Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1885-01-16

bean '.'' lhis feeling must have
ne, D5.l natural him. for a. e,r,y -, ,ne !
~" .a.. Curiosity >hop" he writes. ~ ''''
.Nhy isit we can ba.lrr L.., -
pa', ~, N sprit than IN BODY. and vbilo
t... w. nave the forttude to act farewell
e"o ,.",' n2' the nerve to say it. on tbc
VI long voyages, or an absence of
,a'ly years friend, who ara tan5ar,'
pA''aed will separate with the n.nal
,,o'' lae usual pressure of the hand
p''''n'ns one final interview for tbo
''ofFo& While each we'll knows that
, i,'' put poor fc.nt to save the pa,n
-, ~ 0''erins that one word. and that
'ne meeting will never be, should ms.
tainGes," ~ ''''" Ger
. 80 all Who love him. AMI who know
'ne painful dislike he hal to othat word
.''e thankful that he was spared the
ny q Ihat last. long Farewell
Almost the pleasln'e.t times at
''' lIilI We're the winter gatherings
ior Christmas ana the yew Van
when the house was more than finn and
tne bachelors Of the party had to bo
PUT up in the village. At these
INES Charles Dickens was at his gay.
est ana brightest, and the days passed
cneerIIy and mernly away.
lie was great at games, and many of
the evening We're spent in PLAYING at
e' and No." Proverbs, Russian
s7ndaI, Cranbo, Dumb crambo--in
which he was most exquisitely funny
and a game of Memory which he
particularly liked.
On New Years Eve, there were
generally Other guests beside those
staying in the house. ana the New
ear had to be welcomed with due
honors. Just before twelve o'clock,
everybody would assemble in the hail,
and Charles Dickens would open the
door, and stand in the entrance, watch
in hand
How many of his friends must
remember him thus, and think low
ngly Of the picture as he waited,
with a half-smile on his attentive face,
or the bells to chime out the New
eer
pen his voice would break the 81
AlIeh s,s.'sA Happy New..Y. t .tta., |, MS rs
, wishing, and the servants also
come up and get hearty shake
~ hand from the beloved master"
Pn sometimes there would be a
5o.Jry-dance, in which the host de
-ishtd, and in which he insisted upon
averf one joining.
III never allowed the dancing and
READ iancing it was, toto flag for
IN Instant but kept it up, until even
he was tired and out of breath, and had
at lst to clap his hands, and bring it
to N end. His thorough enjoyment
was most charming to witness, and
seemed to infect every one present.
One New Years day at breakfast,
he proposed that we should act some
charaies, in dumb show, that evening.
This proposal being met with enthu5i-
a,m, the idea was put into practice at
once The different parts We're as
signed, dresses We're discussed, prop
critics were collected and rehearsing
went on the whole day long.
As the home-yisitors were all to take
part in the charades. invitations had to
be sent to the more intimate nelghbors
to make an audience, an improptu
supper had TO be arranged for, and the
day was one of continual hustle and
excitement, and the rehearsal5 were
the greatest fun imaginable.
Adear old friend volunteered to un-
dertahe the music, and he played de-
ligh.fully all through the acting.
These charadc5 made one of the pleas
antest and most successful of the New
Years evenings ever spent at Gad's
Hill
Bnt there were not only grown-up
guests invited to the pretty. cheerful
home. In a letter to a friend Charles
DICKENS writes,
another generation begins to peep
above the table. once used to think
whata horrible thing it was to be a
grandfather Finding that the caIam-
ny iaIIs upon me without my pereeiv-
ing any other change in myself, | bear
il like man"
but as he 50 disliked the name of
gle1a'aViler as applied to himself,
these grandchildren We're taught by
him to call him "Venerables.o Aud to
TINS day some of them still speak of
MN oy his self-invented name.
Now there is another and younger
family who never knew "VenerabIes.
lu' VINO are taught to know his like
ness ana taught to know his books
through the pictures in them. as soon
as 'ney can be taught anything. and
""'S5 oaoy hands lay bright flowers
upon the stone in Westminster Abbey.
every 9th Of June, and every Christ
mas Eve
'or' IN remembrance of his love for
an 'aat IS gay in color, none but the
oii8n'eSt aowers-and also some of
'ue gorgeous American leaves. sent bv
lrend for the purpose-are laid upon
,s 'u' '''ne' making that one spot, in the
q uii',' Of the vast and solemn buildinp
e bright and beautiful. '''''DS