PHILADELPHIA:
J.B. LIPPINCOTT & CO.
1869.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by
HENRY S. ARMSTRONG,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for theDistrict of Louisiana.
| The Overture | 9 |
| A Christmas Melody | 15 |
| Story of a Beast | 29 |
| Leaves in the Life of an Idler | 45 |
| Mr. Butterby Records His Case | 71 |
| Diamonds and Hearts | 93 |
Christmas! What worldly care could ever lessen the joy of that eventfulday? At your first waking in the morning, when you lie gazing in drowsylistlessness at the brass ornament on your bed-tester, when the ring ofthe milkman is like a dream, and the cries of the bread-man andnewspaper-boy sound far off in the distance, it peals at you in thelaughter and gay greetings of the servants in the yard. Your senses arearoused by a promiscuous discharging of pistols, and you are filled witha vague thought that the whole city has been formed into a line ofskirmishers. You are startled by a noise on the front pavement, whichsounds like an energetic drummer beating the long roll on a barrel-head;and you have an indistinct idea that some improvident urchin (up sincethe dawn) has just expended his last fire-cracker.
At length there is a stir in the room near you. You[Pg 10] hear the patter oflittle feet on the stairs, and the sound of childish voices in thedrawing-room. What transports of admiration, what peals of joyousclamor, fall on your sleepy ears! The patter on the stairs sounds louderand louder, the ringing voices come nearer and nearer; you hear thelittle hands on your door-knob, and you hurry on your dressing-gown; forit is Christmas morning.
What a wonderful time you have at breakfast! There are a half-dozensilver forks for ma, a new napkin-ring for you, and what astonishinghay-wagons and crying dolls for the children! Jane, the house-maid, isbeaming with happiness in a new collar and black silk apron; and Bridgetwill persist in wearing her silver thimble and carrying her newwork-basket, though they threaten utter destruction to thebeefsteak-plate.
You sit an unusually long time over your coffee that morning, and say anunusual number of facetious thi