girl, “come back”  he said “I have some Christmas decorations in there belong to my daughter” he said “who passed away”  he said “I’ll let you have them now, come in, I’ll go up in the attic and get them”.  I went in and stood in the door and he went to the attic and got them.   He brought down the box of Christmas decorations and I said to him “how much are they,  I only got five dollars”.  He said “that’s fine you give me the five dollars and you can have the decorations”.  So I grabbed the box and I made my way over the hill again. Mom said “what have you got?”.