Chapter VII

Over went the basket. Albert, apples, and all rolled down the steps. "Help!" he cried. The gardener ran up to see what was the matter.

"Where are my apples?" said he. "Here!" said Albert, jumping up, for the lucky rogue was not hurt a bit.

UNCLE SAM.

CHRISTMAS.

Words by ALFRED SELWYN.[A] Music by T. CRAMPTON.

1.

Christmas is coming, ho, ho, and ho, ho!
Now bring on your holly and do not move slow;
We'll deck the whole house with the branches so green,
On wall and on picture the leaves shall be seen.
Oh! merry the time when we all meet together
In spite of the cold, the wind, and the weather,
When grandparents, uncles, and cousins we see,
All gather'd around the mahogany tree.

2.

It stands in the hall, the mahogany tree;
And very nice fruit it will bear, you'll agree;
The turkeys and capons, the puddings and pies,
On Christmas day feed something more than the eyes.
The poor and the needy then come to our door,
And carry off with them a bountiful store
Of all the good things that we have for ourselves,
In cupboard and cellar, on table and shelves.

3.

When dinner is ended, what sound do we hear
From holly-deck'd parlor ring merry and clear?
'Tis Uncle Tom's fiddle! the tune is a call
To all the good people to come to our ball.
They come, young and old, and partake of our cheer,
For old Christmas comes only once in a year!
Then hand up the holly, and let us prepare
The house for the pleasure in which all can share.

FOOTNOTE:

[A] Nursery, Vol. XXIV.

* * * * *

Transcriber's Notes: Obvious punctuation errors repaired.

The original text for the January issue had a table of contents that spanned six issues. This was divided amongst those issues.

Additionally, only the January issue had a title page. This page was copied for the remaining five issues. Each issue had the number added on the title page after the Volume number.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Nursery, January 1881, Vol. XXIX, by Various