Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1869-12-17
FOR THE CHaLDR EN-.
ALErrER FROM AUNT EN-.

Dear Childrcn:-I suppose the most Of
you are surrounded by kind friends, who BY
every means in their power, strive to make
your lives pleasant and happy, and l pre-
sumo too that at Christmas, your stockings
are filled to the very brim with the very
things you most longed to possess, there
fore it would be useless to write to you how
sad day Christmas may be to some peo-
pie, and you would think me very disa-
greeable old auntie to be spelling your fun
with such gloomy thoughts, so you need
not take my letter as addressed to you at all,
but to poor little Charlie. His Christmas
was spent in thinking what nice time
Tommy was having across the way, and
watching him as he whirls off for a ride in
the country. Or to little Julia, who with
red eyes surveys her broken-nosed, one
eyed dolly, thinking all the time what mer-
ry Christmas it would have been had Santa
Claus dropped such doll into her stocking
as he did into the more favored hose Of her
playmate Mary. Perhaps you are think
ing that Charles mother was one of these
poor women who sew in garrets, and live
on crusts, but you are mistaken, for Char
lies lived in just as elegant mansion as
Tommy over the way; but the trouble was
that his parents thought Christmas was all
"fol-de-rol," and the necessity Of buying
presents all a delusion, ard as for wasting
time to take the little ones out to Aunt Sa-
rah's, why that's all folly too; any other
time would do just as well, and so Charlie
may fatten his nose on the window-pane
and wipe his eyes ON the skirt of his jacket
to his hearts content, if he cannot see
things in the same philosophical light that
his parents do.
And Julia, to, winks very fast to keep
back the tears as she handles her ancient
dolly, and murmars, "If Mamma would but
couldn't, wouldn't care" Yes little Julia,
there's the rub. II your mamma was poor
woman and would but could not, you would
take up the cross of poverty and bear it
bravely for her sake, but when it comes to
the case, "Mamma could but Mamma DON'T"
the sage maxim, Whatever is, is right
Well now little Julia and Charlie. per-
haps it will comfort you little to know
how my Christmas used to be spe, t, for
misery love company you know. When
was a little girl, and didn't wear cap and
glasses, my elder sister and used to hear
great deal about an old fellow called San
ia Claus, and as we were little and didu't |
know any better, we used to hang up our
stockings in a perfect fever of excitement |
as to the possible chances Of the night,
but morning always set US into brown |
study, trying to think why it was, that Santa |
Claus was so liberal with other little folks
who were as naughty again as we were,
while he would only drop the tiniest paper |
of candy in ours, or some other tride which |
hardly repaid the trouble of turning our
stockings wrong side out to get to.
Bye and bye, when we got old enough to |
understand who the real Santa Claus was,
father and mother began to think we were
old enough to do away with such nonsense
altogether, and from hence, Christmas in
stead of being the joyfully commemorated
birthday of our best friend, the dear Savior,
became for US sad day of longing, and
repining thoughts of what might have been;
of the Christmas tree which Lucy's folks
had, and the ride Maria's father was to give
her to aid the digestion of the roast turkey
and plum pudding, and of the beautiful
presents Jennie had brought over for our
inspection; subjects not calculated to raise
our spirits, or render tho day particularly
" merry Christmas
Perhaps you may think it strange, but
the older we grew the more we missed the
kind remembrance of Santa Claus, and the
jollity and good cheer which made this the
merriest day of the year to our more favor
ed companions.
But so it was, and when we were big
girls, and wore long dresses, and hair ''done
up" our lodgings for the real 'merry |
Christmas" of song aud story were just as
strong as when our hearts beat under !
pinafor,.
Parents do not realize what a powerful
influence for good or evil, for joy or sorrow,
such small thing as the observance Of the
holidays exert,
II they did, they would make these ami
versaries green spots in the memories of
their children, which the cares and troubles
that maturity brings could never efface.
Now little ones shall we laugh or cry over
our troubles? All! laugh do you say? |
Well laugh it shall be, and remember if
you don't have tree this Christmas, and
all the other good things pertaining thereto,
it will not be Aunt Ems fault.