The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-24
The Journalist of the West.

The Journalist of the West.
regret that I have no remembrance Of
my earliest Christmas-Day worth noting.
| A child's thoughts at four or five years
Of age are hardly worth recording. Mine
were Of just the same sort Of light, triv-
| ial, joyous, incOnsequential butterfly flut-
| ter felt by tens of millions of other child
| rem Of same age on Christmas-Day. My
| stockings hung up the evening before
were found wel-flled with doughnuts
candies. and small toys by Santa Claus,
the children's tutelar deity, who came
down the chimney with his sack or basket
containing them. and then flew up and
out to find and fill the stockings of some
other good little children. one gift 1
highly prized--a childs picture-primer, for
had just learned to read short easy
words. and the stores in the little book
captivated my fancy, and ii was not long
till l had them all by heart. / was then
four years and eight months Old When
the day ended, l went TO bed very tired
I'm mind and body, feeling perfectly sur
feited with pleasure and qualification;
but at the same time sorry that Christ
masses came so seldom and were so FAR
apart, as mother explained TO me that
before another arrived there would be
long. cold winter a beautiful spring. n
leaves would again turn yellow and drop
off. and the singing birds would all fly
away, the flowers would fade; but red,
sweet apples would be brought 70 them
by the farmers, and If / was a good boy
| would get some Of them. And after all
these things would happen, then would
come another Christmas, and old Santa
Claus would revisit us again with his
nice presents. I asked why he came once
a year. And she explained that was 10
reward little boys and girls for being
good. and obeying their parents. ] then
asked her why he had filled stockings
with such nice things for Tommy Watson,
and Johnny Young who were both very
bad little boys? She smiled and replied
that NAV be those children had promised
their mothers before Christmas to behave
better thereafter, If Santa Claus would
give them something nice. l had TO be
satisfied with that explanation. but was
not quite convinced that they deserved 10
be thus rewarded upon some promise or
better behavior in future which they
might forget or neglect to keep. THIS
is about all ] can recall of that first
christmas day Of unalloyed happiness
'''- ''' JOSEPH AIEDILL.
Beecher's venerable widow.
There Is no refflftubid ilfE AiitiN 4 'i'N
Cbrlstmas-Da because I'm our New Eng
land village Christmas was ho' i'e'li "0N
as holiday.
Misunderstanding and New Years were the
GREAT anniversary days IN our New Eng
land states. and particularly with us-a
large family Of girls and boys. There was
much jolllty then ours being comIorta
bl. and spacious homestead, but OF real
Christmases then there is really none 10
be remembered.
After our marriage. Mr.. Bee her aud my
self went out west yet / recall no Christ
mas-Dav celebration IN our western town.
They might have observed them In the
large cities. but they certainly did not In
the little place where we were located.
So il was not until we made our home
I'm Brooklyn. that / ever knew Christmas
as a holiday. Then we were often invited
10 Christmas dinners. and after dark par
ties Of friends used 20 come over and
spend the evening with us. All Of this
was after my New England girhcod, and
appeared very strange TO me.
/ think the first ChIistmas-Day really
remember was. when I'm our Brooklyn
home. we set up Christmas Tree for
our little twlns-Alfred and Arthur.
MRS. HENRY WARD BEECHER
"With An Infinite Happiness"
In Southern Ohio. about 1870. Christmas
came TO us children with an infinite happi-
ness: but l can now see that the happl-
ness arose from an awakened fancy and |
rom the zeal Of childhood. Rapture ORR
.inated i'm a stick OF candy and five or six
.aisins. and from a big fire kndled IN
he large fireplace at four I'm the morning.
Ny Calvinistc home did not think much
# the day. 1t had a faint Of Hcmanism
s.I.s
,ut Of the glory and beauty Of the occa-
ion.
The most happy thing Of all was that
he schoolmaster could not vex us on
Christmas The fire on that morning was
right because there was no school that
lay. I DO not remember whence came our
oy when the day came on Saturday. But
oy always came. Children can make
eaven out Of a pile of sand and shovel.
We had a big dinner on Christmas
'or days I'm advance the mince pies and
he doughnuts We're seen pointing toward
he magical season / remember splitting
Ire wood for the outdoor oven that IL
night cook the Christmas pies-a dozen
& once. All other heatings Of that brick
ven We're insignificant. To warm up that
rick dome for Christmas was an event
n, blessed memory!
DAVID SWING.
The Girls Favorite. ,
Side by side with my first recollec- I
on of Christmas-Day, came the knowl- +
ige that IL was not a fat, jolly Old man, r
irving his reindeer Dasher and Dancer. a
RANGER and Vixen, Comet and Cupid. Z
under and NlitZen, up 10 the roofs OF a
he houses where the good children lived 7
ut real hands Of flesh and blood which f,
al filled the row Of stockings hanging "a
Y the fire place. In this way l lost d
)mething which makes the great fest- | 4
al so dear 10 the little ones, who fully be- p
eve that I'm some mysterious manner =
anita Claus comes down the chimney, I,
neither there is one or not. and leaves !,
lie presents they most desire. Deep .
ons Of all kinds may be wrong but I | =
slieye In the Santa Claus one and am .
,rry that it had no share In the first q
hristmas which l can recall. d
MARY J. HOLMES. e
oliver Optics Recollections. o.
Ny earliest recollectlons OF that day r
all days TO children" is that no notice n
hateyer was taken Of ii. no stockings u
ere placed for the coming OF Santa c.
aus on Christmas Eve. and no plum n
aiding dinner celebrated the birthday y
Christ. As you are aware the Pu- II
tans did not make merry at Christmas, h
even hold special prayer-meetings 10 G.
the occasion. and in this o.
spect their customs extended down TO ~
period within the memory Of many peo- ir
e now living in New England | re- 81
ember that once. while in my early ii
ems, while driving through the prin- O,
pal streets Of Boston. II suddenly oc- e
FRED to me that the day was Christ II