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CHRISTMAS, 1809. Ierry: Christmas. of old England, we that •live beyond the'sea, With another sky above us, fondly turn to sing of thee Turn, in.Jester's cap and motley, not a whit the less sincere In the tribute that we send thee, crown and flower of the year. Now by wood and now by common, foot. marks in the snow are lost ; And the dear old Entlish windows glint with arabesques of frost. Now December winds are roaming through the elms with fitful mean, And the oak-trees and the fir-trees take their eerie winter tone. •.Now the giant yule-log blazing, sends abroad its merry glow, And the mouths'of Youth and Beauty meet beneath the mistletre. Now is peace and now is gladness-wearied flee their feuds forget, And the dark green holly glistens where the social b.uds are met. There the generous feast is lending pleasant odours to the air, And the oaken boards are groaningunder neath their Christmas fare; There ins hours ol frosty starlight, happy Sh artedtroots ot raits Sing their immemorial ditties at the windows and thegates. There. in homes' berelt of faces-there, in places sauctifi,d Long by Love, and Death, andSorrow,comes a dream at Chri.trnas-tide I Dream tlhat Ieaves the dreamers gazing at the vacant fireside seat; While the ninoe are at the casement, and the rain is in the street. Thbre a westher-beaten sailor lits some cot tage latch ;to-day, WVhere a broken-hearted mother grieves for one hoe ran away. There the swarthy stranger pauses, looks up on the weary face, Says a word, aned lo, a glory bhallows all the h: umble place 1 Nots with bonded brows of silence, gathered circles toast the dead; Aod or many loved onts absent, touching wornds are Leing said ! Touching words for those who haply cil upon the n inter seas Or are smitten by the summer of the fierce antipodes. Now about the fireside ruddy, now where merry smoke ctlmbs curled, Sing the voices that are blither than all voices in the world! Fougs that well from bird-like children, fill with light the Chrarmas rooms, Though the leaf a-t woods are aikhing wrapped in deep Decemb r gltom. 'Now the maiden reads the letter by her absent lover writ; And the friends that tong were parted, 'neath one roof together sit. Now are many quarrels buried-now the soc al en shb.es clear, Hallowed by.the light of Christmas, crown and flower of the year. We that live in Southern summers, where the leaves. are on Che trees, eend t.is song of England's Christmas, to our friruds beyoud t.e seus; Send it to the -ear old homesteads sweet with dream, of long ago, Linked with memories of a season we Australians nerer know. Here the skies are blue and sunny, hero the sands are bright with gold : But we miss the jovial Christmas coming through the braciog cold. Here the days like days Italian shine upon our roots anu spires, But we miss the blazing yule .og on the genial winter fires. Take this song, O English brothers, for the sake of those who send Happier weods than we can give you, go to many a distant friend I Yet accept it as a token that our hearts are faith. ful stall To a love for "home" that t:erther time, nor place, nor change can khill. Melbourne, Dec, 24, 1860.

Digitisation generously supported by
State Library of Victoria
Digitisation generously supported by

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