The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-01-03

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I Prostration of industry Is snS.S s long
business everywhere reyiyes ~ ~ and
will Of the season win be sra ny good
cheerful and cordial, and the v;sh n y
j happy New Year will have the chs y. - !:
! sincere expectation. But whatevs- = ~ q
less. o '''''e Is resist
, Some say that ever 'gainst that s..
The bird Of sm,Gurs birth Is celcbrated
And tha,, % t,' uawn,ng singeth all night iors
nhu .neh. they say, no spirit dares dir snpnx
Inc nights are wholesome; then M ,11rone;
30 Ia tairy takes, nor witch hath power To c..
- ."''o" ana so gracious Is the time
This is the ever fresh and re,,,,.;.
sentiment of the season, and sItho.
Chrlstendom is wide, and emb,s 81 81
many natlonalitiss. there Il alw.rs
feeling that Chfistmas-tide 4 pecrI;ss ,s
an English season. Certainly cn- ~.
associations with it, its family re,,n; ora
Its boundless good cheer, its annie Sas'
pitaiity, the waits, the Yule- loc, "a ~
moifis-dancers, the mistIctoe. arm s.. Nv
cially English. Our Northern ancessr 49,.
celebrated every thing with fesss;'.n
WITH huge eating and deep drinking. ssd
rather Christmas comes in, preceded
indeed, by the cantors informing hvmn
but closely followed by the bosr,s be.j
wreathed with rosemary, and the nl,,m
pudding smoking hot not far awaS
The great success of Dickens's Chr;st
mas stories lay in their feliciton.~ -
preston of this national feeling. The
was vague "ideal" of Christina hos
ering in the popular mind, traditions -
the good old hearty time of non,,,s.
games and Christmas carols and NJ;
versal benignity and well-beinc. NJ
body knew exactly when or ex.ceIv
where this miracle of changing EnCIsr5
into Arcadia was wrought. Ruf 49,
the vision was mirage nobody b.
iieved. The old song was true history:
A man might then behold SIS
At Christmas in each han
GOOD fires to curb the cold
Ana meat for great and small.
me heiEhbors were friendly bidden
Inc poor rom tho gates were not ch5dd..
when this old cap was new. p .
1t was, a No Mans Land. n land - s
Cockaigne, during the rest OF the year )
land.
This was the generous and wholesoma
feeling which makes Irving's Christm,s
sketches SO delightful. They are fun q
the breath OF a hallowed and eracioua
time. There is an inexpressiblc elamoor
over the simple narrative, and t6ere ~
no passages in his books more famiIl,r
or more justly popular. Il was ~
poetic aura over very substantial fact
to which Dickens gave such exduiaite
expression. He treats Christmas as
season when Christianity may Be reDne.
;ented as really practicable when s;m.
pie generosity and forgiveness and ne
oentance may be depicted as natural
md actual. and when it is fair to Give
yllnpses of what this modern world. ~
world q Londou or New York, would 81
people were governed BY Christian
uies. and practiced the faith which thew
)rOfess. Ga
Dickens does this, OF course. In 4
Characteristic and sympathetic vray.
ionest good cheer IS a large part Of lis
christmas. It Is practical Christianity
7hich his blithe pen breaches and de-
cribes- feeding the hungry, soothing
ne sick, raising the fallen, visiting the
eartv hasns;f,,i "9 rs. cws nomeiy,
wh;eh az HI ~ 'Ssan':y, = 1921
i NIGHT lonr , III ~ uawning nnSe;n
i own woT IT.. ,;.. 5rax 1,lowea IN
es nreach iess ths ~. is liz Onlls, n soo-
ut they have . prodigious moral. He
lt deeply the benediction of q season
hich the traditions of his race had
TO the simple and aurdy
: Cen;ns hos ) s;n",.I c.s.s sa: u
-ess;on - sha RAE @hyy MuSnuas "a
various t;nJs that 81 n,r .os's 49,, 49,
ese the most ssr mil no W. ~so =. .is.ss
/ g Maho~anv Trea :, - ~ WY Nssr
v w;nSs ~,,,1 y as s,',;u
Icy ana chill, '
Little care We;
Weather Ies,n se r rsar
sheltered about
N krrnxs