Classic Christmas Stories (27 page)

Author Unknown

'T
IS THE SEASON TO be jolly, the old Christmas carol says, but for a 49-year old
St. John's man named Phil, Christmas for many years was the season to be
miserable.

For Phil as he explained in a
Telegram
interview, was an alcoholic for
years.

“I was what you might call a rock bottom drunk, ” he said, in preface to his
grim tale.

Phil said he went to work at the age of ten and “I drank when I was supposed to
go to school.” At the age of 14, he began a serious drinking career that went on
for 26 years and saw him use every trick in the book to get a drink. As a result
of his lack of education and his preference for drinking, he can neither read
nor write.

During his years of heavy drinking, he would get hopelessly drunk at night and
not care about it.

“But next morning I'd go through hell thinking about what I was doing to my
wife and family. Then I'd go out and get drunk again and try to forget about
it.

“I'd sit home for days on end and no-one would talk to me, ” he said.

“I'd be completely alone, full of remorse and self-pity, shaking and
shivering and just waiting, hoping and praying for someone
to come along with the price of a bottle . . . a few drinks and I was gone
again.

“Believe me, it's not a good feeling. You're all alone—you feel as if no-one
wants you and no-one cares about you. You lose your self-respect and you just
don't give a damn any more.”

Phil said his drinking career included a few spells around the War Memorial on
Duckworth Street, a favourite drinking territory of some of the city's most
destitute alcoholics.

“The drinks couldn't come fast enough for me on the monument, ” he said.

“I had to be working because I had to have money in order to drink the way I
wanted to drink. There was no way a bottle of wine in the morning would do me .
. . I wanted to slash right into it. I used to spend a month or so with the boys
on the street. Then I'd be lucky enough to get a job again. I'd hold on to that
for a couple of months and then I‘d get fired again for drinking on the job.
There was a six week waiting period for unemployment insurance, and I'd spend
that time on the monument.”

Phil found the general misery of an alcoholic's life heightened during the
Christmas season. His recollections are grim.

“I never did have a happy Christmas, not since the time I started drinking. Up
to the time I was married I never enjoyed Christmas because I was always drunk.
I'd leave home probably Christmas Eve morning, and I wouldn't get back until a
couple days after Christmas Day.

“Since I got married was the worst time for me because I put everybody through
hell.”

One year, he said, his family had nothing but mashed potatoes for dinner on
Christmas Day. He had been fired from his job a few weeks before because of his
drinking, and was unable to get unemployment insurance or any other type of
government assistance.

Phil related a couple of other dismal Christmas experiences from his drinking
years. One Christmas Eve, the RCMP took him home to his wife and left it up to
her whether he could stay home or be taken to jail. She decided to take him
home.

“There was an awful lot of Christmas mornings, ” he said, “that everything was
tipped bottom up in the house.

“The Christmas tree was tipped over, and kids' toys were broken
open, where I just went off the rocker. The killing part about it was that
a lot of times I remembered nothing about it in the morning.”

Phil says his worst Christmas was the last one when he was still
drinking.

“I got up Christmas morning, not in too bad shape, and left to go next door
about 10 in the morning while the wife was making dinner. They brought me home
around 3 or 4 or 5 in the evening and just dropped me at the front door, and
that's where I stayed until some time the next morning. When I came to, they
told me there were people who came to the door, and they had to tell them, they
couldn't get in—I was there in the way and they couldn't get the door
open.

“When I woke up the next morning and saw the mess I was in, and when they told
me that certain friends had been there and couldn't get in that struck home to
me. I know what the kids must have thought about it when their friends couldn't
get in just because I was drunk.

“To me, though I had hard ones before, that was about the worst Christmas. Even
the time we only had mashed potatoes, at least I never had a drink—I was sober
and people were free to come in.”

Six months later, Phil's fortunes took a significant turn for the better. He
joined Alcoholics Anonymous, quit drinking, and “that was my last drunk
Christmas.”

“Thank God I don't have to go through that this Christmas, ” he said.

“It doesn't matter where a drunk is at Christmas. Whether he's home or on the
street, he still has that lonely, worried feeling about him, so it makes no
difference. It's still a hard Christmas for a drunk and for everyone connected
with him, if he's drinking.”

Phil is now looking forward to Christmas which this year will include parties
with other members of the organization he swears by, Alcoholics Anonymous.

“You don't have to go through the horrors of liquor, ” he explains. “Help is
available from the A. A. This is my eighth Christmas as a member, and believe
me, they've been happy ones compared to the ones I spent drinking. It wasn't
Christmas for my family.”

Phil said he has gone back to drinking a few times since he gave up eight years
ago.

“And every time I go back its worse. As long as I can stay clear of the
first drink, I can do pretty well. It's no bed of roses but
it's better than when I was drinking . . . I know if I had to keep on the way I
was going I'd be dead today.”

Phil's first break from sobriety following a five year abstinence was a
two-week bender that ended with a two-week stay in the Mental Hospital.

He realizes he still has to be careful, and is fearful that he may again turn
to the bottle. In the meantime, he is looking forward to a dry, happy Christmas
with his wife and eight children.

I wish to thank the following for their assistance and co-operation:
Arts and Culture Centre Library, Newfoundland Collection: Brenda
Conway, Yvonne Sullivan, John Griffin, Debbie Maynard; Memorial
University of Newfoundland, Marketing and Communications: Mandy Cook, Coordinator;
Telegram
, TC Media: Kerry Hann, Managing
Editor; St. Mary’s University, External Affairs: Steve Proctor, Communications Manager; Memorial University Centre for Newfoundland Studies: Bert Riggs, Archivist, Paulette Noseworthy, Debbie
Edgecombe, Linda White, Colleen Field, Stephanie Murray, Donna
Doucette; Library and Archives Canada: Helen Gillespie, Specialist, Copyright Services; The Rooms Corporation of Newfoundland
and Labrador, Provincial Archives Division: Charles Young, Melanie
Tucker, Sandra Ronayne, Larry Dohey; City of St. John’s Archives:
Helen Miller, Neachel Keating; Anglican Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland: Peter Chalker, Archivist; Roman Catholic Archdiocese of
St. John’s: Anne Walsh, Archivist; International Grenfell Association:
Paul Canning, Administrator; Dr. Norman Pinder, Chairman;
Newfoundland Quarterly
: Joan Sullivan, Editor; Trinity Historical Society
Inc.: Jim Miller, Project Coordinator;
Anglican Life
: Father Samuel
Rose, Editor; CBC Radio One, Cross Country Checkup: Charles
Shanks, Senior Producer.

Also my thanks to: John Byrne, Halifax; John and Peg Byrne,
Holyrood; Rev. Dr. Gerald and Ruth Benson; Gary and Paula Browne;
Rev. Perry Cooper; Eleanor Dalton; Howard Dyer; Leslie Galway; Isabelle
Goodridge; Keith Keating; Dennis Kelly; Anna McCarthy; Percy and
Allison McDonald; Joan Mifflen; Stefan G. Mifflen; Gail Malone; Brenda
Fogwill Power; Paul Thoms; Fr. Paul C. Thoms; Joe Walsh; Jennifer Mills;
James J. Greene.

Also my thanks go out to Bob Johnston, Maureen Harvey, Paul
Johnson, Bill Callahan, Captain Joe Prim, and Dione Allen.

A special thank you to Flanker Press: Garry Cranford, Margo
Cranford, Jerry Cranford, Peter Hanes, Laura Cameron, Randy Drover,
Gerard Murphy, and Bob Woodworth. My thanks also to Adam Freake
for the cover design and to Matt Tames for the cover illustration.

(VINCENT) COLIN BURKE
is a native of St. Jacques, Fortune Bay, and a
graduate of St. Bonaventure’s College in St. John’s, for which he had been given
a Gerald S. Doyle Scholarship. He studied for the priesthood, worked at IOC for
a few months, and tried teaching before obtaining a reporter’s job at the
Western Star
in Corner Brook by trying to sell Editor Cal Holloway a
weekly column on the strength of a few essays. He retired after twenty-two
years, at the age of forty-three, to write fiction and essays in Port au Port
East. His only published book, apart from material for sale on the Internet, is
Parricide & Other Weird Ploys: The Tales of Prester Nicol
, a book
of puns. He had an article published in
Catholic Insight Magazine
and
another in the now defunct
Canadian Catholic Review
.

DR. CYRIL BYRNE (1940-2006)
was born in Corner Brook and educated at St.
Dunstan’s University, Prince Edward Island, the National University of Ireland,
Dublin, Oxford University, and the University of Toronto. He served in the
English Department of St. Mary’s University for thirty-five years. Byrne was
instrumental in founding the Atlantic Studies Program and the Chair of Irish
Studies. He was an outstanding scholar of Newfoundland and its connections with
Ireland. Byrne contributed to numerous scholarly publications and edited the
book
Gentleman-bishops and Faction Fighers: The Letters of Bishops O’Donel,
Lambert, Scallon and Other Irish Missionaries
in 1984. He was involved
in numerous organizations such as the Atlantic Canada Instituted, Canadian
Association of Irish Studies, Social Studies and Humanities Research Council,
and was Coordinator of Irish Studies at St. Mary’s.

The late
JOHN M. BYRNES
was an expatriate
Newfoundlander who originally lived in Boston and travelled to many parts of the
world. He wrote a classic piece of his memories of old St. John’s during
Christmas after the great fire of 1892. He is best known for publishing his book
The Paths to Yesterday: Memories of Old St. John’s, Newfoundland
by
Meador Publishing Company in Boston in 1931.

WILLIAM J. CARROLL (1861-1940)
was born in St. John’s and educated at
St. Bonaventure’s College. After a career as a teacher and Superintendent of
Villa Nova Orphanage, he entered the Civil Service as Registrar of Deeds
in 1893 and in that same year was appointed Commissioner of Affidavits and Clerk
of the Supreme Court. He was appointed Sheriff of Newfoundland in 1932 and
retired in 1934. He was very active in many community groups such as the
Benevolent Irish Society, Old Academia Club, and was founder of the Alumni
Association of St. Bonaventure’s College. Carroll was a prolific writer, having
submitted articles to the
Forest and Stream Magazine
in New York for over
twenty-five years. He also wrote many articles for the
Newfoundland
Quarterly
. Carroll was a member of the Nomenclature Committee and a
member of the original board of movie censors for Newfoundland.

PATRICK K. DEVINE (1859-1950)
, a prominent journalist and educator, was
born in King’s Cove, Bonavista Bay. After serving as a teacher and principal of
Harbour Grace Academy for several years, he returned to King’s Cove as a Justice
of the Peace and Commissioner of Affidavits. He served for a number of years as
Clerk of the House of Assembly. Devine was editor of the
Trade Review
, a
senior reporter at the
Telegram
, and contributed to
Canadian
Fisherman
. Among his several books, the best known were
Ye Olde St.
John’s
in 1935 and
Newfoundland Folklore
in 1937.

PAT DOYLE
was born in St. John’s. He is the son of the late Gerald S.
Doyle and Marjorie Doyle. After graduating from St. Bonaventure’s College, he
edited the Gerald S. Doyle News Bulletin. Doyle spent thirty-five years with the
Evening Telegram
, twenty as a political reporter and fifteen as a
business reporter. He covered the municipal council meetings for a short time,
reporting on the late Mayor Bill Adams announcement of the building of the new
city hall complex. He also interviewed the late Terry Fox and the late Mayor
Dorothy Wyatt on the occasion of Terry Fox’s visit to St. John’s. Doyle did the
public relations for the Come Home Year and Centennial
Year Committees. He is presently retired and lives in St. John’s.

CANON GEORGE EARLE (1914-2000)
was born on Change Islands, Notre Dame
Bay. He was educated at Change Islands, Fogo, Memorial University College, and
the University of Durham, England. When he graduated from Queen’s College
in 1938, Earle was ordained a Church of England Deacon and the following year
became a priest at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in St. John’s. He spent
a number of years in England in his capacity as a priest. Canon Earle returned
to Newfoundland in 1957 to become Principal of Queen’s College, Memorial
University. He served as Provost of Queen’s College and Anglican Chaplain on
Memorial University Campus (1972-1979). He was installed as Canon of the
Cathedral in St. John’s and on his retirement in 1979 was awarded an honorary
doctor of laws degree by Memorial University. Earle was heavily involved in many
church and civic organizations. However, he was widely known as a folklorist and
humorist, having written about outport life and given
approximately 1,000 after-dinner speeches.

JIM FURLONG
is a writer and television journalist and commentator. He is
the former Director of News and Current Affairs with NTV (Newfoundland
Broadcasting) and has won a number of important awards for his work, including
several Radio Television News Directors of Canada awards for editorial and
feature broadcast writing. In recent years he has turned his attention to the
printed word and writes regular pieces for the
Newfoundland Herald
.

FRANK GALGAY
is a prominent Newfoundland educator and author. He served
as a teacher, principal, and Superintendent of Education until his retirement
in 1997. Mr. Galgay is the author and co-author of sixteen books pertaining to
Newfoundland history, education, and folklore. He is married to the former
Rosemary McDonald and has four children, Colleen (Bob), Sean (Nicole), Brendan,
(Krista) and Matthew (Lesley), and four grandchildren, Erin, Megan, Aidan and
Madeline. Mr. Galgay resides in St. John’s and is serving a fourth term as a St.
John’s City Councillor.

JAMES J. GALWAY (1868-1936)
was born in St. John’s. He was the son of
prominent St. John’s businessman/tailor shop operator Denis Galway (1832-1897),
who was born in Cork, Ireland, and moved to Kilkenny as a school
teacher and then on to St. John’s. His son James would have been familiar
with Lash’s, since his father’s business was a short distance away. James was
well educated and came from a family where the arts and literature played an
important part in their lives.

SIR WILFRED GRENFELL (1865-1940)
, born in Parkgate, England, was an
outstanding medical missionary and writer. He was educated at the University of
London and Oxford University. He joined the London Hospital in 1883 to begin his
studies in medicine. After medical school he was persuaded to join the Royal
National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen dedicated to providing North Sea
fishermen with medical assistance and spiritual guidance. He volunteered to go
to Newfoundland in 1892 to determine the need for the Mission’s services. While
there he was amazed by the poverty and disease in Labrador after travelling the
coast. Grenfell began a tour of England to raise money, which resulted in his
establishing hospitals and personnel. He also became involved in the
educational, economic, and cultural advancement of the area. Grenfell became
Superintendent of the International Grenfell Association in 1912 and toured many
countries raising funds for his mission. He was a prolific writer who wrote many
books and articles. Among his books:
Labrador: The Country and the
People
;
Adrift On An Ice Pan
;
Immortality
;
The Story of a
Newfoundland Doctor
;
What Christ Means to Me
;
Fight for
Economic Freedom
; and
The Romance of Labrador
.

REVEREND MOSES HARVEY (1820-1901)
was born in Armagh, northern Ireland,
and ordained to the Presbyterian ministry in 1844. After serving in England, he
came to St. John’s in 1852 as minister of St. Andrew’s Free Presbyterian Church,
where he had a long and distinguished career. Harvey was an essayist and
naturalist and one of the most prolific writers of his time. It is said that
over a period of twenty-four years he had over 900 articles published in the
Montreal Gazette
, many under his pen name “Delta.” Harvey was a
creative and innovative person. He advocated for a cross-island railway; he was
instrumental in the founding of the
Evening Mercury
newspaper; he was
president of the St. John’s Athenaeum Society; he promoted mining in
Newfoundland; he catalogued rocks, lands, and wild flowers of the island. He had
a great love for Newfoundland and published the
Text-Book of Newfoundland
History for the Use of Schools and Academies
. His best-known book was
Newfoundland: The Oldest British Colony
with Joseph Hatton.

PAUL HERRIDGE
was born and raised in the Burin
Peninsula community of Grand Bank, Newfoundland, where the celebration of Tibb’s
Eve has been a long-held tradition during the Christmas season. A son of a
Fortune Bay dragger captain, he studied journalism under the tutelage of former
provincial politician and newspaper editor William R. Callahan at Lawrence
College in St. John’s during the late 1990s. For the past eight years, he has
worked at the
Southern Gazette
in Marystown, where he currently serves in
the role of Associate Editor.

KEVIN JARDINE (1906-1983)
was born in St. John’s and educated at Holy
Cross School. He joined the firm of Bowring Brothers in 1923 and retired in
1973. The public will remember Jardine for his humorous columns “Me ’n’ Ned, ”
which first appeared in the
Evening Telegram
in 1964.

GARY KEAN
is the senior writer at the
Western Star
, hired as a
part-time sports reporter in December, 1995. A native of Corner Brook who has a
double major arts degree in English and Philosophy from MUN, Gary covers a wide
range of topics for the newspaper, including court, politics, and human interest
stories from within the community. Gary was nominated for an Atlantic Journalism
Award in 2002 and won Atlantic and national journalism awards from the MS
Society of Canada in 2010.

PAYSON J. KINSELLA (1884-1924)
attended St. Bonaventure’s College for
six years and upon leaving spent a short time as a journalist. He worked with
the Newfoundland Railway before taking a position with the General Post Office
in St. John’s. Kinsella wrote poetry and prose and many of his writings were
found in well-known magazines and periodicals in England, the United States, and
Canada. He was the author of
Some Superstitions and Traditions of
Newfoundland
and was a frequent contributor to the local press on
current issues of the day.

REVEREND CHARLES LENCH (1859-1931)
was born near Dudley, Staffordshire,
England, and came to Newfoundland as a Methodist probationer in 1883. He was
stationed at Flat Islands, Petites, and Carbonear before his ordination into the
Methodist ministry in 1887. He served in Carbonear, Bay Roberts, St. John’s,
Grand Bank, Bonavista, and Brigus. Aside from his many responsibilities, he
found time to write. He chronicled the history and development of the Methodist
Church in Newfound
land. He wrote a fourteen-part series
entitled “The Makers of Methodism, ” which ran from November, 1899, to February,
1901. Lench published three books which documented the history of the church, in
particular, areas of Newfoundland:
The History of the Rise and Progress of
Methodism on the Western Bay Circuit
(1912),
An Account of the Rise
of Methodism on the Grand Bank and Fortune Circuits
from 1816 to 1916
 (1916) and
The Story of Methodism in Bonavista and
Settlements Visited by the Early Preachers
(1919). He contributed a
number of articles to the
Newfoundland Quarterly
, wrote two essays, a
pamphlet relating to the Loyal Orange Association when he served as Grand
Chaplain, and published two pamphlets with patriotic themes.

MICHAEL J. McCARTHY (1932-2005)
was born in St. Jacques, Fortune Bay,
and moved to Terrenceville when he was five years old. After completing grade
eleven, he attended both Memorial University and the University of Ottawa where
he obtained an M. A. in Literature. He had a distinguished career in education
as a teacher, principal, Superintendent of Education, and Director of Public
Exams for Newfoundland and Labrador. McCarthy was a distinguished author who
wrote for several magazines as well as radio and television. He wrote for the
Sunday edition of the
Telegram
for a number of years reviewing
Newfoundland and Labrador books. He also produced sixteen books relating to
Newfoundland and Labrador history, culture, and folklore.

JESSIE B. MIFFLEN (1906-1994)
was born in Bonavista and graduated from
Memorial College (now Memorial University) and Mount Allison University in Nova
Scotia. She then worked with the provincial Department of Education before
joining the Women’s Division of the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1944. After
receiving a Bachelor of Library Science degree from the University of Toronto,
she became Regional Director for the provincial library service in 1951 charged
with visiting and establishing regional libraries in various parts of the
province. She was also a prolific writer who wrote a number of articles in
provincial and national magazines. Mifflen was awarded honorary degrees and
other awards. She published four books:
The Development of Public Library
Services in Newfoundland 1934-1972
;
Be You a Library Missionary,
Miss?
;
Journey to Yesterday in the Out-harbours of Newfoundland
;
and
A Collection of Memories
.