The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-12-30
The Holiday Season.


which, though founded on purely religious
associations, is engaged in with such fresh hearti.
ness at every annual recurrence by all our
people, whether old or young, saint or sinner,
christian or inhdel.
During last week, all the talk was Of Christ
mas and Christmas enjoynents; and though
among some Of the "unco guid" Christmas was
derided as a relic of midaeval ecclesiasticism or
PrayaGy, as a Scotch friend expresses it, and
among the scouters at and anbelievers in Chris.
tianiry as q silly superstition, neither class
was able to resist the popular tide, and the
Christmas Turkey was sacrificed by all alike
and the craving of the children had to be alike
appessed for presents of toys, trinksts or more
useful and valuable articles, as remembraneer
OF the birth, nearly nineteen hundred years ago,
of the Babe of Bethlehem.
During the present week, Though the festival
OF Holy IHnocents, St. Thomas and ST. Johns
are not entirely forgotten, the talk is of New
Year, which among the goddess generation" {"
even to few years ago, was Ia .de more of than
Christmas, but which Of late years has been
tions surrounding the Nativity, aud has thus
becsme third or fourth rate festival in com.
parison.
Next week, in localities at least which still re.
tain some respect tor the divisions and seasons
OF the Church year, they will ENJOY the circum.
cision festival and end with the crowaing festival
of Chris.mas.tide or the Christmas season, tie
Epiphany (Jsn. Stb) or Twelfth Night, - il is
more commonly called. There are few here.
about, just now, who appear to know much
about Twelfth Night, but in many parts Of En-.
rope, and particularly England, the festival is
second only to that Of tn. Nativity ITSELF and its
observance in this country is making such hope.
full he'dwsy, that not many years hence it
promiss, to be regarded as one Of the holidays
that Will, like Christmas. be found rrepressible.
A SERIOUS AccIDENr.-Thursday morning
last, Major Taylor, clerk Of the Supreme Court,
was out for drive over the ice, aboundlng every
where on oar streets He was accompanied BY
his friend DR.. j. O. Harris. The Majors horse,
spirited animal, became unmsnagesble, and
ran away, on Main Street. On approaching the
bridge acros. the side cut, the horse seemed
determined to leave the street and jump upon
the ice, below the bridge. Major Taylor attempt.
ed in vain to guide the horse upon the bridge
the sleigh swung sideways, struck the end oi
the bridge with grss. force throwing the unfor.
tunate occupants foil thirty feet forward and
twelve feet downward upon the solid ice Per.
sons who saw the accident quickly reached the
scene Of disaster. and both gentlemen were in.
sensible. They wero removed to the Office Of
Hossack & Porter's Warehouse and surgical aid
promptly summoned.
On examination, it was found that Major
Taylor had fallen upon his face, his nose being
cut through at the bridge and broken below, and
several severe contusions in the face, head, and
over one eye; while DR.. Harris left Lex wss
broken at the junction Of the upper and middle
thirds. While Major Taylor is badly hurt and
may be somewhat disfgured for life, DR.. Harri,
is the greater sufferer.