The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1876-12-21
A Christmas Dumpling.


u y A AChristmas Dumpling.
Some folk there are with hearts so dead
old Fatbsr % CSrIstmas' 2 S ioilv civ TvS Wavs sO0u !"
And laugh to scorn his beef and pudding.
Poor souls they cannot sympathies--
SO long are they, so frozen. hearted ..
With gatherings round the Christmas board
;aOf Kindred who have been long parted;
Some by more distance, some, alasI
By anger, till these Christmas meetings,
When friends long sundered meet again
With all the seasons hallowed greetings,
Not thus, do johnson and his wife,
Who've rubbed along twelve years in may
ciage,
With only now and then tiff,
81 Old Christmas and his ways disPGrage.
Jack welcomes christmas as q friend,
A dear old mate both stanch and Jolly,
And Mrs. johnson, in like vein,
Crowns him with mistletoe and holly.
So being both Of kindred mind,
In worst of times they save little,
That Father Christmas ne'er may be
For pies and puddings she is famed,
While none can set q table. neateT,
And at their christmas board all find
Warm welcome, which makes viands sWeeter
Now johnson 10 o merry grig,
And at unreasonable season
Will sometimes have, as goes the phrase,
Ais joke, with neither ryhme nor reason.
To wit, on Christmas Day last year
Helped by his eldest daughter, Polly,
Who gladly joins in all his plans,
He, harum scarum schemed this folly.
Around the well>served table sat
Good company, at least dozen,
All deep absorbed, absorbing too,
Whom with mock hope he tried to coznn.
Quoth he. "My friends, don't eat go FAST.
His face the while with laughter rumping,
"The keen edge off your appetite,
Wait till you see our Christmas Dumpling."
Here Mrs. J. cried out irate,
For shame You know alrs on the tablet
Good people, take Of what you see,
And eat and drink while you are able
So goes q good old fas Aoned saying
/ say, worth twenty; so be prompt
and let there be no more delaying;
"For while my husband, silly MIN
His hungry guests would fun he foolinG
BY giving hopes he knows are vain,
The pies and puddi"gs all are cooling"
Admonish thus, each one resumed
The pleasant work of knife and forkinR,
Amid the cheer ful clink Of plates
And pop Of bottled beer uncorkinp
But all good things come to close,
And Christmas fare is sadly cloyng;
So: gradually the guests relaxed,
With dainties at their leisure toying
When reached this period Johnson cried,
''NoW, friends, prepare to own your folly
In not accepting my advice:
Bring in our Christmas Dumpling Polly"
She in an instant futtered out,
Soon with heavy load returning;
Not, as they all half hoped, half feared,
with budding huge in brandy burning.
High on her shoulder Baby sat,
Hith vigorous clutch her smooth hair crump
An infant Beecher, holly ly-crowned-
30 this, then, was the Christmas Dumpling!
She bore him to the festive board.
w., where, spite of Mrs. Us entreaties,
They gorged theinfant prodigy,
And quickly sickened him with sweeties.
The guests all in merry mood,
AS after-dinner-ti ue befittinp
Some laughed until they fairly cried,
some feltas though their sides were splitting
from which this moral may be drawn.
Reserve your quips and cranks hereafter
Until your listeners have dined
When sorrest Jokes will Makan lannhtnn