The Irish standard., 1904-12-31
THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS.
A Good Story for the BLESSED Holiday
Season


flakes hither and thither over the
whole city, forcing them in through
every crack and crevice and open
doorway, and into the eyes of such be-
lated pedestrians as CHANGED to be still
exposed to their discriminating fury,
says a writer in the San Francisco
Monitor.
Amid the general darkness one small
window glistened and glowed and
blushed as though to prove that the
cold and the darkness were not quite
universal. Peering in through the lat
tees, we see a cheerful fire blazing
and Pickering, and filling the modest
compartment with a pleasant warmth.
y small table stands in the center of
the room, and seated beside it is an
old man taking his supper. His face,
wrinkled and weather-beaten, wears
an expression of discomfort, as though
hc were dissatisfied with the world at
large. He pours himself out Il cup of
tea, empties the remains of the milk
into it, drops in three Jumps of sugar,
and then begins stirring it up With Il
pewter spoon. He then puts it to his
lips. drains it at gulp, and pushing
from him Il plate of mutton bones,
from which the flesh has already been
carefully picked, he gets up, places his
wooden armchair nearer the fire, sits
down, and stretches out his legs to
enjoy the genial warmth. Presently
he plunges both of his large, tawny
hands at the same time into his peck
cts. and pulls out Il pipe and tobacco
with the one, and box of matches
with the other. He then proceeds to
charge the pipe and to light it, and
then placing it between his lips, puffs
AWAY, puff! puff. puff! till his head
is soon almost lost amid the encircling
clouds.
He adverts to his solitary lot. He
pers,lades himself that he is badly,
yes. very badly treated. and that no
one cares for him. He is alone in the
world. and not Il living creature
troubles about him. or cares to help
him. or to administer to his wants, or
tries to make him happy. Il might
just as WE'LL he begins to mutter to
himself, ''be the only occupant Of this
world. Why, my days are passed in
such seclusion that l should be no
worse Off if every human inhabitant
were swept off the earth Or transport
ed to another planet, and if were left
here quite by myself" He then goes
on to murmur inwardly ut the neglect
from which he is suffering, and to
complain of the apathy and the un-
kindness of the Masses who think
only of themselves, and will never stir
Il hand or foot OH his account. In fact,
he grows exceedingly sorry for him
self, and. in his anger declares that
, he would, under the circumstances, be
far, far happier if there We're no other
human being on earth ut all. Hump
he observes between the puffs of his
pipe. "how much nicer are animals
than men. How UNNECESSARILY better
, off should be if were surrounded by
| innocent birds and beasts, who are al
| ways faithful and kind, rather than by
the millions and millions of human
creatures who never bestow thought
upon me, and care not a straw wheth.
er live or dic.''
For some considerable time he con
tinues to rate against the heartless
! ness of Dame Fortune and against thu
Indifference of his fellows, until at las
! his pipe falls from his lips, his heat
sinks on his chest, and his loud, regu
lar breathing indicates that lie has fall
on into deep. deep sleep.
! He slept Yes: and as he slept III
had a strange and most instructiv.
| dream or vision, in which he seemed
to be carried by spirit, which an
! no,lnced itself as ''thc Spirit of Christ
mas on Il journey through the world
and to be made to visit all kinds o
curious places. Yet. strange to say
every place he visited and every PEI
son he saw seemed in some way o
another. to be connected with himself
When awake he felt his solitude. hi
utter isolation: but in some wOndrou
manner in his dream he realized that
50 far from being desolHte ana neglect
ed. the whole world was Interested l.
him. and thinking of him. and worllin
for him, and contributing to his hap
pincss and wcll-being. 1t would talk
too long. gentle reader. to describe tn
whole of his dream and all the differ
ont spots he visited durn" the cours,
of it, but | will give YOU some portion
of his experiences, just as he told then
to me, when l was quite young man
seventy or eighty long years ago.
"When I first fell asleep on tina
memorable December night" he said
at the same time knocking the ashe
out of his pipe, Il seemed all ut one
to pass into the keeping of the Spiri
of Christmas who appeared to me a
an angel of most charming aspect. wit
Il countenance redolent of happiness !,
we'll as of wisdom and dignity an
beauty. 1t carried me first of all t