Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-12-23
ChriStMHS.

Dut ~ cltt, Oio, EOOh
gone? Nothing but the hair of his
good gray old head and beald leG?-
Well, will haye that, seeing can not
have more of him." These are the
words, quoted FROM Hue and Cry sf-
ter Christmas" which irving pretixes
to his papers upon the holiday in the
4Sketch-book. Horace Binney Wallace,
of Philadelphia, said, in his severe cri-
ticism upon Irving, that his works
furnished the original and model of
Dickens's- descriptive manner, and
mentions the English Stage-coach-
man" in the Christmas series rs the
preliminary study fer the elder Weller.
But is not the same series also the pre-.
lude of the great Christmas revival
which came in with the ChTiTnsds Carol
and all of Dickens's and Thackerny's
Christmas books? Certainly Irving in
a sense introduced Christmas to u.s..
That is, he recalled and vividly repro
duced The spirit OF heartinesS, of uni
versal hilarity and hospitality and good
feeling, which are additionally associ-
ated with:the old. old, good old Christ
mas to which he appeals. ThacKeray
says that there is no doubt Dlckens's
holidry stories were the cause of an
amazing cOnviviality and gOOd-fellow-
ship, ::and Irving's sunny and CHEEKY
description of the Christmas games and
dinner and general festivity immensely
quick ened the observance of the day
IN this country. When it WAS objected
that his description WAS antiquated and
that his story lost probability because
the customs were obsolete, Irving re-
piled that he had seen almost every
thing that he described in the country
on the skirts of Derbyshire and York,
shire, wherA he passed the holidays of
one of his J cas- in England.
The Puritan element in this country
long held old Christmas at bay. In
Virginia, however, and wherever the
Establishment was paramount, there
we're relics of the traditional day. But
as the Puritan rigOr relaxed, and the
national influence of the great Irish and
German Immigration began to be felt,
Il more festal spirit was developed, a
more evident tondness for pleasure and
enjoyment appeared, until now New
York, at least, observes the day. not
less than amy other of the great C. pitfalls
of the world.- Even New England
memories which are not very long can
recall the scant honor that was paid to
the day. ---.sl
Now it is a great and universal hOli-
day, the happiest OF the year. 1t is the
feast of brotheriy love, which is the
essential doctrine of the religion that
it commentaries. And what eating
and drinking! What immense good
cheer! That comes from our Northern
blood, from the ancestors who did not
figure heaven of harpS and hymns,
but Walhalla of wassail-bOWlS and
endless quaftiing of mead no sarsa-
parilla runnings, but liquid fire burn
ing thrOufih immortal veins. Dickens's
Christmas has been called gross and
sensual feast made by the butcher
and baker-the kind of Christmes that
Kenny Meadows used to draw in the
Illustrated Ne,Cs, where bald old gen
tlemen pledge in flowing bumpers
shriveled but still gay DANES in caps,
and the red-faced cook brings in a
smoking 'plum-pudding large enough
to feed a city, and the whole world
guzzles and gorges. But although
Dickens is sympatheIi cally just to the
beef and pudding, it is the kind and
generous heart which the profuse table
symbolizes that his real text. The
spirit of his Christmas stories gives an
appetite for doing good things as well
as eatidg them; the heart and hand are
to open as we'll as the house; the carol
that he signs il peace ami active good
will to men, the chimes that he rings
are the accord of charity, patience,
fidelity, unselfishness, with real happi-
ness and genuine success. There are
wise critics who think that they have
disposed of Dickens by calling him a
sentimentalist. What is the Sermon
on the Mount? What is the soul of all
religion, what Is morality itself, but
sehtiment?-[ Harper's Nagczi'ae for
January.