dren, who would have left the tree up until

dren, who would have left the tree up until George Washington's Birthday, but even so, Dad should have taken the hard line. All he said each evening was: “Tomorrow that mess is coming down!* Too bad. Had Dad backed his promises with action, his house might be standing today. It burned to the ground on a frigid January night when Uncle Slim lit his pipe too vehemently while standing next to the tree. The tree went up so quickly it was practically an explosion. Dad made two mistake^, really. First, he procrastinated. Second, he failed to keep the tree stump immersed In water, and the tree dried out twice as fast as it should have. Even when cut off from the roots, trees still have the power to draw water up into their extremities, especially if the stump has been sawed evenly, so that the end is flat. Thus they retain more moisture and will not burn readily. But a pine or spruce tree denied water is like a loaded shotgun in the playroom: It's only a question of time. The calamity just described is but one of the unpleasant things that can happen this time of year, according to Safety Services area director Howard E. Camp, Jr., of the American Red Cross, Eastern Area.