Judge, 1889-12 · page 3 of 53
Judge — December 1889 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Stocking" by I.M. Gregory This is a sentimental Christmas poem with an accompanying illustration, not political satire. The image shows a snowy rural cottage scene, evoking nostalgia. The poem celebrates Christmas stockings as a timeless tradition connecting past and present generations. It romanticizes both historical hand-knitted stockings made "by-candle-light" and contemporary ones, arguing that despite modern changes ("the modern-ways have sent it out, with-that-of spinning wheel"), the heart of Christmas giving remains unchanged. The work emphasizes universal Christian values—that stockings represent generosity and divine blessing accessible to all social classes ("the old-girl and the little-one, the large-boy and the small"). It's devotional rather than satirical, presenting Christmas traditions as spiritually meaningful across centuries. The Judge magazine context suggests this appeared as wholesome holiday content rather than political commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
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