Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-12-22
CHRISTMAS MEMORIES.
The Light Of Other Days Shining
through Interviews.
SToRIESOF ADVENTURES
War and Peace, Love and Marriage. Ghosts
and Gobiins Among the
Themes.


the halcyon honrs whom doll for girl, a
pack of "pop-crackcrs" for boy, could
fll the heart with oyorAowing happiness.
They belong 20 o period when hope beat
high; when tho future beckoned ioyously;
when there was no past Of ill-spent days
of duties unfulGllod-of irremediable cr-
rors. This is tho true Auld-Lang-Syne
period, but the recollcctions are so sacred
few care to talk about Thorn at all, much
less for publication. The dispatch man,
however. has been his rounds jolting the
memories Of prominent citizens, and "a
reward for his industry and enterprise has
secured number Of interesting Christmas
"reminiscences. Gbostly adventures take
the lead. strange TO say. for they belong
not 10 a warm season such "a tins has been,
but 10 dark DAYS. and to nights OF driving
snow and bowling winds, when the shut
tiers dismallv Creak and the bare limbs OF
the trees tap on the frosted windOw-pancs
like spirits from another land revlsitlng
and demanding admission TO the homes OF
their mortal youth. However, who knows
but what the 25th may come 10 US with al
The Arctic Accomplishments Of the tradl-
tional Christmas?
Then these iocund spooks may be dis
cussed properly IN the .luict of the CHM
newcomer, with the light low down and
the signing storm for music.
But oil our stories are not OF TINS serio-
comic character. Some tell OF counting
experiences. others Of travels, others OF
boyish accidents, and so on through the
list. ms follows:
HOW THE CORONER SAW GHOST THAT WAS NOT
GHOST.
DIR. William II. Taylor have seen many
Chrisimases, each OF them memorable At
the time, though precisely what thoy were
memorable for Is. for the most part, more
than can now remember. One. however,
] recall which IS distinguished by the
solemn circumstance TINT there was then
youchsafed to me tho scpulchral privilege
OF beholding the vision Of ghost. 1t was
during the war while was with the army
encamped in the neighborhOOd OF FTcde-
ricksbure. where l possessed tent Win
the great convenience OF fireplace OF
large capacity and a chimney OF small
height. built a. was the fashion Of the
times. Of mud and sticks. On the night of
the Christmas in question | was IN the tent
refreshing my war-WOTn nerves with tho
perusal If the "Mvsteries Of tdOlphO." a
work rich in ghostly themes treated in
very agreeably horrible manner. We had
no candles in our camD, nor ga~llghts, nor
electric lamps. and 50 l stretched myself
upon the ground, face dOwnwards. and
INV head well into II, and read and roasted
and respired the smoke with much salts
faction.
/ had reached delightfully."- awful pas
sage of the book and nv halr-fOT IN those
DAYS was gifted with hair-began TO rouse
and stir as # life were IN II (as indeed,
il probably were, few soldiers hair being
without ID. and my lcgs were curling up
Ia sympathy with the narrative, when OF u
sudden there came from above most
ominous kind of rumbllng noise Tho mar
rative and the nOlse together sent cola
shivers through me. While | stared III
something of panic all at once there
burst, apparently night ont OF the ire, one
of the drcadfulest spcctres that ever was
seen. IL had eyes-gTeat, CLASSY, Wlde-opcn
eyes-eyes that any ghost might be proud
of. Heavens. what eyes, 1t had ears
ugly and yen0mOus md long. Oh my. how
long II had mOuth-cracious good
ness, what mouth Such lips And
rolling itself over and over 1t pres
emily camo 10 rest with this accursed
lip upon the. very page OF The
MYSTERIES of Udolpho," whose horrors |
had just been taking n. And now TO
crown the terror OF this astounding phan-
tasm l saw that 1t had the stains Of blood
upon IL. IL was Verltahle incarnation OF
the raw-head-and- bloody bones which had
fed the fancy of my childhOOd's days.
"a brave man if, at such sight a. this. he
should find himself paralyzed and rooted
90 the spot. ana had ] been q simple evil
ian it il likely That / should have been thus
affected; but was a soldier, and never
felt more animated IN my life. / was up
aud out Of doors and on III twlnkling.
Now have ever held that II we seek per-
sistently we may always tiud a natural rca-
son for these supernatural phenomenas.
SO il was in this instance. for when | APP
preached the inquiry, which did III that
slow and cautious manner which becomes
the scientific investigator, the VISION re-
solved itself into the mortal head of a
lately deceased COW. which, with the horns
sawed OF, had been hilariously inserted
into the top of my chimney by some OF my
Christmas-keeping compaulons-in-arms.
THE NATURAL BRIDGE.
Rev. James Is Funston: Outside Of the
wonderful revelation of the Bible nothing
30 imprcsSes me as the great works of the
natural world, consequently ono Of my
most memorable Christmas experiences
was IN connection with one of these.
Many years ago the son OF the Belgian
Consul General TO this country asked me
TO 60 to the Natural Bridge and spend a
few DAYS with hls father and mother.
There was no railroad in twenty-five miles
OF that place ut that time, 50 We had TO
make the drive in a buggy one of the
sleetiest. stOrmiest nights | ever encoun-
tered. We arrived at the Bridge Hotel
long after dark, cold and hungry. The
lovely French mother uttered an " list
oe posslbo!" and gave us glo-
rious reception. The good and noble
father well knew how hungry young
men can get, so he speedily set before rs a
rOyal supper, to which we did full Justice
Next morning We saw the bridge and have
seen II since, but never as IT appeared on
l.sa.al
ground was covered with aspOtlcss robe OF
snow The trees had on their dazzling gar
ments of slect. The mighty arch OF stone
that spanned the chasm sparkled with icy
stalacttcs. The huge abutments seemed
70 be plated with polished silver. The lit
tie stream of water that flows some two
hundred feet beneath the arch seemed to
stand still in frozen wonder at the cXQul-
site beauty of the scene which had been
touched with the magic hand OF that grand
est of all artists, Old Miner.
| have since then seen the Lakes of XII
larney. the falls of the Rhine at Schatf-
hansen. Mt. Blanc at ChamouniX, the Dan
ube at Presburg, Hungary. tho Tiber at
Rome. have spent Fourth of July look
ing at the brilliant and awful display of
fireworks by tae volcano Nesuvlus as We
stood near its crater. but nothing has i'm
pressed me as that Christmas scene did IN
dear old Virgin at the Natural Bridge.
Held By TIE ENEMY
Ex-Judge A.. l.. Holiday: Many years
eco when a boy was travelling alone on
Christmas day through a sparsely
region ia the far West and a, noon came
20 a solitary house. gave the usual halloo
and u crowd OF men immediately issued
forth, who having surrounded and ds-
mounted rue silently took me into the
cabin 20 abide the viii OF the captors. The
vote was then taken and the unanimous
judgment WAS that the captive should be
the first 10 partake OF an enormous bowl OF
egg-nog which had been prepared IN honor
Of the day.
Ii is almost needless 10 add that the
writer. being so far from home aud friends,
deemed 1t unwise 70 appeal from tie de-
cisiOn.
IT WAS PUDDING FOR TIE FOOT CAVALRY
Mr.. X. A. Brock: Possibly az memorable
sChristmas as have experienced was De-
cember 70, 1862 when after prOtractod and
diversified experience. with much of cog
stancy withal. as foot cavalry under the
inhexible and indomitable "Stonewall."
swoke at S,rasburg. Shenandoah county,
about twenty miles this side Of Winchester.
LNN.