An impression of Gale Hill at Christmas (without trees) by Jasper Burns.
(Other portraits of Gale Hill have been done by Jaquelin Ann Guillot and Mark Hamilton Caskie.)
CHRISTMAS AT "GALE HILL" IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURYBased on the reminiscences of Elizabeth Coalter Bryan Williston (born 1871), Jane Bell Dabney Grinnan Gladding,
and Jane Bell Dabney Jones (born 1877)
The three families of grandchildren always came to Gale Hill to spend Christmas.
The first to arrive were the Dabneys from Charlottesville,
nine miles away. They came by train and were met at the Proffit
depot. "All there, Doctor?" asked the conductor as the train
stopped and Dr. Dabney, Mrs. Dabney, and their seven children got
off. "Well, happy Christmas to you, sir." They found at the
station a buggy and a wagon full of hay to carry them over the
mile of snow-covered road to Gale Hill. It could scarcely be
called a road; it was all deep ruts and holes and so narrow that
it was impossible to avoid either getting into a hole or driving
over a tree.
The Bryan family, including eight children, came from Key
West, several miles
in the opposite direction and across the Rivanna River. "Tom,
hitch up the carriage
and saddle Fidget and Fax," said Captain Bryan. When the roads
were heavy with
mud or snow, they had to drive very slowly. Then the river had
to be forded.
The oldest boy would ride his horse into the river to test the
current and look for holes or quicksand. The other bank was
steep and muddy, but Tom was a good driver and the horses
dependable. Once across, they drove across the low grounds,
forded the meadow branch, went through the gate by the tobacco
barn, and climbed
the hill to the front yard gate, held open by one of the little
black boys. As the
carriage neared the north porch, part of the old house built in
1775, the children
became more and more excited.
Next came the Minor family from Windieknowe. Uncle Will,
Aunt Lizzie, and
their five children would pile into their odd-looking carriage
which the children
all called "the ambulance." It also had to cross the river and
could be seen coming from quite a distance because old Jerry,
one of the horses, was white as snow.
As each family arrived at the north porch, they were greeted
by Grandpa and
Grandma Minor, Aunt Sally, and Aunt Mary. Grandpa would exclaim,
clapping his
hands, "Welcome, Welcome, Merry Christmas!" and Grandma and the
aunts would say,
"The Philistines are upon us! The Philistines are upon us!"
Then Grandma would
add, "Come out of the cold children, lady apples under the
table!"
Everyone would rush into Grandma's bedroom in the new part of
the house,
which was built in 1857. This room was twenty-two feet square
with a very high
ceiling and was used as a family sitting room in winter. There
was a huge open wood fire in the fireplace, with brass andirons
and red brick hearth and a big mantle piece above. And sure
enough, there were plenty of lady apples under the table.
While the parents were chatting, the children would steal
away to the kitchen to see what was for supper. Aunt Harriet
was the cook and well-beloved by all,
but she would chase the children away, threatening to pin a dirty
dishrag on whomever she could catch.
After supper, everyone pitched in to decorate the house.
Running cedar, mountain laurel, and other evergreens were twined around ropes. The
bannisters were
twined and all the windows hung with wreaths. And garlands of
evergreen were
hung on all the pictures and portraits. The whole house was
beautiful and fragrant.
The highlight of Christmas Eve for the children was hanging
up the stockings.
Each stocking - twenty in all - had to have a name pinned on it.
Then it was
off to bed - the oldest boys in "the office" out in the yard, the
rest tucked away in the big house, and a big fire blazed in every
room.
Christmas morning always started with a happy race to see who
could sneak up
on whom and say "Christmas Gift" first. Almost always, old Mammy
Patty would beat everyone else to the punch. The children would
sneak downstairs and try to catch Kate or Aunt Harriet or their
parents, but almost always they were too slow.
Even Grandma and Grandpa would say "Christmas Gift" as soon as a
child would open their door a crack to catch them.
Then it was off to the stockings, stuffed with candy, nuts,
raisins, and firecrackers. Each child also got a toy or two
including a horn, and the older boys got Roman candles and sky
rockets. And everyone got an orange in the toe of his or
her stocking, a rare treat in those days. The boys would gather
outside by a heap of live coals and set off their firecrackers.
By now, everyone was up and gathered for breakfast in the big
basement dining
room at the big table. Grandpa would sit in his old Windsor arm
chair and read
the Bible, for much too long the children thought. Then he would
say, "Who is
ready to go and get the Christmas tree?" Of course, everyone
was. The little
wagon was waiting hitched up and one of the big girls would drive
it with the little
children. Everyone else walked with Grandpa until the right tree
had been found.
The older boys would take the axes out of the wagon and chop
away, with Grandpa
directing them just how to do it. The tree was a big symmetrical
cedar. It was
loaded into the wagon, with the top and sides spilling over, and
all would follow it
merrily back to the house where Uncle John would set it up in
front of the bay
window.
The parlor doors were now shut and no child was allowed into
the room until
four o'clock in the afternoon. The children went back into the
woods to collect
red berries which were strung to decorate the tree. Then they
would amuse them
selves in any number of ways: skating on the ice pond, sliding
down the snowy hill on split-bottom chairs, checking on the
progress of Christmas dinner, and, especially, trying to sneak a
peak at what was going on in the parlor.
Malvina Terrell (1798-1880)
("Aunt Mal")
Meanwhile, the adults were decorating the tree with lady
apples stuck on thorns, sparkling balls, and other ornaments
which were kept year after year by old Aunt Mal in her bonnet
box. The children would see the servants sneak into the
parlor with bundles under their aprons and the mystery and
anticipation grew as
the day wore on.
At three o'clock, it was time for Christmas dinner. It began
with oyster soup,
then came a huge turkey at one end of the table and a ham at the
other end. And,
of course, a variety of vegetables plus corn bread, loaf bread,
butter pickles, and
lots of extras. Dessert featured plum pudding, mince pies,
coconut and lemon puddings, wine jelly and pound cake, and
homemade ice cream.
Finally, the big moment had arrived and everyone, including
all the servants,
headed to the parlor. The big double doors were swung open and
there stood the
beautiful tree, sparkling with lighted candles and ornaments and
hanging with unwrapped gifts. There were dolls, pocket knives with tops tied to
them, pairs of
skates, aprons, firecrackers, gifts of all kinds for everyone.
Everything was hung on the tree except for really heavy presents,
such as the gun that each boy would receive once in his youth.
But before anything was handed out, Aunt Mary made her way to
the piano
and everyone joined in singing Christmas carols. Uncle Will led
everyone as they
sang "Joy to the World," "O Come All Ye Faithful," and many other
classic songs
of the holiday. Meanwhile, the children impatiently gazed at all
the presents,
wondering which was for whom.
Finally, the uncles cut down the presents and distributed
them. Uncle John
cut off a knife and said, "For William from Uncle Will and Aunt
Lizzie." Every
boy got a knife. Uncle Ran took down a doll "For Lizzie from
Uncle Will and
Aunt Jen," and Lizzie was happy. A new cap for Grandma. A
muffler for Grandpa. Tobacco and pipes for the men servants and
firecrackers and goodies for the boy servants.
Finally Mammy Patty would announce from her corner, "Humph, I
ain't heared
my name yit." Then a nice head handkerchief was taken down for
her.
The boys would head outdoors for more fireworks and everyone
rushed to the
verandah to see the display. By now it was bedtime for the
younger children, but the older ones and the adults stayed up for
dancing. All of the aunts could play
the piano, and they took turns at it. But Grandma would only
allow the old-fashioned square dances such as the lancers,
curtsy, cotillion, and coquette. The
last dance was always the Virginia Reel and this ended the very
best day of the year for the Gale Hill grandchildren.
The festivities continued for a week or longer, until school
opened again. There was visiting around the neighborhood and
parties to attend. And with twenty children about, there were
plenty for games of all sorts and a party every day.
