Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-01-04
BACHELOR BLUFFS HOLIDAYS.

II hate holidays" said Bachclo,
Bluff to me, with some little irritation,
on Christmas few years ago. Then
he paused un instant, after which he
remarked: II don't mean to- say that
1 hate to see people enjoying them
selves. Rut I hate holidays, neverthe
less, because they are to me always the
dreariest and sadlcst days of the year.
| sliudtler ut the name of holidays. l
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, I am
not myself ut holiday times"
"Very strange l ventured to inter
pose.
"A plague on it," said he, almost
with violence. "I'm not inhuman. I
don't wish anybody harm. I'm glad
people can enjoy themselves. But
hate holidays all the same. You see.
this is the reason: am n bachelor;
I am without kin; an i'll a lard that
did not know ne mt birth. And so.
when holidays come around, there is
no place anywhere for me. 1 have
friends, of course; I don't think I've
been very sulky, shut-in, reticc:,t fel-
low; and there is many a hoard that
has place for me-but not ut Christ
mas. time. At Christmas, the dinner
is a family gathering; and I've no fam
lily. There is such gathering of kim
dred Oh that occasion, such a 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,
deuccd selfish. Each little set gathers
within its own circle; and people like
me, with no particular circle, are left
i'll the lurch. So you see, on the day
Of all the days i'll the year that my
heart pines for good cheer, I'm without
an invitation.
"Oh, it's because I pine for good
cheer said the bachelor, sharply, in
terrupting my attempt to speak, "that
I hate holidays. Ii I were an infer
nally selfish fellow, I wouldn't hate
holidays. I'd go off and have some
fun all to myself, somewhere or some
how. But, you see, I hate to be in the
dark when I'll the rest Of the world is
III light. hate holidays, because
ought to be merry and happy on holi-
days, and can't.
"Don't tell me-" he cried, stopping
the word that was on my lips: II tell
You, hate holidays. The shops look
merry, do they, with their bright TOYS
and green branches? The pantomime
is crowded with merry hearts, is it?
The circus and the show are brim full
OF fun and laughter, are tleyy Well,
they all niaAe me miserable. haven't
any pretty faced girls, or bright-eyed
boys to take to the circus or the show.
and I'LL the nice girls and fine boys OF
my acquaintance have their uncles OF
their grand-dads or their cousins to
take them to those places and so, if ]
go, I must go alone. But don't 20.
I can't bear the chill of seeing every.
body happy, and knowing myself SO
lonely and desolate Confound it, sir,
I've too much heart to be happy under
such circumstances! I'm too humane,
sir! And the result is, hate holidays.
It's miserable to be out, and yet ]
can't stay at home, for L get to think
ing of Christmases past. L can't read
the shwGow Of my heart makes it i'm.
possible. can't walk-for I see moth
ing but pretty pictures through the
bright windows, and happy groups OF
pleasure-seekers. The fact is. I've
nothing to do but to hate holidays. But
will you not dine Will, me?'
or course, [ had to plead engage
mcnt with my own family circle, and /
couldn't quite invite Mr.. Bluff home
that day, when Charley and his wife.
and sister Susan and her daughter, and
three OF my wifc's kin, had come in
from the country, all to make q merry
Christmas with MS. I felt sorry, but i
was quite impossible; SO wish~l Mr.
Bluff ''mcrry Christmas" and hnr,
ried hOmeward through the cold and
nipplng air.
L did not meet Bachelor Bluff agai,
until week after Christmas of tho
next year, when learned some strange
particulars OF what occurred to hin
after our parting on the occasion inst
described. [ will let Bachelor Bluff
tell his adventures for himself:
!" went to church," said he, land
was sad there as everywhere else. O.
course, the cv"rgrccns we're pretty, auC
the music fine but all around me were
happy. groups oi people, who coulC
scarcely keep down merry Christmas
long enough to do reverence to sacred
Christmas. And nobody was alone but
me. Every happy patcrfamilias in hi.
pew tantalizcd me, and the whole at
mcspllcre Of the place seemed so mucl
better suited to every one else than me
that 1 came away hating HOLIDAYS
worse than ever. Then [ went to tie
pantomime and sat down all alone in ,
box by myself. Everybody seemed o.,
the best Of terms with everybody else
and jokes and banter passed from one
t" another with the most good naturei
j freedom. Everybody but INC was in .
! little group of friends. was the onl,
person IN the whole thcatcr that WA;
"'rn". And then there was snch clnp
ping of hands, and roars of laughtcr
and shouts OF delight ut all the fun 70
ing ON upon the stage, all of which wa,
rendered d"nhly enjoyable by every
body having s"mehody with whom tt
share and Interchange. the pleasure
that my loneliness got simply unbcar
able, and [ hated holidays i,,auiLcI1
| worse than ever.