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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1877)
December. 50 THE WEST SHORE. A CHRISTMAS STORY. BY MIS. V. V. ULTTS. They cull it Merry Christmas, Atii all the world ii fray, lint 1 imrer was bo lonesome A - I have been to-day. The people seem so happy, At they hurry through the ttorin, I only wiflh 'two summer, That we might all be warm. 'I taw them carry garlands, With holly berries bright; An 1 standing by a window, 1 saw a dueling sight; With toys the place was crowded, I thought ot little Moll, And wished that I could buy her One teeny tiny doll. "Hut more tbnn all I wanted Something to make you well; I looked at the bright ladies, And wfh.-d ihet I rnuld tell That you wer cold and hungry; The tears came to my eyes, An I thought tbot-mayhe Christmas Was for the rich and wise." Thatl said tin) gentlci mother To the RrioTiug boy, "Nay, nay, Tin) poir can have till Saviour For a guest on Christmas Day. His love is cheery sunshine, His vuoe a heavenly chime, That rings away the sorrow Of the dismal wintry time. "On read to little Molly, The story strange and sweet, Of the Bby and his mother, With the wise men at their feet. All rlotaai and all honor Mutt yield when Ho is near; At knelt tht' adoring miaji That day in old Judea." While thus they sat together, And read the story o'er, A ( Ml I came to the threshold, And opened wide the door. Tba llttla Holly hw her, And cried out, "Mamma, see, The Christ has sent his sister, With a loaded Christmas-tree." i Hi titer l was such rejoicing, As tbay hud never seen, When I ha candles all wore lighted, And sparkling on the green; And lo, among the hniiicnon, Quite ludiien by a toy, A (nil purse was discovered lty the wonder-smitten boy. Knin there was food in plenty, And lire upon the hearth; And hearts were never gayer Upon the great round earth. Then said tint grateful mother, To the child that brought tba tree, "If you do the Father's bidding, Christ's sistur ou shall he." ANNIE AND WILLIE'S PRAYER. uv UU v r. snow. I w i the eve before Christmas ; "(loud -night" had been said, And Annie mnl Williu had : - i into bed: Tlicre were teara on their pillows, and teuni iti their ayes, And each little boaon was heaving with sight, For to-night their stern fathrr's command had l"en given, Thst tbay should ratiia precisely at seven, Indent! of nt eight; fur they troubled him more Willi (mixtions unheard of, thai ever bed re, Ho bail told them he thought this delusion a sin, No suob being as "Santa Claus" ever had been, And he heped after thii, he should nevermore hear II iw be scrambled down chimneys with present. each year. An 1 this was the reason tlwt two little heads Ho restlessly tossed un their soft downy beds. Eighti nine, and the dock on the steeple tolled ten; Not a word had Iwn spoken hy either till then, Win ii Willie's sad face (ivtr the blanket did peep, Aud whispered, "Hear Annie, is you fast asleep':'' Wny no, br.ither Willie," a tweet voice replies, ' Tvo tried but in vain, for I can't shut my eyes, For siiinehow it makes me so sorry because IVnv papa has asid tbeie is no 'Santa Claus.' Now we know there is, and it can't be denied, I or he citne every year before mamma died; Hut lieu, I've l thinking that she used to urav. And Qod would hear everything mamma would say. Arid perhaps she asked him to send SanU Claus neie Willi the suck full of pi sent he brought every ' Well, why tan't we i.'av dest as mamma did den A:id ask lti.il to send him with n'esents adenf" I've MM thinkiug so too." And without a wind Off, Pont little bare feet bsVtMUd nut on the floor, An I roiir little knees the soft carpet pressed. And two tiny bauds were clasped close to eu. b breast. ,N i, Willie, you know we must firmly believe That the presents we ask for, we're tun to ro- oefiejj V must wait just as still, till I say the 'Amen.' And try that yen will kuow that your turn ha come then. l.-ar Jesus, look down on my brother and me. And graut us the favor we are seeking of thee. I Irani a wi dolly, a te-eet and ring. And au ebony work-boi that shuta with a spring. HIpm ,. dear Jeeut, and cause him to see That SanU Claus loves us far better than he, IWl 1st htm get fretful and angry again Ai d.-ar brother Willie and Annie. Amen " "1'less. lWus, Vt Santa Isui (urn down nlibt. And b'uig u sttme pWuts before it is 'ight. 1 wmt he should dive Die a nic 'ittle s'ed. Wnb b'lgbt shinin' 'unners, and all paiotwl Vd; A bos. full of landy, a tHk and a toy A mm, and den. P. rii i, . . ,., i , l'heir prayers being euiled they raited up thru beads, r I And with hearts light and cheerful, again sought their bedt i They were toon lott in tutT both peaceful ud MM, And with MlfH in dreamlsud were t vnm In aleep. Fighl, nine, aud the little FlwMfc nloak Ua.l stunk ten, lire the father had thought of hit children ogam. He seems now to hear Aunie's half-suppressed sight, And to see the big tears stand in Willie's blue eyes; "1 was harsh with my darling)" he mentally raid, "And should not have sent them so early to bed, ltut then 1 wan troubled; my feeling found vent, For bank stock to-day hot gone down ten per cent. But of course they've forgotten their troubles ere this, And that I denied them the thnce asked-for kiss; Hut just to make sure, I'll steal up to the door. For I never spoke harsh to my darlings before." So saying, he softly ascended the stairs. And arrived at the door to hear both of their prayers. Hit Annie's "Bless papa" draw forth the big tears, And Willie's grave promise falls weet on bis ears. "Strange, strange I'd forgotten," said he, with a iRh, "How I longed, when a child, to have Christmas draw nigh 1 11 atone lor my harshness," he inwardly said, "By answering their prayers ere I sleep in my ' bed." Then he turned to the staircase, and softly went down. Threw oil velvot slippers, and silk dressing gown, Douned hut, coat, and boots, and was out in the street, A millionaire facing the cold, driving sleet. Nor stopped ho until he had bought everything, Fron a box full of sweets t' the tiny gold ring. Indeed he kopt adding so much to his store, That the various presents outnumbered a score, Then homeward he turned, with hit holiday load, And, with Aunt Mary's help, in the nursery 'twas stowed. Miss Dolly was seated beneath a pine-tree, lty the tide of a table spread out tur her tea: A work-box, well rilled, in the centre was laid, And on it ring, for which Annie had prayed. A soldier, in uniform, itood by a sled, "With bright, shining runners, and all painted red." There were halls, dogs, and horses, books pleasing to see, Ami birds of all colors were parched in the tree; While Santa Claus, lauirhin". stood tin in the tun. As if getting ready mor presents to drop. Aud as the fond fattier the picture surveyed, nu luotignt tor nis trouble tie had amply been paid; And he said to himself, as he brushed off a tear. "I'm happier U-night than I've heuti for a year; i vo eiijuyuu more irue. pieiwir unin ever neiore, What care I if bank stock fall ten per cent, mom? Hereafter I'd make it a rule, I believe, To have Santa Claus visit us each Christmas Eve." So thinking, he gently extinguished the light, And tripped down the stairs to retire tor the night. Aj soiui at the beams of the bright morning sun 1'ut the darkness to (light, and the stars, one by one, Four little blue eyea out of sleep opened wide, Aud at the tame moment the presents espied. Then out of their beds they sprang with a bound, And the very gifts prayed for were all of them found. They laughed and they cried in their inuocont glee, And shouted for "papa" to come quick ami see' What preeenU old Santa Claus brought ia the night, .Just the things that they wanted.) and left before light. "And now," addeii Annie, in a voice soft and low, "You'll believe there's a Santa Claun, papa, I know." While dear little Willie climbed up on hit knee, IWermined no secret between them should be, And told, in soft whispers, how Annie had said Miat their blessed mamma, so long ago dead, I'sed to kneel down and pray, by the side of her chair. And that Uod, up in heaven, had answered her prayor. "Han we dot up and p'aved dest as well as we tould, And Dod auswered our p'nyers. Now, was'nt ho dood." "1 should any that ho was, if he sent you all these, Anil knew just what presents my children would ntrasu. (Well, well, let him think to, the dear little elf, Twouhl be cruel to tell him I did it myself. " Blind father! Who caused your stern heart to relent, And the hasty words spoken so toon to repent? 'Twos the Being who bade you -deal hottly up stairs. And made you his agent to answer their prayers. l 1IR1STMAS M MHS. V. K. I1AKK. Stitvly the river of life which flovvi on ordinary days and weeks, is not tht' river of life which Hows from Christmas day to the second day "1" January, and the cynics who ask with the one in Mr. Dlcken's tale, " What' is the jajth of December to me!" are in a miserable minority. Tor one of the greatest charms of the festl val,is, that during ItjCynictim it lost in universal charity ami good-will ; we are pitiful t. the poor, tolerant with here tics, and do not even object to our po litical opponents enjoying their turkey and mince pie. Then, "good people all, a merry Christmas to you, ami how infinitely preferable is this genial old-fashioned salutation, to the modern M Corapll menti of the Season," whou frigid in anity affects one like a cold ihowerbath "it a winter morning. True, to the middle-aged, and to I use growing old. all anniversaries are personally melancholy ( yet "the wiMr nm..l Mourns leea for wbat age takes away Than what it leave Whind." and good people do not keep Christ mason their own private eniownent. I The beauty and the virtue ofChrUtmai is that we keep it for Mmebody else; for the poor, for the children, for the glad future when every bell will be a Christmas chime, and all the year round be Christmas. Besides, Christmas binds us to our own old existence. Oh, if every one of these festivals in our sepa rate lives, were painted in a series of pictures, what a gallery they would make! Each 25th of December is a "high place" in our history; let us erect on them a memorial pillar, and name it Jehovah-Jireh. No two Christmas festivals are quite alike; even the popular superstitions regarding their observance have visibly changed in our sight. Where are the stately ceremonies of our ancestors? Scarcely their shadow is left to us, and yet we do not regret their departure; 101 to simplify life u get rid of unnec essary forms, is one of the triumphs of civilization. No one but children or people of immature minds are exhila rated by a set resolution to be merry; generally nothing is so depressing as trying to be cheerful to order. I doubt however if even the more intelligent children of this generation are an ex ception. Mirth cannot be ordered for them, they will have a reason for it, and at very early years they have im bibed enough of the spirit of the age to vote the games and dances of their ancestors vulgar and slow, 1 simply statu the fact without in any way en dorsing the nil admirari principle which our juvenile Dundrearys affect With the decay of splendid and quaint ceremony we have also dropped much of the old-time ellusiveness. We lo not indulge now in loud and demon strative expressions of friendship and good will; we have come back to the more delicate oriental fashion of intl mating our feelings by our gifts. Hence the importance of rightly considering this subject, for a present may lose all its value for want of thought even where there has been no want of aflec- tion. Christmas presents should be either uselul, beautiful, costly, or rare. "A rare present to a rare person, says Leigh Hunt; tor rarity is greater than cost, because money cannot always command it. It is generally an ele gance to omit the costliness, though if the giver be rich he must give some thing equal to his means, or else he sets his riches above his friendship and generosity, which would be a contempt ible mistake. "With no presents should there be any pretence; givers must never say, they could get no other, or afford no better, nor keep asking about it after it is given," For my part I think it is a pi t v that the pleasant fashion of exchanging nice things to eat is going out of use. It is a great delusion to suppose that such presents are not welcome; none bring the donor more vividly and pleasantly to remembrance. But these are "earli est" and intellectual days, and we get no cadeatiX but books. Truly Christ mas books are wonderful; and com pared with the "Keepsakes' and "An uals" of a ouarter of a century ago, they are vastly improved; but they are in many ways unsatisfactory as pres ents. I' Erst, they are rarely new or original; publishers dare not risk such snlendor of purple and gold, such wonders of typography and illustration on untried aud unknown authors; so they dress up in new and attractive forms "accred ited and Impeccable classic-. Johnson, Goldsmith, Milton, Shakespeare. Wash ington Irving, etc., are always safe; they stand serene, faultless and above all criticism. Now the people who give books are not usually the people to whom books are no rarity and who know all about them . Jlook-iriveis arc more likely to be of that clas who have the highest respect for literature, yet know little of it, and wisely dis trust their own taste people who quite willing to i i.nge price tor hue copy, but who would greatly hi wu utiiiuiMiig memscives with a doubtful author. For instance, it is friendly lo religion to present a hand some edition of Paradise Lost; but Carlyle, or Darwin, or Swineburne, is open to suspicion and objection. Then Christmas books are generally merely show books, they are too fine to be read, thc are too his for tho iv-Lm thev are too HMcmtflr nt fr iU H ' , t , ..v n wi ...mm, u, im. Miiiiiuvi -OOat. If fk - 7 . . - ...v wwjwt wi n jjii'M-ui is 10 give pleasure I think a bov would lilr Svj dollar piece, a iirl :i rnwHu i.r.,.- let. the seniors an exchange of silver aes or handsonif linwU n..ri...,u k ter than either poetry or philosonhv just at this time. Not but what poetry ind philosophy are admirably addenda to other good things, but if we are to have a holiday, what kind of one would it be if all the world sat reading Christ mas books? It is almost as fine a thing to receive a present properly as to give one not to show hesitation, not to be churlish ind think immediately ot havincr tn give one in return not to be sensitively annoyed at the obligation but to take it with a conspicuous and frank enjoy. mem 01 toe gm ami mc Kindness it plies; to look upon it as so much gain not m goods but in good-will ind to be glad ol the privilege which it accords to express our own feelings in a 3Miui.it manner, it takes as liberal a nature to receive as to give. But they who would know the full measure of delight in giving, and see the perfection of grace in receiving presents, must give gifts to the little children. Now this is a hard thing to do, unless you have danced with skip ping ropes, and galloped on hobby horses, and llirted with dolls; and are thoroughly en rapport with that won drous condition we call childhood. Hut if you are of the initiated, then I will tell vou how to snend a marvelous r1 visit all the toy stores, and let a little child lead you. Follow with docile feet your merry chattering guide from street to street and store to store; cram your pockets with Noah's arks, and tin trumpets, and speaking dolls, and cats and dogs, and candies and oranges, then go home and gradually surrender the whole crrgo of treasures to the "voug barbarians" at play in the nursery. In their reception there will he no alTeclation, no doubts, no suspicions, no considerations; their gratitude will find voice in musical and untranslatable cries of delight, in happy faces, dimpling and rippling and beaming with wonder and joy. Then don't say one word of dis approbation if destruction at once com mences. Remember how strong the passion for handling is, even in adults; so strong that men ami women have to be constantly warned away from rare and valuable objects, hy labels ol "Uo not touch;" they may then surely ex cuse that lust of the hand in a child which is often stronger than the lust of the eye; for who is ever satisfied with seeing a thing until he has seen it in his own hands? Even a ten-dollar toy, if it has noth ing moveable or changeable about it, soon tires a child. After his eye is sat isfied he wants to tie a string to it, to pull it about, to pull it to pieces. And if he may not do this, the thing is a de lusion anil a weariness to him. No toys are better for children than mag netic or mechanical ones; they excite wonder and speculation, and children attain through wonder unto knowledge. The Greeks, from whom we have yet something to learn, gave their boys a piece of wet clay and encouraged them to model every conceivable thing; thus early creating and developing the cre ative and imitative qualities. IMMENSE REDUCTION READ AND PROFIT. I Imve JtiM mndp arrangements with all the Kaitifni puhlKlicrs Wncxebj I urn enabled to fur 11UI1 jiny tiiililUiiiliin nt Ifss thnn the initillNhen' price. HERS A ILK A FEW SPEC1MKSS: PubUthrr-i Ml rnr. rrr. Nfw York Dally Graphic, (the only tlallT Illustrated paper In lite mM world) J12 00 INN Ani.Tlean Law I'lin.-s ami Heimit.... tt ) 0 Aiiwririin unmiiianuwi Armv Hii.l N'uw I.,im ., .1 1 60 fl DO 2 tO 4 U) 136 Army and Navy Journal American I'nlon Atlantic Monthly American Juimml of Kducution 1 IN Amenean Natumm , Ainerlian I'mtltrv linirnai .... 1 A Harper', (lUiaaf. 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