A Confederate Soldier's Christmas Poem
A Confederate Soldier's Christmas PoemCHRISTMAS NIGHT OF '62 by William Gordon McCabe (1841-1920)
The wintry blast goes wailing by, The snow is falling overhead; I hear the lonely sentry's tread, And distant watch-fires light the sky. Dim forms go flitting through the gloom; The soldiers cluster round the blaze To talk of other Christmas days, And softly speak of home and home. My sabre swinging overhead Gleams in the watch-fire's fitful glow, While fiercely drives the blinding snow, And memory leads me to the dead. My thoughts go wandering to and fro, Vibrating between the Now and Then; I see the low-browed home again, The old hall wreathed with mistletoe. And sweetly from the far-off years Comes borne the laughter faint and low, The voices of the Long Ago! My eyes are wet with tender tears. I feel again the mother-kiss, I see again the glad surprise That lightened up the tranquil eyes And brimmed them o'er with tears of bliss, As, rushing from the old hall-door, She fondly clasped her wayward boy-- Her face all radiant with the joy She felt to see him home once more. My sabre swinging on the bough Gleams in the watch-fire's fitful glow, While fiercely drives the blinding snow Aslant upon my saddened brow. Those cherished faces all are gone! Asleep within the quiet graves Where lies the snow in drifting waves,-- And I am sitting here alone. There's not a comrade here to-night But knows that loved ones far away On bended knee this night will pray: "God bring our darling from the fight." But there are none to wish me back, For me no yearning prayers arise. The lips are mute and closed the eyes-- My home is in the bivouac.
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Excerpt from HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS by Dr Seuss
He stared down at Who-ville!
The Grinch popped his eyes!
Then he shook!
What he saw was a shocking surprise!Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any presents at all!He hadn't stopped Christmas from coming!
It came!
Somehow or other, it came just the same!And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: 'How could it be so?'
'It came with out ribbons! It came without tags!'
'It came without packages, boxes or bags!'
And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.
Then the grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
'Maybe Christmas', he thought, 'doesn't come from a store'.
'Maybe Christmas ... perhaps ... means a little bit more!'And what happened then ...?
Well ... in Who-ville they say
That the Grinch's small heart
Grew three sizes that day!
Excerpt from LITTLE WOMEN by Louisa May Alcott
The four girls had been moaning about how Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas
without presents, since they had little money, and without father, because he
was away. They talked about what they might buy for themselves with the dollar
each one had.
'They are quite worn out; Marmee must have a new pair'.
'I thought I'd get her some with my dollar', said Beth.
'No, I shall!' cried Amy.
'I'm the oldest', began Meg, but Jo cut in with a decided: 'I'm the man
of the family now papa is away, and I shall provide the slippers, for he
told me to take special care of mother while he was gone'.
'I'll tell you what we'll do', said Beth; 'let's each get her something
for Christmas, and not get anything for ourselves'.
The clock struck six; and, having swept up the hearth, Beth put a pair of
slippers down to warm. Somehow the sight of the old shoes had a good
effect upon the girls; for mother was coming, and everyone brightened to
welcome her. Meg stopped lecturing, and lighted the lamp, Amy got out of
the easy-chair without being asked, and Jo forgot how tired she was as
she sat up to hold the slippers nearer to the blaze.
Download the entire book one chapter at a time
LUKE 2:8-14And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Heidleberg Catechism, 156333. Why is He called God's only begotten Son, since we also are the children of God?
Because Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God; but we are the children of God by adoption through grace for His sake.
34. Why callest thou Him our Lord?
Because, not with silver and gold, but with His precious blood, He has redeemed and purchased us, body and soul, from sin and from all the power of the devil, to be His own.
Lord's Day 14
35. What is the meaning of: Conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary?
That the eternal Son of God, who is and continues true and eternal God, took upon Him the very nature of man, of the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary, by the operation of the Holy Ghost; so that He also might be the true seed of David, like unto His brethren in all things, sin excepted.
36. What benefit dost thou receive from the holy conception and birth of Christ?
That He is our Mediator, and with His innocence and perfect holiness covers, in the sight of God, my sin, wherein I was conceived.
THE
NIGHT
BEFORE
CHRISTMAS
Here is Clement C. Moore's original visit from St. Nicholas. It is a classic of the
holiday season. It has been recited, set to music, and reprinted ever since.
It is usually known by its first line, rather than by its title.
See the Harper's Weekly Cartoon that inspired this poem!
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that ST. NICHOLAS soon would be there;The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;'Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONDER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!'As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
'HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT'.
Excerpt from A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens
Oh, a wonderful pudding. Bob Cratchit said, and calmly too, that he regarded it as the greatest success achieved by Mrs Cratchit since their marriage. Mrs Cratchit said that now the weight was off her mind, she would confess she had had her doubts about the quantity of flour. Everybody had something to say about it, but nobody said or thought it was at all a small pudding for a large family. It would have been flat heresy to do so. Any Cratchit would have blushed to hint at such a thing.At last the dinner was all done, the cloth was cleared, the hearth swept, and the fire made up. The compound in the jug being tasted, and considered perfect, apples and oranges were put upon the table, and a shovel-full of chestnuts on the fire. Then all the Cratchit family drew round the hearth, in what Bob Cratchit called a circle, meaning half a one; and at Bob Cratchit's elbow stood the family display of glass. Two tumblers, and a custard-cup without a handle.
These held the hot stuff from the jug, however, as well as golden goblets would have done; and Bob served it out with beaming looks, while the chestnuts on the fire sputtered and cracked noisily. Then Bob proposed:
'A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears. God bless us'.
Which all the family re-echoed.
'God bless us every one' said Tiny Tim, the last of all.
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