CHARLES DICKENS CHRISTMAS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1629, 21 December 1912, Page 5

CHARLES DICKENS CHRISTMAS.

HOW HE SPENT ll'. Christinas was "always, a time which in our home, was looked forward to witn eagerness and delight, and to ..my father it was a time dearer.than any other part of the year, I think, writes. Mamie Dickens, daughter, of the famous novelist, in an American magazine. He loved Christmas for its deep significance as well as for its joys, ; and this he demonstrates in every. allusion. in his writings •to the great festival, a day which he considered should be fragrant with.'the love that we should bear one to another, and with the love and reverence of his Saviour end Master. i In our childish days my-father used to take us, .every .twenty-fourth-,day -of December, to a ; top' ■ shop i in Holborn, where wo ; were - allowed . .to t select our Christmas"-' presents,' < and also, v any, that wewished to give to' our -little companions. Although. I-believe we were often an hour' or more 'in the shop before our Several tastes were satisfied, ho never showed the least impatience, was "always interested, and aa desirous as we, that we should ■ choose exactly what wo liked' best.V My -father, although, the most generous' of" mortals, <lid riot observe, except in rare instances, the 1 custom of sending ' Christmas gifts to . people outside liis home; there was so large a claim upon him that the pleasure would have been a tax had he gone beyond its walls. ; ... Christmas at "Gad'i Hill." But I think that our Christmas and New Tear's tides at "Gad's Hill" were the happiest of all. Our house was always filled'. with guests, while a'Cottage in the village was reserved for the use of the bach&lor members of our holiday party. •My father, ; himSelf, always deserted work for the week, and that was almost our greatest treat. He was the fun and life of those gatherings, the true Christmas spirit of sweetness and hospitality filling his lar : /> arid generdus heart. Iking-walks'with him were daily treats, to bo remembered; . Games passed our , evenings.; in jollity. ; "Proverbs," a game of memory, was very popular, and it was one. in which either my aunt or myself was apt to prove winner. Father's annoyance at. our, failure sometimes to lead was very amusing, but quite genuine. "Dumbo Crambo was another favburite, and one in which my father's great imitative:ability showed finely. I remember one evening his dumb showing of the word "frog" was so extremely laughable that the memory of it convulsed Marcus Stone, our clever artist, when he tried rome time later to portray it in his choice pantomime. One very severe Christmas, when the snow was bo deep, as to make outdoor amusement or entertainment for our guests impossible, my father suggested that he and the inhabitants :of the "bachelors' cottage" should pass the time in unpacking the French chalet which had been sent to him by Mr. Fechter, and which reached Higham Station in a large number of packing cases, unpacking these arid fitting the pieces together gave them interesting employ.mont, and us some topics of conversation for --our snow-bound luncheon table.

Our Christmas Day dinners at "Gad's Bill" were - particularly : bright and cheery, some of our nearest neighbours joining our homo party. Dinner on all oocasions, plain day and holiday, was served, by my father's special desire, a la Eusse. _ But on-Christmas Day this rule was infringed sufficiently to permit the appearance at the table of our holiday pudding. Tho Christmas, plum pudding had its own special dish of coloured repousse china, ornamented with holly. The pudding was placed on this with "a gprig of reaty holly in -the centre, lighted, and in this state placed in front, of my father, its arrival being .always the signal for .applause. Good to be a Child. A prettily-decorated table was his special pleasure, and from my earliest girlhood .the'care of this devolved.,unon me. .When I had everything in readiness he would come with me to inspect, Hie result of. my labours, before dressing, for dinner, , and no word except of praise ever, canio to my ears. He was a wonderfully neat and rapid carver, and, I am happy to sav, taught me some of "his skill in this, I used to help him in our parties at "Gad's Hill" by.carving at a side table, returning to my seat opposite him as soon as my fluty was ended. In a large, party ho sat at the centre of one of tho sides of tho table, I, directly opposite, facing him. His conversation, as may he imagined, was often extremely humorous, and I have seen tho servants convulsed often with laughter at his droll remarks and rfnries. "It is good to be children sometimes, and never Mter than at ChWcfmns, when its Mifrhty Founder was a child Himself," was his own advice, and. advice which he followed both in' letter and spirit.