Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-12-24

T~rsciousness OF a young duchess. But
this II after the carriages return. They
nave not yet come. They are late-they
are always late~and it n dark before
tney come; the glow OF the fires and
CANDIES shines out through the windows
on the snow, often biackened by the sha-
COWS or little figures whose noses are
pressed TO the ranes, which grow blurred
With their warm breath.
THE GUESTS.
meantime the carrIagea. piled up out
SIDE and In. are slowly making their way
homeward through the frozen roads. fol.
lowed by the creaking wagon filed with
trunks. on which are pefched several
small mufied figures, whose places In the
carriages are taken by unexpected guests.
The drivers still keep up a running fire
WIN their young masters, though they
have long since been pumped dry by
them boys as TO every conceivable mat
ter connected with "home," in return for
which they receive information as to
school and college pranks. At last the
Dig gate" In reached: a haif-frozen fig
ure rolls out and runs to open II, Tapping
mis- arms In the darkness like some
strange, uncanny animal: they pass
through; the CLEAN OF a light shines away
OF on a far hill. The shout goes up.
There che Is: / see her." The light IA
lost. but q little later appears again. II
IL the light In the mothers chamber. the
curtains of the windows OF which have
been left up Intentionally. that the well
coming CLEAN may be seen afar off by her
boys on the first hill-a blessed beacon
shining from home and her mothers
heart.
Across the white fields the vehicles
move, then toll up the house hill. filed
with their eager occupants. who can
scarce restrain themselves; approach the
house, by this time glowing with lighted
windows, and enter the yard just "a the
doors open and a swarm rushes out with
joyful cries Of Here they are?' Eyes.
here we are." comes in CHEEKY answer,
and one after another they roll or step
out, according 10 age and dignity. and
run up the steps. stamping their feet, the
boys to be taken into motherly arms and
the visitors TO be given warm hand-clasps
and cordial welcomes. Later on the chill
dren were got to bed, scarce able to keep
in their palates for excitement; the stock
ings were all hung up; and the grown
people grew gay in the crowded parlors.
Mark you. there was no %splendor. nor
show. nor style as IL would be understood
now. Had there been. II could not have
been so charming. There were only
profusion and sincerity. heart,ness and
gaiety, fun and merriment. cordially and
cheer, and withal genulneness and re-
fnement.
CHRISTMAS GIFT.
Next morning before light the stir be-
gan. Whitehead little figures stole about.
with bulging stockings clasped to their
bosoms. opening doors, shouting Christ
500. ,fr4 - ito IL rlr rooms Of clearing
elders, and then scurrying away, s%queaking
with delight. II prayers. o the Glad
Tidlngs' was sung by young voices with
due feTvor. How gay the scene was at
breakfast! What pranks had been played
in the name of Santa Clausi Every tol-
bic had been played on. h lovely
t~ell-tale bushes and g~lances and laughter
greeted the confessionsi The best part OF
the day was spent in going TO and coming
from the beautifully-dressed church. where
the service was read, and the anthems
and hymns were sung by everybody tor
every one was happy. But. as In the De-
ginning Of things, 1.-THE evening ana the
morning were the first day" Dinner was
the great event. II was the test or the
mistress and the cook. or. rather, the
cooks: for the kitchen was now full OF
them. 1t was impossible to describe II.
The old mahogany table, stretched diago-
ralIly across the dining-Toom, groaned;
the big trukey-gobbler filled the place or
honor. fl great round of beef held the
second place, an old ham. with every
other dish that ingenuity backed by eX-
perience could devise. was at the sue,
and the shining sideboard scarcely held
the dessert. The butler and his assistants
were systematically serious ana SLOW
which bespoke plainly too frequent a re-
course to the apple-toddy bow put uhder
stimulus of the MISTRESS eye, they got
through all right, and their slight unstead-
mess was overlooked. 1t was then that
the fun began.
After dinner there were apple-toddy ana
eggnog. as there had been before.
GAMES AND DANCES.
There were games and dances-country
dances. the lancers. and quadrllieS' Inc
top Of the old piano was Iited up anu
the infectious dancing tunes rolled ont
under the flying fingers. %here was some
ON the part of TIM elder ladies.
who were not quite sure that 1t was right
hut II was overruled by the gentlemen.
ana the master in his long coat and hlgh
collar started the ball by Catching the
girl by the hand ana leadhs
her 10 the head of the room right uhuer
tho moses OF half a dozen bashful lovers
TO them mean tim TO get lheir
sv,eethearts and come along.
Round dancing was not yet introduced:
II was regarded as an i~nnoVaton' il
nothing worse. 1t was held generally as
highly improper, by some as disgusting
AS TO the german. why, had IL peeh
known. the very name would have been
eueicient TO damn It. Nothing foreign IN
mat civilization There was fun enough
in the old-fashioned country dances ana
the 'Virginia reel' at the close; whoever
could not be satisfied with that was hard
TO please.
What May BE Done.
II is to be hoped that the material 10
which reference has been made-that
which has been quoted, and the recoiiec-
lions Of those who are old enough to re-
member the Christmas Of the olden-time-
will be taken in hand by some virginia
and a Virginia Christmas compo-
sition be produced that Will be com
realistic, and truthful in all OF us
details. Such a composition Is needed as
an jnspiration for future writer's upon
institutions-needed as an au-
thority and a defence against the perVer-
sions of those who have written OF the
Christmas as II II was turned
into a saturnalia by the negroes, ana as
such cnuntenanced by the whites.