Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser (Vic. : 1842 - 1843; 1854 - 1876), Monday 26 December 1864, page 2


Ott garttand Ouarldian AND NOIMANBY GENERA)L ADVERTISER. Published every Alonday and Thursday. To Protect our fights--Not to Infringe upon those of Others. MONDAY,. DECEMBER 26, 1864. C H R I S T 31 A S. " Old Christmas, you're welcome as ever, Be the garb that you wear what it nimy; For there's nothing our hearts can dissever From thee and thy genial sway. Let your mantle be verdant or hoary, Your advent in summer or sn-.w, You are greeted in o ,rol and story, And 'tis sunshine wherever you go." So sings the Victorian poet, whose "prize song" appears. on our fourth lpage,, and so

say all of us, " Old Christmas you're welcome as ever." It is astonishing with what alacrity the children of this young country, have adopted their circumstances to meet the altered co::diti:n of C'hris:m:a. One would supp&re tha:, with all the old associations of hail, rain and snow, our people would hardly know wha: to do withhemselves with a Christmas at midsummer, a hot wind, dust and mosquitoes, the thermometer at one hundred in the shade, instead of the freezing point. But it is really astoni:hing how the people enjoy themselves without the hail, rain and snow, of dark December, and the welcome that is given to the Cl.rist:m:us of Australia. though dressed in a garb entirely upp sed to his condition and charac:ter in Europe. There are many things well calculated to reconcile us to the change, not the leaEt of which have been enumerated by our poet : " Peace, plenty. content:ent, a^ctieon, Are all :o be found in your tra:n; iWhile miery, want, and dejection, Are bauish'd from real.ms where you reign." and so long as these are to be fcund in Australia, whilst regretting the hail, rain and snow of December, let us make the most of our altered condition then:" At roured rs, and footb'!l. rnd cricket, Let us blith!lly and vocthfuliy play, And hope that the fail of each wicket MaUy emblem eomle care swept away," Who dares assert that the advice of the poet should be neglected I Or, even if we had no poet to advise that Victorians would fail to pledge Old Christmas, "our first duty In Victoria's generous wine ; Then dr,nk to Aus'ralia's beaty In bumpers with thrice three times nine." But it is to be hoped amid all the joviality of our welcome to old Christmasit will be remembered that there are numbers of the old and poor in our midst whose condition should not be overlooked-and that those who have abundance and to spare should share with those whose misfortunes or misconduct have deprived, of that " beef and plumpudding" with which the time is always in the mind of an Englishman associated. With this word of advice we should wind up our Christmas homily in the words of the poet:" And oh ! when the day Ehall he ending May night solemn feelings recall; Our pleasure with gratitede blending. Let us thank the Great (Giver of all. Let us thank flim for health ,iud enjoyment. For our comrnerce. and pe l,le's increae ; Let us thank Iiim for work and emtploymeut, For happiness, freedom, and peace."