, 1875-12-19
ctniS1MAS-EvE.

cfsRlsTMAs-EvE.
F<on POEMS Of The Farm and Firesate, !" BY Es0e,
| In IN old New England kitchen. where WARM wood
Sat good old Farmer Ke}cham and his wife, ono wtnta
The wind without WAS wafltns, with wild and woefu
Aud tie deey folds of tho drifting anow Lay deep npos
But what cared Farmer Ketchsm for the tumult ou
of doors =
Foe he had toddezed this cattle and done tho ethe'
And, snug II the chimn oornar in his easy chAR h
Silently smoking his old olasp1pe and "pooring" the
| pairing cat;
whie oasily 1t nar Knitting, his wife rocked to ana
I Huuznlng hymn snd dreaming dream Of the LONG
Over the old~tirne nreplaca rusty rnuakss hung,
While, Sack N dinsy corner, The tall clock ttcAed
And looked like the saggh'e farmhouse fast falling
70 decay.
Tho dropped her Knitting: the old man turned
Hs took bis pipe from his mouth, and a1ow1y knocked
And after thinking moment, he saad, with solemn
ATS Christmas Eye, but the stoekin's don't bang
Tia woman sighed. and then replied, In 4 Ed and
fsltering tone: ..,.-:--
hsys s1e iese ct been es Of Christmas long
When the vinders wsre frosted oyer. an the ground
When We sot II she chznbie5 by the a1eHghts
When our nvos Tere u o promise, an the future but
When III . 1s re+t O. o, # folk. had gone away to bed.
irx. 1tSbpnei fha
Till hons from Eenson's rollicktn' Brother
An, apeekin' thru the 'xtnder what s-gotn'
Then how the naghbors talked AM talked all over
town,
Til You M uarried sn' quietly settled down.
whie a:rurnagin' thru the cobwebs In the garret,
found pie q broken toys in slowed away,
As they used 1ay the Htchendoor when the boya
had gone to sleep.
1sav .hs n broken t1una1e~bed' an the cradle long
An, alsania agn the enimblsy there, couldn't help
For the faces O. my children came back to mo once
An sosmod to hear tho pter o. their fest upon the
Thought o thetr happy VOICES an' tho little prayers
As they used to gather round when twas trne TO
OF all tho earthly treasures We prize in tho world
Tbs oass we love tho fondest are the first to tade an
OF ali liz beautiful children that came to our restae,
Tbs one We loved most dearly *as our little girl that
Her eyes were blue soft the hue o. tho coudess
An bright - slsa o. golden Light her eurls o.
Her thoughtful iaes was ~hite aa the fakes O. te
TIN mich of ieetio saint she was to 1--we in the world
How calm in her leetle coffin she looked in her Inst re-
A sweet sa the fsirest lily, IS puro as tubeeose
An eau we'll remember, the sadness q the day
When mE hoart was welinigh broken as they carried
her away.
"a The oldest Of our children Was proud an han'some
He sfathers brightest hope, his mothers pride
used ply with hi. chubby hands, his 1eete
AM wonder nerer babe was born more beautiful aa'
An'many night, by eandleltsht, whan he WAS mug
I've patched his leete cohts with weary hands an
we sent him away to college, an he did uncoromon1y
TIL hs vent to Ire IN the city, an married city
OF al our earthly trials at nl1 our worldly cars,
The cold neglect Of thautless child Is the hardest Of
His wife is a woman with only high notions In her
head;
She couldn't knit stockin' nor bake loaf Of bread:
She plays on the E11nncr, noE- works with her Lily
Ar she 1alks in foreign lingo that no one under
They think th.t our eddeahoa an' 1a1ntn' is rather
slim,
But we never had the chances that We have give to
Tho they srs proud an' worldly, we never can wish
For they are an' daughter ITO love 'epa tondB
sill.
The youngest Of our absent boys never could un-
He dsdat taSs to lsrntn, no rnore,n fish to land.
He was wnyward an hard to govern, not altogether
He waa strong an rather set in his wa5s hut not
An somehow va couldn't Keep him quite under our
But know he haa tender heart an good an noble
A mothers! prayers viii 60 with him wherever he
God keep him aafe an bring him boms In Els good
1isz chdzcns voices, for al hzve gone away:
One has gone to the oetcr land an' the others gone
wonder II up In Heaven where Ill is bright AM fair.
II We will NEE. our chiMren. an they will love M
there" /
There mp st The outside door, the old folts
Tho woman sprang frn her rocking chair With aut-
ter 1t her heart,
7he door swung widely open and banged against the
And into The farmhouse Kitchen strode stranger,
.dark and tai.
The woman looked ut his bearded face ,uonsa. In
- ;auIprise;
she qutver about his rnontt aod Rlad lock IN
lis eyes; |
And lifting up her hands to Heasen, she uttered cy
Of joy,
And bowed her white head lovingly On the breast Of
hsr 1Eayr0Td boy
Is Havo you any nice fresh farmers eggs ?',:I
inquired precise old lady 1T a Msin street.
Iha PRACTICAL clerk, s.but ne have snr,a Tars
zood hen's eggs:": She took threa ta az.