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

+ IVY I
THE LORD OF MIS-
nience7 TO travel miles 10 cot one dinner
and be off again, and feel when the day
is done that the season so longed for Is
done. too?
Our forefathers over the water could
pause and take a twelve days pleasure,
and sometimes even all the space between
Christmas and Candemas-six weeks OF
rnerrimenti
Why should we not pause universally
and make vacation for Christmas 10
Twelfth Night-that IS, from the 18th OF
December TO the 9Th OF January-ln one
long friendly and family festival, for
which sons and daughters may come home
and stay and let affairs halt?'
For such a holiday we should go home
on Christmas Eve. or at home we should
be looking out for the coming OF the
others, and the church bells should ring
crisply at sunset. In the lampllght the
whole household should tie up the mis-
tIetoes and wreathe the green above the
door, inviting sylvan spirits, and finally
secure the stockings at the chimney-place.
inviting thus the idea of the Druid and
of the old Roman gift-giver with our own
faith Every locality has It's singers, and
why SnOulu we DOI near III o " NiONh OhS
In the night the voices of carollers sing
ing old carols as In England?
The next morning is the great day,
bringing, we hope, blue, sparkling Christ
mas weather.
There are the stockings to open then.
with the testing trifles in them which
leave the larger gifts to come later. There
ia the morning service to attend in the
church. spicy with green vine and woody
bough, where friend sees long-absent
friend, and one day Of the year all breathe
their prayers together Here comes the
dinner. great midday feast, which
leaves the late afternoon for those In
country houses TO go out into the wood.
the deep and still green forest, haunted
by the bird and the little darling wood
creatures, and haul home the already pre-
pared yule log, for which IL there Is not
a hearth in every house, one should he
rnadel For why should we forget our
scandinavian fore-elders. who at their
feast of JUL burned the log to Thor, and
lighted It from the char OF last year 5
Yule?
Then as the log begins to sing and shed
its glow abroad, and its big flames spring
I'D the chimney, we shall gather round
the hearth and eat our apples and ask
and tell and hear all that is understood
Of the years fairs; and one reads
a;cud Millions "Hymn of the Nativity
before we part, we shall enter our dreams
with organ-music rolling in our ears.
The next day, st. Stephen Shay
known in England as "boxing-day,' be-
cause II is the day for Christmas-boxes, -
the NJ time for the Christmss-tree. All
of the day is not too much for its trim
ming. whether its fruit sfall be distribut-
ed by Santa Claus or Kriss Kringle or
KNIGHT Rupert we must have II not only
TO commemorate thu gift-giving or the
various peoples from whom our Christmas
habits have come, but the gifts of gold
and n yrrh aud frankincense brought by
tho magni TO the Child in the mange-.
Christmas pantomines should be put on
the stage at theatres Christmas-week, ;ts
in England; but If we are In the country
w. must have pantomine for ourSeI'"
with more laughter out of our own Har-
leQUin and Pantaloon imam any Sldse S"ii
give us.
When the day comes again, having had
cur own gifts, our family festival. there
ara others to remember; IT Is a day Tor
visiting the poor with gifts-what better
TO do on the day of st. John the EVAN
pelist? Into many homes we can carry
brightness with things as unwonted 10
their condition as the wise mems slt,s
we're to that of the young mother In Beth-
ltfem! And what sc mes shall we en-
corrter, what knowledge of want and sur
fer!ng, and what Joy can be maze OF
trihes.
We shall come home with hearts as
IIrht as our baskets, AMI yet with enough
sadress 10 take the edge off of Joy and
make a quiet evening seem best, where
the mother and the father shall adopt he
German custom OF some private and In
tirrate words with son and daughter; ana
brother end sister may draw nearer TO-
getler, and whatever makes the inner
sweetness of home shall come 10 be feit
the most.
When another morning dawns 1t Is the
Day of Holy Jnnocents, and we will have
the Strcay- school Christmas-tree, or one
for the sailors In the harbori or Tor the
O,phan Asylum, or the Old Ladies Home
since all about US must enter into the
toy OF Yuletide.
Nor is there lack of entertainment for
the next day, for we VIII have the
"Chr,stmas waits" All day we VIII prac-
tice the music so that the young people
hooded and wrapped. may go out after
nght.all with violin and hute and what
rot. and call out the hours along the
20, r,try.road. singing Christmas songs
from house to house, and be brought IN
usually frowned-on dainty.
And now, II the weather smiles, we
will make Joy 10 ourselves with DIG
sleighs and double teams. with hot soap
stones and water-bottles, slipping along
snowy ways, singing and calling anl.
coming back as the orange Gibbs out OF
sunset or when the great heavens are
spread with stars. and In our swiftness
and gladness we feel at home among the
consultations.
But here 1t is the last day OF the year.
We shall read aloud stories OF Christmas
time, get ready our New-Year cheer, ana
at midnight go 70 the matchmaking IN
the vet green and fragrant church-some
,ratse-uneeting held as well by the pas
tor In the country Westinghouse as IT
Was by Phillips Brooks I'm great many
color Trinity. And our hearts shall be
lifted In the prayer. the praise. the uni
versal singing, and we shall feel In the
dark. the mystery, the unwonted hour.
90 N we were the early Christians, and
,ong Tor something 10 do TO proclaim our
love OF Heaven and perchance ind II close
we have watched the old year out and
the new year In. and 1t Is stiil the Christ
ynastide. Let us go about-to-uy 'he
lads. tomorrow the lassies--and see our
friends. II there have been quafreis' J,
there has been GOODNESS. the cohven.lona'
call will not be deprecatory or nuini',a J,
s,ne Int nevertheless ccncilatory; ana
,.,here there has been love the love VIII
he ali the sweeter.
"A what Is there to hinder making
..,asrv with masquerading, old as the
gs.,,,raIta IN these days that are known
- Scotland as the Draft Days when
n'n ,hafl have the Captain OF All AIS