To the Editor:

I was very interested in the article about Mary P. Futrell’s Christmas stockings. You see, as a next-door neighbor the same age as the middle one of their five children growing up in the ‘30s and ‘40s, I knew how wonderfully entertaining Christmas was at their home.

Those stockings might have held a quart-size jar or olives because that was a favorite of one child; a commercial-size jar of mustard because one child like mustard sandwiches; a big bag of pretzels taken from the trunk full of them brought from a trip to Pennsylvania; a can of vegetable soup with wooden vegetables, which when saved would be used to play a game.

All the family was musically inclined (except Pop, who played the spoons), so a stocking might hold a jew’s-harp, a big harmonica, an ocarina, special hammers for playing the xylophone, or even a small ukulele complete with a grass skirt.

They had the newly distributed Monopoly game, which was in continuous play every afternoon after school.

“Pop” was known to have the first freeze-dried coffee and ballpoint pen in town.

I’ll always contend that “Mom” Purviance sang the most beautiful rendition of “Oh, Holy Night” ever heard.

Kitty Lassiter
Boykins