Father Christmas in Australia.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 958, 24 December 1881, Page 1 (Supplement)

Father Christmas in Australia.

( By K. G H!,this greybeard standing oil the threshold of our'homo? Is it »you, Father Christmas? A'Comeiri! come in!, Old P friend, you arewolcpme, thrice welcome! Glad to see you onco liiore, I though you do leave' a ' longtime between your visits.. Takey.our;acciistomed seat, old man; and. while we are, waiting , ,-for tho: roast' beef- and plum pudding -''td' l be served, tell us a story about yourself. You have - nothing fresh to tell! You havo told us your, story so •often! „• Never mind! ,we do liot'; tiro of hearing it,.,beoauao it iia one of l those things 1 that will bear oft repeating without growing stale,;especially to the ; youngsters; so lot us have it! We are all attention; pray proceed , And Father Christmas replied 'lt is now just 1881 years since the dfty : of toy birth J but it was not till many centuries after that I became famous in tho sense in which you are welcoming me. torday,, My early followers did not celebrate. my anniversary in the same fashion as d(l ; nty adherents of the nineteenth century. , Their Christmas was spent 1 in rocky caverns or amid thevast solitudes of primeval forests, hunted from place to place, scourged and crucified, roviled and persecuted. But that's all changed now; and it is of the later observance of my file day that, I prefer to. speak and. you. to listen. ,< At the same time, most of. tho pleas,nit ' pastimes •• and gay doings- at Christmas are but relics of those early and satl tliiys of my history. The mistletoe, with its white berries, that, is now hung up (you have a substitute in Australia, I find) to snaro the unwary maiden that a love-kiss may be stolen unrebuked, which would not lie permitted under andcr any other circumstances, was gathered by the ancient Druids with solemn rites.at their sacred, festivals aSi Emblematical i of ipurity and wedded love. And is not matrimony still tho outcome of many a little transaction ''under the mistletoo?" ■ All! Ethel, Roso and Mabelj your blushing faces remind me of this; for was it not under this mystic branch ; those magic gold circlots you wear oil. your protty hands this year with such wifely pride, were first anticipated ? The Christmas-box you give and receive with so much delight is also borrowed from an old custom of the early church, when- it was usual to nail; a.box outside tho places of worship where the rich might offer contributions for the poor. The Christmas' carol, too,.owed its origiii to the early fathers who introduced .Christianity ,into England, for the,bishops and priests sang carols and danced masques at Christinas time, whence the mirth provokwhich' sets littlo hearts daubing jitli glee, ■ and elicits screams of merriment from rosy lips- at the droll antics of clumsy clowns audi fantastic harlenuins. ■ ' ■

"But now I'must tell the wee folk all about their patron. and benefactor, Santa plaus;. He is of German extraction, and. is represented as; carrying a huge sack over his shoulder, (as ho has never been seen in the flesh, I expect you must have got "his ! photograph, through. the spirit medium,) wliicli,Jike, Eortunatus!, purse,, never grows,empty.- He takes;his walks abroad ■■■ by night onlyj> and, enters .the 1 botes where must bo-good; ; remember—little childrenlivem.arather undignified.manner, his mode of entrance beingbynieansflf-the ohiinney, andthen proceeds to fill - tiny socks and stockingswithl the toys he .knows the little ones '^tll likeliest.. He' is' aVbry clever fellowab guessing, and always, just hits on ; the presents, his .youthful, devotees, are longing for;; ■ • ;,.; . ■■■• ■• - '-- : ;

"Your Ohriatmas-tree, children, is also an institution of Germany, and it Is indeed a pretty, sight "tobehold, lit up with myriads of gaily-colorod\tapers,ari endless variety,, of- toys,-, trinkets,' and bags, of sweetmeats depending.from its branches.!'! •'' I dare say,'" ■ Father" Christmas went ■ on, "very fewof'mv|Austtalian'-friends; prgsejit,have ■ eyer,yisited old England.'. The .contrast to, your own bright clime would rather surprise you if you'could find at this moment to the ''North countries'j and I don't think, that you'.WQuld relish the change particularly,; Instead of, clear, cloudless skies, soft,, balmy days, and trees and flowers in< full', leaf'and-, bloom, a dull; l6aden sky flpreads like a pall above,'while pi-obably. beneath lies.deeply.ouried in.itsj shroud-of, snow.j, the trees stand naked and,leafless,■; stretching i their, long, bare, r brown arms-aloft;'and the. bright holly, with' its glistening leaves' and shiriing red berries, is.the only enlivening object,that, greets thb eye, wearied with long stretches; of .dreary moorland, and smoke-begrimed towns antl.-citiea. This is but of doors; but go indoors, and there, ", shut in by closely.drawn'Bilkeiicurtains,an,d 'cheered by; heapetl-up.blapg,'fireniM bid det fiance to, winter'schill, Hast,' youwill. thoroughly enjoy and appreciate an. English Christmas. 'When night creeps on, what capital fun it is to join in the romp?, ing game of fprfeits and bMWs,buff, or risk burning. one's fingors to catch, raisinsin: snip," snap-dragon, while some mischievous wight, throws in/the handful of Bait that makes the company looklike, an'.army. of the' departed dead, and sends, thetinijd ones who have beendistening to ]mir : elevating stories, of ghosts and dew iri tapestried chambers,' shivering away, quaking''withfear. Oh!yes,.there. 1 are: many pleasant features connected with' an English Ohriatinas; but I don't fancy that any of you would- like to exchange 1 your 'beautiful'watiu, December, with its sunshine and flowers for all, tjie mirthful, festivities of the Weak December of the old country. . ' ■:

"jM Christmas, looking siiiillhg{arbiind^;but;!ivith'ft shado of ; countenance, "j hiipaJ'may yet live to visit you many jj|eaw]«my/;dear Australian friends? ;thtju|h;'.- a' - -premonitipn comes across meso&etimes tnat.my.days are ; fast drawing I'ativinot nearly so full'pf tehgliMdJfigpriasl used to be. I notibb aflisiptf ecline > in-'hiy health and But\tfl ; this none us of would agree; we assured'the. old man-he wad' as hearty, and jolly a*evor r and r as: tltt :• chimes rang out to do him honor we crowded around to wish him; as we'tdo toall in Australia's.fair land, : A Merry- Christmas !' •' AND ' '.. '.,■ A]HArPY:Niiw.yEAR!.