Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-01-28

SANTA Mana. Jan. Is. Is

SANTA MARIA, Jan -. 10 D.
t. the ID tor y. tie Free Press and Times
Am | too late with the compliments Of tie
season 1t should have been otherwise but
for circumstance, orer u4lct tr. had no con-
frol that i the formula, | think They
tell Inc the holidays are ended for this year
Quite likely beginning and ending were 50
much the same, that as yet have been IN
able to distinguish any difference Christ
mas comes but once year, and in keeping
with most aptitudes, but in one place, that
is, wherever ice and snow prevail. and no
where else. In fact, a young acquaintance
Of ours, in all the innocence OF her nature,
remarked one day Is that season was ap-
preaching. that she could conceive OF no
proper Christmas outside of England,
her native country ' And vet, Oh
served gentleman Of the company, d"
once passed d very pleasant one in
Bsgdad "A curious spot TO spend Christ
mas in ," ehimel out the little lady, while
to Judge from her eOuntenanee. she scarcely
believed such a thing could he Neverthe-
less, it i true the message brought some
eighteen hundred years ago was Peace on
earth in all is borders good will to
men, however scattered. That is why we
keep the holyday in Louisiana, in Bagdad,
London. or-as letter before nv ewes as
sures me they iO-in the valley OF the Ju-
quia (pease, good reader, here enforce thy
voice on the endmost syllable, and make It
Juquidh), in South Brazil beyond the tropic
of Capricorn The beautiful legends of Santa
Claus, kriss kringle and the Christ Child.
having all originated in lands where icicles
hang at the door at this season. are at the
bottom OF the prevalent notion regarding
the time there being manifest improprie-
ty to the fancy nourished on visions of
eight tiny reindeer, whisking down the
chimney side through nights of sparkle
and frosty eheer-slmo.t an acknowledged
mpossibilty-thatt the sprites Of the hour
should live and move and have their being
across seas. where blessed Ella would saw.
L" You have no holly to stick in YOUR
churches, nor churches to stick it in if YOU
had.
Human nature has IL fixed ideas. and
these are OF them. And very like the
ghost OF Christmas it does seem, TO be walk
ing about clad in muslin, fan in one hand
fresh rose, or December daisy in the other.
however strong the - standing evidences -
otherwise may be. Pudding in abundance.
turkey ,mince-pies, even will hardly dufhenh-
cate ne cheerful mystery unbscked by Boreas |
and his fierce coniederates. have seen il.
though, colder than this along our border by |
many degrees, the winter current being |
something anomalous Fires, usually. are
not out OF date during these so-called winter
months; neither should trost-crystals be un-
known 10 our hedge-rows. The mistletoe
hangs there still, as much at home as ever il
hung upon castle wall a hundred years ago
but either the old man hoary has forgotten US,
or his frigid Influences have ceased to act ac-
eOrding to their wont for certain it is VIC
are hurrying on towards Spring without as
yet having had our complement of Winter.
Whether we shall gain by it in the end,
remains to be seen. Already complaints are
brought in of serious injury Detailing
sugars from the closeness and humidity Of
the season. Molasses is said to be turning
sour in the barrels, and spoils on the road to
market. Fresh pork threatens failure and
gets to be alarming. Not little strange
does it seem, surrounded BY such an atmos-
phere, to d.when newspapers from abroad
come in of snow storms, OF miles of road
way being blocked of drifts penthouse
high, and, more terrible than all, of the suf-
fering among the poor, entailed by this con-
dition Of weather, a form of misery entirely
new to US denizens of warmer climes We
read with shuddering as well as pity the
disclosures portrayed, the appeals to charity
set forth, half incredulous, half wondering
within ourselves whether pictures so
lire can be drawn from the life. But
that they are We may not doubt and
gladly we would both doubt and deny, if that
we're possible. Contrasts indeed make up