The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-12-27 00:00:00

" Now rest, you merry gentlefolk,
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour,
Was om 00 Christmas Day."

outs remarkable feature a", .ut C'aristinsa is its
universal observance by all classes of Christian speak-
ing people. In our own land we know that it is cele-
brated in the Palace of the Sovereign as well as in the
ounthlest cottage, and even in the workhouse itself.
V. bile the Royal baron of beef is displayed at Windsor
s 'aside, and the upper classes, for one day in the year,
abandon the aln Risme style, and dine off the good
old English fare, the taidale classes place upon their
tables thebest specimens] of poultry, and even the poorest
.contrive to make a show of something better for Christ-
mss Day. Indeed, there must be enormous numbers in
Great Britain to whom the day is the only one of rea
enjoyment during the whole year. Those who prefer
to be independent of charity, but who cannot afford all
at once to spare the money necessary to the purchase
of provisions of extra quality, have for many weeks
been paying in small subscriptionsto an adjacent Christ-
man club. Others are perforce content to enjoy the
tiberality of toe charitable, and thus get on that day
their only good dinner in the entire twelve months. To
threw who are little better than paupers. the season
must come like a brief rest of the weary from the toile
,s 1 time. There is the agricultural labourer, over.
worked, 111-clad, b dly-housed, toiling from day-dawn
even until dark for a scanty pittance. There are myriads
of hard-working operatives in our towns, crowded
in wretched cellars and garrets, with a never-ending
battle to fight against increasing prices. Yet once a year
with much pains, and pinching, and forecast, all these
people manage to procure • single meal of unaccus-
tomed plenty and savour. In many casts numerous
are the devices resorted to by the mothers, in order that
the eyes of their children may sparkle with delight at
the spectacle of a real Christmas pudding. Yet it is
done, and certain it is that the pleasures of the day
are an ample compensation for the efforts which have
been made to provide them.
One of the moat conspicuous of the aesociatione
connected with Christmas is the aspect of the streets
of London during the few days immediately preceding
the celebration of this solemn Christian festival.
Leave your house of an evening, and sally forth amid
the crowd of toiling folk which hurry to and fro under
the. shadow of St. Paul's. The night may be a pitchy
dark one overhead, but so brilliant is the illumination
of the shops, that you thread your way through the
thoroughfares in a glare of silvery light. Of the
anxiety of the shopkeepers to supply ordinary wants—
so palpable and unremitting at other periods of the
year—there Is now little or no sign. In fact, ordi.
nary requirements are supposed to be for the
time in abeyance. Wherever you turn you see tempt-
ing displays of Christmas presents of every price and
in every variety. The stationers' windowe are full of
beautifully-illuminated nerds, carols, almanacks, and
other artistic preparation,. The proprietors of esta-
tablishments for the sale of fancy articles exhibit
elaborately finished workboxes—suitable as gifts to
ladies,--splendidly wrought albums, and many a taste-
fully executed Pram linen of art and verbs. But, un-
doubtedly, the principal centre, of attraction are the
provieion werelionses. Ido not speak of the prosaic
botcher, who announces in blue and gold placards
that he has on sale • portion of the caroms of
that incomparable ox, or that faultleesly•bred ahead
which gained the prize at the Smithfield Cattle
Show. Nor do I opeak particularly of the poul.
terers' stores, although from Leadenhall-market
downwards, the number of decapitated turkeys
and disembowelled goose and fowls expoeed for sale,
Is nothing less than marvellous. But just now the
Oct attractive of the London shops, are those for the
ale, of what may be truly be termed the delicacies o
the season. Turn where you will you sre confronted
with requests to try Mr. Sc, sand-So's hamper, contain-
ing I acazcely know how many bottles of wine and
brandy, and any quantity of preserved and crystallised
fruit,. Of course the quality and variety of the con.
tents are regulated by the price, and those who can't
afford a guinea hamper are earnestly invited to make
an investment in one at half the price, or even at five
shillings, for the enterprising tradesman endeavours to
accommodate all classes and to snit all incomes. But
even if you run over the list of articles our plied for five
shillings, you find yourself in a state of mental bewilder-
ment how the shopkeeper can possibly do it for the
money. Never before inyour life didyou know how much
could be purchased for two hall-crowns, and as you ex-
amine the catalogue you wonder why such public bene-
factors CUM out only at Christmas time? Where are
they all the rest of the year Do they keep coin.
pany with harlequin and columbine, and clown, pan-
taloon, and sprites, who, after the disappearance of the
Christina's pantomime from the stage, are lost to the
view of an admiring public until Christmas comes
round again? But no matter, People who are grate-
ful and appreciative, are not always of an inquisitive
turn of mind, so the tradesmen who confer such great
favours upon every class of the population at this time
of the year are largely patronised, without many qua.