Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-12-25
Reflections on Christmas Day.


cries Of the Joyous Christmas time, and sigh
to think how the celebration is yearly los
| ing its spirit and becoming AS cold as the
season 10 which it occurs. When We were
bows, there was a heart-tbaw about Christ
mas time, and, no matter how bleak the
wind without or how loudly the tempest
howlcd there were light and JOY and merri-
ment and sunshine around the hearth stone
There we're the blazing logs Of cracking,
sparkling hickory, before anthracite and BIZ
luminous coal scared the Lares and Penates
| away from their dear inches in the chimney
corner. There was the music Of merry
laughter, and the bright pictures of happy
| faces and the harmonious patter. OF little
feet around the fireplace, which did not
feel the cold when preparing to hang up
the stocking. There were the mysterious
annuncations of revered parents telling
how good children would receive bounteols
gifts from that delectable myth Kris krin-
| Gle, and little velvet ears were opened, and
soft eyes unclosed until "the sand man"
came, to catch the sound of the prancIng
steeds of his sleigh as he rol!icked over the
housetops to descend the chimneys and scat
Ter memorials from his horn Of plenty
|
mulIed cider and the red berries of the hol-
ly, rompng games, andfurtve kisses snatch
ed from rosy lips. There were anticipated
joys and present happiness. There was q
season of ''gpod will towards man" and it
was in truth and reality Christmas! @
Now, however, the olden memories grow
fainter and fainter every year. We have
| been taught To think OF cotton, tobacco, and
trade instead Of toys, sugar pluEs, and holt
day presents. The idea is merged in the
real we make lite business; we divorce
ourselves from the cherished frst-loye of
our hearts; we rend the veil which used to
envelope Christmas and pull down the cas-
ties If fancy; we steel our hearts against
merriment, as il it were iudecoruus +; we let
the year die out sadly and lugubrlously,
and never throw flower on its bier or light
| a taper to dispel the gloom We are ossihed
and petrited in the running stream OF shu-
man life we Jingle our dollars and provide
perhaps an extra turkey, but all the glory,
The warmth the teeming memories of Christ
mas are dissipated and scared away
| Friends no longer make long journeys to be
reunited the money changers are busy in
the temple Of the hearts pure affections ;
the golden serpent has been erected in the
wilderness Of life, and we bow to it in ador-
atm and forget the true Divinity who gave
| US hearts to glow and memories 10 be bles-
| sing. The tirstlings OF our early love are
cast cut to orphanage; we "scrunch the
crickets on the HEARTH" we are too busy to
be happy, too absorbed in the race for gain
to near the cherub voice that calls on US
"peace On earth" We shut our eyes dog
geily and close our ears to the glowing face
| and merry music Of Christmas. We roll
| ourselves up like hedgehogs and take stub
born delight in being dull and mood y; we
quench the fires on the home affairs and
shut the windows TO keep out the blessed
air and the merry sunshine. We are all be-
coming indurated like Scroggs in the bless
ed story by Dickens, and we wrap ourselves
up in selfshness to forget there is youth
around Us to cheer, or age with its genial
smile to rcinvigorate. ~
Oh for the ulden days again. Ga for the
sweet dreams Of boyhood and the genial de-
lights of the by-gune Christmas times! When
we loved every body and every body loved US!
When the heart grew expansive and took in
all creation; when we religiously believed that
the COWS fell on their knees at the holy eve
and fancy Frightened every luminary Of the
sky into reflex of the star which stood over
the manager Of Bethlehem Oh for the ven.
cradle forius-now dust to dust, but looking
down, God grant, upon us and sym pathizing
with the rising gush of feeling that brings
our heart into our mouth and dims the pa
per with unwonted tears-the venerable
forms that filtered round our little trundle
i'eds to see all were fast asleep before they
deposited the toys and keepsakes in the
stockings. D! for the inefable looks of
love and the tervent prayers poured out for
us by that bedside, which now rise so vivid
ly before cur Imagination, that we can feel
the mothers kiss upon our temples and
hear the low suppressed voice of the father
asking Him to bless us for his Sons sake
Why, why, do life and business and tur-
moil and greed drive the sunshine from our
path and allow the blessed Christmas to be
forg'tten. Why do the shop windows pre-
sent less attraction now than they did weary
years ago! Why do we not feel now like
shouting ''merry Christmas" to every one
we meet Why has the heart become con-
geaed and all the springs OF human sym
pathy turned to icy GOODNESS! Has nature
changed-is there less of hope in the mys-
teri0us incarnation Of the Grdhead which
we used to ceebrate-is life less enjoya-
Bile? Who can answer these questions
Who eau tell Us how to restore Christmas tn
its olden place in our heart of hearts, and
cause the genial sunshine to glow upon
the wintry m)nth with all its former revivi-
flying influences! What is the dark secret
IN human progress which scares away our
Christmas gambols, and robs life of one of its
most cherished seasons Is the path to the
sraSe-!he steep: rapid descent-to be clou-
ded and dreary, without one more token
Of good will towards man" or without the
morning stars singing together, once again,
the a1gel chorus peace an earthw Why
do we look but ono short week ahead at tho
coming Christmas with scarce pulse NOV
ed and without the least inclination to wave
our hat around our head and shout "huzza
huzza ! Christmas is coming" Are we
growing old and outgrowing our svmp athies,
Or has the world turned cold and callous p
We would not confess the one, and it would
be sadly painful to believe the other. Who
then can mOralize the theme ?-LouisviUe
J0MunuZ
Hon Caleb Gushing-Things in fredericksburg
tREDERIcEsBURc, Va, Dec % Hon.
Caleb Gushing passed through this place this
evening, on bis return from lush Caroliua,
\ early All the ,yav from, p;,b,,,,3 h,