The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-01-01
Reading After Christmas.
(Raleigh State Chronicle.1


81 must have vigilant eye how books
bemean themselves, and if they are proven
evil must imprison them, and do sharp
justice on them as melefactors. For books
are not dead things, but contain a po-
tency of life as active as thatsoul progeny
they are. .'-.Mitton.
No time seems SO to invite the read
ing of good books as the days that
follow Christmas. Among the sweetest
moments in the life of every lover of
books are the quiet times devoted to
reading after the jollity and merri
ment of the Christmas tide are over.
We have laughed and made merry
with the children; we have experienced
the truth that "it is more blessed to
give than to receive;;' we have par
taken bountfully of our mothers best
turkey with the keen relish of boyhood
days; We have gathered around the
cheerful open fire (no stove ever gave
cheerful appearance to a sitting ROOM
and told jokes and related the expert
ences of the year. 1t is a sacred,
joyful time and you linger in parting
from the charmed home circle which
holds the sweetest place in your mem
ory, and will until life ends. After the
separation comes food of recollec
tions of the times when you were a
boy and when it seemed that century
elapsed between each season for hang
ing up the stocking. Santa Claus
came only at long intervals, but the
interim was filled up with anticipa-
tlons Of such royal happiness when he
should come again that slow as the
days passed by they were full of joy.
These tender recolections shed
sunny influence upon you and seem to
cast halo around your life as you
perceive by the change in those things
that you take pleasure in that you are
growing older. They make your heart
soft and tender, and you delight in
the pranks and innocent pleasures Of
the boys and girls who carry you back
to your own youthful days. When
you emerge from this dream, the every
day business of life has hardness and
a monotony that depresses you you
know it is so-and you turn to books
for consolation and comfort. You
love those best which come to hold
your heart captive, those that sing Of
true love and warm hearts, that sing
gentle songs and "open.. their hearts to
US in some noble way
Charles Lamb tells us that there are
"books which are best read after you
have asked blessing, as you do on
some rare and beautiful family festi-
al,"-such as Christmas, we may sup
pose the author of the Essays Of Ella"
meant. The books that we read in
this after. time make deep impress
upon the mind ard heart. Who is it
that has not turned in his thoughts
with affectionate pleasure to the thrill
of happiness and good cheer produced
by the first reading of Dickens Christ
mas stories? Who has not felt it in his
heart to thank God for the happy end
ing of christmas Carols" and who
has not fel. his heart thrill as be has
felt he could join i'll the hearty good
wish of Tiny Tim when he said "God
bless us, every one!" The man who
has not been moved to wish for all his
brothers a "Cricket on the Hearth" at
the Christmas s-time and long to send
happiness and joy into the homes OF
all who are in poverty and in trouble,
has never learned the true secret OF
happiness. No writer has ever chal-
lenged the superiority Of Dickens here.
He stands unrivalled and alone in his
telling of Christmas story. "God