Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-12-17
: Christmas With
The PiCkWickianS
! Observation-Disclosures

IN ingS has done 1t so lnlmltaDiy
as Dickens, and nowhere has
Dickens described them bet
ter than in the "Pickwick Papers,
One might read the paragraph relating
to the observance of the holiday hall
q hundred times and not become weary
The Christmas spirit Is eyerywheFe
evident in the chapters devoted to the
holiday making. From the beginning,
when the hero, his three friends and
his faithful servant start for Dingley
Dell, to the hour Of their return there
is Christmas in every sentence:
As brisk as bees, IL not altogether AZ
light as fairies. did the four PickwiclIians
assemble on the morning Of the 22d day
of December In the year of grace IN
which these their faithfully recorded ads
ventures were undertaken and accom-
plished. Christmas was close at hand IN
all his bluff and hearty honesty. 1t was
the season OF hospitality. merriment ana
open heartedness. The old year was pre-
pairing, like an ancient philosopher, to
call his friends around him and amid the
sound of feasting and revelry to pass
gently and calmly away. Gay and merry
was the time, and right gay and merry
were at least four Of the numerous hearts
that were gladdened by its coming.
After travelling through a wide and
open country where "the wheels skim
over the hard and frosty ground" slow
inR up as they draw near q country
town. where the horses Gre ehatged,
then again ''dashing along the open
road, with the fresh air blowing IN
their faces ard gladdening their very
hearts within them," they arrive at
DIngley Dell, where we are introduced
to that famous parsonage, the fat boy.
He is an old acquaintance Of Mr.. Pick
wick, but to Sam Weller his face is
strange. To follow this first meeting:
Having given this direction and settled
with the coachman, Mr.. Pickwlck ana
his three friends struck into the footpath
across the fields and walked briskly away.
leaving Mr.. Weller and the fat boy con-
fronted together for the first time. Sam
looked at the fat boy with great aston:
bSlment, but without saying word, and
began to stow the things rapidly away
in the cart, while the fat boy stood quiet
ly by and seemed to think 1t very In
teresting sort of thing to see Mr.. Weller
working by himself.
The conversation of these two char
acters is too long to reprint here, but
not too much so to peruse with the
greatest interest. We must pass over
the story of the wedding, which was
the day before Christmas event at
DingIey Dell, at which Mr. Pickwick
distinguished himself by a felIcitous
speech. and get to the story Of the
dance Dickens description Of the old
sitting room is a gem:
Tba .st sitting room at Manor Farm
was a good long dark paneIed room.
with a high chimney piece and a capaclous
chimney. I'm which you could have driven
one az the new patent cabs, wheels and
ali Al the upper end Of the room, seated
in a shady bower Of holly and ever
green's were the two best fddlers and the
onlv llrp in Muggleton. In all sorts OF
raossues and on ali kinds of brackets
s.ood roassIva old silver candlesticks with
tour hranches each. The carpet was up.
the candles burned bright, the fire bIazed
and crackIed on the hearth, and merry
voices and Tight hearted laughter rang
,broukh the room. II any Of the old
English yeomen had turned into fairies
when thew died II was 1ust the place in
Witch they would have held their reveIs.
~. D.o,.
After the dance was over, MT PICK
wick having acquitted himself with
-. orodIt tbo rooder ia told about
sie". ~ S IA Ltto,,o,,
the doings IN the ianous o'u Ai.e"en'
Here hung the mistletoe and did Its
mission well in adding to the JOllity
Of the occasion. The artist whose pic
tures appear on his pages has done ex.
cellept Justice to Dickens text:
From The center of the ceiling Of this
kitchen old wardle had just suspended