Morris tribune., 1883-12-19
GOOD SPIRITS.
A Christmas Tale.

to answer yes" or mo" like unfortu-
nate witnesses in the box of Il police.
court, and then afterwards be bullie,t
for some seeming inconsistency. Let
us understand each other, and Know
what is really meant by the terms We
use. am not u spirituaiist, if you
by that one who thinks that a lot
of silly people sitting round ia
that isinvisibie. One OF Shakespeare =
characters says II can cali spirits from
the Vastly Deep to which another
-Glendower think it was-l haven't
my Shakespeare ut my elbow at this
moment-says why SO can |, or -"
canany imam, but Will they come
when you do call Tor them. l ana
| quite willing to admit that there are
more things III heaven and earth than
are dreamt OF i'll our philosophy, but
| my faith falls short o. those lOng-hair-
ed, dreanly-eyed, pale-faced people
who have mysterious communications
| from those vino have long left this
inundaue sphere. What faith l have
| goes in another direction. Stiti | be-
| iieve III spirits-especiaiiy in good
| spirits, although unfortunately l am
compelled 10 believe i'll evi! ones also
and before this paper is finished L
am sanguiue enough to belize that
| you and [ dear reader, will after ali
perfectly agree. | don't know how
good john Milton could make it Out
| shat millions ot spirits Walk the ali
| un5een Doth WIen We Wake and which
We Sleep" but | have All idea that
there are a vast numbers OF them a
oout. Evil spirits. Their WofN, their
destructive actions, are seen in all d.
rectious. Some OF our Temperance
FRIEND will think OF those strong Win
Gus decoctiOus and those breWad liq-
uors which Result in"tuble knockings'
chair upsettings, and the sudden dlsa-
greeaOle transierence OF Il living Or
5anisiu from one locality TO anotnea
uy all unexpected and irreeistiuiy
fo.ce.
i here is story about d genius who
Was kept i'll bottle, and ali the While
he was there he WAS quiet and docite,
but once let him get out ami he Was
sure to do some mischief before the
cork could be put in again.
The fable has its moral; and there
are lots of those spirits about at
Christmas time. But there are other
Dad spirits. I'll just refer to two OF
three of them. There is one thai
frown upon the countenance, Oh
worse still very malicious smile
something like that which is on the
wonderful statue oiS..tan i'll the Crys-
tai Palace, which just look at when
you go there and see how diabolical 1t
looks. Whenever tnat spirit comes to
us the sooner we get rid OF it-geL II
laid, i'll superstitious phrase-the BET
Ter for ourselves and everybody else.
Another evil spirit sometimes gradu-
ally, oftensuddenIy, makes his appear
auce, and his pranks are very deplora-
able, His words are bitterand nasty,
aud Shiny and contaminate all vino
unfortunaly fall beneath his influence.
But not words alone, but actions, dire
and dark, leading to the splitting OF
blood and the shedding OF many tears,
and the breaking OF many hearts.
There is another that is very likely to
visit us occasionally ;some of us have
this evil spirit with us too often. He
| shuts out the light, he leads us into
| dismal corners; he drags us away from
| friends that would like to help Us, anu
persuades us that nobody cares for us,
and the sooner we're done with every
ching the better, and would convince
us that Life is not worth living"
! there are some others | need not emu
merate.
Those referred to are the evil spirits
of Envy; Malice with his attendants,
SANDER and Murder; and the dark
spirit of Gloom.
The light comes after the darkness,
and after the night the day. There
are some good spirits that III our hap
pier moods we are always glad to wei
come, and these my readers. let us
determine to be nlore fully acquainted
| with this merry glad Christmas time.
There is one spirit that we should
welcome. He brings with him pleas
ant tones like sweet music, and bright
looks radiant as Spring sunshine. He
throws lustre over the days gone by,
| fills the present with true pleasure,
and pictures the future as a silvery
stair leading up to a palace OF peace.
There is another that goes where SUI
| fering is, and adversely, and it speaks
kind words and does little things with
infinite grace anu tenderness. Its
hand is warm, its heart soft, it is eX-
ceedingiy susceptible, and is an ever
welcome guest to the suffering and the
lone. There is another spirit, which
plays strange pranks at times, but
none of which give pain. 1t makes
the children dance ana sing, for it puts
little presents under their pillows, and
hides toys in their very stockings; it
doesn't forget old friends, for, unex-
pectedly, il fills up a form with name
or . figure or two, and posts it off
with glee, thinking what surprise it
will cause in the house he has sent it
to. and when Ii Ia needed. n