The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-12-31
a CHRIsTMAs sLEIGH.RIpE.


IAIr. Frank R. Stockton was out late one
Christmas Eve when he fell in with an old
gentleman who invited him into his sleigh
What then happened he tells Ia Scribner for
JanUary1
The old gentleman pulled bag from
behind the seat, and taking it on his
lap proceeded to show ne some OF the
contents.
They seemto be old-fashioned toys,
remarked.
eyes" he said with a sigh, "thess
new-fangled affairs are Of no service to
me. You couldn't get a paddIe-Wheel
steamer, with a real engine. into a com
mon stocking. You'd ruin the vessel
or the stocking. And there's scarcely
girl In the land who wears a stocking
large enough to hold a dolls trunk,
furnished with silk dresses, bonnets,
and all the necessary underclothes.
No have to conhne myself to such
things IS bear a proper proportion to
the feet and legs Of children. There
is one thing, said he, turning upon me
his still Jolly old countenance, " that has
had more inhUnce than anything else
IN causing the general indifference with
which I am now regarded"
And what's that j" asked.
Furnace heat" he said. "What
sensible person, old or Young, could
expect fellow with bag on his back,
to como down q fue and through an
iron register? 1t would be absurd to
try TO make even 8 child believe that
anything OF the sort is possible.
And then he put away his bag and
took the lines again, with look OF res
ignation.
It's all wrong" said I, sail wrong
The old way was the best"
No doubt of il" said he, ''but what
can you expect? Everything old is
changing, changing, changing.
How about old furniture % asked.
That seems popular enough"
That's changing, too, he answered.
" Coming down out Of the garnet into
the parlOr. As to people, in general, 1
scarcely know what to make of them.
There viii soon be nc such thing as
Christmas. Hereabouts it's losing
ground every year, and New Years day
is taking its place. The Jolly old Christ
mas festivities are almost forgotten, and
the young men are satisfied to trot
around on New Years day and nibble
cake and drink wine at hundred diff
ferent places, while the women sit and
smile a5 hundred different men-some
friends and some strsngers-till the
days done. What's all that to the grand
old times we used to have But, as
said before, what can you expect There
are men now, who go so far az to assert
that matter contains within itself the
promise and potency of every form Of
life Would you expect the children
OF such persons to hang up their stock
ipgs?"
:" No, said. st don't think I
would"
''Cf course not said he, with con
siderable asperity for so iovial an old
/ fellow it would be entirely out Of
keeping. Go long, there! Get up,
! Vixen Why, tell you, sir, there are
not half-a-dozen houses in that town
behind us that could get into. If you
| do manage to squeeze down a chimney,
! you're pretty sure TO land in q kitchen
! fire, or in a cellar furnace [ hate
! furnaces They're the invention of the
! devil, sir, and pure air and pure Christ
/ lanity are dying out with the open fire.
! places. Go long, you Blixen I I expect
| the next thing will be that the children
! willleave off their stockings altogether. -
I saw that he was getting excited, and
1 did not wish TO say anything that
! would further iFritate him, so 1 simply
remarked that he seemed to be driving
! faster.
eyes," said he, whipping his rein
deer into a smart gallop, % I'm going to
| a fine old farmhouse that stands down
| yonder in the valley. There the peo-
pie know how to live. There are great
open fre-places with grand old wood
/ fires IN them-shining brass andirons,
| big back-lOgs, and a merry cracking
/ blaze. Hi there, Vixenl There the
| children have been playing wild rollick-
| ing games all this evening, and there
/ they have hung their stockings by the
! big fireplace II the kitchen Go long
Eaars hjsl hi %
GBe old man was now in a glow of
delight. He cracked his whip and
| shouted TO his reindeer. The gallant
! creatures seemed TO catch his eLthusi-
asm, and they dashed over the snow at
the top of their speed.
Isn't this-rather-rapid ?" said ],
as I chung fast to one side of the sleigh.
Z" Oh, yes r. he shouted, this is the
right sort of driving. This is the way
people 90 when they want to get there.
| Hi Hi | Away with you, You rascals.
There's the house, right before us p
6 Are you going t. drive-on top p
said I, almost breathless fIon the ra-
pidity of the ride.
" Certainly" he cried. "But you
needn't be afraid. I just take that shed
first, then up TO the roof of the kitchen,
and then, clip and away to the top of
! the house %
At this he rose, and stood up in the
sleigh, cracking his whip and shouting
to his steeds at the top of his voice.
The reindeer dashed forward like
mad-they reached the shed, they
bounded up, the runners struck the
caves with bang, and out shot into
a snow-bank. -" EtcItinqs," Scribner.