Chrystmasse seasons filled with joy, sadness, melancholy, sentimental remembrances, thankfulness for gifts received, gatherings of friends and family are what nearly every person experiences during their lifetime of Holie-dayes. For Gena Branscombe there were many of those same experiences. In her December 14, 1917 letter to her publisher Mr. Schmidt she wrote, “There is a foretaste of what the years will bring – this Christmas – a poignancy that has never existed before. And just now we are waiting for later news of my cousin Gerald – who was severely wounded and gassed a few days ago. I wish you could have seen the two older babies frolicking in the snow – this afternoon with their cheeks like peonies. They’re both so huge that they can hardly both sit on their used –to-be capacious sled – and when their wicked mother would give an unexpected pull – one or the other would roll merrily off. They are great fun.” Miss Branscombe wrot...
