Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-12-25
9flisfeuarauoas,
From Arthur's Home Magazine.
The Old Fashioned Christmas.
BIZ PAUL LAURIE.


How We mourn its departure-the old
fashioned Christmas. Years have separa-
tied us, folding over each cherished hope
and dream Of boyhood stern and bitter
Experience, or corroding disappointment
one by one. surely, steadily, and unrelen-
ltingly. Yet, away back in the morning Of
I life, where the sky was warm with rosy
|glow, there is page which trials, and dis
appointments, and griefs have failed to COW
Ier-the page wherein was written the antic-
lipations and joys Of the holidays. Although
we cannot turn the leaves between the NOR
ming and the evening, nor would we were
lit in our power, there. lying distinct and
APART from the rest, with its thoughts blush
led by the morning hues, like rare gems set
in fine wrought gold, and easily perused,
the backward gaze falls upon the first page
|of life.
As lightly and as easily as our hands lift
the white hairs from our forehead, brush
ling them away that they may not obstruct
our sight, our mind puts aside the cares
and sorrows of the present, as it looks back
upon the innocent joys Of the morning. 0!
that it had been longer! But now that
lnightfall approaches, we will fold our hands
| in the hope that the morning is to come, and
its joys, will last forever.
But, we were thinking of the morning
long since passed. In that morning there
was group of smiling brothers and sisters
gathered around an old-fashioned, cheerful
Fireplace. There was bent head Of thin,
grey hairs, and heavy brows, opposite q
| frail form whose voice we all recognized as
the sweetest Of the group, both claiming for
themselves, through many years, their re-
lspective seats at either side Of the fire.
There, half shaded in recess, the moon
faced warner of Time gravely uttered the
departure Of seconds, and pointed out the
minutes lost forever. Facing the ld-fash-
Toned clock, hung upon the wall, with its
record against Time, and counting peru
sal as the prominent feature in that old fash
toned room, was the Declaration Of INDIE
lpendence.
Then, there was the old-fashioned book
case, with its heavy, leather-bound volu-
mes, whose pages our fingers dared not pro-
fame, unless when our faxen curls were
brushing against the grey hairs Of our ia
ther or mother, as were pointed out to US
the wonderful pictures therein.
/ ALL these things, and many more which
we need not enumerate, belonged to the
olden time, and especially to the old-fashio-
ned Christmas. When the group at the
Preside gave place to the visitors on Christ
mas morning, it seemed as if the room and
its furniture became brighter; Ger
tain it was that the tick of the clock
sounded ivelier and sweeter. How the
faces were lit up with smiles in those days,
| in that old room. How the bright eyes
! glistened and sparkled there on Christmas
morning. How the little feet battered i'm
patiently, one and all, as we donned our
overcoats, hats, bonnets, and shawls, and
drew on our homemade gloves, and mufaed
ourselves up in our homemade comforts
Was it because there was spring of love
and gladness in the smile of the mother of
the olden time? Or was it because the
Christmas Of old, unlike that Of the present,
possessed in itself charm which dissipated
all clouds of gloom from our circle :?
| What pleasure was like that Of our morn
ing calls upon the aunts and uncles, whose
eyes and hands, as we'll as their tones, gree
ted us with love, and who never could do
more than echo the ssChristmas Gift!
bursting from the lips of the tiny three
! year-old, and the rugged lad of eleven
And so we were always entitled to the gift,
which never failed to be accompanied by q
kiss Of affection, and "a Merry Christmas
to you, my dearw Had we room for re-
gret at parting, it was ouly because the
hours few past SO swiftly, that, ere we were
aware Of it, the noon was upon US. And
when the day was over, when the gifts
were deposited in our pockets for the last
time, ere they were placed beside those trea-
sured up in the quaint, rosewood box, new
er to be taken out, save we met one who