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

and found for our Christmas tire
y,oIoases ginger cookies and silver dim
ariece Nothing could have suited m
l better. but to father and mother thi
neasly gift to the boys was gall an
NORWOOD. However. we were thirt'
miles from the nearest upper MISSISSIPPI
town. which only opened when "nayiga
ton opened"
once we each OF US got an old fashion
ed pocket-book. like d mans" that un
rolled ike railroad folder and had z
STRAP n foot long. These were or leather
and made. as I found afterward, froI
the calf-skin lining Of mothers trunk.
would give $50 for nine nov.
The children Of North Carolina have
good times on Christmas. for the holly
and the mistletoe grow here. Also the
plum-puddlng The woods. too. are full
OF dreary cabins, where Santa Claus does
not come. only as more fortunate chill
| dren show him the way. and the right
| kind OF child gets the most fun out Of
using his Influence" with Santa Slaus.
BILL NYE.
1.-THE Tragedy of the World"
The earliest Christmas I recall Is the
last. But there is another which none
can forget one which shall endure, while
time endures immutably, in song and
sorrow; one which was the usher Of the
| tTdktby Oh t0e NOflus Ol us tutNdUlfUtUl
too; one which brought us hope. despair,
and more than all. a new conception Of
beauty. 1t is that Christmas which lives.
The others-the best Of them to the best
OF us-are as shadows on glass.
EDGAR SALTUS.
A Latter Day Reformer.
In my boyhood days in New England,
Christmas used TO recur without our re-
alizing the fact. New England children Of
that date did not so far as / can remem-
Der discriminate between the 18th. and
18th. Of December. The festival was
thought of by us as belonging exclus.y ely
to the Catholic church, Forty years ago.
the entire emphasis of youthful thought
and interest fell on Tanksdying-l,n nv
That and the Fourth Of July were the two
High Days" l am speaking particularly
OF the smaller towns. There may have
been more Christmas sentiment in the
cities, even OF Massachusetts. The shops
were not closed on that day, nor was
there any interchange Of presents. There
was nothing whatever I'm the shape Of a
Christmas tree or Cristmas dinner. Since
that time, marked change has come over
New England in that respect. Thanks
givlng-Day is less accentuated and the
interests that formerly gathered around It
have been largely transferred 10 the 18th
of December. Even in the country towns
at present, it is felt that Protestants have
as much right as Catholics TO remember
annually the birth Of our common Lord.
c. II. PARKHURST.
Put Him In Her Prayer,
The very first Christmas that / remem-
ber was dt may be- four years old. and
i had among other gifts. two. the rplen-
dor Of which Illuminated that day 80 that
1t was like a beacon light TO all my child
hood. These were a shell q have It, now
and a dollhouse. And, though the doll
house was undoubtedly a sumptuous affair
of which / was proud, there was some
thing about the shell, with its irridescent
beauty and it's wonderful voice of the
ocean in it's dark chambers, that filled |
my imagination. l used 10 dream dreams |
of the sea with the mouth of it crumplng |
my earl talking to it meanwhile, and |
telling IL all my childish fancies.
They told me Santa Claus gave Il TO me; /
and after that / was anxious to add his |
name to the list remembered in my pray
ers / loved Santa Claus, and had a real |
ache of affection in my longing TO see |
him and thank him. 1t is so oftener than |
people imagine with children. Many
time have / called my message up the
chimney. and kissed a little hand and
waved it upwards afterwards. That IS
all l remember.
OCTAVE THANET.
Robson's Mother-M emori >.
I have my doubts as to whether Christ
mas brings as much pleasure as pain.
The children Of the rich, or fairly pros
porous, may get a little fun out of II,
but after all it is simply a repetition Of
the toys and joys of their everyday
life, but for the children Of the poor, is
there anything sadder, than a merry
Christmas? They see the show-windows
filed with toys and Illuminated picture
their little hearts must throb
with envy at the thought that these
things are not for them, but FOR the
little ones of the rich. Why
does the snow-clad Santa Claus, with
his sleigh full of beautiful toys, stop so
long at the chimney Of the boy whose
play-room is always brim full Of lovely
lions and elegant elephants and only give
a hurried thought and pound Of cheap
candy TO "Poor JoeY'
1 don't think l enjoyed my first Christ
mas had rare fun out of its anucipa-
tion-but the reality was sore disap-
pointment. Several well-dressed boys
bigger than land with handsome sleds
and high-running skates-boys with high
noses and huted colars-who let me play |
with them when they could get no one
slse-told me marvellous stories OF Santa |
Claus-a nice fat old man, who Travelled |
llone all night in a great sleigh, filled with
golden toys and candy canes and silver
monkeys, which he let fall into the
Of the rich and poor alike.
/ remember that I fell half asleep the
hight before Christmas, TO be awakened
shortly afterwards by some trifing noise
Ny two little brothers were soundly
leeping beside me-dreaming perhaps Of
ne wel-hlled stockings which might
rect them in the morning. The light from
! tallow candle threw a cherries light
,ver the little room, and by its sickly
dare / could see my mother seated al
! table The noise seemed to startle
Ter, as well as me, for she took the can
n in her hand and creeping on tip-toe
o the trundle bed-looked anxiously into
he faces Of her three little ones. / rapid
v closed my eyes at her approach-to
pen them again when her back was turn
d. She went again to the table, and I {
aw her make three separate parcels Of I
scant box Of candy and six small tin g
three big copper pennies
nd then-first looking toward our bed S
D make sure that we were fast asleep I
he approached the chimney where our 2
hree stockings hung, and placing the /
where they belonged, turned d
way with a sad smie-and then she 2
lrned again TO the mantel where she /
ested her dear head and seemed TO be Y
rying. P
STUART ROBSON. !
or the Bloomer Costume. a
Nv earliest recollection OF Christmas ]
aries me back seventy years. 1t Is the u
light before Christmas / see a large y
DOM in which is a bed, trundle-bed and :