Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-05-14
THE DOCTORS FAMILY.


THE DOCTORS FAMILY.
In the country towns and villages OF Eng
land there is not, from January to December
a merrier festival than the New Year. III
London, and in those large commercial towns
which ape the great metropolis, it is not So
The Christmas, with its Accomplishments OF
plumpudaing and mince pie isu, Is ',,~u "a to
/ the holiday lovers 4r,, -. ~ tsss'iuis out,
and the New Year cre5l . -. = neglected
| friend or poor relation after its i4.,- soHsor-
ed predecessor, glad enough to pick up
crumbs and fragments of the latters feast of
welcome. No one seems to care about the
| New Year in London. few peals rung at
midnight by the church bells to tell to some
wakeful invalid or late reveller that the Old
Year, with all its hopes and its pains, has
gone by forever; and perhaps next morning
some man Of business looking over his diary,
OF some lady glancing at her pictured alma
nae remembers the fact; or friend meeting
friend in the street just turns to wish "a hap
| py New Year - but that is ALL Christmast
is gone by, with all its feasting and merry y-ma-
king and no one cares to welcome New
Years Day.
But in the rural districts of England and
throughout Scotland, it is very different. There
the festival of New Years Day is of as great
importance as that of old father Christmast
himself. Young people look forward joyfully
to s'dancing the Old Year out and the New
Year in.p 1t is held unluclSy that the New
Year should first dawn upon sleeping eyes.
so in every house all set up until midnight TO
let the young stranger in. Then, as the clock
strikes twelve, the family and guests rise up
and go in mingled and noisy procession to
the hall-door, which is opened with formal
solemnity by the host and thus the New
Year is 'let in"
1t was New Years eve in the family Of Dr.
James Renwick. They were keeping it mer
rily, as benefting the good old times, though
it was not many new years before this one OF
1s47. MAY blessings attend those whose
eyes meet this, says the writer in parenthe-
sis-wishingto to all a happy New Year But
before we enter DR.. RenwicS's mirthtul house
let us describe its exterior-and not entirely
from imagination
The Doctors house was at the entrance ola
little village situated just OH the bounds of a
manufacturing region, yet far enough iii the
country to make it pleasant and quiet without
being dull. 1t stood on a turn of the road,
the steep declivity Of which was overlooked
by its high garden walls. Over these walls
many and many time peeped children's Gu
rious faces, and little mischeivous hands often
dropped down flowers and pebbles on. the
stray passers-by. On the other side of the
road a raised pathway led to the church-a
Norman erection, old and quaint enough to
charm DR.. Dryasdust himself. In the church
yard was village schOOl-room, like barn.
and from thence rushed out daily small
troop of children, chasing the sheep that fed
among the graves. DR.. Renwck's was the
great house of the place; rich in the gIories
of gravel entrance and bay windows and
oh, such an orchard Never was seen the
like for apples and pears But now it looked
cold and stately in the gloom of a December
night-starry, but moonless. light cover
ing of hoar-trost lay on the green plot where,
in early spring, snowdrops and croeuses peep
cd out from the grass, looking prettier than
they ever do when set in the cold brown
mould of garden bed. A warm light stream
ed over the gravel walk through the half
drawn crimson curtains. Any passenger on
the road would have said there was mirth and
comfort within.
And so indeed there was for it was the
yearly gathering of the Renwick family of
which DIR. James Renwick was now the eldest
son. Three generations were met once more
in the eyes of the doctors aged parents who
lived with him. They were now too old to
have the care of an establishment of their
own and therefore this year the family meets--
ingw held at DR.. Renwick's house, where
they were spending the decline of life with
their good and dutiful son.
Contrary to general English usage, the
yearly gathering of the Renwicks was not held
on Christmast day. This was partly because
old Mr.. Renwick thought the day too much OF
a religious festival for frolic and sport. He
had come from the land where his namesake
preached lived, and died among his persecu-
ted brethren and though Mr.. RedwicB had
been SO long in England, that the memory of
the heathery mountains and braves Of his ma
tive land was like dream, still lie clung q
little to the ways of his forefathers. Besides,
il was on one ChIistmas-day that death had
first crossed his threshold, and carried away
their eldest born from the young parents,
with bitter tears. 1t was many years since
but still they felt that to have merry making
IN that day would be treading in the shadow
1f sorrow now gone by so the day had
ever since been changed from Christmast to
New Years eve.
Mr. Renwick and his wife had been blessed
with many children. Their quiver was full
of arrows; and they did not murmur at it.
)ut of ten sons and daughters, five Were with
hem that day; some welded, with children
If their own; one was travelling in foreign
ands and three had gone the way before
hem. But the parents did not count these
ost One only-though living-had been,
nd, to use the touching words OF a father of
Id twas not'
Dr. James Renwick was the worthy son Of
good father and well did he occupy the
tation, and fulfil the duties of a country ply
ician. These duties are very different from
hose Of London practitioner. In village
'the DOCTOR is an important person, second
My to the clergyman. He has more to do
han merely to heal the bodies of his neigh
ors. II he be respected, he knows all the
fairs of the parish it is he to whom all
ome for advice in distress; he is the media
OF between helpless poverty and benevolent
ut cautious wealth and much good or much
vii may he do, as his will leads him. Dr..
,enwick was good man, and he was accor-
ingly respected. He had married early
life Of like feelings to himself, and they had
roughtup a rising family, the elder branches
t whom were now men and wopen. Two
rothers and sister of the doctor were also
ound his table with their flock, few or many
: 1t might be so that the grandfather and
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