Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1863-01-15
8. HOWARD, Publisher.
Correspondence of the Springfield Republican.
LIFE IN WASHINGTON.
/. ouARRsL wffH RovIDENCE-CHRIsTMAs
WITH THE SOLDIERS.

a QUARREL WITH RovIDENCE-CHRIsTMAs
WITH THE SOLDIERS.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 25, 1862.
I intend to be resigned to the will of
Providence. Providence and | often differ
sn opinion, but it is nay intention always
N conclude that Providence knows best.
This is by far the most comfortable way
of bearing burdens which, in themselves,
we sometimes find are very uncomfortable.
at is all for the best" 1t is for our f.
nal good" Over what foods of suffering,
over what perilous planks of doubt have
those two little sentences safely and tri-
umphantly carried us. To-day they leave
me at dreary standstill, and will not
help me over. To confess the truth,
have quarrelled with Providence. am
out of patience with Providence don't
like Providence. Providence has treated
me shabbily, and am not going to SUBJ
nit this time without a burst of indigna-
tion. said to Providencethe the other day:
-" If you will let my lungs breathe in the
open air on Christmas, I'll bear any
thing before without murmer I'fl dis
solve in hot sweats.' I'll fay myself
with mustard plasters. I'll turn my
throat inside out with noxious medicine.
I'll try not to talk. III sit as dumb as
if | was dead, even while the brilliant
tongue of---is flying, tempting me to
say what | was to dull to think of, till
quickened by the electric music of her
voice. O! Providence, I'll submit to any
thing, and not complain, if you will only
let me 90 on Christmas to see the h0spi-
tai soldiers eat their dinner. 1t is now
Christmas day. The soldiers are eating
their dinner. Here | am, bolstered up in
an armed chair, choked and swathed,
bound can't eat my own dinner; that
is of no consequence, but it is of conse-
,uuence that I can't see the soldiers eat
theirs. My friends have all gone. Be-
fore they went, they came and said ::
Poor thing what pity that you can't
60. 1t is cruel to leave you shut up here.
We were sure that you would be well
enough to 60 with us to day: here you
are worse!" After showering me abun-
dainty with tender CALCULATIONS, they left
me in that fearful state of self-pity weak
people are sure to fall into after sympa-
thizing visits from condoling friends.
watched them depart, radiant with smiles,
and laden with good things for "the boys. "
| sink bach in my chair, feeling myself
to be a much abused person, but with
spirits enough left to berate my prosecutor.
Now it is much more agreeable to those
around me that lecture away at some-
thing impersonal; SO am quarreling with
Providence (on paper) for not curing me,
and letting me 20 to the soldiers Christ
mas dinner. Let me recommend this
method of scolding to all women with a
tongue and q temper. Just take pen or
pencil, my dears, and write out your
wrath before you know it, you will look
up serene and aWiable as angels; temper
all ventilated and evaporated not enough
left to scold the bungling maid who throws
down your pet picture, the souvenir of a
friend, and breaks it into splinters, or the
eelly fingered waiter who drops dish of
scalding oyster soup into the lap of your
immaculate dove-colored satin.
can't read; / can't walk / can't talk;
but can write to you, Republican, and
thus avenge myself for the lost sight of
that Christmas dinner. You know the
spirit has not moved me to write to you
very often of late. find as life runs the
deeper, the more difficultit is to draw, it to
the surface and drain it out in drops of
ink. But dear, old fussy Republican, /
like you just as we'll as ever just as de-
votedly as if wrote you above letter ev-
cry day in the week. You know that we
have quarreled and made up" these
how many years ? and like each other all
the better for it. Thus am just as ready
TO write when cross as amiable, having no
reputation of an angelic sort to maintain
with you. And if any body says to you