The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-18
|acKENS' WORK FOR CHRISTMAS
81 Our Modern Appreciation OF the Worlds (ire.,.s
FestaI Day We Owe to the Great Novelist

/
,m.i,ss tney were ringing! Great halls.
VII deep 'nouthed, noble thelI.
| fore?'' @i'tineu ike that be-
Let us also
Listen TO the mellow weddinr be,,s,
r, Golden bells!
"hat a world OF happiness tbsir ,o,.,..
foretells! '"'' neioay
through the icy air OF night.
TOW tney ring out their delight,
Alo rom the molten. golden notes
And all in tune, 1890
What liquid ditty floats
10 the turtle dove that listens wbi,o sha
gloats WINE sne
On the moon.
ring OFT, sweet bells, 10 the swes, 49,,
~, .,ng out the old ring In the INV
hing, happy bells, across the snow.
mi, 4n Tue Vailant man ans free.
ne larger aeart, the hindier hand.
nins out the darkness of the land
MING IN tbe Christ that is TO be-
~
me next story of Boz" to rres. ,bo
JOYOUS Christmas time was ''Tbe cti,ho,
ON the Hearuh-A Fairy Sso.y of u,,,.,
dua Home exhibiting the nf,,c,ioyl ,,i
f'map,a Oh extanouhng happlnes from the
creatures. VI uou
VIE pfayeth best VINO ioyeth bes+
AN th'ngs both gleat ana small.
fof the dear God who ovetb i've
he made and loveth all.
=, joan PerrybIngle as Well as mis- dear II,
We wiie Dos ro6h love the crickef ON ~,
heHi'6h, and the latter SAYS. "To ~ s'a
siacket ON the hearth is iiae luckaest tb;rS
III the world, and is sure to bring us ,roo'
ioNtune, John" And SO it proved in th,s
instance o'ed al 'Als
ime poetlcal quality of Investing small
"eii 70 HIsehstte things with sensation
" s,'i, Seiiuslueut is one OF the authors pc
culiar attractions therefore nsin, ~ ~
quaiHI conceit of the cricket on the ne,rt1,
ann aid Inc Kettle on the hob, playing
lAdPpy Duet, us moral and amshoraring
agents IN promoting the happiness NJ
ioine' me Weaves a delightful romance nj
love- hearth and home.
~ is not alone in the ideal that Dickens
eAceis, but he has "a pretty uonsiderab,a
elp upon tane solid and substantial things
MI nj ai,e' ana among these is a lively and a
-,.tsnis aiiNeeatiNe estimate of that social
necessary and ever recurring function so
nappaiy described by Owen Meredith:
We may live without booIks-wbat is
knowledge but grieving?
we may live without hope-what is hona
out dece.Vlng?
We may live without love-what is passion
but pining?
But where is the man who can live wjthout
dining?
III there is amy one thing or collect on
OF Things of material nature that our an
.hor eAceiS in describing it is good things
10 eat-especially at Christmas time.
50 graphic, indeed, are some of his gas-
economical or epicurean pictures that to
the imagination of a hungry man his sail
vary glands are sympathetcally st!nu-
lated, and. TO use familiar phrase, the
mouth actually Waters at the mere d.
scription.
AS an Illustration of this witness the
Christmas dinner at Bob Craohet's. whers
tho principal items In the menu are
roast goose and u plum pudding for des-
seI't. AS u contrast TO this mote the sump-
tuons Christmas banquet at old Farmer
Wardells, where the immortal Plckwick
shines forth in all his glory-his blue eyes
beaming through his spectacles with kind
ness and beneyolence on the whole human
race. THE menu on this occasion might
be extracted from the bill of fare OF the
god OF plenty in the Christmas Carroll
"Heaped on the floor to form kind of
throne were turkeys. geese, veaison game, |
poultry, Drawn great joints of beef. NUT
on. sucking pigs, great links OF sausages, |
mince pies, plum buildings, Barrels OF |
oysters, immense twelfth cakes, rosy |
.heeked apples, luscious oranges. cherry |
bounce. flip aInd seething bowls of punch |
hat made the chamber dim with its de-
icious steam. On this in easy state sat a |
Jolly giant glorious 10 see. who bore d
orch not unlike Plenty's horn, and held !
/ up high to shed it's light on Scrooge az |
ne came crouching and creeping round the
loor.''
What human beings could have the ca
,aclty TO enjoy all this? In striking con
rast witness the following exquisite de-
crlptlOn of a poor mans dinner OF SIN
Gle dish showing how much more the
cor appreciate and enjoy their little than
heir plenty and abundance;
In the Christmas story Of The Chimes.
hat good daughter Meg brings TO her ar
ectionate father-roby or Trotty Week
lis dinner or lunch In basket.
why, you don't mean to say sad
toby. looking curiously at the coverai
you
Smell it, father, dear; only smell H..
Toby was galng 10 life up the cover at
nee in a great hurry, when Meg gayly In
her hand
Z" No, no. said Meg with the gloe OF
hild. Lengthen II out n little. Let me-
lst lift ND the corner-now what's that
"Trotty took the shortest possible sniff
, m, t,,sl,at and oriad off I'm RAPTURE: