The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1914-12-25
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X THE OBSERVATORY. X
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think few people know what a
great change las come over some
parts of our country in the obser-
vance of Christmas. This is true of
New England in particular; when |
was lad in the Sos, no particular at
tention was paid to the day beyond
allowing most children to hang up
their stocking" Christmas eve; and
think | was as fortunate as other chill
dren in the region where lived in the
country of eastern Massachusetts.
Christmas morning | would find an
orange, some good candy, some choice
nuts. tine layer raisins, and perhaps
new pair of mittens, or a muffler, or
a knit skating cap that covered the
ears, from my parents, or book from
my aunts but the latter was more
likely to come New Years, as some
of them still have show by their
presentation inscription School was
out for a few days because some of
the families made more of the hoii-
day; the chief JOY was to get in
first" the. Merry Christmas" greet
ing. And believe we youngsters
were Just as happy with the. organge,
nuts and raisins as the kids" are now
with far more
| recall Christmas 1857; there was
no snow, but cold spell, and the
great meadows near my home, over
flowed by the mill-dam in the winter,
was covered with glare ice; | was an
expert skater; father released me from
every task about the farm and | was
on the ice early after breakfast. After
dinner a bigger crowd came to the
ice,of girls as we'll as boys, and many
young men. | remember a Dartmouth
college student home for the holi-
days, came to the edge of the ice and
talked about ice and skating and re-
marked that once he enjoyed it, but
now did not care much for it. | re-
member | wondered if the time would
ever come when ! would say that; for
then | would rather skate than eat or
sleep; and | took very little time for
dinner or supper that great day. |
remember it was the time of full |
moon, and it was a late hour that |
evening when the last of us left the |
meadows. The ice field extended into |
another town and a party of us fol-
lowed the Saugus river to its source
in Quanopowit Lake, where we min
gled with another crowd and then re-
turned the same way.
In 1867 WaSh'npton's birthday,
February % I skated with d party
from Hartford On the Connecticut
river to Fast Windsor Hill. EIGHT
miles We had some trouble getting
off the river ice AZ The mouth If Scan
tic river at Fast Windsor Hill: went
% hosn'tahle home for dinner, and
before we left the house a messenger
,@me to tell rs the river ice was no l
on0er safe We walled hack to Hart
ord and when we reached the river a
'r'doe the ice had startetd went out
# the river that NIGHT and steamboat
'av'"r'i"n to New York began two /
avs after. r
Tho last time had on states was n
, 1874 near New Bedford the "whal-
10 citv" Tn my youth not bow
ould catch me when nn skates:
onder what kind of figure I would
It now. c,
I left home in 1855. Up to that time a
had never participated in a Christ in
as SUNDAY school celebration. That
ar I attended a Christmas Eve ser
e in a Hartford church, and the
ngs. the pastors address and the
ching of the whole convinced me or
the propriety and profit of such &c
servance. But have seen such
tivsls where all the family presents
re taken to the tree" and the
ount given to some was Haunting