Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-01-21
THE SHADOW or cHRlsrMAs.
The Beau. Iful Spirit Of the Day Lost in a
straining After Eject.

aus hean uuA spirit OF the Day Lost Ia
straining After Eject.
In the very prime OF tho year ap-
pears the hectic Of its decay. Sitting
upon some happy June lawn. or
slrollin@ in some wood whose
branches high ogerarch and en-
bower while stlll the roses arc
blowing and the dog. days are far
away. one little yellow leaf forecasts
autumn frost and winter Shall we
say because OF the startling hue as OF
that bright spirit far off his coming
shone : or as in Lochiels warning.
and coming events cast their
shadows before?' This will depend
upon the mood OF the mind. II it be
pensiyc or minor mood anticipating
decay or sorrow the coming event
will cast shadow H. on the CON
irary. il be ma. or mood feeling OF
the cheerful anticipation. then far of
he coming event wall shine.
Goleridge speaks 0! a melancholy
both Ia the spring and in the autumn.
But he d.scriminates between them.
I One 50 soft buoyant evanescent the
mist OF the morning. The other is
gathering shroud OF storm. Every
pleasant anniversary is anticipated
VITA pleasure until as time passes II
comes 10 record inekorably the loss
( OF time and the heart begins TO ask
itself How many more shall /
beholdP' One OF Hawthorne's grew
some tales IS the Christmas
Banquet whose company is never
TO ba enlarged With the ineXorable
years the guests dwindle and dwindle.
until only one remains. and the
happicst Of festivals becomes a
ghostly feast The reader is ready
20 chide the siory-teller who can find
u In his heart 10 cast a shadow upon
that day OF happiness and return TO
Irving and Dickens and Thackeray
for the Christmas 81 good cheer and
general Joy.
Irving's Christmas we are told.
Is his most delightful paper There
is peacefulne.s freshness a sim
plicity domesucity IN his treatment
which breathe the very spirit OF the
day II is very Christmas that he de-
scribes whether in the sketch book
or Ia Bracebridge Hall il is a soft
idyliic picture blended Of the spirit
Of Christmas and 81 England.
Bui what is the substance OF the
picture IL IL vast aud osteutatious
expense a lavish display. tuilsome
ana eNhausting cndeaYor to give
something 10 an your acquaintance q
wearisome anticipation and a painful
suspicion that somebody has been
omitiea2 ThacGeray describes little
dinner at Timmius's a modest
couple make themselves miserable
and spend all their little earnings in
order TO give dinner 10 people for
whom they do not care and who do
not care FOR them ii is a series OF
notifications and the young pair
make themselves needlessly miserable
and at a most damaging cost They
know IL. Their good sense accuses
them Of II. But other people do so
and they cannot do otherwise. What
would Mrs. Grundy say3 Awful
thought She might tell the truth.
and say that they could not afford it,
Timmins and his wife cannot live a
the duke Of Westminster lives, nor
even as the water tax collector But
instead 81 living pleasantly as they
can live they must needs pretend 10
do rs their richer neghbors do. and
ludicrously fail in the pretence
Christmas Is made miserable 10 tn e
Timminses because they feel that they
must spend lavishly 10 buy gifts like
their richer neighbors They thank
God with warmth that Christmas
comes but once year IL Is becom.
ing vulgar DAY a day not OF do
nestle pleasure but OF ruinous rival
ry in extravaganza day 10 be dep.
recated rather than welcomed. Are
not the Timminses legion2 Is there
not reason In their dread OF Christ
mas because OF the sordid and mer.
cenary standards by which it is
mea ured.
The same good sense that secs the
folly Of Timmin's little dinner and
avoids il can stay the abuse and re.
generate Christmas. IL is essentially
a day Of human goodwill. II com
memorates the spirit Of the brother
hood Of men You cannot buy
Christmas at the shops and sign OF
friendly sympathy costs little II tho
Extravaganza OF funerals is such that
great society IS organized to with
stand it should not the extravaganza
OF Christmas cause every honest man
and woman practically to protest by
refusing to yield TO the extravaganza
From George William Curtis's last
contribution 10 the Editors Easy
Chair in Harper's Magazine
Named tho H0r.c.