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Show v - r - ' WAV -;- ' wP i w f f "' - r ' ....... iCli - . W A 1 fv7 ; . - .. J V v'rri I 'yi V?-'- rg r ,v ''"3 .V.4..,J;vi.,.i.; I o ;.. of the Women of aj I Mil ions. Vol; 15. S A 171? LAKE CITY, CHRISTMAS NIGHT. are, and what-wonderfu- UH, J)E(MI5Eil 10, ilvmraw o l 1880. No. 14. r.n Once there was so much noise within we could scarce oTrtsid n 6w I pause, and close How many circles are complete eyes, to shut out the Jthey inock jneiAtithxlietffinecsant lin, when I my V How many round their festive fi resides come sight, forit is all too ?W, and another, just as am soliioquiziiig as anl all alone with Without a, vacancy or sorrow's blight?" true to life, but different, itself on the presents my own thoughts. 'And yet the wind is a relief," Fancy paints many brilliant, happy throngs, instant. I would not have it otherwise; a dead "calm is Where beauty, wealth, and splendid grandeur beam; I wander in the woods.' A crowd of in boys monotonous; there is no poetryno-romanc-e While feasting, music, dance and joyous and girh are there, and ' songs, t-i i i are u they gathering -- i J j tXlia vc J waiu g res n g , t a k n g 0 my- Make bliss upon the earth, 'twould seem; Jong trailing vines of evergreens and twining ;,k t me co'mo: back to the Jablruux, that But could we look into each secret soul, them round each other.Hov-beautif- ul ''oio for a moment; and then vanish one after they Would wethcre fiilresnseTq thfs look! display? have filled their baskets' with the They other. Would we not see behind this these woodland trophies, vines and The room ia full of baautiful youn faces, boughs kept That bleeding hearts in agony hold sway? green all the lo;ig, cold, dreary winter, and they and there s a sound of musie, now soft and 3 hus incompleteness seems to be to man, laugh and talk and .sine snatches of son, .mil sweet it ripples along, and I distinguish two fa- Whjle onjhis earth a common letracv Ltheirr t among tliTT "unThir voice?, th"tiri)!ehl.. in perf. cTharraony,-anLet him seek perfect joy where'er he can, rocks and trees, and I listen for the last faint a voiceless melody, that keeps perfect time For from earth's ills he never will be free,. echo, and start again, trying to remember the to these;played with, a. lovely hami.-- I can even Because our Father did not so ordain, words of the song. I once knew-sI see and the well, sapphire gem upon it,' that sparkles in That our brief lives shbuld'be devoid of ill, ask myself, "Where are those' boys and girls'' the faint light; that hard, thin and white, N'or free from disappointment, care and pain; of companions my youth? sweeps-- a cross the strings of the guitar, and not ' Ah, no! He had. an object greater still. a discord mars the sounds t around "I call Jo mind, 'but cannot find Hereon this earth, created for man's sake, me 1 once loved well; like The forms lie but enchantment; He placed with agencies, His chosen few, they away slowly, and fainter Where have fled more and other vanished? ye growing indistinct, ye of That they might the good and ill partake; " I so not. do not bold more music, and full ask, ye tell; And. learn to judge between the two. . dreamy, but " ZZIIZ I "m and 'nt with it IYoarh," there's strikes search, abroad, home,' But there will come a Christmas tone, upon my ear, holiday I seek each a sound of whistling; can it be much loved spot; PerThe glorious natal day of heaven's Son, I labor but , dear .it but fancied was it ends, more human friends, My ye, was, When all the world combined will haps stay Like Rachel's babes, are not." and not quite so weird withal. 0 memory! To give their praises to that Holy One'. what sanctify thou bringest with thee.when the Then every land in perfect joy '11 abound, I reach out my hands in utter unconsciousness, mind -"thrown back upon the past;" what No mortal fears will then beset the soul; but they fall heavily down, and a great sob Nor will there in immortal hearts be found swells up in my throat, and I feel I hal lowed reminiscences are Chose that accom..... One' weakness that demands control. pany the shadowy fa(vtt(.c from out of the were stifling. Outside the wind is moaning, and A swejt iniluence, a holy peace 13 Then every nation, people, kindred tongue, every now and then the dry leaves come whirl diffused around me, and for the moment I am With one accord will bow the pliant knee; ing up in little clusters like a flock of: liviu so absorbed that I take no note of the present. And glorious praise and anthems will be. sung, I. things, and beat against the windows of my Yet there are many happy homes Whilst Gods and angels shout, "Oh, Zion's free!" room. My pen has fallen from my hand I jt where mirth anl reign, and littlo was trying to write, and breathless I listen, as E. R.., Shut look for children banta Clans, and with the Philadelphia, Dec. 25, 1876. though some one were coming long expectei enthusiasm of "niystery, Vjuestion and listen and My heart beats quickly, and solemn thoughts peep here and here for tokens of his coming. 01 loved ones long departed to that other,-beCHRISTMAS TABLEAUX. The children's Christmas! Their full happiness ter land stir my soul to its inmost depths. ' But is more than auglfi else to the older ones, save to get but I gat and looked into the fire on Christmas they come not; even though wo long it may be to those who sit and dream like me, a glimpse of them, a clasp of the hand, a sign; live over again the scenes that waken such and Eve, when all the folks in the house were fast a word, a token only of their love and recogni' asleep, and I saw some queer things, and heard; tion. (lelightiiirn3trospeeii(rn3. feel their; presence near us almost We. some strange noises, and shadows flitted abou t lijSrk! there comes a low rich music like that ;' wlien we are quite alone with our of an reolian harp,' V tender and pathetic that me, which made a very great impression upon but there is 'no yisibleno tangible form ings, it brings the tears, soft tears, that fall like me, and I scarcely knew if I was awake or or fisrure. Memory can recall their faces and dreaming. - words, and - it I creep there is no one else astir. I heard, the prattle of little children, .and their lovinsri . wore on earth, listen; the they saintly guise the merry laugh, that stui, rang through the rooms, and feel that now they are freed from the sorluny up me sums, mc muniu ra nijuvu is weird enough to' frighten one more but and, the silvery echoes of childish voices seemed it. rows and trials through which 'we who remain to vibrate in the .and after courageous than I am. I climb another flight, air, picture are passing. picture . and trfe wind puts out my light. The moonframed themselves so. vividly, that I could alis real life is earnest," ' "Life most fancy they were real. light streams in pale upon the bare, cold floor, to is and the wild, irregular melody comes, a3 it One was a .very large kitchen, with an imand so we; find it, with much that painful I. look and mense- fireplace, and were, from some unknown source. great pine logs were beafj'and manydisappointments, but nowthere old around me; there are many quaint things, blazing high, and on the ceiling overhead, on again, in the sharpest suffering of mind, from time to time been here thrown have that comes a respite, inven in mercy to tne weary. long strips of wood, there were rows of yellow aud the night breeze plays soul; hours when (iod seems near m a jiving as useless rubbish, pumpkin cut in rings and hung'to dry, and on window panes, and the broken ihe wall, bright pewter pans and cups, polished presence to soothe. and comfort. It comes some- in and out the and supplication, loose casement rattles, but 'twas none of these until you might see your face in them. A long times in answer to prayer this unseemly . handled, bras3 and many other and we are strengthened unconsciously for the that brought me to the garret at warming-pan- , nf the battle of life. But more often hour. Atrain the trembling, quivering notes things familiar to my, childhood were there, sweep past me. like what we read of in old and the little children were we are left to grope our way along, calling in playing hide and '"vain-fotowers and turrets, rude, per seek, and calling out of corners and closets help, because our 'Father wills that we castles among-thmore thrilling than the exquisite, that seemed innumerable. alone, that 'we may learn to be a haps, but Tlieyjiad. such a should towalk touch of one accustomed to the finest ivory others. jolly game! and an old man, very old they called him How still it isthis house once so full of .life keys; and though I have a taste for the mysteri grandpa was watching them and a ous, yet I discover and it pleases me as well toughing as heartily as any of the crowd when and gaiety. What a. change has swept like fire over the place. No the "'music comes from the guitar so often ne was caught and dragged from the hiding burning, scorching I sit like one entranced; and yet the plaved upon by one now known no more among place. The wind was whistling shrill outside, wonder the living; 'the wind has strayed in through. fire burns just as brightly as it did when all the .great elms fairly groaned, but the some crack or crevice, and has swept across children heeded it nnr.. nnlv now and then thev was happy and joyous, years ago. I hear the time-wor- n wind shriek and howl, aud; then the low, the threadbare strings and through the popped for a moment to listen to the music of nMit is like a hymn for instrument, and in the stillness of the night wind. Such rare music borne on the mournful dirge that follows and thrilling. night, when one's nerves are overvyrought with wnd in a winter What voices there the dead, plaintive In lLthi5jast?4n-- Mppy. homes,.:!. .. .... JL. 11. il- "'"-- J -- t? Iwr tho-smtn- il, rh e,-fn- to-liig- , ; 1 f 1 ' - - self-contro- l note-die-away-i- e n that-floa- . - the-wind- ? . le. to-nigh- - - - fe-tivi- t, ty - t . - owh.-commun- 1 care-recolle- - 1 . . -- night! ct . |