Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1845-01-20
From the New World
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS DAY
BY LAURIE TODD.

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS DAY,
BY LAURIE TODD.
This day, fifty years ngo, | saw the
Christmas sun gid The s'eerio Of old Tri-
nifty. On each return Of the day. have
lived over again, in memory, the pleasure
in which that day participated. am
not going TO write funeral tale, because
all whom then knew. of my own age
are slumbering in the tomb-iheir spirits
returned TO him who gave them GoD IS
Low. Solomon says, (and he was the
wiscst king that ever lived, not even ex-
cep;ing King John at Washington,) that
the merry man lives as long as the sad.
This being the case why should men brood
continually on the dark side Of the cloud
dor, as sure as wind and tide propel, the
white side will follow. The Press, the
Pulpit, and the Bar, resound with the bug
bear of " Miserable World - They are
Sc, Of miserable fools that say So We
could not mend the world, even if we knew
how.
A th2nkfui man is happy man; and
we h5xe always reason 10 be thaakful.-
When you break your arm, you are glad
!, was not your leg when you break your
seg, you are glad it was not your neck !;
and above all temporal blessings a softer
man-no matter ho' poor-oaght 10 be
thankful hat he don't get drunk for this
units him for either giving or receiving
pleasure. And beyond all, every mechan-
ic ought TO be thankful that his lot is cast
in this plentiful country for even though
he may not have risen higher than a jour
neyman, if he has wife who is n good
manager, and has good temper, and is n
good cook, (ahd cou pick out n thousand
such articles among the lasses i'll New
York; he may live rs sumptuously every
day as do the little Princes in Germany,
who live on the sweat and blood of their
white slaves. But this is DEPRESSION from
my outset about Christmas, though not yet
so far off the road; for Christmas would
lie poor concern without a goose, or New
Years without a turkey; for even in the
hard times Of -, $50 and 81, when friend
Andrew jackson sprung mine on the
Banks, Bonds and Currency, we could buy
turkey for fifty cents, and goose for
thirty seven cents. But to return 10
Christmas, 1894.
The morning was calm, mild and bland,
rs IN the month of May. In my minds
eye, yet see every scene as they were
shifting OF that pleasant day. My young
friend asked me TO accompany her 10 the
Methodist Chapel, in John street. loved
10 follow where she led | could give you
the hymn and the text if necessary. !
see the preacher rs he stood in the pulpit,
and fancy hear his voice.
At the corner of Nassaust and Maiden
Lane, in one and a-half story wooden
shell, lived Alexander Cuthill. His bust
ness was Ia clothe the naked but his hob
by (for every man has his hobby consist
ei IN large thermometer. Wishing to
know the state of the weather, we stepped
in. His mercury Indicated fifty nine Ills
window was open Oh the street along which
the people were erswSiSg 20 the Middle
Dutch Church. The bell was telling half
past ten, and at this m ment large blue
Nv, a common harbnger of summer, came
buzzing in at the window. | mention this
20 let you see that, although we had no
steamboats, in those days, yet we had such
Christmas days as we have not seen since
But apropos Of Mr.. Cu,hiI he was n
man of notions, but bis grand lever the
fhsrmometcr. BY that he would have mo-
we'd the world, provided he could have
found planet whereon 10 fix his machine
He never left the city during the twelve
seasons that tho yellow fever prevailed
and in 1922, when | was shut up in the in
fected district, which comprised all that
part of the city south of Liberty street,
from river 10 river, for here the Board Of
Health put up board fence, eight feet
high, by way of drawing u line between
the living and the dead. and aIso set n
watch by night and day TO prevent INV
one from ReEiuFlng on this place Of skulls
Mr.. Cuthill ioreeS on entry every day a,
10 A. III. TO see it was dead or alive: and
always from the state of the iherpsome,sr
would give good guess as to tie number
of new cases that mi shi be reported tina,
day. In winte: lac wore pair of thick
buckskin gloves TO keep out The cold, and
exactly the same gloves in summer TO
Keep ou4 tbs beat He was neat and c,ean
h his person and apparel, and dressed IN a
drab colorcd single breasted c'a', white
swans down vest, black cashmere 5reech-
es, silver buckles on the knees, cotton
stockings as white as snow, shoes shining
with Martins backing, Rad buckles brush
ed as bright as god. in short. he was :he
las. OF the cooked hat fra,ernay ii New
York. He had wife but no family: So
she devoted her whole powers 10 the cook