The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-01-01
ChristmasviIlc and Yesterday.

l a 3
There is long winding road peo-5
pied with sweet and with somber
ghosts leading back through the
| fast-thickening shadows OF memorv
10 the land of yesterday At the
farther end of the road, its lights now
twinkling brightly, now almost OBJ
scered in the gloom Of today's ac-
Qualities, lies the little town Of Christ
| masville.
l. You have been to Christmasville.
you know. Perhaps your head is
sprinkled with gray. Perhaps your
race is scanned with the scars that
we boys and girls Of larger growth
count in increasing numbers as we
night through the battle. of life. Per-
maps your spirit is surcharged will,
cynlcism or soured with disappoint-
ment- Perhaps your logic, through the
oiudgeoning with which you have won
your way to success or to failure. is
crystal clear and you scott at the
memories 'conjared UP at the Thought
OF the snug little, bright little town.
But-now be honest with yourself,
hardened wording, devoutIfChris-
tian, callous modern pagan; what
would you give for the privilege OF
|'-,andering back along that road. hand
in hand with some OF the sweeter
ghosts that peer from out its shadows.
until you brought up before the gates
Of gold and of azure that guard the
portals OF Christmasville?
Yes. you may have tasted the trf-
umphs Of life Aince your last falterfne.
skeptical visit. You may have tasted
all the sweets that ambition attained
and 1--we realized have to cffer.
But has any joy, in life been half
so vivid, have any ynaturer hours been
half so filled with ecstacy pure a. -
unabashed. as the joys ana th nours.
that were yours when you were a 10y
al, believing citizen Of Christmasyilie !?
Christmasviile not real? What rank
hypocrisy! What in life, since then
has been more real? Don't YOU know
that you believed more ferv.ntly in
the little old man with the Jolly face,
and bnlging pack than, you Shava in
any man or thing since you sent him
out Of your life? Don't yon remem-
Der that you listened for the patter-,
Ing hcofs Of his steeds, that YOU kept
your sleepy. sand-filled eyes On the
open hearth garnished with Tapping
stockings. with greater eagerness and
trustfulness than you have shown
over any subsequent event along the.
| nearer end Of the road?
Don't you know that the keen. pure.
Imagination of childhood, making ana
peopling its own world laughing and
crying over the joys and griefs which
you knew were unreal when YOU
dreamed them-offers sweeter,
cleaner, a more genuinely happy
budget Of experiences than the tan
gible things that have occurred since
then?
Well may you envy the little youns.-
ster whose bright eyes grow round
and dewy. and whose little red mouth.
Fuckers in a thoughtful frown as he
scans the chimney log, or as he lis.
tens to the tale you tell him--the tale
you half believe yourself.
For he is in the land of yesterday.
he is In the little town of Christmas
Vile. He sees sights and hears sounds
that may not creep into your world
grown senses. He is believing as in
rensely as YOU belived. He fs low.
"usly, unqestioningly happy as vow
once were. He Is living in the one
very real period OF his life, in the ons
little town where the currency ts ~
the rich coinage Of childish Dreams
and childish hopes and childish fears.
you'd like to be with him, IL only
Tor moment, wouldn't you: You'd
like to swap off for heavy odds some
of the ugly doubts and sullen memo
ries that cling in vour mind, and feel
just once more the implicit faith, the
innocent JOY that makes glad the tiny
citizen OF Christmasville.
Help brighten the things you 50
wisely cali his ''illusione." Tommorw
ne Will be- out of the land OF yester.
day.--Atlanta Constitution.