The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-12-25
rnn HrnoEs OF rnE srnsEnY.


whesher Ii Il geesnss tziristrhas calls 70
sasn1 CIR ehsEdhsod With rs great fancses
and It's sInan fscts, o. because tbs very
atmosphere at chrissmAs-tinne il charged
with oia-worEd legends ard young world
Easfh, one cannot tel. b1t at this season 0f
TIE ysar the strong heroes and sweet here
ines of the nursery come trooping through
the cFumbiing halls Of memory. Only 3
little worse for their sIumber in the graves
Of unbslief, these ghosts 81 baby fancies.
permitted 70 walk the earth in this one
week Of tie 6fty-twos are ever readyto take
possession Of our minds. One has only 70
close bis eyss and yiegd. eTer so little. 70
The Christmas spirit, and the ponderons
volumes Of history are closed and disap-
pear, while the sweet pages OF mimic his.
tory are open before him. Time rolls
backward ard again the earth is peopled
with noble princes and beautiful prin-
eesses. with fairies and sprites aud gnomes.
with giants who dwell in massive castles
far of on the dim edge Of nowhere, with
cruel ladies who set impossible tasks for
their faithful knights, with fierce dragons
who are on friendly terms with the giants
and are usually slain by oar fayorits he
roes; with gentle beasts who win the love
OF ladies and At once stand forth as hand
same princes who have been condemned
BY some wicked fairy to wear their crael
disguise.
What history II is-this baby history
which Ellis our lives from to TO- Their
Is old King Arthur. Who Of us did not
firmly believe that he was the wisest,
bFayest genilest king who ever wore a
crown. And there Is gentle Sir Gaiahead
and brave Sir Launcelot--a truer Launeelot
than We know IN later years. And there
are those three wretched sons OF King Ar
thur, who we're turned out Of doors By that
indignant monarch because they would
not sing How we followed the careers
Of the scapegraees from the day of there
unEliai disobedience until they meet the
end they merit. We see them standing in
4 row with frowning faces and stubbornly
closed lips while their royal father begs
and commands them 70 sing. We see bis
Just indignation. We see the unworthy
court We see them make one redeeming
eiEoFtAo earn an honest living The first
becomes q miller, the second becomes
weaver and the third becomes . tailor.
Bat it is of no use. The curse is upon
them, and they hurry TO meet their
wretched fate.
The miller he stole corn,
D., IL.
And the little tailor stole stole hroad-cloth 10
keep the three Fognv6 ~sTIsl-
Retribution was not far away, for
The miller was drowned IN his dam,
The weaver wiAs hung with his yarn,
Aud the little tailor away
Kan away with the bfoad-eiosh under his
arm.
How real IT all seems. We locate the
pond in which the prineeIy miller lost mis-
wretched life We feel that the gihbet
upon which the wicked weaver was hung
Is hidden somewhere in the prison which
frowns across the street. Why ii Is We
cannot tell, bus We sympathize with the
little tailor and are heartily glad that he
ran away with the broadcloth under his
arm. We are glad TO know that be is
alive and We furtiyeIy look for him in every
tailor shop that we pass in our afternoon
walks
Ard there is old King Cole. who seems
70 have been worthless monarch, not at
all like the just and Tirtuous Arthur. His
only redeeEning trait ID that he was a merry
old soul. lie seems to have accomplished
the object of his existence when he
-.
And called for his howl,
And called for his Gddicrs three.
Then there il the Mother Goose epoch.
Kings and queens, patricians and plehians,
wise men and fools pass in endless array.
There are the king who was continually
counting money, his queen who was 50
passionstely fond Of bread and honey. and
their unfortunate maid, whose only claina
20 distinction is that she lost her nose, be-
cause Of the predatory habits of black
bird.
Then there is old Mother Hubbard. who
50 persistently searched oupboards for
bonus for her poor dog. there is Simple
Simon, whose adventures excite our child
ism contempt; there Is Humpty Dumpty,
the most unique character in any htera-
iure. there Is the musical old lady who
rode sn a white horse, there is that absurd
king Of France. most famous OF all kings Of
France, who with twenty thousand men.
marched up the blu and then marched
down again." finally, there IS that mar
vicious combination Of circumstances,
which alone staggered cur infant creduilty,
when the cat got into the fiddle, the COW
jampea over the moon. the dish gavo way
TO bis thlevish propeuSities aud the little
dog played The part OF an amused spectator
o. this wonderful drama
Then there is Bobby shafso. that intrepsd
SAILOR. whose silver buckles shine through
the misty years And there is the girl who
soEslly believed that he would come back.
Whether he ever came we know rot. We
on'y know that be sailed away, and all the
rest must be LETT 10 baby fancy. And
sllafto. tAe sailor. calls 10 mind that legend
Of a mighty Eetfs. enc OF the chnd ditties Of
mercantile England:
soFls uiessY shiFs sail a'Sz tie aAln.
Some HoaN9 fSf France. some tSur1 Zoe Snafn.
We visa thesa all Etss hare again
Then there c0meS before as that reerles j.
knight, thss gentle soldier, that Bayard of
tAsry-tana, shAs Dietrich o: the nurserv.
Jack she Giant Killer. Iosrenld, gsais
loving Jack, how many a high resolve his
stcry has eft ia baby minds, how usanv
knjxaE ia plaafares, encouraged BY his lefty
example, has gene forth wafA poker ia hand
e.. IA Aak8Ea uu4FN 4ta s.4a.s. - -