The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-27
Christmas EXcesses.
ON the London Saturday ReUieaO.

From the London Saturday .ReUte1O.
A holiday for the masses means an eclipse Of
the shop windows and their contents; and these
are all that commonly brightens the thorough
fare insensibly even to the most abstracted
passeIs-by. You might as well send a tourist
in search of the picturesque to go into raptures
over the sides of a railway cutting, as expect a
cockney TO feel lively between a double row of
barred shutters and bolted doors. Accordingly
with the exception of children, who are happy
in the simple fact of its being holiday, and
couples keeping company who have only eyes
tor themselves, the general aspect of the crowds
is that of people trying TO bear up cheerfully
against q weight OF wretChedness. They feel
that they have along day before them TO be
killed, with none OF their habtual resources to
kill it with.
There is nothing to be done before dinner
time and nothing after that, until they have
taken their places III the queue that stretches
over the dripping pavement from the theatre
doors Moreover, Christmas entertainments are
contemporaneous with Christmas bills, and
most people who have any ready money to
spend may be assumed to nave also certain
amount Of credit that they have abused, and
now the day OF reckoning Is at hand. Then
Christmas is proyerbially The time for ioviality;
the eloquent example of socia superiors, the
Genial enthusiasm of purveyors ofChristmas lite
ratuTe, all inCite to reVelrY and everything
combines to suggest drinking bout as the
obvious way of filling up an interlude, aud the
common bond that unites us all in a. brother
hood of love and charity. After all, the old
Scandinavian Valhalla, with its riot and drink
ing ana ngltlDg, Is likely always In spite OF the
spread OF civilization and religion, to find place
in one shape or other In our popular concep.
tions of Paradise.
In common justice to our countrymen, we
have tried TO eXtenuate the undOubted national
weakness for drinking and braWling, as being
vices of our situation and climate, and so due
in great measure to circumstances which we are
poWeIless to control. But when we have said
everything that can be said, it is eXtenuatiOn,
not excuse and we must be content to share
among US the disgrace of our Christmas scan
deals. Authority Is far too lenient, while public
opinion rather encourages than deprecates the
madness OF the carnival. What is called pleasure
by the many is pam and grief to good many
more, and death to not few. Night after night
bands OF vulgar drunkards, undisturbed by the
ihelr horrible Christmas carOls-Coarse comic
songs from the TepeUOires of the music halls,
howled out of all time and tune, backwards or
forwards, as fancy may suggest-like the DEVILS
vespers. The more impetuous have anticipated
the general beginning of the carnival by a
couple OF nights or so, and, having prematurely
run out of means or brain, are consigned for the
great day oil the feast to the cold oblivion of the
police cell. UnlGckily, that happy riGdance
does not materially affect the discomfort of the
more peaceable public, for II some have broken
down at the prologue, there are plenty of choice
spirits left to play the revels TO an end as loyal
subjects of the lord of misrue. If authority
does not abs olutely abdicate during the sdtaT-
malta, yet 1t humors for the time the innocent
foibes of the people, aud the police, when their
services are needed most, are ordered to
Con6ne their duties TO those of an army