Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1893-03-09
Leaves from Ny Log.

Leaves from My Log.
! Christmas. fifteen years ago to-day.
spent at a place called home, since which
time have spent but one Christmas away
! from nv vessel. and all but two have been
| spent at sea. One year ago | was 1890
miles \. W. by W. Of to days position,
! bound In the same direction that am to-
day. Two years ago this morning awoke
on the northwestern edge OF Clapham Com
mon, not far from the centre of the great
city of London, where had put in an ap-
pearance upon Christmas eve. in response
to cordial invitation received from the
master and lady of the house. Christmas
is made much more of in England than in
the United States. In England 1t uses up
three and four days. The day following
Christmas is called Boxing day, and is of
nearly as much Importance as Christmas
itself
! do not propose TO give your readers a
description OF a general English Christ
mas, but to tell them something Of that
particular Christmas and how an Ameri
can was entertained by his cousins across
the water. About ten days before had
received a warm invitation from the gen
temsn to pass Christmas at his home in
London, where quite number Of his
friends would gather. The people all be
ing strangers to me as we'll as the lady Of
the house. begged to be excused from
making one of the party. The gentleman
was one of the reliable frm of Edmond
Hazelhurst & Co, of London, with whom
my business transactions had been most
agreeable, though many of them were Of
description to breed strong aud unfrieudly
feelings; they had failed to do so. Every
dsagreeable matter had been met and
overcome In the most gentlemanly manner.
Three or four days after declining Mr.
Hs invitation received little note from
his amiable wife couched In such Ian
gGage that felt that to refuse to accept
the invitation would be a breach of cour
tesy, too gross for even seaman (who Is
Of all the animals) to undertake The let
ter contained sailing directions which en-
a5led me to make the port all right. At 3
2. NJ. left Southampton, and at O'Clock
Christmas eve was landed by hackman
at their door, having sent them word the
day before that | would do myself the
honor of being one of their Christmas
party. A genuine, genial, English wei
come was extended to me and frcm the
moment clasped the hands of Mr., and
Mrs. II. in the hall of their beautiful home
to the time said good dbye. three days
later, there WAS not one moment that was
allowed to forget that was truly welcomed
aud made TO feel that warm friends sur
rounded me. And let me say right here
that the English gentleman has one trait
Of character tor which admire him. II
be does not want your company he never
will ask you to his home. He is honest
enough never to ask man TO visit him
unless he feels thst he can make him well
coined, and when he is welcomed. few pos
sess the ability of making you feel more
80 than he does.
The three days that | spent in that Eng
lish home are bright spots upon the some
what opaque disk of my wandering life,
and that firm clasp Of manly friendship.
the more gentle, timid pressure Of wom-
ans velvety little palm, and the soft, warm
Of hahx
| own, when the good nights we're repeated,
will bring thrill of pleasure to my heart,
i'll live, many years after l am forgotten
by the members of that happy Christmas
party.
was in what suppose would be called
| IN England, the home Of one Of the upper
middle classes" In other words, was in
the home of lady and gentleman of edu-
cation, wealth and refinement. The deco
rations of their home and all its furnish
ings bespoke highly cultivated taste and
sensible understanding of what real COM
fort consisted Of. The family comprised
Mr.. H.. gentleman pleasant and happy in
his family, and of very genial manners TO-
ward his friends, perhaps thirty years Of
age; Mrs. H.. his wife, who was the only
child of wealthy parents, aged abont twen-
ty-six, lovely little woman Of the Eng
lish type of beauty, who possessed the
charming faculty of making all about her
feel that they were welcomed and that she
was happy in their society, and that heI
home WAS theirs while they we're her
guests; two bright. blue-eyed boys OF
about four and two years completed the
home circle.
1t WAS showing slowly out Of doors. and
after dinner Mr.. H. and decorated the
dining room by placing vines and branches
of the beautiful holly over the pictures
ornaments and clocks, about the walls
sideboards aud mantels, not forgetting q
large bunch of mistletoe which Mr.. H
placed in the archway between the heavy
curtains that divided the spacious dining
room into two rooms when they wished tt
do so. We also arranged screen for
magic lantern exhibition that was to b.
given Christmas evening for the pleasure
and benefit of old and young.
This home stands on the margin Of Clap
ham Common, and the next morning
looked from the window over field o.
smoky snow, across space of open coun
try comprising several hundred acres, up
on which grow stately elms and oaks will
clusters of the evergreen furze scattered
about. This must be charming localit.