Roundabout Papers - Penn State University

ROUND ABOUT THE CHRISTMASTREEThe kindly Christmas tree, from which I trust every gentlereader has pulled a bonbon or two, is yet all aflamewhilst I am writing, and sparkles with the sweet fruitsof its season. You young ladies, may you have pluckedpretty giftlings from it; and out of the cracker sugarplumwhich you have split with the captain or the sweetyoung curate may you have read one of those deliciousconundrums which the confectioners introduce into thesweetmeats, and which apply to the cunning passion oflove. Those riddles are to be read at your age, when Idare say they are amusing. As for Dolly, Merry, and Bell,who are standing at the tree, they don’t care about thelove-riddle part, but understand the sweet-almond portionvery well. They are four, five, six years old. Patience,little people! A dozen merry Christmases more,and you will be reading those wonderful love-conundrums,too. As for us elderly folks, we watch the babiesThackeray89at their sport, and the young people pulling at thebranches: and instead of finding bonbons or sweeties inthe packets which we pluck off the boughs, we findenclosed Mr. Carnifex’s review of the quarter’s meat; Mr.Sartor’s compliments, and little statement for self andthe young gentlemen; and Madame de Sainte-Crinoline’srespects to the young ladies, who encloses her account,and will send on Saturday, please; or we stretch ourhand out to the educational branch of the Christmastree, and there find a lively and amusing article fromthe Rev. Henry Holyshade, containing our dear Tommy’sexceedingly moderate account for the last term’s schoolexpenses.The tree yet sparkles, I say. I am writing on the daybefore Twelfth Day, if you must know; but already everso many of the fruits have been pulled, and the Christmaslights have gone out. Bobby Miseltow, who has beenstaying with us for a week (and who has been sleepingmysteriously in the bathroom), comes to say he is goingaway to spend the rest of the holidays with hisgrandmother—and I brush away the manly tear of re-