The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-12-28
THE HOUSEHOLD CHRISTMAS GIFT.

-VW Carleton.
a THE HOUSEHOLD CHRISTMAS GIFT.
More than five solid years of Christ
mas days since the Star of Bethlehem
began to shine! What a radiant cluster
OF thrOne-white gems in the circle OF
Christian ages they would makei But
- we want them just as they are -strewn,
! one year along the lines of our lives.
Like the wei and the palm in the
desert, they are places where pilgrims
call halt and unburden, and lie down
to pleasant dreams, and rise I'D with
sweeter memories, truor hopes, fresher
: strength, nobler aspiration. and tenderer
humanity
Whoever does not feel angels in the
air on Christmas Eve, though he may
not see the shining of their wings, has
too little Imagination to obey the Golden
Rule. To be younger and happier for
the day we must be ike them OF whom
the Savior said 9 For of such is the
kingdom of Heaven Christmas is
clitylre17's day. Little and big, let us
all, FOR twenty-four hours n year, be
I children, every one. The first Christ
mas gifts brought to the babe in the
far-away village, who was not born in a
human dwelling. were "gold and frank
incense and myrrh' They were the
| offerings of the wise men OF the East.
| But there have been wiser men and
richer gifts since then; faith in things
| unseen; hope that wakens through the
night, impatient for the morning; love
that casteth out fear Il is not wrath
| but lore that makes us brave TO dare, to
do, TO suffer; and fortitude is the sublim-
est of courage. Miles Standish, belted
and booted, striding forth with his stout |
heart and sword TO the savage 'front.' |
was valiant; but the Pilgrim acOnlen, |
shiVering around their cabin fires, |
strong to suffer, and waiting serene and |
patient for the Christmas, stood there |
in that long gone December, the New
Worlds guardian angels of the virtues
of mankind.
"Wish yer merry Christmasi Gin
me centr' That is what / heard, all
IN breath, on clear Christmas morn
ing, when the silver steel air was full of
the Jingle of frost and the tinkle of bells,
and the snow was crisp and fresh as if
new bank-noteS foot deep covered the
ground. This is what l saw: an eight
year-Old in a ragged coat some bigger
boy had shed; a cap suggesting a
drowned muskrat that never came up;
hands bare; face ripe, unless, like a |
blackberry. it was red when it was :
green; and with the look of having been !
put 70 the grind-stone and sharpened. :
Poor little skirmisher. too early on life's ,
Inc OF battle, whose idea of happiness
could dwell in 4 horizon narrow as the J
i'm OF cent. l took twenty-five times .
he amount of stock in his supreme con- ,
ent that he asked for, and he went :
Town the street on the bound, Ike a
now-bird, shouting: Nov Jenny can p
AVE the jumpin' jack she cried for, and y
OTIS Of his sentence was rasped in two 1
s he turned n sharp corner and was +
zone. And | said 10 myself, Three of v
s-Jcnny, characterization and land 6
quarter goes roundi Joy for two and n
pleasant thought for one" 1t was a 2
.ood investment, and lost a pound of a
cad out OF my shoes, and went on i
linking. Z
1 thought of another Jenny that died q
o many Years ago. The little mound h
bove her has subsidized, and hollow in r
he sod marNs the place, as if Earth r
miled and showed a dimple every time
he thought what a treasure she had n
here, and chat was all the time You h
now what that hollow means. 1t means h
hat, save q lit G dust and dim outline 4
Ike the form a hare leaves in the n
.rass. her shapely body is not there any .
more; that it has gone out into the '
FRIGHT and living world; that If has en- ,
cred the green grass and the roses ?
above it like a soul. that 1t may be !
wrought into the wing OF sparrow or !
the plume of n pine; that in the small 7
grave there is no semblance of Jenny ut 4
all. She was n Christmas gift the year I
round, and she lived but twelve of them, :
Z h,,e ean horn !
on n Christmas day she died. {
1t was Just rs the gates of morning {
were swinging open. Fading like a {
flower, fair as any lily, so patient and !
all the while, the chrys- !
ais grew thinner and thinner before our
ewes. until it could hold the immortal Y
no longer, and the casket was $
empt.ed with little sigh |, that I
write this. watched her breathing T
through the night" She had known I
for many days that a voice was saying, {
Come unto Me- and she was oboying 5
as fast as she could. All along she had \
been praying that she might live TO see S
one Christmas more. She had her an )
swer. As the dawn grew on she asked, &
sIs il Christmas yet" \
And the pale mother rose 20 part the I
curtains of an cast window. Don't,
motherr' exclaimed a sister by the bed
side. rs IL she half fanced the curtain
Cauzv barrier might stay the dying girl
n minute. IL was too late. The dra-
perry drawn aside, there were the doors
of day set wide Jenn, ewes. solarge |
and dark, looking out from her pure
pale face, opened full upon the celes-
tial gates. lindlcd an instant rs with
thought little start OF glad surprise,
a flicker of smile. a little sigh, the
white eyelids Ike pale rose-leaves
slowly closed down upon those sweet
ewes. whence truth had always looked
out rs from two windows of heaveni
and Jenny had gone home for Christ
mas unending, which is far better
There had been six in that upper cham
Der. and now there were only five. and
so RachePs lament was heard in the
dawn OF the morning. But not for long.
There was no need. Her sweet intlu-
ence could not be banished from the
home she left Her brothers grew
rentler her sisters lovelier The Christ
mas gift was with them still. Jenny
was no perfect child, for there never
iCas but one, but she was always fulfill
inc child dear mission; to keep the key
of our hearts all safe and bright ready
ut an instant warning 10 turn them in
the locks and open to every holier
thought and tender recollection. and so
we grow young evermore.
That mothers hair crowns her
brow today with silver bands;
1.-THE daughters OF music are brought
low" hat her girl Of long ago
yet makes melody in her open heart.
fuHr l. l. ~ Il