Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-12-28
warr1Es ZOE THE DELAwAEE GAZETTE
TEE CHRISTMAs STORY.


Close beside the blazing fire, when the cold air
Of the night
Threw the snow of " Merrie Christmas far
land wide in Hakelets light,
Whea the lamps upon the corner cast their
light but little way,
And the fingers the town-clock long had
told the close Of day;
When the footprints on the snow-path, left
there when the setting sun
Cast his rays but feebly eastward, now away
from sight were gone;
And when men from town and country TO the
pleasant fires of home,
Thrustirg all their care behind them, from
their toll to rest had come.
Sitting there, beside the fire, with her child
fen's children near,
Was rnatron, with her temples fnrrowed deep
with many year;
And upon that Christmas evening. ere their
festive joys were done.
Called those children, and this story told them
of the days long gone:
Listen, children, to the story which my father
told to me,
When / was, one s'Merrie Christmas stand
ihg by his tot'ring knee
Ashe said, "my little daughter, of my Christ
mas years ago,
when we fought for Independence, let me tell
you ere you go.
How we suffered that December, it were sad
indeed to tell,
Lacking oft for food and clothing when the
storms upon US fell;
And our pay was poor and scanty, ana our
work was very hard,
Yet we toiled on, ever hoping, thinking OF our
great reward.
It was Christmas morning early. cold and
- - &f..aexs
when we in our camp were lying. close beside
the Delaware
When we long had been retreating, driven
westward day by day,
And the British close pressing, all along
our backward way
. But upon that Christmas morning it was
-iswhispered through the ranks,
That we soon should meet the Hessians far be-
II yond the river banks:
For our great and good commander said that
70 night it should be done.
Andieu hearts warm and thankful, as
we spoke of Washington.
And around our fires mingling, while pre-
pairing for the fray,
Fixing as we best were able in our little
crnmped-up way;
Picking hints, and mending tatters, sewing
rents and baking bread,
Making ready for the morrow, with its hours
Of hope and dread
while our thoughts were running homeward,
= thinking of the dear ones there,
Many prayers went up to heaven for the all
protecting care
And our country and commander, we're oft
mingled in the mind,
With the names of wives and children, dear
ones we had left behind
when the sun was Fastening downward
"A dropping through the western sky. .-e
Came the signal of our starting to retrieve the
es days gone by;
Though the clouds were dark above US, threat
ming storm before the morn,
Vet cur hearts beating bravely, and We
odf laughed the cold to scorn.
ia. hurried past,
Bearing ice with sullen roaring, and its drifts
at were heetin3 fast
There were rlone of all our number would to
the camp have turned,
For we felt our country honor, and our hearts
within us burned.
Darker grew the clouds above toiled
- the river DER,
BiacSer seemed its turbid waters, as beneath
us they did pour; s
And the ice til It ,lriftcd downward grazed up
on our little boats,
And our Christmas day was ended midst such
wild discopl iut notes.
Dark indeed, and dirkly ended, was that
ClIristm tp land,
For it seemed as though twere folly gainst
such numbers to withstand.
And tolltd the hour of midnight, as the
Christmas passed away,
But IL single glelm of starlight gave Il hope of
coming day.
tTruly It's the iarkest hour, ere the day be-
gins to dawn,
And the storms of earth belt hardest just before
they would be gone
So the morning with its hailstorm, with its
frozen rain and snow
When our comrades fell beside us, for they
could no further go:
when the weary miles of marching that we
% 'er the river went
Silent in the storm around us, dragging on till
night spent
When our footsteps, all the journey, told
where er went or stood,
And they marked our pathway onward by our
frequent tracks of blood.
titus the morning. after Christmas, following
those hours of wue
Showed the coming of the day that should rid
us of foe;
And the capture of the Hessians, at the Tren-
ton morning fight,
Was the first beams, brightly shining, of the
morning star of light.
He,ma's Home, Dec. 1860.