The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-12-26
A. GODDARD, Publisher.
LEONARD 8. GODDARD. Es,ro..
Our chlldhood's Christmas.

when the emotions of our young
being were kindled into a flame
of gladness and merriment as they
never have been since, when we
looked toward in happy snticipa-
tions to the joyous Christ mas times,
only few weeks or few days in
the future. One of the very first
words we learned to lisp was
Christmas, and how vivid are the
rec0lections' OF those happy by
gone days, and the forecast on
Christmas eve Of the morrow. Yes.
we were almost as wild as the Com
anchep, 80 intense was our joy, and
mother ami father were driven
almost distracted by our shouts and
capers as we run in and out of the
house making such racket,
known only in childhood, Christ
mas eve the fire in the old time fire
place seemed brighter, and would
sparkle and crackle as it never did
before. The invasion of the cold
without was defied as we were
seated sround the hearth stone of
our childhood's happy homes in
the old country home. AS we reca
these scenes, never to come again
many little fireside incidents come
teeming into our minds. We think
them triffiing now, but not 80 as
we remember them occurring in
our tender years. The night before
Christmas, mother father and
children seated around the CHEEKY
log fire, and after awhile father or
mother would say GENE children
time your in bed If you expect
Santa Claus to come and put any
thing in yonr stockings" Soon we
are tucked snugly away under the
old patch quilt and the last thing
we see as we quietly eased off into
dream land are our stockings hang
ing by the jam convenient for
Santa as he comes down the CHM
ney. My! what dreams Of Santa
and Christmas we would have
during that night Father and moth
er seemed to be young too. and long
before day they wake us with the
cry, "Christmas gift! Christmas
gift!" and out of bed we spring
with the alacrity of catamount
and scleam in return Christmas
gift! Christmas gift! We are all up
now, and the house rings again and
I again with our joyous cries. The
stockings are taken by assault, and
oh! the thrills that ran through oul
being, as we went through the
contents of those st0cksings
have never ceased to tingl~
although we are full grown men and
women. Such an uprcar. There
never was such time as the
Christmas of our childhood. Now
the morning light begins to break
and far AMI wide you can hear the
Christmas guns, and the joyful
echoes of distant voices as they
hailed the dawn Of happy Christmas
day. Then 1t seemed as though the
little humble spot wo called home
was entirely to small to contain the
overlooking joy that we had, and
we felt like we wanted to be every
where, where the glorious Christ
mas was being celebrated ant
be partakeas of every body's christ
mas. Reader you may complet'
this picture that I have family
outlined, according to your owl
experiences. You will touch it u,
at one place, while my brush wi
incline towards another spot
Have you finished it? Yes. Well
yon can paint an other. All! tn,
outlines are drawn and the sketch
is excellent. Now apply the brusl
lightly, ever So lightly, and pain
those softer shades and tints which
lend that enchanting for away
effect. Isn't that beautiful? Ii
the foreground is seen white sal
boat, bounding over the blue water
and in the boat we see mar
gazing intently backward, his eye
| bent upon a shore in the distance
and oh how beautiful is that shore
A gentle glory, a radience soft snt
tender is resting upon it, ant
suffuses that part of the horizal
with an exquisite glow.
Across that ever widening gull
his eyes will ever lovs to liuger, AN,
when he is bourne so far out from
the shore that he can no longer trac
its outlines he will still continue t.
mark at that part of the horizon
edge the beautiful flush and tn
glow into which he has seen it t
fade, the far away loved shore. En-
large this picture and apply tn
delicate touches that make it NOR
beautiful If you SO desire.
These two pictures dimly out
lined, are both suggested in tn
Christmas of which we learned s
much in our innocent happy child
hood days, that are continually gel
ting farther away, and are stil
lending enchantment to the view.