Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1869-01-13

Letter from Georgia.
r STILWiN RUCsLEs.
CHRISTMAS AND NEw YEARS AMONG TuE
FREEDMEN

CHRISTMAS AND Nsw YEARS AMONG TIE
FREEDMEN.
Macon, Ga, Jsu. /, 1860
Mr.. EDiToR The FGzENAN has just ar
rived, and havo been reading the interesting
accounts OF the Christmas festivities in your
sysa-s.ri I..s -!-.--l. g ---.- sunday School
! in Vermont enjoyed their Christmas Tree bet
ter than did the Norwich Chapel Sunday
School in Macon, Ga. Ii is a rare thing here
in the South to celebrate Christmas in this
way, and an entirely new experience in the
colored Sunday Schools.
| Christmas here is the one great holiday OF
| the year, Il time for eating, drinking and
carousing among all classes, white and col
ored, and is usually ushered in as we cele
brate the Fourth Of July at the North, with
all the din Of frc-crackers, torpedoes, tin
trumpets and drums, with the glare Of rock
cts and Roman candles and the firing Of
cannon. How strange thus, with all the ap-
! pointments used in observing the anniversa-
ries Of earthly victories, to celebrate the ad-
vent of Him whose birth was heraIded by the
angelic song Of - Glory to God in the high
eet, and on earth peqee, good will toward
men We are trying to teach our scholars
better way and was anxious to introduce
into our Norwich Chapel Sunday School, the
one especially under my charge, our home
custom Of Christmas Tree
! All seemed pleased with the idea, and en-
/ tered most heartily into the anxious prepara-
/ tions. The children d" toted - US nearly all
the evergreen in baskets and bundles on their
heads, delighted that they, too, could help
'' get up the Christmas Tree Our Chapel
is large and we had it quite tastefully and
elaborately trimmed, in wreaths, fest0ons,
crosses, &c, our large, beautiful flag, draped
back Of the stand, with our Sunday School
banner beneath it, our song roll ornamented
with evergreen on one side, and our Christ
mas Tree on the other.
1t was one of the coolest nights Of the sea
son, yet our Chapel was filled, many from
the other schools being present. The pro
gramme for the literary exercises of the eve
ming consisted of Christmas carols and an
thems, recitations of scripture, and other
rccitations upon various subjects by different
members of our own Sunday School, inter
spersed with songs-sacred, patriotic and
temperance. some by the entire school, 9TH
ers as quartettes, solos and choruses. /
think had you been present you would have
felt, as we did, that these exercises would
have done credit to many Northern school
1t of course requires more effort and persist
ent drill to attain the clear enunciation and
elegant recitation which VIC require, but they
do it.
These literary exercises over, then came
the dsrobing Of the tree and the distribution
Of presents. Our tree was not filed with
presents expensive as are found on such
occasions in Northern schools, still it looked
l beautifully and held gift for every member
of our school, old and young. Bibles, Testa-
ments, Psalms and other books or various
articles Of personal use or adornment were
D presented by our teachers to their Bible
) classes, while toys, picture books and card,
; made the eyes Of little folks sparkle with de-
light-each one receiving an illuminated
= scripture card if nothing more, so that thei
( name was . called out = and they could stan,
while the usheIs, with their badges of red
white and blue, carried their present to them
which was considered by them great honor
After this, apples and cornucopia of can.
dies, ,raisins and nuts were distributed through
the assembly. \ short time was then seen
:, in social enjoyment made merry with tn,
j r ingling sounds of toy trumpcts, drums
candy whistles, and various other noises is