The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-01-16
The Miseries of Christmas.

Now Just let us see what Christmas
has in store for many a good, easy man
| who happens tc be at the head of a
| family res pects BILE in numbers and de-
pertinent. During the past two weeks
there has been a steady drain on the
exchequer of the good, easy man, and
he has looked with dismay upon his un-
satisfactory balances and abbreviated
cash account at the Office. There has
been an air of mystery about the house
for many days; conversation and work
have ceased whenever he has seated
himself in his armchair after the days
work has been finished and he has set
tied down for an evening of enjoyment.
His family go about like conspirators,
and he, knowing all the while just what
they are up to, assumes the air of an
imbecile in pretending that he is oblivi-
Gus to all that is passing around him.
In due time it becomes necessary for
him to make a lot of purchases, which
he does with the feeling that he is being
swindled and running the risk of having
his pockets picked. The presents once
bestowed upon the family, he finds that
the children wanted something else,
or his wife is cross because Mrs. Smith
across the way received a finer present
than she did, while Smith is not
looked upon as being worth half as
much as the good, easy man. He NUT
ters " Poor Smith," When it comes to
his presents he is astonished to behold
a pair of new slippers which he. can't
begin to get on his feet, besd-worked
smoking-cap weighing about four
pounds, very ornamental, an embroid-
cred boot-jac which he destroyes in
his irst attempt to utilize, couple of
fuzzy pen-wipers, which he mistakes
for neckties, besides a number of other
tokens of love and affection, which he
has the sublime satisfaction of knowing
that he has paid for, as the bills were
sent in. OF course the good easy man
remains at home on Christmas day, and
has feeling that it is an extra Sunday
or that there is a funeral in the house
without the usual accompaniments.
He over-eats a dinner and is denied the
pleasure of a cigar on account of the
presence of m-th-r-in-l-w. who is nervous
and can't endure smoke. Alas and if
he goes forth into the street he meets
an array of beggars who, though as we'll
able to support themselves as he is, I'M
der the cloak of Christmas, practice un-
blushingly the profession Of pauper.
If he neglects to contribute to the boy
of the butcher, the baker or the candle
stick maker, he is looked upon as mig
gard, and feels thBt he ought to apollo
gize for having neglected sacred duty.
The children, bless their dear hearts,
having eaten so much candy, raisins and
other trash that they have no appetite
for dinner, spend the time quarreling
about their presents and CRYING over
the many mishaps that have befallen
them. The sudden change of diet
which they have iLdulged in has sur
prised their stomachs, and an internal
revolution has been the result The
candy of the morning has become the
camphor of the evening, and sugar
plums have been supplanted by pare
goric. The family physician, who was
Just sitting down to his Christmas din
ner, is abruptly called away to minister
to injured innocents. He feels that he
has been wronged, and makes it up by
doubling his fee.
The air is full of nothing but Christ
mas from morning until night. Men
meet one another in the street and sing
out, "Merry Christmas, and "Same to
you," without the least care whether
the other is merry or sad, gay or
gloomy. The newspapers repeat the
same old story, and inform their readers
that Christmas grew out of the Satur-
ralla, and that in olden times it was
celebrated with great ceremonies by our
English ancestors-and much more to
the same effect. The words of TINY
Tim are repeated year after year, and
we are tolerably familiar with ssTbe
Night Before Christmas. We miss the
story that we used TO look for at this
time, since the hand of the master has
grown cold, and this, too, gives us a
feeling of sadness. Union.
SWEDISH IRON.--The superior qual-
ity of Swedish iron is still maintained.
The price for charcoal pig, in 1873, has
been about $45 a ton. Ten years aGO
the same article sold at Sl9 per ton. 1t
is supposed that the excellence of