Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-19
WHAT XMASIS TO HIN
- MEANS GOOD CHEER FOR THE
COUNTRY LAD.
Fr1DgYS At THE VIRGINIA FIRESIDE
r,ri.tmas-Day with n Country hoy
and observation-disclosures Mt HA
Grandpn's--iIOw His Fhther |e
brates.

r. ,ps-a is a city chap who does not
a-s ,-a country boy has good time
,-s ,- The kindness Of his young hear''
a.,s sorry for him, it might be wei 10
..rt-- hat he is wasting his well-meant
r..v ~.s country lad may have quieter
Christmas. and he may sometimes leeI
,t.. De would like few more COM
--r.--s q, make the grand old time
~.-..-. h,.t he is not given to spending
ts Christmas days srieving over inc
nix that he didn't spill and isn't likely
o get a fogging for.
I- the first place. Christmas always
,--ss +a the villages and the country
t.5-s il does 10 the largo cities. Inc
v.,- first Christmas at all came TO a
LILLE village before it did 10 any other
ta,e. and the country people away out
% the mountains were the next to near
cit and feel the JOY it brings.
BEGINS WITH HIS BOOTS
As soon as a country lad gets his big
vr,e- boots. which reach up TO DIS
Knees there is the first feeling OF IT'S
ms q, his bones" which he ackno"l,
sz-- with a shout, and q strut tha'
Would have made the ThanksslN,hs
turkey die OF envy, II he hadn't died DC.
f-s There Is no timo in a boys lile
vts1 he feels so much man as "hsn
is pulls on his first pair Of tan Doots
ara goes out 10 hunt snowdriftS 10 u!
u5n IN. He says TO all the World, a.
tie cvric did 10 Alexander, the conQueIo'
o. tie world stand out OF my Sun
shine" .,
o. course the country boy goes r., ~
school during the winter, as MS e'
tol.a does. but he doesn't often go iho n,
than five months, and sometimes r9.
ana on this account he pities the Poo-
e.ty boy. who is housed up the whoie yea
Ground nearly. He begins ms "a
ton each wear about october, throws ~
looks away in March. and MAKES VI
EFFORT Of his life 20 forget what no va
harmed before the melancholy days a.
come apaIu. the saddest or ms ye@.
H. Is ahead OF the city boy a nttie ie,'
TOO for be generally succeeds. WIN -
msny examples before him or Wonoei !,
success on the part OF his brotheis
dumping ia the seven months OF Vdc"''
ell they have been forced TO PICK up
I've. school loses many OF its teTIOIS
To- country, and retains many cnaii'i''
BOYS AND GIRLS AT SCHOOL"
The boys and girls sit side by sios
School. and write notes 10 eacn 80
On their states. and help each otheI
hard word al recitation as olteh 90
becomes necessary. AT recess theS -
together. and nourish their httle ioee
with am the purity and freedom OF me
ard women. Then he walks with ~
home miles away. and he wonders ,us
The miles are so much shorter than 'ho.
o1w1 his way. All the way he IS nopil
Tie Indians he reads about in his hlsVoi
Or something. he doesn't care what w
spring upon them, just 10 show ner al
her mother how bravely he would resc.
her. He would give his left hand y
chance 20 do something perilous IN "a
presence, and there isn't q spriB
Elstletos growing SO high In al u
woods that hs cannot get IL she - "
standing by, watching him climb. ana
BE win but stand under II for ht'
While only, when he couNs down. Counu
lasses are right close akin TO INV
cousins in the city, and they 90 s"'
t-eh stand, sometimes,
but Christmas comes at last, aIter
has written zone more day gone I"
Cfismus" on his slate many, mar
unes. The school closes with a gre
lassos stew" and twinGe at the heai
because he won't see his sweetheart
morrow and next day. and not ior -
weeks. except az church, when shs
wear dress which agrees VINE
mother IN saying: Don't touch me. -
% ''puils' tho mo.asscs with her ann -
u even kinder TO him than before.
slainpf his foot while she r. gone Tor
hewept and sweafx hs will be a ina
stand II come what may. Dol