"The current was off at Sleepy Hollow, but Fay had the house lighted with plenty of candles, and they sent a soft warm glow across the snow. All the fireplaces had good sturdy fires in them, and the range looked as comfortable as a summer day. Half a dozen friends came in, stamping the snow from their galoshes, and the roast beef came from the oven sizzling with juices. Fay's creamed potatoes went with it - my favorite. And a chef's salad, and hot mince pie and coffee. Good fare for a winter night.
How much art there can be, I thought that evening, in all the small ways of living. Sometimes we get lazy, but I think the effort spent in putting an ironstone bowl of pine branches on the table is well spent. And getting out the fragile grandmother china is worth it too. Often we do not bother to use the small gracious touches, and it is a pity. For no matter what heaven may be like, there is no use just waiting for it. I'll take mine now, with an open fire and apples toasting on a stick and good friends gathered around the hearth. Bowls of popcorn, and nuts to crack while the talk is merry."
-- Gladys Taber, Stillmeadow Seasons
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