Volume 103 — "CHRISTMAS IS COMING!"

"Christmas is coming!" Pleasant truth To all—save the dyspeptic! To most in whom some smack of youth Hath influence antiseptic. Pessimists prate, and prigs be-rate The time of mirth and holly; But why should time-soured sages "slate" The juvenile and jolly? "Though some churls at our mirth repine" (As old George Wither put it), We'll whiff our weed, and sip our wine, And watch the youngsters foot it. They did so in quaint Wither's time, When wassail-bowls were humming, And still girls laugh, and church-bells chime, Because—"Christmas is coming!" "Christmas is coming!" Let him bring Mirth to the toiling million. What is't he bears—a gracious thing— Behind him on the pillion? Her snowy garb, and smile benign, Make sunshine in dark places; The gentlest, rarest, most divine Of all the Christian graces. Her eyes are full of loving light, Her hands with gifts are laden; True Yule-tide Almoner, of right, This Una-pure sweet maiden! She smiles on all, full-feeding mirth, Young love, mad motley mumming; There is loss dearth of joy on earth, Because—"Christmas is coming!" A Merry Christmas? Round each room That's writ in leaf and berry; But there be those, alas! to whom There's mockery in the "Merry." Merry?—when sorrow loads the heart, And nothing loads the larder? In the world's play the poor man's part At Yule-tide seems yet harder. Good cheer to him who hungry goes, And mirth to her who sorrows, Lend bitter chill to Christmas snows. Small joy care's bondsman borrows. From jollity he may not share, Despair is darkly drumming At his dull breast, whose hearth won't flare, Because—"Christmas is coming!" Good Greybeard Sire, you would not tire Gay youth with tales of trouble; World-gladness is your heart's desire, And so you're—riding double! Pleasant to see dear Charity Close pillion-poised behind you, Eager to bid her gifts fly free, We're happy so to find you. Ride on, and scatter largesse wide! Sore need is still no rarity, For all our Progress, Power, and Pride, We can't dispense with Charity. Ride on, kind pair, and may the air With happiness be humming, And poverty shake off despair, Because—"Christmas is coming!"