New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-12-25
n SEASON A MERRY

COMPLIMENTS OF rnE SEASON MERRY
CHRISTMAS TO Youls--uom.iy though the greeting
Be- tite from its m9ny repetions s it not yet ever
fresh with hearts dew and does il not speak 10 us oil
Cmismas 10 t1, olden time It's true that ne The
circ'ing years revove, the mystic influence OF the
season some' hat wsnss but IL is stii lime when
hearts info in the Christian blossoms Of peace and
GOODWILL toward men, and for the little ones IL Is
still the merry or. Of the advent Of Santa Claus and
housek Id gifis-aud 50 all bail TO the feast OF Chris
masl
II i. no other season at which grown FOLDS feel
% oppressive a longing for the days OF aoscu'e
cE ildhood; we recall how mere at'cips'i"n men
yas happiness; low we reckoped The days and hours
until The dawning OF Christs day; how we noted
certain mysterious talks and walks of papa and
mamma, caught gmpses Of conc aled parcels and
fouod closets before open as day most sugg snveiy
locked. Then the excitement of those days when
school being closed had nothing TO do but walt
,at hardest of all childish tiialsfor the momen'ous
lawn And Christmas Eve, what wonderful time
fsufr wasl How we were sent to bed early TO be
bright for the morrow; how we hung up our tiny
stockings with answering faith in Santa Claus, and
marveled how the funny little old could get III
. through the small chimney of our nursery, and
trembled lest be might be stuck therein; bow We
sought to keep eager eyes open TO catch gnpse
of this wonderful g-bringef and at last fell asleep
with "Now lay ne" falling in disjolnted syliaoies
from lips more guieess than those that quIver now
IN re;rospecton of that blessed time. And the next
rnorning-the early waking and the quick overhaul
of the mracuously plump stocking and inspection OF
gifts hapgngnear; The shoutsof Merry Christmas
and the nervous dressing in our holiday suits; the
laden Christmas tree in the parlor the gifts OF uncle
hidden beneath tie breakfast plate; joy, happiness,
lghtheartedness, childhoods thougttless merriment
-" the days that are no more"
Its good thing TO feel oneself q child again. to
grow young the year grows DID, and indeed to be
snstion Of children at Christmas time would be a
" contamination most devoutly to be wished We
are not of those who would put aside festal days as
unneeded trivial or useless; let us still preserve
some seasons in which the heart may grow.
This year. indeed, we have cause 10 bless the adj
vent of time consccrated 10 joy and thanksgiving.
In broken households smileless faces have become
too much matter of everyday sight, for when We
hardened for pecan Of gadness, there cane
only the resounding march, march, march
of departing regiments that bore away the
lipbt from Thousands of homes, and to look upward
In great city was to behold the futtering flag OF
our beloved country that had been trampled upon,
and whose glorious stars shone behind II saddening
eclipse.
To-day beams another star whose brightness can
never be dimmed the Star of Bethlehem!
Let us put aside all but that great TRUTH and keep
cheerful, trustiul, s,eadfast hearts.
Let thoughts of the absent make US more tender to
those who remain, more thoughtful of the homeless
and suffering outside our thresholds, fully recog-
infant of the blessings we still enjoy.
May friendships evergreens keep bright your
homes, and the holly berries Of mirh cluster about
your boards. "May good digestion wait ON aPpe-
lite, and health on both, and 80,
A merry Christmas to one and all