Year: 1863

That old red sleigh, with its long box that
never was full, far down in the straw, wrapped in
the robes, or on one or another of the four seats
u contained, there was always room for one more
what grouping of bright young faces there
used to be in it-faces in hoods, in caps aud in
blankets hearts that have loved since hearts
that have broken hearts that have mouldered
AND away we went over the hill and through
the vale, under the moonlight and under the
-cloud when the stars were looking down when
the sun kindled the world into q great white
Jewel. But those days have gone forever away
and the sweet old necklace of bells, big in the
middle OF the string, and growing small by de-
grees, has lost its power over the pulses.


In that old sleigh brides have gone away before
now-those that were married to manhood, those
that were I" married unto death.o Great ships
have gone over the waters with less of hope and
happiness than that rude craft has born over the
bllows of Winter Swanlike shapes now glance
along the arrowy way, but give us for its sweet
memories of yesterday, the old red sleigh.


Then the days when we were " coasters" and
down the big hill by the maple wood through
the little patches far into the valley, we came
with merry shout, each the solitary Palinurus of
his own small craft. How like flock of swal-
lows we were, dashng down the declvty, in
among group of sleds, sideby side with rival, &,
shooting by like an arrow. steering in gallantly
ahead like a jockey, and on our way up with a





below.


And then it was, when the wind had swept
away the snow from the pond and stream, and the
Ice was CLAIR, that We put on the rockers and
darted hither and thither, and cut skies and
eights, and curves without number and drew the
girls we loved, and whrled them like leaves over
the highway of crystal.


And the schools where we spet each other
down, and the schools where we sang Wndham
and Near, and the schools where we ciphered and
wrote, and "w went up gone, all gone, teach
ers and taught, like the melting SHOWS under the
rainbows of April.


And when, sometimes after the great snow, the
winds came out of the north for q frolic what
wreathing and carvings of cold alabaster there
were What Cornthiau adornngs surmounted
the fence posts What holdings were fashioned
beside the way What fary-like caves in the
drifts! What flowers of rare finish, and pendants
of pearls on the tree


Have you quite forgotten the footprints we
used to find in the damp snow as delicate, some
of them. as a love letter; the mysterious paths
down to the brook or by the old hollow tree
that we used to wonder over and set figure
fours" by, If perchance we might catch the
makers thereof? Have you quite forgotten how
sorry you were for the snowbirds that huttered
among the flakes, aud seemed tossing, and lost
in the storm?


And there, in the midst of that Winter, Christ
mas was set that made the Thanksgiving last all
through the night of the year-and what wonder
@stars @sIil NNa fires burned more brightly therefor
prsa atistmas, with its gifts and its cheesNeSte
were prints upon ~rne' 'chmGeytsopss Y''@s We're
only there TO see them, where Santa Clus set
his foot as the clock struck twelve Christmas,
when stockings were suspended by hearth and
by pillow, all over the land-stockings silken
aud whte-stockings homely and blue, and even
the little red sock with hole in the toe
d" Blessed forever be Bethlehem's star !'-Chicago
Journal