The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-26
CITY INTELLIGENCE.
CHRISTMAS.

How the Day was Observed In our City.
Well, the twenty-four hours embraced be,
tween II o'clock on "the night before Christ
mas" and IL o'clock on Christmas night itself
have passed away. The festival came-was
greeted, greeted us-then departed. Merry old
Kriss Kingle has sooted his way down our
Gimme eys. and now the mystical tinkle OF his
tiny sleigh-bells will be heard no more for
sWeiseohtt, ,atn n,Igd 81 ther nave
and restored to their wOnted use. The little
ones are making merry with their presents.
tion OF the coming of the day, and glad.
dened at thoughts OF gifts and bon
the suspense OF expectation being removed in
the enjoyment of possession. Hobby-horses
are now speeding II DER many carpet toy
jiffy; waxen dolls are being dressed and crying
babies whipped; new penknives are emitting
into old furniture; tTinkets are being pllfered
from the Christmas tree; children are gorglng
themselves To surfeit with sugar'plums. To-day
balances are being struek-tnat is, people are
comparing what they gave with what they 70.
ceived, and many, we guess, have already dis
covered that, owing To the hardness OF the
times, they have come of second best But
then, you know. 1T is more blessed 10 give
than 10 receive" and no all are satisfied.
The religion Of yesterday consisted not 20
much In fasting az in feasting, not so much In
praying In praising, Fattened turkeys
pushed eyeryDody's stomach hard against
Wristbands, and tue contents OF the Christmas
wassail cup curled every body's hair, Bones OF
myriads of slaughtered iowlsornament the gut
ters, wings feathers, and claws stick anda-
over the rim OF the "nip" glass crackle under
your feet. Seidliiz powders are in demand this
morning, so that even the apothecarles get
benefit from the time.
SHARP, clear, cold and braclng was the day. The
car horses, plump on Christmas oats, trotted
nimbly over the cobbles, and the car-w wheels
creaked In ringing Christmas rhymes over the
frost bitten rails. AZ ali voices had pronounced
the "Merry Christmas" all faces were happy.
Gladness beamed in every eye, and every
mouth seemed stretching In a perpetual smile
to reach either ear. Amusing II was, In going
along the streets, TO note with what ingenuity
Christmas presents were displayed. Here you
encountered an awk ward youth rejoicing In a
pair OF warmly lined Kids, too bulky for his
fingers, and interfering with the buttons as he
tried TO fasten his coat. Here you came upon
budding miss over whose new fur collar
a new breRstpin glittered. and from
whose ears new drops hung dang
ling. OF course all eyes saw them
at least so she imagined, and that amounted TO
the same thing Next you stumbled on a
portly old chap OF fifty or theTeabouts. who
hourished, in pompous major-doao style, a
honor had had his wig nicely perfumed, his
| moustache curled and blackene1. SO too, you
met another fellow, rather younger In years.
but possessing muen more apparent vanity,
who could not refrain from an exhibition OF a
new lever watch in the excessive politeness
with which he wanted to tell everybody the
| hour. Thus the string passed before you-a
panorama-a sight as good a show. And
| probably you, too, were just as foolish
as they, The day, as a whole, was
celebrated In quiet and order But few men
with tangled legs and displaying propensity
| 10 prop up dead-WRlls and lamp posts were