1882 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
543 
COMING HOME AT CHRISTMAS EVE. 
Designed by Alfred Trumble, and Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
distance; the stockings are hung in the chimney 
corner ; and at length the tired but supremely 
happy little ones wend their way to slumberland, 
to dream sweet dreams, and prepare to greet the 
gladsome Christmas morn. 
The Doctor's Talks. 
The holiday of all the year will come this month 1 
How many of you have already said “ Christmas is 
coming,” and counted the days that must pass be¬ 
fore this day of days will he here ? In many parts 
of the country it is not only Christmas itself, but 
the whole week between it and New Year’s day, that 
is given up to merry-making and enjoyment. 
Hence this week is commonly called 
The Holiday Week. 
I will try to help you in your merry-making. If 
rightly looked at, this Christmas time is one for 
the greatest enjoyment. It is especially the chil¬ 
dren’s day, for it celebrates the birth of that Child 
who made a greater impress upon the. world’s his¬ 
tory, than any who was born before or since. 
Then when the Child became grown, how He loved 
children, and did He not speak those words which 
have been repeated for ages, and have comforted 
so many mothers, when He said, “ Of such is thp 
Kingdom of Heaven ” ? There is nothing about 
Christmas that is not a cause for thankfulness and 
joyousness. Then let us all have 
A Merry Christmas. 
But how will you have a “Merry Christmas?” 
I know of but just one way to find the greatest en¬ 
joyment in such a holiday, and that is—to make it 
“merry,” or pleasant for others. It is a lesson 
that we are slow to learn, and I ask you to take the 
old Doctor’s word for it, and begin young. Cele¬ 
brate this coming Christmas by making some one, 
old or young, feel happy. The methods need not 
be expensive, and parents will be ready to help. 
Girls will know of some old man or woman to 
whom a pair of mittens, a comforter, or some little 
thing they could make, would be very acceptable. 
Boys cannot knit such things, but they can ask 
their father for a basket of those nice apples, to 
take, on Christmas morning, to some poor people 
who have no fruit. The value of the gift is of no 
importance. It is to make such people feel that 
they are not forgotten. The day will not pass 
without being a “Merry Christmas,” if they feel 
that some human being thinks of them, and all the 
better if that being is a child. Now having taken 
this serious view of Christmas— 
What are We to do for Fuu ? 
In these holiday times, we make and go to par¬ 
ties, or.gatherings of the young folks of the neigh¬ 
borhood. This is the time of all others, for young¬ 
sters to come together and be merry, and these 
children’s parties, I am glad to notice, are becom¬ 
ing more and more common each year. I say that 
I am glad to notice this. It is because it is a useful 
lesson for boys and girls to meet each other, to get 
acquainted with, and learn how to entertain one 
another. At this holiday time many of you will 
either make or go to such parties. If you give a 
party to your young friends, be sure to provide 
for their entertainment. Many older persons think 
that to entertain a party, they need only to have 
some refreshments—something to eat. That is 
well enough in its way, but it is vastly more im¬ 
portant to provide some amusements in which 
all can take a part. A gathering of grown 
persons who are strangers to one another is bad 
enough, but one of children, until some romping 
game has “ broken the ice,” is still worse; so if you 
have a holiday party, be sure and provide in ad¬ 
vance something to amuse the boys and girls. 
You will find some simple, amusing things de¬ 
scribed in another column. Let me advise you, in 
all those tricks you perform for the amusement of 
others, to first rehearse them, to make sure that 
there will be no failure. That clever puzzle trick 
of taking the coin without touching the glass, may 
fail if the table cloth is too thick, or its surface is 
too rough. If you spread a napkin on the table, 
instead of the cloth, it will work every time. 
Answers to Puzzles in November Number. 
Geographical Puzzle. —Caroline went shopping 
one day. She bought a hood to wear on her head; 
a string of emeralds for her neck; a cloak of beaver; 
some shoes of Morocco , and some furs of sable. 
When she came out of the store, Charles asked her 
to ride home with him. The air was chilly (Chili), 
and so he wrapped her up in a buffalo , and they 
rode on through the woods. As they were going 
along, an otter peeped out at them from its hole; 
a turkey flew over their heads; a wolf howled at 
them; a big black bear ran after them and growled, 
and they thought they heard the lions (Lyons) 
roar. They were in great fear. To add to their 
terror, the sky (Skye) grew cloudy, and they heard 
a clap of thunder. Soon, however, they came out 
of the woods. The sky became clear. The moon 
shone, and they reached home, and said “ Fare¬ 
well ,” without any other adventure. 
Riddle, David.— Charade, Nightingale.— Nu¬ 
merical Enigma, No. 1, Milton.—No. 2, Catacomb. 
“I COTCH YER FUR NEX’ CHRIS’MAS, FUR SHUAR.” 
Designed by Marc Gambler , and Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
