Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-12-29
CHRISTMAS.
The Season Of Joy and Mirth Again
at Hand.
Olden-Time Customs Compared with
Those of the Present Age-The
MisteltOe and HOlly-The
Da Y in "Merrie Old
England.O

OuCc dShll WIG LAcIIy OuIlSbuldS U0ll5
ring out, bidding us rest awhile from
our daily toll, to yield a few brief hours
to recreation and to listen once more to
that same secret story which has
charmed generation after generation
of men, and which is still forever new |!
How merrily chime the bells, filling oil
the frosty air with music and robbing
stern winter of half his dreariness.
Within the houses, around the bright
freside, the sweet Christmas carols are
being chanted, while bright eyes CLEAN,
and youthful faces are flushed with JOY,
and all the hours are laden with mirth
and melody. And what songs so sweet,
so suggestive of peace and joy, of glad
ness in heaven and upon earth, of good
will forever to all mankind as these mer-
ry Christmas carols? Ever since that
first glad carol which the stars sang
joyfully together upon that first Christ
mas night when they looked down and
beheld the Savior among men-ever
since then has the Christmas carol been
chanted, IN tones whose sweetness has
thrilled to it's depths the great throb-
bing heart Of all Christendom.
Century after century has taken up
the chant, generation after generation
OF those who have come and have gone
from the face of the earth, have breathed
the musical numbers, have Joined in
singing the sweet Christmas carols.
And thus have these songs become i'm
mortal; we take up the notes which have
fallen from other lips now silent, and
SO the Joyous strain goes on, and every
Christian heart throbs anew with pleas
| ure as 1t celebrates once more that far
Off time when the first Christmas carol
was sung.
All passions of the human heart find
their expression in music: Mirth and
grief, pleasure, and pain, longing and
regret, all breathe their spirit forth in
melody, and what song should be more
inspiring more suggestive of happiness
eternal than these same carols of Christ
mas tide9
The rich and the poor alike are cheer
ed, and lifted above the sorrows and
cares of ery-day life by the thrilling
notes. Hope whispers once more to
the respondent, and care bids us for a
little while-adieu! For who can find
heart to be sad at Christmas, or refuse
t. be thankful at the dawning again of
this brightest day in the calendar? And.
as We gather around the Christmas
tree and watch round eyes sparkling
with JOY, Or sit beside the glowing
hearth and lovingly speak of the by
gone, recalling the merry troop of holi-
days which gladdened our own child
hood, with none SO merry or so dear as
Christmas, We wonder what has become
OF the quaint old customs, TIE poetic
superstitions, tho wild legends which
threw wltchery over the past
All those were the days when Santa
Claus was veritable parsonage. and no
childish lips dared to scott at him as a
myth There were chimneys then
worth speaking of-great, wide, old
fashioned fireplaces with plenty of
room for the good little man to de-
scend with all his treasures, aud to I'LL
the stockings at his leisure, while he
warmed himself over the red embers of
the half-burnt logs. And all around
the chimney place were the pretty tiles,
In blue and white, like the old-fashioned
tea sets of our grandmothers. And
even the tiles repeated the sweet
Christmas legend as their quaint little
pictures represented the various scenes
of the Nativity. There was the lovely
Babe In the manger, with blue rays of
light, heavens blue, encircling his in
FAINT lead; there was Mary with blue
flowing robe-heaven's blue aoain-and
there were the Magi kneeling in adna-
ton and offering gifts; there were the
humble oxen, too, with their large eyes
fuu OF mute alteration; there were the
stars, and all the shining host
OF angels with spreading wings and Gu
rious little harps in their hands, chant
ing that first Christmas carol; there was
the brilliant star of the Orient guiding
the travellers to Bethlehem; there was
Herod, in his palace, eagerly question
ing the wise men of the East; and..there
were the shepherds on the plain, tend
ing their focks by night, and listening
with awe and wonder to the voices
chanting in the skies. ALI this sweet,
marvellous story was to be read in the
blue and white old-fashioned tiles set in
the wide mantel piece-an what pref
tier story tran this for the children to
read as they gathered in the long win
ter evenings around the blazing fire,
and conned the pictured legend Ger
and DER? It was easily read by the
light of the fire; easily read by the TN
lettered as well as the learned; by the
little lsping prattler at the knee, and
uncultured slave who sat in the back
ground.
And then the stockings which hung
in the snug chimney corner! They
were all homespun, knit by the mothers
busy hands in those samelong evenings,
when the click of the shining needles
kept up sort Of merry tune, as the
mother rocked in her great easy chair
and told aid stories to the eager-eyed
little ones.
But, alas the chimney-corners are
gone; the pretty tiles are cast away and
and broken forever; the rush bottomed
rocking chair has not now even q nook
In the garnet, for it has totally passed
away: the knitting needles, too, are
gone--for the mother knits no more
stockings now-and, as for st. Nick
the wise little folks of 1modarn dove