Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1870-01-07
BrisfpI Atms.
FRIDAY, January 2, 1870.
Chrjsfmas in tho Counfru.


d Christmas Eve, found myself on
be eastern train "Wednesday night
fps armed with every article that could
oeuso childish fancy, or that Kullnert
Hld his two toy.,hops could furnish !
has surprise 10 meet an ulcle, ON tie
sf,u, once well known in this country,
nd remembered as the author of Fow
kr's Arhhmstic. lie has for many
hears made bis home in Texas. We
barely escaped a collision between Mar.
tu's and Dublin, and arrived at the lat.
In place an hour behind time. Kind
blends met me horc with horse and
De next morningI crossed Cloyd's
Mountain over froscn roads, through ice
hd snow, aud reached Pcarisburg early
Il the afternoon. The night spent a.
he pleasant home of favoritc brother,
h.aw and loving sister, few turts
bout the old town, a glance at the new
IN aud a projected sidewalk, and am
hi through the NarFows Of New River,
here tho restless, seething torrent turs's
Ia breaks tho white capped waves,
IL it dashes over the rocks upturned
by volcanic action in an sge unknown
nd that Cor centuries unnunssss.sssa have
fecn licked and lashed by these wild
fountain waters. Here a deep strata o!
fock juts up under the bed Of the river
BID runs at an angle of forty>fve de-
erees, in bold gray lines for hundreds Of
{.ei, until upon tho North west summit
NJ the mountain it emerges with frown~
ipg trout to batter back the summers
bun aud winters blast, while in its fence
ensct even the zig gag lightning seems
10 be shattered in its liery course and
Aauded back to the elcments from
Whence itcame. 1t was strong re'rca
ju tims Of war, but every scstigc OF blood
bud carnage has boa swep' a"sy ard
i. ain "nature holds her wild estate and
sileuce and solitude reign sup eme"
/ passed through pstcrsiown littlp
before twilight and found that seven
,ear's absence had made NC stranger
eirhiu a few miles Of my birth place =
TE About seven O'clock Qhc night bcicr'
81 Chrisimss) came sgain into the vall"y
&tf New River, where milan Creek flows
into it. The old family residence, with
lis twenty apartments and that for TWEEN
~ years has broken the wild winds that
winter in this valley, pecrcd above 'h'
trees and shrubbery, and light shon'
through the window ,hat-isld me Ions
ere I crossed The threshold that my
mother, sister, sisters children, aud
trotbsr,iu-law, who for sigh'ecu year
acked the sands of Califoruia, wit
other frionds dear to me, were ga'here'
around the family hearlhstone- that tn
Christmas tree Atood in the corner
the parlor, aud that Santa Claus was G,
pected to make his annual noctnrn'
round. 1 was late and they had give
Inc out. My horse tied, glanced thr'
the hslf,twiligbt over the old plantatio
with its three thousand ucros, look
half n dozen beautiful islands that Ri
out of the river below me and mome'
20 survey the Crump estate across Il
river, that stretches for Ave miles aloI
its banks, a minute to recall more thu
a hundred slaves that we're accustom'
ms they returned from their work
freight the evening air With their me-
dies. aud stood within the parlor
INV dear old home, for u moment uno
served. 1t was a cold ride, but "
repaid for upon the chairs, the so
the tables and the floor, were strewn {
gifts that we're to ornament the tr'
and the children, forbade the room' We
playing at hide aud seek in another p'
o. tho house. The small hours
the morning began to steal upon us
fore We had finished the tree and
tulh, and retired to our couches.
ere the misty morn danced upon
eastern bill tops the i1slc ones st
f,om their beds and with lighted Ian
went in search Of the Christmas II
crying Christmas gift 10 each other
the way. They spent the day aro'
IA tho tree, in eating eandiss, oranges
nuts, in dressing tho dolls and trying
tn. spurs, in opening little dishes
aso.tiug little dinners, in putting On Ii
= shoes aud trying little gloves.
Our nsighbors from across the ri
ana their fair daughters spsnt the
With US. The iaesting of friends
rsia,ives long parted, joining them
Christmas bowl Of egg nog and the
Obrislnss dinner for thirteen y
brought Sp mary pleasant recOllee'l
There wero those who, when separ
from them seven years ago were
Erls, they are now young ladies' 1t
a strange scene but pleasant on
Thus spent Christmas in thi cour
Ell.
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