Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1914-12-19

q BY y
Charles Dickens
II HAVE been loohine IN this even.
m: NJ - merry company OF chill.
Il ,irrn assembled around that pref
4, German TOY. II Christmas tree.
l.riu. NOW at honc again and alone.
the ua.y fcr>on IN the house awake.
IN, thoughts are drawn back by fas.
cination which | do not care to resist
to my own childhood. Straight In the
middle at The room. Cramped In the
freedom of its growth by no encircllng
walls or soon reached ceiling. a shad
owy tree arises. aud, looking up into
the dreamy brightness OF its top. for
observe In this tree the singular prop
erty that 1t appears 10 grow down
ward toward the earth. | look into my
Youngest Christmas rccolleciions.
Al toys ~ first | end But upon the
branches OF the tree. lower down. how
thick the books begin 10 hang-thin
books. In themselves at FIRST. but many
OF them. with dcllciously smooth covers
OF bright red ana green.
~ was an archer and shot at frog"
or course he was. lie was an apple
pie also and there he IS. lie was o
good many things in his time was A,
and So were most OF his friends, except
y. who had ~ little versatility that |
never knew him to get beyond Nerxes
or Nantippc
But now the very tree itself changes
and becomes n beanstalk. the marvel
Gus branStnlA by which Jack climbed
M To the giants house
Good for Christmas time is the rud-
dy color OF the cloak In which. the tree
maxim: forest OF itself for her to
trip through with her basket. Little Red
Riding Hood comes to me one Christ.
mas eve TO give me information OF the
cruelty and trcachery OF that dlssem
bin. wolf who ate her grandmother
without making any impression on his
appetite aud then nte her after max
ing that fcrocious joke about his teeth.
She was my first love | felt that II
could have married Little Red Rid
Ing Hood | should have known perfect
bliss nut II was not TO be. and there
WAS uuthiu. for 1t but to look for the
wolf in the \onh's ark there and put
him last In the procession on the table
az n monster who was 10 be degraded
Oh the wonderful Noah's ark! II
was not found scHworthy when put In
n washing tub. and the animals were
crjuimcd In NJ the roof and needed 10
hay" their logs well shaken down be
fore they could Ice got In even there,
aud then ten to one they began to tum'
blr out AT the door which was but I'm.
perfectly fastened with n wire latch.
But what was that against II
Again forest and somebody up In
u tree not Robin Hood. not Valentine.
not the Yellow Dwarf: | have passed
these aud all Mother Ruuch's wonders
without mention bui an eastern king
with the rlItterins scimitar and tur-
bun 1t is the setting In OF the bright
Arabian Nights
Oh. now all common things become
uncommon and quite enchanted to mel
All mmps are most wonderful. All
rings ure taiSmans Common lower
pots are full OF treasure. with little
earth scattered on the top; trees are for
All Baha to hide In bccfSteaks are TO
throw down into the Valley of Dia.
munds. that the precious stones may
stick to them aud be carried by the
eagles to their nests. whence the trad
ers. with loud cries. will scare them.
All the dates imported come from the
same tree aS that unlucky one with
whose shell the merchant knocked out
the eye If tire GENES Invisible son.
But bark The waits are playing.
aud they break my childish sleep.
What images do associate with the
Christmas music rs SEE them set
forth ON the Christmas tree. Known
before all the others keeping far apart
from all the others. they gather round
NV little bed an angel speaking 10
u group OF >h-rhrrdS In field; some
travellers with eyes uplified. following
n star. u baby In II mangcr. child In
spacious temple. taking with great
men. a solemn figure. with mild and
bcautifui face raising dead girl by
the hand. again. near city gate call
ing back the son OF widow on his
bier to life. u crowd of people looking
through the open roof "f chamber
where he sits and letting down sick
person on bed with ropes the same.
IN u TEMPEST. walking on the waters:
In u ship again on n scashore. teach.
inS u great multitude; again. with q
child upon his knee and other children
around. again. restoring sight 10 the
blind speech TO the dumb hearing to
the dear, health To the sick, strength
To the lame. knowledge to the ignorant;
again diving upon a cross. watched by
armed soldiers. a darkness coming on.
the earth beginning 10 shake and only
one Voice heard Forgive them for
they know not what they do