The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-11-28
A Christmas DEzaEsGP.
BY CHARLES DICKENS.

| throhe indeed, in whose breast something lKt
a iovial feeling is not roused-in whose mln(
some pleasant associations are not awakened
by the recurrence of Christmas. There are PEG
pie who will tell you that Christmas is not IL
them what it used to be, that each succeeding
Christmas has found some cherished hope, OF
happy prospect of the year before, dimmed OF
passed away, and that the present only serve:
| to remind them of reduced circumstances ano
straitened lncomes-of the feasts they once be-
slowed on hollow friends, and Of the cold looks
| that meet them now in adversely and misfortune
| Never heed such dismal "reminiscences. There
are few men who have lived long enough III the
world who cannot call up such thoughts any day
in the year. Then do not select the merriest Of
the three hundred and sixty-fve for your dole
ful recollections, but draw your chair nearer the
blazing fre-fll the glass and send round the
song-and if your room be smaller than it was
dozen years ago,or if your glass be filled with
reeking punch, instead of sparkling wine, put a
good face on the matter, and empty 1t OIL hand,
and fill another and troll off the old ditty you
used to sing, and thank God it's no worse
Look on the merry faces of your children as
they sit round the fire. One little seat may be
empty one slight form that gladdened the faith
er's heart, and reused the mothers pride to look
upon, may not be there. Dwell not upon the
past; think not that one short year ago, the fair
with the bloom of health upon its cheek and the
half unconscousness ofinfancy in its joyous eye.
Reflect upon your present blessings-of which
every man has many-not on your past mlstor-
tunes, of which all men have some. Fill your
glass again, with merry face and contented
heart. Our life on it, but your Christmas shall
be merry, and your new year happy one.
Who can be insensible to the outporings of
good feeling, and the honest interchange OF at
fectionate attachment, which abound at this
season of the year Christmas famly-party !!
We know nothing in nature more delightful =
There seems a magic in the very name Of Christ
mas. Petty jealousies and discords are forgot
ten; social feelings are awakened in bosoms 10
which they have long been strangers father
or son, or brother and sister, who have not met
and passed with averted gaze, or look OF cold
recognition for months before, protfer and re-
turn the cordial embrace, and bury their past
auimositieS in their present happiness. Kindly
hearts that have yearned toward each other, but
have been Withheld by false notions of pride and
self-dignity. are again reunited, and all is kind
ness and benevolence Would that Christmas
last the whole year through, and that the pre-
JUDGES and passions which detorm our better
nature were never called into action among
those to whom they should ever be strangers!
The Christmas family party that We mean, is
not mere assemblage Of relations, got up at
week or two notice, originating this year, hay
ing no family precedent in the last, and not
likely to be repeated in the next. IL is an an
nual gathering of all the accessible members OF
the family, young or old, rich or poor and ell
the children look forward to it, for two months
beforehand, in fever of anticipation. Former
ly is was held at grandpapa's; but grandpapa
getting old, and grandNamma getting old too,
aud rather infrm, they have given up house
I Il ID with
Gle George, so the party Always takes place at
uncle Georges house, but grandmamma sends
in most of the good things, and grandpapa al
ways ,ci.L toddle down all the way to Newgate
market, to buy the turkey, which he engages
porter to brug home behind him in triumph, al
ways insisting OF the mans being rewarded
with glass of spirits over and above his hire,
to drink q merry Christmas and a happy new
year to aunt George. AS to grandmamma,s she
is very secret and mysterious for two or three
days beforehand but not sufficient so to pre-
vent rumors getting afloat that she had pun chas-
ed beautiful new cap with pink ribbons for
each of the servants, together with sturdy books
and penknives, and pencil cases for the younger
branches to say nothing Of divers secret add
dIions to the order originally given to aunt
George at the pastry cook 5, such Us another
dozen of nice pies for the dinner, and large
plum cake for the children.
On Christmas-eve, grandmamma is alwaysi in
excellent spirits, and after employing all the
children during the day. III stonlng the plums
and all that, insists regularly every year on UNI
Gle George coming down into the Kitchen TAX
ing off his coat, and stirring the pudding for
half All hour or so, which uncle George good
humoredy does to the vocilerous delight OF the
children and servants and the evening con
clndes with glorious game of blnd,m buff
in an early stage of which gIandpapa takes great
care to be caught, in order that he may have an
opportunity of displaying his dexterity.
On the following morning, the old couple,
with as many Of the children as the Few will
hold, 60 to church in great state, leaving aunt
George at home busting decanters and filing
casters, and uncle George carrying bottles into
the dining parlor, calling Tor cork-scre"s, and
getting into everybody'S way.
When the church party return 20 lunch,
produces small sprig OF misletoe
from his pocket, and tempts the boys to kiss
their little cousins under it-a proceeding which
affords both the boys and the old gentleman un-
limited satsfacti n, but which rather outrages
ideas of decorum, until grand
papa SAYS, that when lie was Just thirteen years
and three months old, lie kissed grandmamma
under a misletoe too, on which the children clap
their hands and laugh very heartily, as do aunt
George and uncle George and grandmamma
that grandpapa always was an impudent dog,
on which the children laugh very heartily again
and grandpapa more heartily than any Of them.
But all these diversions are nothing to the sub
seauent excitement when grandmamma in q
high cap and slate-colored silk gown,and grand
papa with a beautifully plated shirt-fIill, and
white neckerchef seat themselves on one side
of the drawng-room fire, with uncle Georges
children and little cousins innumerable, seated
in the front waiting the arrival OF the anxiCusly-
expected visitors Suddenly hackney-coach
is heard to stop, and uncle George, who has
been looking out of the window, exclaims-I
Here's Jane : on which the children rush to
the door. and helter-skelter down stairs and
uncle Robert and aunt Jane, and the dear little
baby and the nurse, and the whole party, are
ushered up stairs amidst tumuItuous shouts OF
,Ob. my = from the children, and frequenty-re-
heated warnings not to hurt baby from its nurse:
and grandpapa takes the child,and grandmam-
ma kissed her daughter, and the confusion OF
this first entry has scarcely Subslded when
some other aunts and uDcles with more cous-
ms arrive, and the grown-up cousins tilrt with
each other, and SO do the little cousins too, for
that matter, and nothing is to be heard but a
confused din Of talking, laughing, and meri-
ment.
A hestating double knock at the street-door,
heard during momentary pause IN the CONVEX
sation, excites general inquiry Of Who's
that q and two or three children, who have
been standing at the window, announce in a
low voice. that it's poor aunt Margret.' Upon
which aunt George leaves the room to welcome
the new conner, and grandmamma draws herself
up rather stiff and stately. for Margaret married
a poor man without her consent, and poverty
not being a sufficiently weighty punishment
for her offense has been discarded by her
friends, and deba4red the society of her dearest
relatives. But Christmas has come round, and
the unkind feelings that have struggled against
better dispositions during the year, have melted
away before its genial influence, like halfform-
ed ice beneath the morning sun. 1t is not diff
cult in a moment of angry feeling for parent
to denounce disobedient child but to Danish
her at a period of general goodwill and hilari-
tv. from the hearth round which she has sat Oh
many anniversaries of the same day, expand
inc by slow degrees from infancy to girlhood,