The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1908-12-24
DREAMS.

DREAMS.
Soft and light as the shadows cast on
turf by the afterglow of a long summer
afternoon, the memories of old Christmas
times come to those who have known many
of them. Faint and sweet as the tinkling
of far off sheep bells in the solemn and
brooding hush in the evening, while dark
ness descends slowly in the valleys and
the sleeps purple and the crests are yet
alight, come the sounds from Christmas
days gone by. Misty but bright, like the
first pale cleaning along the horizon and
the tingling with white of the sombre
clouds when the moon is rising fast, is the
coming of each new Christmas. 1t is
time of brightness and happiness, but with
its radiance softened and chastened by the
filmy veil that floats invisible between the
waning past and our recollection.
So, pensively musing, we dream dreams
of the past, and in our dreaming faces
long and dearly familiar are about us once
more-once more. From the far caverns
of the memory the magic of the time sum-
mons the lost and gone and buried. Our
ears are strained to catch and welcome
melodies from realms the distance to which
no mortal measurements may compute: so
mysteriously hid in space and darkness
that no direct path may find them, because
they may be reached surely only by vague
wanderings through many shadows. Our
Imagination brings to US again shining
eyes and smiling faces into which we have
looked, cordial hand clasps, from hands
cold and still these long years, scenes and
happening thronging upon us by thou
sands, our own returning to us and inviting
us again to live and be with them.
Vivid, brilliant and glowing as the touch
of the rising sun on the clouds of morning
are Christmas memories and thoughts and
hopes to the young. The singing in their
hearts and all the sounds of exultation and
celebration are theirs, real and ringing
and sweet as the crashing of the bells, the
pealing of the chimes, the thrilling swell
and cadence of the organ. Their dreams
are of Christmas tomorrow, of long pro-
cessions of Christmas days and gifts and
joys to come, marking shining and happy
years of triumph and attainment.
The dreams of youth are onward, for
time to come. The natural dreams of
maturity and age are backward and of
things gone. 1t is for youth to dream
brightly and happily for the future and to
remember to crowd each Christmas time
with clean and happy recollection, to be
garnered and dreamed upon and recalled
along the trackless and obsured path in the
years to come. 1t is for age to dream, at
this season, of happy days bygone and to
come no more in this world, and of mex
pressible joys in the world to come.
For the many who tonight and to-mor-
row night will be dreaming of Christmas
days gone and for the many others who
will be dreaming of to- morrow and Christ
mas days to come, we hope Merry Christ
mas and Happy New Year; with the
assurance to the elders that they can have
both if they will take to themselves the
real meaning Of the time, the season and
the day; and to the youngers that they
will be happy and store away happy mem
cries for the future if they will honestly
try to be happy and deserve to be.
And God bless US every one.