I Was An Angel Once

I WAS AN ANGEL ONCE

I started my education in September 1930, at a two-room grade school called Nolar, in northern Greenwood County. In those days the population was sparse and the community’s entertainment revolved around school activities much more than we do now. Even people with no children came to the school programs. Christmas was by far the most social event of the year.

Soon after Thanksgiving my teacher, Miss Agnes Hawthorn, who taught the first four grades and her sister, Miss Gladys, the upper room teacher started us practicing songs and speaking parts for a play. I looked forward to going to school, because I knew we’d get to practice each afternoon and it made studying go much faster.

One year because I was the tallest girl in the my room, I had the fabulous opportunity to be the lead angel in our Christmas chorus. There were five angels, with me, “Daddy’s tomboy”, in the center. We stood in the background while other students acted out the Christmas story. At various times we were to sing and for the life of me I can’t remember what we sang. Probably “Away In A Manager.”

The angels were to be dressed in white robes (weren’t we lucky, bed sheets were all white back then)and our beloved mothers made real looking wings by covering wire with fragile cheesecloth. They even constructed silver halos, that were wired to stand above our heads.

The night of the program I was so thrilled when we were finally all dressed with our wings in place. At the last minute the upper room girls came to position the halos on our heads. I was thankful my sister Melba came to put mine on as she patted me on the shoulder and told me to sing just as pretty as I looked.

I was feeling all quivery and actually thought I looked like one of the Heavenly Choir. As we filed out to take our place on the raised platform on stage, one boy from my class whispered, “Enjoy yourself Gail that’s the closest you’ll get to heaven.” I wanted to cry but didn’t dare. Even real angels can’t sing and cry at the same time.

Published in Kanhistique in Ellsworth, Kansas; December 1998

Story ID:	317
Written by:	Gail Lee Martin (bio, contact, other stories)
Organization:	Kansas Authors Club
Story type:	Family History
Location:	Greenwood County Kansas USA
Year:	1930
Person:	myself