HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1969-12-25, Page 8f.
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May our chorus of
joyous holiday
greetings reach out
to you and your
family. Our hearty
thanks for giving
us the pleasure and
honor of, your patronage.
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e MIMigiV...AIN
FRED 'W. TILLEY LTD.'
This greeting
comes your way
with deep
appreciation
for your • •
patronage
and good
will.
May your
tree be trimmed
,fun and
festivity of,
the
Christmas
season.
Anstett Jewellers Ltd,
Seaforth, Ontario
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As joy and laughter fill the air during the
Christmas season, we, wish to take a
moment to add our best wishes and thanks.
-SEAFORTH JEWELLERS
Phone 527,027Q Seaforth
F-
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4 in fiiir x tly epected, found himself currently the state which waill to become s
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In the fall of 1,84.1 Charles Dickens, the father of ;,four with a fifth
chronic with Mr. Micowbert• was, tPL a Cvercip short of funds-
The demands of his own household were enough "in themselves to
produce this unhappy situation, Then too, he had been helping out' his
impecunious father who was somewhat the Micawber PrototYpe. And:,
further, his meteoric success as an author had greatly increased his standard-
of living. -
Something had to be done, and quickly. Martin Cliuzzlewit was still in
the labored throes of co position, its conclusion too far removed tef be of
much help nsigv. He4nust dash something off that Would bring quick
returns. What to dash, that was the question.
Suddenly he had it! Christmas was soon coming. People are always
sentimental about Christmas. Certainly Charles himself wag'
He would write a Christmas story.
It was about the middle of October he took up his pen. By the end of
November the task was done. Nothing he had ever written, nothing he
would ever write, gave him so, much joy of creation. Nothing would ever
give him greater claim to immortality. The quickly written short story
(but as• carefully written as he was ever to undertake) was called
A Christrnaq Carol.
At the time,, he was having.trouble with Chapman and Hall, his
publishers, and was soon to quit them for good. He was still obligated,
however, to let them princthe piece, but he paid all the publishing costs
himself and gave them only a commission.
He went quite overboard as to costs, insisting that the little book have
gilt edges, colored end papers, four hand colored illustrations, a blue and
red title page, and still sell for only five shillings. -
He hoped and fully -expected to clear at least a thousand pounds but
although the work sold quite well and eventually totalled 15,000 copies,.
he netted only 726 pounds. All this and more he was to spend on law suits
defending his copyright, as the story was pirated with only the thinnest
disguises the moment it hit the book stalls.
He was to get all of"it back and much more on subsequent lectu• re tours
when he read from his works, the Carol being a prime favorite of both
himself and his audiences, but from a straight bOokkeeping record this, his
greatest short work, was a financial fizzle.
The day the story was finished Dickens, Thickeray, his friend Forster,
and others of the literary set held an all-night party to celebrate the
happy occasion.
And happy it was indeed, the character_ deVelopment and plot situation
moving him perhaps as nothing else did, not even Mr. Pickwick, or David
Copperfield, or Little Nell, or door Oliver Twist.
By his, own statement, he "wept and laughed,, wept again, and excited
himself in a most extraordinary manner in the composition; and thinking
whereof he walked about the black streets of London fifteen and twenty
miles many a night when all sober folks had gone to bed." .
It is. easy to ge ar ied away by the Carol and we althave our favorite
parts of this example of melodrama at its best. Edgar Johnson, in his recent
and excellent biography calls"it "a Seriocomic parable of social redemption."
That's a pretty good definition.
Pt
HARDWARE
Phone 527-1620 Seaforth
From a theological point of view it is a much better study in humanism
than in Christianity. Dickens himself had little religious orthodoxy and
few if any of his characters are devout people in the Christian tradition.
Certainly there is no Jean Valjean.
But if there is no Babe in a manger before Whom to worship, there is
nevertheless, in the redemption of the soul-shrivelled Scrooge, a' great
kindling of warmth in the human heart, and an
eventual outpouring of that warmth in love
toward fellow men. Scrooge, Dickens, and
all the rest of us are better men when the
Spirit of an ever-present Christmas is
in our hearts.
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irti .",iiiii . / ii44,4I law wish from us ;9
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to you, dear '
friends. May
your joys be many.
And, special thanks.
G. Ad SILLS & SONS -
Out Bait ii/i3A/2.1 to -all
We're wishing the best far all of our -
friends this Christmas. Hope lots
of fun and happiness come wheeling
your way, We appreciate your trut.,
fi
(From The KVP PHILOSOPHER)
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May the essence
of Christmas
once again fill
your heart and
home with peace
and lasting
serenity.
To all our
faithful and
. steadfast pa-
trons, we wish
the very best
at the holiday
Ala, ha pp iness
and contentment
'cal your, as the
Star tel the
(Wise 3 4 en to
the anger.
continued 3001 will
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t/liay the serenity and joy of the Holy Family
inspire you with the spirit of love and peace
at Christmas. Our sincere thanks to everyone.
WALDEN & BROADFOOT
TEXACO DEALERS
Phone 527-1224
ONTARIO
SEAFORTH MITCHELL