The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1855-12-20
CHRISTMAS n ALMOST HERE,


Christmas-the green spot amid winters
barren waste and chilling airs-wiil soon
be here. Fer we send forth another
sheet of printed thought, the jubilee of the
young, the sober happy gathering of the
aged, will be among the things of the past
preserved amid memory's treasures for
future retrospection.
Hearts are beating lightly now in an
ticipation Of coming pleasure. Little ones
are counting the intervening hours, and
chatting in bright glee of Santa Claus and
his host of presents. Eager eyes are
watching the stores of table luxuries pre-
pared by older hands, while sober age but
half reproves their boisterous mirth.-
Busy fingers labor cheerfully on the little
present destined for some loved and low
ing one, and mfnv are The consultations
held as to the beauty and value of the
"Christmas Gift" Young and old are
looking forward to a day Of feasting and
of pleasure.
With what bright anticipations, in our
youthful days would we look forw ard to
Christmas. How relations and friends
used to come from distance and take
their seats in the family circle; little to
kens OF love and friendship were cxchan-
ged; chcerfulness Enlightened every eye;
happiness illuminated every heart: past
errors were forgiven; tears were dispelled,
and the heart-rending sigh extinguished
by tender solicitude of relatives or the af-
| fectionate attentions Of friends. At this
festive season, at least, i'll nature and
strife were banished from the family cir
Gle, each one striving to oblterate any
previous anger or discomfort, while our
parents would smile on our youthful fol-
lies and friends gaze indulgingly on child
berate with our merry laugh; misrule,
unchecked, hold its revcls, and smiling
faces, kindly words and tender indulgence,
testify that Christmas was shedding its in
fuence around.
How widely different, however is the
Christmas of childhood from that of ma
turer years. The one was gildcd with
fairy prospects and glitte ed with bright
hues of hope, while the other is not unat-
tended with the dark shadows Of the
worlds cares and woe, which occ asionally
dim the brightness of Christmas and cause
US to regret that youth should ever vanish
or childhood ever decay. And yet. wheth
er in childhood, manhood, or old age
Christmas is an important era in man.
history. Friends, long separated by dis
tance and circumstances, meet, grasp the
hand of amity and hold sweet council to
gether; families are reunited. joined in the
bands of love, and
Hearts that had been long estrang'd,
And friends that had grown co d,
VIII meet again like parted streams,
And ming lie as of DID,
While the tables of the rich are loaded il
lavish profusion with bountiful dishes o
the choicest luxuries and the halls Of splen
dor are crowded with the aristocratic o
the land. the retainers in boisterous hllarl
ty drinking to their princely host, the poo
man, too, has some unusual comfort o
extra dainty on his table. Christmas ha
shed its cheering influence even over hi
humble cot, and with its lowly festival
he endeavors to forget, or, at least to thin
Ii. htly upon his depressing poverty.
Hail Merry Christmas! we greet the
with pleasure and thank(ulness; thou al
indeed season of con,ivial joy-a peri
-od in the fleeing year when we Car. ha1
f and look back upon the past and reca
, the soft anl humanizing feelings Of tn
heart blunteG or grown cold by long il
/ tercourse with worldly strife. We a.
knowledge the heavenly influence whic
Christmas sheds upon our country an
hail her return at the close of each revo
; wing year, as the way-worn traveilar hal
: the fountain, or cool, refreshing shad
: with delight and gratitude.
: --~~-----
Hg-"GEoFFREY MoNcToN, or the Fatl
less Guardian" is the title of new wof
which we take great pleasure in recon
mending to the notice Of the readir
public. The authoress, Mrs. Noodle,