Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-12-23
The Shadows of Christmas.

THE last contribution ever written 10y George
William Curtis for the Easy Chair IN Harpers
Magazine, was this earnest plea for the Aban'
donment Of the vulgar show and extravaganza
which have grown to mark often the cele.
bration of the day, and for return to the true
thought aud observance Of the festival rs a
time Of human brother hood and good vii. man
Tested in simple and homely ways
In the very prime of the year appears
the hectic of its decay Sitting upon some
happy June lawn, or strolling in some wood
whose branches "high overarch and EN-
bower" while still the roses are blowing
and the dog days are far away, one little
yellow leaf forecasts autumn, frost, and
winter. Shall we say because of the start
ling hue, as Of that bright spirit, far off
his coming shone,' or as in Lochiel's warn
ing, and coming events cast their shad-
ows before? This will depend upon the
mood of the mind. If it be a pensive or
minor mood anticipating decay or sorrow,
the coming event will cast a shadow If,
on the contrary, it be a major mood, feel
ing of cheerful anticipation, then far OFF
the coming event will shine.
Coeridge speaks of a melancholy both in
the spring and in the autumn But he dis
eliminates between them One is soft,
huovant evanescent, the mist of the morn
ing. The other is IA gathering shroud of
storm. Every pleasant anniversary Is an
ticipated with pleasure until, as time passes,
it comes to record inexorably the loss of
time, and the heart begins to ask itself,
How many more shall I.behold ?" One of
Hawthorne's grewsome tales is the Christ
mas Banquet whose company is never to
be enlarged With the memorable years
the guests dwindle and dwindle, until only
one remains, and the happiest of festivals
becomes a CHASTITY feast. The reader is
ready to chide the story-teller who can find
it in his heart TO cast a shadow upon that
day of happiness, and tuIns to Irving and
Dickens and Thackeray for the Christmas
of good cheer and general Joy.
Irving's Christmas" we are told, is his
most delightful paper There is peaceful
ness, freshness, a simplicity, domesticity
in his treatment which breathe the very
spirit of the day. 1t is very Christmas
that he describes, whether in the Sketch
book or in Bracehridge Hall 1t is a soft,
idyllc picture, blended of the spirit of
Christmas and of England
But what is the substance of the pictured
Is it vast and ostentatious expense, a lavish
display, a toilsome and exhausting endeavor
to give som ething to all your acquaintance,
a wearisome anticipation, and painful
suspicion tina tsomebody has been omitted
| Thackeray describes little dinner at Tim
mins's. A modest couple make themselves
miserable and spend all their little earnings
in order to give a dinner to people for
/ whom they do not care and who do not care
| for them 1t is a series of Notifications
and the young pair make themselves need
lessly miserable and at most damaging
cost. They know it, Their good sense ac-
cuses them of it. But other people do so,
and they cannot do otherwise What
would Mrs. Grundy say 2 Awful thought I
| She might tell the truth and say that they
could not afford it. They cannot afford it.
Timmins and his wife cannot live as the
Duke of Westminster lives, nor even as the
water tax collector. But instead of living
pleasantly as they can live, they must
needs pretend to do as their richer neigh
bors do, and ludicrously fail in the pretence.
Christmas is made miserable to the Tim
ninses because they feel that they must
spend lavshly to buy gifts like their richer
neighbors. They thank God with warmth
that Christmas comes but once year. 1t
is becoming vulgar day, day not of do
nestle pleasure, but of ruinous rivalry in
extravaganza, a day to be deprecated
rather than welcomed. Are not the Tim
minses legionl Is there not reason in their