The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-10


we see home fairly written.
Shining from, the word, as rays shine from a
| star, we see how, when our graves are old, other
hopes than ours are young, other hearts than
| ours are moved; how other waves are smoothed
how other happiness blooms. ripens, and decays
no, not decays, for other homes and other hands
Of children not yet in being nor ages yet to De,
arise and bloom and ripen to the end Of all = =
Welcome everything Welcome alike what has
been. and what never was, and what we hope
may be, to your shelter underneath the holly. to
your places round the Christmas fire, where what
is sits open hearted In yonder shadow do we
eDemy's face By Christmas day, we do forgive
him If the injury he has done Us NAV admit of
such companionship, let him come here and take
his place. III otherwise. unhappiIy, let him go
| him. rrr -
On this day we shut out nothing.
Pause, !" says low voice. Z" Nothing, Think ~
sr In Christmas day we win shut out from our
mot the shadow of vast city where the
withered leaves are lying deep!' the voice re-
pies. Not the shadow that darkens the whole
globe! Not the shadow of the City Of the Dead ~
not even tnat. Of all the days in the year, we
VIII turn our faces toward that city upon Christ
mas day, and from its silent hosts bring those we
loved among rs. City of the Dead in the blessed
lame wherein we are gathered at this time, and in
me presence that is here among us according to
the promise, we will receive, and not dismiss thy
people who are dear TO us
Yes. We can look upon these children angels,
that alight so solemnIy, so beautifully among the
,iving ehidren BY the fire, and can bear to think
how they departed from us. Entertaining angels
unswares, as the patrarchs did, the playful chill.
dren are unconscious Of their guests, but we can
see them-can see q radiant arm around one favor
lite neck, as If they were tempting of that child
away.
Among the celestial figures there is one, a poor
misshapen boy on earth, of a glorious beauty
now. OF whom his dying mother said 1t grieved
her much to leave him here alone, for so many
years as il was likely would elspse before he came
to ber-being such little child. But he went
quickly, and was laid upon her breast, and in her
hand she leads him.
There was gallant boy, who fell, far away,
upon burning sand beneath burning sum- and
said, " Tell them at home, with my last love, how
much could have wished TO kiss them once, but
that died contented and had done my dutyI"
Or there was another, over whom they read the
words; Therefore, we commit bis body to the
dark Wv and so consigned him to the lonely ocean
and sailed on. Or there was another who lay
down TO his rest in the dark shadow of great for
ests; and, on earth, awoke no more. o, shall
they not, from sand and sea and forest be brought
There was a dear girl-almost a weman-never
to be one-who made mourning Christmas in a
house Of joy, and went her trackless way to the
Silent City. Do we recollect her worn out family
whispering what could not be heard and falling
into that last sleep for WEAKNESS! o look upon
her now o look upon her beauty, her serenity,
her changeless youth her happiness The daugh.
Ter Of Jairus was recalled to ife to die but She
more blest, has heard the same voice, saying unto
her, Arise forever"
We had friend who was our friend from early
dsye, with whom we often pictured the changes
that were to come upon our lives, and merrily
imagined how we would speak, and walk, and
think, and talk, when we came to be old. His
destined habitationn the City of the Dead received
him in his prime. Shall he be shut out from our
Christmas remembrance Would his love have so
excluded us Lost friend, lost child, lost parent,
sister, brother, husband, wife, we Will not
discard you You shall hold your cherished places
IN our Christmas hearts, and by our Christmas
fires and in the season of immortal hope and on
the birthday of immortal mercy, we will shut out
nothing.
The winter sur goes down over town and village:
on the sea IL makes rosy path, as IL the sacred
tread were fresh upon the water. few more
moments, and il sinks, and night comes on, and
light begins 10 sparkle in the prospect. On the
hills beyond the shapeessly- diused town, and the
quiet keeping of the trees that grid the village
steeple, remembrances are cut in stone, planted
in common flowers, growing in grass entwined
with lowly brambles around many a mound of
earth.
In town and village there are doors and win
dows closed against the weather. there are flaming
logs heaped high, there are joyful faces there is
healthy music of voices. Be all ungentleness and |
harm excluded from the temples of the household |
gods, but be those membranes admitted with |
tender encouragement. They are of the time and |
all its comforting and peaceful reassurances, and
OF the history that reunited even upon earth the |
living and the dead and of the broad benefcence |
and goodness that too many men have tried to |
tear TO narrow sbreds.