Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-12-26
Christmas With
The PiCkwiCkianS

= TO chroniclcr OF Christmas do.
N ingS has done Ii So iniIniiably
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 half
hundred times and not become weary.
The Christmas spirit is everywhere
evident in the chapters devoted 10 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. II not altogether as
light as fairies. did the four pickwckians
assemble on the morning OF tine I'd day
OF December in the year OF grace In
which these their faithfully recorded ad.
ventures were undertaken and accom-
plished. Christmas was close nj hand IT.
all his blum and hearty honesty II was
the season OF hospitality. merriment and
open heartedness. The old year was pre-.
pairing like an ancient philosopher to
call his friends around him and amid tho
sound OF feasting and reveily 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 u wide and
open country where the wheels skim
over the hard and frosty ground. +" slow
town, where the horses are changed.
then again "dashing along the open
road with the fresh air blowing in
their faces and gladdcuing their very
hearts within them" they arrive nj
Dingley Dell, where we ara Introduced
TO that famous parsonage. The fat hoy.
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. rickwick and
his three friends struck into the fnotpath
across the fields and walked briskiy away.
leaving Mr. Weller and the fat boy con
fronted together for the first time sam
looked at the fat boy with great aston
ishment but without saying word. and
began TO stow the things rapidly away
In the cart while the fat boy stood quiet
teresting scrt OF thing 20 see Mi Weller
working By himself.
The conversation of these i,,n char
actcrs is too long 10 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 al
Dingley Dell. at which Mir. Pick wick
distinguished himself by felicitous
speech. and get 10 the story Of the
dance. Dickens description of the old
sitting room Is q gem
The best sitting room at Manor Farm
was a good long. dark paneled room,
with a high chimney piece and capacious
chimney. up which you could have driven
one of the new patent cabs. wheels and
all At the upper end OF the room seated
IN a shady bower OF holly and ever
greens were the two best fidders and the
only harp in Muggleton IN ali sorts Of
recesses and on all kinds of brackets
stood massive old silver candlesticks with
four branches each The carpet was up
the candles burned bright. the fire blazed
and cracked on the hearth and merry
voices and light hearted laughter rang
through the room II any OF the old
English yeomen had turned into fairies
when they died. II was Just the place in
which they would have held their revels
After the dance was over, Mi. Pick
wick having acquitted himself with
great credit, the reader Is told about
the doings In the famous old kitchen
Here hung the mistlctoe and did its
mission we'll in adding TO the jolllty
OF the occasion The artist whose pie.
lures appear on his pages has done ex
cellent justice TO Dickens text:
From the center OF the ceiling OF this
Kitchen old Wardle had Just suspended
with his own hands huge branch OF
misiletoe. and this same hfancn OF mis-,
tletoe instantaneously gave rise 10
scene OF general ard most delightful