American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-01-25
A City Chaps Idea OF Christmas in the
Country.

The New York World draws upon its
inner consciousness for description of
how ''Christmas is spent in the country"
With the trifiing exception that there is
very little truth in it, the description is a
good one:
If the snow falls fair i'm our broad and
bright thoruughfares OH Christmas eve it
Is trampled anu thrown sullied from the
walk on the next morning. and does not
lie white and still on far-Off hills, where,
as in the country, it will remain for days
and days TO be fius. ed by the rising sun
and gladden. our eyes when the evening
has fallen upon us as still and chill as the
| snow itself. We cannot hear the shrek of
! the pond thrOttled by the frost, nor walk
knee-deep in the snow under the forest
trees, whose bOughs are hung with rarest
diamonds and Opaline ice and snow; nor
look down into the valleys lying in the
shadow that rapidly disappears before the
rising moon; nor see the slGeG blown by
the wind rushing across the hills like
pack of wolves. And with such scenes
Chri tmas must ever be connected in the
country, and with long drives, and many
persons in one great sleigh, and with
rosy-cheeked girls and dances, where are
to be seen the Virginia reel, and even a
minuet now and then. The folks come
for miles around, packed on sleds which
have done service in drawing wood and
in all farm work; they will upset now
in, If the wind has blown the snow into
inconvenient heaps, or if a crust, appear
ing able to sustain any load, shall sud-
denly prove weak and let one runner
b. eak through; then the boys and girls
will fall out, and there will be much
laughter OF a bOisterOus and hearty sort
until the sled is eXtricated and all are
again seated, for the most part on
other folks laps, and then there
will be singing in the crisp air,
and the bells will jingle as all go
onward to the party. The place reached,
there will be a great shaking of hands,
and stamping of feet, and unwrapping of
heads covered to the eyes with shawls and
and while the men drink hard
cider enlivened into "stone fence" the
women will be kissing each other, and
showing their presents, and arranging
which is generally provided in large guam
titles, for country girls have peculiar
fondness for peppermint candy. 1t will
not be long before the big barn Of a room
will cease to look bare the fiddles will
strike up, and the serious business of the
evening begin. Folks will come i'm from
the city, too, and the young cOuntrymen
will not be Over-pleased by seeing their
girls Sc talking sweet" ard whirling about,
with their hair all flying over the Shout
ders OF the strangers. who have a pecu-
liar knack OF picking Outand carrying off
.mc Seiy pIettieSI girls III Tic TOOul.
There will be danger of a fight now and
then if the city boys put on too many
airs, but probably an amicable settlement
of difficulties will be shortly arranged in
the bar-roOm below. One or two of the .
boys will be sure to get more
than upsy, and be hopelessly lost amid
the endless complications of the Virginia
reel, and so have to be led away by the
hand, or leg, or collar, as the case may be,
and deposited out in the snow to get cool
and sober. They will be all right in a lit
tie while and come sneaking into the ball
room again to be spurned and rejected of
their sweethearts, and thus be driven once
more to the flowing bowl for comfort.
After the dance breaks up thegirls will
be sleepy, and on tie road towards home
they will rest peacefully on the breasts of
the young men until all are tumbled out
ut once, and then they will wake up and
have good time till home is reached.