The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-01-21
THE DAILY DISPATCH.
'rhe Orphan,s I,rea, !. !. 81 chrI,emuu.,u... ~. y

rhc Orphans Dreara or Christmas,
No one can read these touching and graceful
z, which we take from, Dickens's 'sChristnal
iber Of Househald words,' without profound
,tioh Il g a,s 3 a3
II was Ghfisimss Eve--and lonely, $685.
By garret window high, es
Who're the city chimneys barely e&
spared shands-breadth ofthe sky,
Sat child, 10 age-but weeping,
With face so small and thin,
That It seemed too scant record
TO have eight years traced therein.
Oh, grief looks most distorted e. s.a
When his hideous ehadow lies, ssh
on the clear and sunny lifs-stream q sil
That doth fill q child's blue eyes!
But her eye was dull and sunken, ~ esd
Asid the whiten'd cheek was gaunt; a!sh
ana the blue veins on the forehe ad
Wore thepencilling of Want. aa ~
And she wspt for years like jewels, za&
III the last years bitter gal,
Like the acid of the story, H
In itself had melted all HEFt
But the Christmas time returned. as -
As an old friend, for whose eve F sh
She would take down all the pictures a4
sketchd by faithful Memory. t
-Of those brilliant Christmas seasone st
When the joyous laugh went round; .'''
When sweet words of love and kindness,
Were no unfamiliar sound
When, Lit by the logs red lustre,
She her mothers face could zee, 1at
And she rocked the cradle sitting
On her own twin.brothers knee.
Of her fathers pleasant stories, 5#
OF the riddles and the rhymes f
All the kisses and the presents H@"
That bad marked those Christmas tines.
Twas as well that there was no one
(For it were a mocking strain)
To wish her a merry Christmas,
For that could not come again.
How there came time of struggling, ~
When, in spite of love and faith,
Grinding poverty would only
In the end give place to Death;
How her mother grew hearthroken,
When her toil-worn father died,
Took her baby in her bosom,
And was buried by his side. -
How she chung unto her brother 3a3
As the last spar from the wreck, .,a..-ss
But stern death had come between them
While her arms were round his neck.
There were now nohving voices; 81 p.
And, if few hands offered bread, -.
IuSFe were none 10 feStlQ 0ioSEllg
On the little homeless head. -
Or, if any gave her shelter,
1t was less of joy than fear;
For they welcomed crime more warmly
To the selfsaine room with her
But at length they all grew weary
OF their sick and useless guest
She must try workhouse welcome
For the helpless and distressed.
But she prayed; and the Unsleeping s ~.
In his ear that whisper caught; @ q. (.
SO he sent down Sleep, who gave her,
Such respite as she sought;
Drew the fair head to her bosom,
Pressed the wetted eyeids close,
And, with softly falling kisses,
Lulled her gently to repose.
Then she dreamed of the angels, sweeping
With their wings the sky aside,
Raised her swiftly to tae country
Where the blessed oBes abide;
To bower all flu !hed with beauty,
By shadowy arcade,
Where mellowness like moonlight
By the tree of life was made.
Where the rich fruit sparkled, star like,
Aad pure flowers OF tadeless dye
Poured their fragance on the waters
That in crystal beds went by:
Where bright hilis of pearl and amber -
Closed the fair green valley round,
And, with rainbow light, but lasting,
Were their glistening sumnits crown'd.
Then, that distant-burning glory, .
Mid gorgeousness of fgkti
The long vista Of Archangels
Could scarce chasten 70 her sight.
There sat One; and her heart told her
Twas the same, who, for oIr sir,
Was once born little baby, aa,1 'ai
g In the stable of an inn." 5
There was music-oh, such music
They were trying the old strains
That certain group of shepherds
Heard on old Judea's plains
But, when that divinest chorus
To softened trembling fell, G
Loves true ear discerned the voices 1885,.
That on earth she loved SO well. stg
At tiny grotto's entrance
A fair child her eyes behold,
With his ivory shoulders hidden 'l.+4i
Meath his curls of living gold
And ne asks them, Ia she coming"
But ere any one can speak, Fp4.Ef
The white arms Of her twin brother
Are once more about her neek. t- Z
Then they llconle round her greedngy
. = b.
That her beautiful young sister
Is the poor pale child that died.
p And the careful look hathvanish'd a 81
From her fathers fearless face, r-e
And she does not know her mother
TIL she feels the old embrace. u-'
Oh, from that ecstatic dreaming
Must she ever wake again,
To the cold and cherries CONTRAST
70 life OF lonely pain?
But her makers sleTpest servant l.
To her side on tiptoe slept
Told his message in a whisper
And she stirred not as she slept
Now the Christmas morn was breaking
With dim, unceItsiB hue,
And the chilling breeze Of morning
Came the broken window through;
And the hair upon her forehead
Was il lifted by the blast.
Or the brushing wigs OF Ssiaphs,
With their burden as they passdi
All the festive bells were Ginning
To tbs myriad hearts below; sa
Butihat deep sleepstil hung heavy
On the sieeper's thoughtful brow.