The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-23

naim OF my hand, and comeiy lackst'
/ went home with schoofnate io'eu as
| Damon loved Pythias, -, a..
morning and gave light ana every JOY
! In the quick-footed evening hours la Una,
( bright day when Plancus was coI, ,,',,,
| and the nightingale sang az he never wiz
! again, That was a Christmas 10 De re-
mernbered, though another hait-centuIy
| roll by. One Of those girls-her voice
was II lutte, her eye bright WIZ" ps shin.
ray serene." the light of heaven Is sIIn-
| ing on her golden hair now as my iancy
| saw II then. Well-she afterwards Wrote
me that ! was too late. - -
Moral: Who fears his rate deserves "
be TOO late. and outside of home the
place ITO spend an oid-time ChrlslilaS
! was on the lower rivers, wnere old VT
ginia was born, among the girls the love
OF whom ennobed us. whose presence
prompted us TO nigh thoughts and cour-
tesy and all that makes man, ana
vet they were not very much loveher
than some OF the charming children ana
modest maidens | see around me now
MR. X. s. r PATTEsoN.
The question suggests pleasant fancies,
for who cannot recall, win the h,os1
The stockings were hung Dy the chlIh-
ney with care,
In hopes that st. Nicholas soon would
be there"
Durable as are the impressions OF in
fancy, few OF us can single out our nap
pest Christmas. / am not one OF the
few. The charming reco!lectons are All
confused None Of us can forget
tile fragrant old faitn when we
watched the cold gray
Reluctantly line the diL1 border or Gay,
When we braved the bare floor with
our little bare feet
No shrine 10 pilgrim was ever 30
sweet
The pop-crackers, mistletoe and the an
ticipation surrounded the occasions with
4 a
doubt, which the period Of childhood can
| give better than any other.
POLK MILLER.
My happiest Christmasa Well. It wa8
in the good old autc-belum days, hen
every white boy and Niger on the pan
tation had pOp-crackers ana popped thtih
from ddybfeak on the morning. OF 'de
18th to midnight on the 3lst OF December,
when we would all 80 down to the cow
pen C'cup'n" IN those days., TO see the
| COWS down on Their knees at prayer
| The old negroes told us that the cows
welcomed the new year in with prayer,
| and while ! believed 1t, and often went 'Q
! visit tae sight, / must confess 'Hai !
never saw 1t. the COMING Oh AestoD9
| who were hired out by the year, MS tan
/ ners, blacksmiths. carpenters ana shoe-
| makers, and whom we never saw AT
| any other lime, was great pleasure 10
| me and to them, and as they never IalIed
| TO bring me "Sumpn good, ana na,le Il
| heap o. fuss" over me. II made me nap
ny. Thon. too. it was a time when |
! could enjoy the companionship OF th'Se
whom | preferred. ne white BOY WAS
! GOOD enough to play with al school, but
| he was inclined 10 have his way, ana II
| I opposed any proposition made 10y MN 10
| play a certain game ne or one Would
! have 10 give in or fight 1t ont. But the
! MORO bows looked up TO me. ana what
cvor was my viii was theirs. and they
! obcvrd me in all things ana follower
wherever ] led. / loved the negro boES
| and they loved me, ana the run Inc
| pleasure and the happiness that nave
| nod With them viii never be UNDERSTOOD
! and aDurcciated except by the men Who.
/ like myself. lived and moved anu ~
their being at the time Wnen me peDpIe
| ~ the south both white ard black, were
| contentod ard happy, and when 10 please
| ole Narster and ole Misus' was the ne
| gros highest ambition. But .....-. 49,,
mo mo- will ! hunt tor de posSum an
or sci about dat sweet ole cabin doh,
For dc cruel war has ruined my happy
Southern home m,
An 7 never 'spccks 70 see de Ike no
mo-"
MR.gGEoRGR 7. TlBBlTTs.
As tho train rolled on the passenger
crow, more anxious each moment 10 reach
| bie destination Tt had been several
months since ne had visited the ch"riShe !
! sppt and many Christmas uitS Hdb
IlaSed without his 1dVoutc seat az TIE
Tho parents. ever anxious 10 have tHe
children within the circle, especially On
this Joyous December day, were hOt ~
r4ctinc tine prOdigai nome. ~ the pas
senecr left the train q few familiar ld.e5
stood .bout and greeted him. but ut'+
could not be wasted along the way TO.
| only within a few blocks was the hapPs
home for which ne was bound. In Inc
tuiI.cf,t the visitor stepped upon the
porch. and after ringing the Den was Ll'-
den 10 enter. standing as a stranger be
fore her who is ever dearest 10 man $
! hcart-NfOthCr. Yes, II was 70 SURPRISE
She recognized his voice, as he said:
Il have come this Christmas I've 10
spend that happy day with you alu
father" The tears on her checks We're
NOT of sorrow, but Of Joy. I'D" Stock
Ing was nllcd taat night by ola Santa
/ Claus. rs in the times long paN'.
/ The fourth seat M the taht: Wn',u
was expected 10 be vacInt ana the pau
unused was filled hy one VINO dld lNIl
justice to the excellent repdst ana nnter
aid he enjoy visit, meal or Cay more
than that Christmas OF 1871
Mr.. FRANK j. CEAIGIr, JG.
AS well as l remember, my happiest
| Christmas was that OF 1885, ia the city ol
! Rochester, y. s. My father gave me
| = p1ir Of skates. nlc0e,-p.ated and the
| envy Of the neisnnorhOou. MY dtHSut
| knew no bounds, SO, with Sk"le7 mans
! ing OH a strap over my ShpaIuti' J. .'"l To-
| e4 in search Of a companion. ! JoNh1
! MN ana euuceI the poor unfortunate 10
,.--rl ont on the river and Try my
/ ..-tatiug SAIL scheme, JA't perfected. NJ "
| nun il together II was silpl- lhlHs
| Two bamboo sticks crossed ll'e On ~,
! lin a piece OF unblcachel cotton |lA
| tc.. long and q yard wide. siirlcAe
| across IT, Bill asked no inpertiurht
| questions about it, but as We ncafed me
| river he began 10 grow very pale. Before
| we came back ne was stil more 50, az
! cent where few large purple KNOBS
| stood out on his careWorn lace me c'llfo
| them bruises Il think. ,.i.,. .,.,.
Skating san rolled up in Nad IN my
/ poctrt The sticks Were broken Whrh
! my skates struck the hidden IoS IN the
! Zee and went few RODS through i"e
| cold dismal atmosphere.
/ \, vas suent the happlest Christmas ot
NV lie. and even now | think OF mat
| dav with uuauoyed pleasure. Such a.
! Christmas usually lasts FOR a week OF
! more. according "a the number ana lot@-
ton OF the bruises
Mr.. ARTHUR Il. CLAERF.
Nv Christmas days have usually been
! snaut i'm Il very uncyenttul fashion, ana 1
! eisU have TO 20 back TO cnll0noou nap
! nv hours 10 pick out one OF especial mole
! for its enjoyment. , -
/ When / was Il younE5ter there were
snoWs that were SHOWS when We Dow
/ vcouId make slides down Broad street I'M
/ fr,r, TVacty-third street To seventeenth
80. lirntaenrn ON this particular oc-
| cssion I mad been sliding Christmas Eve
| ON a home made seigh OF oniy moderate
! eueed bu. Christmas morning plouEhl me
/ 81 br1ud-neW coaster, with hflSht Ied
| rockers a green seat and silded letters.
! II MED me with JOY. ! polished the
/ rockers with a bTickbat ana piece nI
| ana ana went To that hillside with an
/ the pride OF monarch. IL PFo'el We