The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-12-23
For the Cass County Republican
Merry Christmas.
BY BYRA BELL.

1t is Christmas, bright, beautiful,
holyday! Welcome /! merry Christmas,
we bid thee glad welcome! Thou
comest to us crowned with wreath of
fadeless memories and hallowed asso-
Citations! Centuries ago the spiritual
light of a religion frought with love,
peace and good will to man, dawned
gloriously upon the earth, as-the bless
ed Christ-child opened his loving eyes
and sweetly smiled in lowly manger,
while sweet-singing angels chanted
praises to the Most High. Yes, well
come to thee, merry day! What joy
Gus greetings, pleasant visits, stockings
full of presents, and happy sleigh rides
come with thy rosy dawning! The
humble cottage-home glows with the
sunshine of love and happiness as the
cherry-cheeked, bright-eyed little ones
press their chubby faces against the
window panes and peep forth, watch
ing for their dear fathers return from
the village, whittier he has gone for
their dear, good, old grandmother,
whose hair is silvery-white, cheek
wrinkled and faded, step slow and fee
BILE, and voice low and quivering, but
whose smile beams as pleasantly and
eyes look as kindly as ever. iHark
Tinkle--tink-tinkle merriIy ring the
sleigh bells as the dear ones rapidly
approach the neat home, where the
little Lily and black-eyed Bennie are
earnestly calling them "to hurry-hur-
ry" as they anxiously watch. old
Browns quick steps, and wonder why
" old lazy don't gallop? ?" Soon they
are at the door, which is quickly flung
open as roguish Willie and sweet Lily
step forth to kindly lead dear grand
mother into their cozy parlor, and as
they carefully place her in the softly
cushioned armchair, they gleefully wish
her a "merry Christmas 70 How dear
ly they love the kind face smiling upon
them, and the gentle hand which so
lovingly smooths their golden curls
AS they press their red lips to her
withered cheek and innocently prattle
of the candies, toys and picture books
which funny old Santa Claus brought
to them in the night when everything
was asleep excepting the owls and
crickets, and joyously laugh in their
glee, dear grandmother forgets the long
weary years she has travelled over since
she was light-hearted child delighted
with toys and candies, and laughs mer.
rily with them, as she almost fancies
herself a sunny-haired, rosy-faced little
maid again. Then she must find he,
great open-mouthed reticule, and bring
from its depths such doughnuts and
cookies as nobody else in all the wide
world could ever think of making
Little Lily looks up at the kind face
wonderingly, as she says, &C what I
dear, good grandma, and what nice
Christmas ~ "Yes, dear Lily" grand
ma softly replies, " it IS nice, and WI
must not forget to bless God for it, ant
the living friends he has given to us 2
GA merry Christmas neighbol
Bleak Very fine day p said farme
Blithe as he entered the dreary-lookine
unpleasant home of the Bleaks. "Goot
morning Blithe! take seat! Well,
don't know but it's fine day enough
hadn't been thinking bout it though
cause it's no MORN any other day t.
me! All days alike to me! you see,
don't believe in such stuff as one da,
bein' better than any other! Won
let my children believed nuther! dom
have no Mary Christmasin' or Poll,
Christmasin' or any other such super
stitious nonsense round me !! There
my Bill wanted to go sleigh-riding Will
the silly do nothings Of the village, bu