The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1852-02-21
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DREAM OF CHRISTMAS.


Spared hand 's-breadth Of the sky,
Sat child, in age-but weeping,
With . &ace 30 small and thin.
That it seemed toe scapt record
To have eight years traced therein.
Oh. grief looks most distorted
When his hideous shadow hes
On the clear and sunny life stream
Thai doth fl child's blue eyes
But her eye was dull and snnken,
And the whitened cheek was gzaat,
And The blue veins on the Sorehead -
Wess the PsnciIlinx Of want :. 49,
And she wept for years Like Jewels
Till the last years bitter gall,
Like the acid Of the story,
In itself had melted all;
But the Christmas time returned,
As an old friend, for whose eye
Che would take down all the pictures
Sketched by faithful memory.
OF those brilliant Christmas seasons,
When the Joyous laugh went rouno'
When sweet words of love and kindness
Were no unfamiliar sound;
When, lit by the logs red lustre,
She her mothers face could see,
And she rocked the cradle, sitting
On her own twin-brother's knee:
OF her fathers pleasant stories,
OF the riddles and the rhymes,
All the kisses and the presents
That had mark'd those Christmas tunes
Twas as well that there was no one
(For it were a mocking stra'n)
To wish her merry Christmas,
For that could not come again.
How there came a time of struggling,
When. in spite of love and faith,
Grinding poverty would only ..z.
In the end give place to death;
How her mother grew hears-broken,
When her toil-worn father died,
Took her baby in her bosom,
And was buried by his side:
How she clung unto her brother,
As the last spar from the wreck,
But stern death had come between them
While her arms were round his neck
There were now no living voices;
And, if few hands offered bread,
There were none to rest In blessing
On the little homeless head
Or, ii any gave her shelter,
Ii was less of joy than fear;
For they welcomed crime more warmly
To the self-same room with her
0ut Al le0Stn LnSy ali SlS" "S@aJ
OF their sick and useless gnest;
She must try workhouse welcome
For the helpless and distressed.
But she prsyed, and the Unsleeping
In ffis ear that whisper caught;
So he sent down sleep. who gave her
Such a respite as she sought;
Drew the fair head to her bosom,
Pressed the wetted eyelids close,
And, with softly falling kisses,
Lulled her gently to rePose.
Then she dreamed. that angels,
With their wings the skyntry
Raised her swiftly to the hid.
Where the blessed c,s.;.b beantv.
Toa bower all fiusLs.dd -
ny shaooTEs .SE ness like moonlight
1efs . Zee Fee Of life was made:
-r,,sre the rich fruit sparkled, star-like,
And pure flowers Of fadeless dye
Poured their fragrance on the waters
That IN crystal beds went by
Where bright hills of pearl and amber
Closed the fair green valley round,
And, with rainbow light, but lasting, :,
Were their glistening submits crownd.
Then, that distant-burning glory,
Mid gorgeousness OF hight
The long vista Of arehangeis
Could scarce chasten to her sight.
There sat One: and her heart told her
Twas the same, who, for our sln,
II as once born little baby
'sIn the stable Of an inn.'
There was music-oh, such music
They were trying the old strains
That certain group OF shepherds
Heard on old Judea plains;
But when that divinest chorus
To sofiened trembling fell
Loves true ear discerned the voices
That on earth she loved 80 well.
At tiny grotte'ss entrance
A fair child her eyes behold,
With his ivory shoulders hidden
Meath his curls Of living gold;
And he asks them, SIS she coming
But ere any one can speak,
The white arms of her twin brother
Are once more about her NECK
Then they all come round her greeting
But she might have well denied
That her beautiful young sister
Is the poor pale child that died;
And the careful look hath vanish'd
From her fathers fearless face,
Ard she does not know her mother
Til she feels the old embrace.
Oh. from, thar ecssatic dreaming
Must she ever wake again,
To the eold and eheerless consrasts-
To q. life of lonely pain! F IG@
But her Makers sternest servant
To her side on tiPtoe slept; ~
Told his message in whisper,
And she stirred not as she slept
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