Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-01-06
CHRISTMAS SLEIGH RIDE.

a n ~
Mr.. Frank r. Stockton was out late
one Christmas Eve when he fell in with
an old gentleman who had invited him
into his sleigh. What then happened
he tells In Scribner for January.
The old gentleman pulled a bag
from behind the seat, and taking il on
his lap proceeded to show me some Of
the contents.
"They seemed to I've old-fashioncd
toys" remarked.
"Ycs,' he said with a sigh, 'thcse
new-fangled affairs are of no service to
me. You couldn't get u paddle-whecl
steamer, with real engine, into COM
mon stocking. And there's scarcely a
girl in the land who wears a stocking
large enough to hold a dolls trunk, fur
nishcd with silk dresses, bonnets and
all the necessary under-clothes. No, |
have to coniinc myself TO such things
as bear proper proportion to the feet
and legs of ch'hlrcn. There is one
thing" said he, farming upon me his
still jolly old countcnarcc, "that has
had more influence than anyone else
in causing the general indifference with
which | am now regarded
"And what's that?" / asked.
'Furnace-heat,' he said. "What
sensible person, old or young, could ex-
pect fellow with long bag on his
back, TO come down fue and through
an iron register? II would be absurd
to try TO make even child believe
that anything of the sort is possible. y
And then he put away his bag and
took the lines again, with look of res
ignation.
'Its all wrong said /, all wrong
The old way was the best"
'No doubt of it" said he, abut what
can you expect2 Everything old is
changing, changing, changing
"Ilow about old dinrniture ?" Iasked,
'That seems popular enough"
aThat's changing, too, he answered,
aComing down out Of the garrct into
the parlor As to people, in general, |
scarcely know what to make Of them.
There will soon be no such thing as
Christmas. Hereabouts it's losing
ground every year, and New Years
Day is taking its place. The jolly old
Christmas festivities are always for
gotten, and the young men are satisfied
to trot around on New Years Day and
nibble cake and drink wine at hun.
dred different places while the women
sit and smile at a hundred different
men-some friends and some strangers
till the DAVIS done. What's all that
10 the grand old times we used 10
have? But. as said before what can
you expcctP There are men who 90
80 far as TO assert that matter contains
within itself the promise and potency
of every form of life Would Won ex.
meet the children of such persons TO
hang up their stockinesYn
@No.h | said. .aI don't think |
would"
aOf course not said he with con.
siderable asperity for so joyial nm old
fellow; ut would be entirely out Of
keeping. Go long, there! Get up,
vixen Why, | tell you, ar, there are
| not halfa-dozen houses in the town
behind US that ! could get into. If
lyon do manage TO squeeze down
chimney, you are pretty sure to land
in kitchen fire, or in cellar furnace
| hate furnaces They're the inven-
ton of the devil, sir, and pure air and
pure Christianity are dying out with
the. open fire places. Go long, you
Blixenl / expect the next thing will
be that the children will leave off their
stockings altogether
i saw he was getting excited and j
did not wish to say anything that
would further irritate him, so | simply
remarked that he seemed to be driving
faster.
"Yes," said he, whipping his rein
deer into smart gallop, am going
to fine old farmhouse that stands
yonder in the valley. There the
people know how 10 live. There are
great open fre-places with grand old
wood-fres in them--shining brass and
irons, big back-logs and merry crack
ling blaze. Hi there, Vixen There
the children have been playing wild
rollicking games all this evening and
there they have hung their stockings
by the big fireplace in the kitchen
Go long there, hi hiW
The old man was now in glow of
delight Ho cracked his whip and
shouted to his reindeer. The gallant
creatures seemed TO catch his enthusi-