The New York herald., 1874-12-25

,mpossiple 10 puy ANYTHING on Christmas Eve, the
rush and confusion are so great New ana then you
viii see a oasnu young man looking over an
assortment OF breastplns, and bearing IKE
martyr the pushing and Jolting OF ihe cfoWus VI
sightseers IL y strange tnat tae peope prt "i'i
their present buying until the very hisnt pe.o, . =
Christmas. Sometimes, however, III Is inaplhty "
procure the necessary money earlier, out oiten ~
Is simply procras NATION
Let us look into this fancy store for moment.
There rs young mechanic IN ms pest suit VI
shining uacn squeezing cry baby with his awK-
ward nanas 10 see inat It's works are AL rlght,
ana there, TOO. Is group OF httle chlaren WHO
go into ecstasles over the cat mat sWaiiows .ns
rat, and there Is parcel OF lads who laugh ana
ttter at the COW that gives real milk. particularly
wnen the giri opens a mole IN the back anu pours
the most approved style. over In retired corner
stand poor LOOKING couple consulting as 10
whether they can pay seyenty-nye cents ior the
Noah's ARK wnicn they mad hoped TO get Tor fty
10 our right Is pleasant looking young man
with a rather cafeworn expressioc ABOUT the
mouth and eyes. 'Please give me two yards oI
your best wide rboon,n he says TO the glrl on tne
otner side OF the counter. .what color and what
style. sir ~ she asks. ~ DON'T know. only give
me something nice.i .Do you mean sash rib
bon ~ she queries. 'sOh. yes, tnats II, SASH
riopon,n and ms whole tace lights up with an ex-
preston o pleasure and reheh ''Please give me
TWO yards OF your hest.p And he puts the pretty
folded package carefully in he pocket OF his rather
or the store.
But there are places where the blessed Christ
mas brings no ght-aolect pover.y, hopeless n SIN
and unultigated misery. Let us not tarry here,
but hurry home. FOR ii IL time to Ill the stockings
FILLING THE STOCKINGS.
TO get your CHRISTMAS presents into the mouse
without beng seen Is no easy matter, and the
NUMBER OF hbs that have to oe resorcd TO FOR COW
erng one's tracks would rest heavy on the con-
science AZ any other time. Bet and Joe 20 stamp
ing and whlstiing warnlngy throagtfne mouse ior
q week before Christmas. aud 40 not care 10 20
into the girls room without knocking. II they
happen 10 iorget and come suddenly npon Kate
and Louise with their lapi iull OF Worsteds, Tue
girls arr ike guilty things and cover their WORK
with rhelr aprons anG call the boys "h0rrld crea-
tnres' ioi mol giving notice Of their approach.
oi al the iun and preparation Tor Christmas there
is nothing Ike filing the stockings II IS almost as
good as opening them the next morning, There
were ten stockings to I'LL IN one family tnat we
know Of; what Jolly time they hadl The longest
stockings to he found are seiected, the KIND that
carriers above the knee. First, IN goes the apple.
that nils up the toe; then, II there IS small pres
ent OF value-sav diamond ring from r.ch uncle
Tom-that IS wrapped III paper untl It reaches The
size ol Two anpss. anu tnat IS crowded IN: tnen
comes candy, wrapped up with equal care; and
after that, the pen holders paper cutters, thin
bic, necaties, earrings anu other things that SVEN
the stocklng into tie most outlandlsh and drops-
cal proportions. Such parcels as are TOO large to
go inside tee stocking are tied TO the outside and
add the finishing touch 90 the work. Where there
are 80 many IN the laml,y the n!iing IS divided, to
save confusion and 81 that no one will see his own
present Every member Of this family, from the
mother down to the youngest cAlid, hangs up \
Christmas stocking These stockings are put over
night lii the room with the dig fireplace, SO .hat
they can be hung at the mouth Of Ehe chimney.
The effect in the moonlight Is singular enough.
One could readily believe taAt parcel Of cid
witches had been dying around the room. on their
broomsvlcks and had got stuck IN going out by the
chimney. leaving nothing IN sight but their grc-
teSqHe and missnapen legs.