Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-01-10
RACHELOR BLUFFS HOLIDAYS.

"I hate holidays" said Bachelor
Bluff to me, with some little Irritation,
on a Christmas few years ago. Then
| he paused an instant, after which he
remarked: 'FI don't mean to say that
hate to see people enjoying them
selves. But | hate holidays, neverthe-
less, because they are to me always the
dreariest and saddest days Of the year
I shudder at the name of holidays. [
dread the approach Of one, and thank
! heaven when it is over. [ pass through,
| on holiday, the most horrible sensa-
tions, the bitterest feelings, the most
oppressive melancholy; in fact, [ am
not myself at holiday times. "
every strange" " I yentured to inter
pose.
ga plague on it!" said he, almost
with violence I'm not inhuman. I
don't wish anybody harm. Tn glad
people can enjoy themselves. But
hate holidays all the same. You see,
this is the reason I am bachelor
[ am without kin; I am IL land that
did not know me at birth. And so,
when holidays come around, there is
no place anywhere for me. / have
friends, of course; [ don't think I've
been a very srllky, shut-in, reticent fel-
low: and there is many a board that
has q place for me-but not at Christ
mas-time At Christmas, the dinner
is a family gathering; and I've no fam
| ily. There is such gathering OF KIN
dred on that occasion, such reunion
of family folk, that there is no place
for friend, even If the friend be liked.
Christmas, with all it's kindness and
charity and goodwill, is, after all
deuced selfish. Each little set gathers
within its own circle; and people like
me, with no particular circle, are left
in the lurch. SO you see, on the day
of all the days in the year that my
heart pines for good cheer, I'm without
an invitation.
ooh, it's because [ pine for good
cheer" said the bachelor, sharply, in
terrupting my attempt to speak, "thai
[ hate holidays. II [ were an infer
naIIy selfish fellow, I wouldn't hatt
holidays. I'd go off and have some
fun ali to myself, somewhere OF some
how But, you see, l hate to be In the
dark when all the rest OF the world is
IN light. [ hate holidays, because
ought to be merry and happy on holi
days, and can't
ssDon't tell me-" he cried, stopping
the word that was on my lips; II tel
you, | hate holidays. The shops looI
merry, do they, with their bright toys
and green branches The pantomims
) is crowded with merry hearts, is it
The circus and the show are brim ful
of fun and laughter, are they2 Well
they all make me miserable. [ haven
any pretty faced girls, or bright-eyet
boys to take to the circus or the show
; and all the nice girls and fine boys 0
: my acquaintance have their uncles O
: their grand-dads or their cousins t.
take them to those places and so, If
go. I must go alone. But I don't go
can't bear the chill of seeing every
l body happy, and knowing myself s.
D lonely and desoiate Confound it, sir
I've too much heart to be happy unde
= such circumstances I'm too humane
sir And the result is, [ hate holidays
I It's miserable to be out, and yet
3 can't stay at home, for [ get to think
/ ing of Christmases past. [ can't read
the shwdow of my heart makes it i'm
possible [ can't walk-for I see moth
: ing but pretty pictures through th
. bright windows, and happy groups c
t pleasure-seekers. The fact is, "
a nothing to do but TO hate holidays. Bu
!, will you not dine with me?'
f OF course, l had to plead engage
G ment with my own family circle, and
d couldn't quite invite Mr.. Bluff hon
that day, when Charley and his wife
and sister Susan and her daughter, an
three of my wife's kin, had come i
: from the country, all to make a merr
: Christmas with us. [ felt sorry, but
+ was quite impossible; so wished NJ
d Bluff merry Christmas,n and hu
ried homeward through the cold an
1t nipping air.
10 [ did not meet Bachelor Bluff agai
|, until week after Christmas of IL
" next year, when [ learned some strans
d particulars of what occurred to hi
after our parting on the occasion iu
n described 1 viii let Bachelor Blu
: tell his adventures for himself:
le "I went to church, " said he, :. an
70 was sad there as everywhere else. {
n course, the evergreens were pretty. an
ly the music fine but all around me we,
er happy. groups of people, who cou]
er scarcely keep down merry Christina
long enough to do reverence to sacre
/ Christmas. And nobody was alone b.
at me- Every happy paterfamilias in b
e. pew tantallzed me, and the whole a
I'd mosphere of the place seemed so muc
better suited to every one else than ?,