The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-12-29
WASHINGTON, Dec, s5, 1874.

this turmoil feast my eyes on the wreaths
and garlands of holly, running cedar and
mistletoe which hang above and around
me, and then am seized with the desire to
shout my Merry Christmas !! also, and
failing in that make dash at my pen and
endeavor to give vent to my share of the
noise in that way.
The little people are all busy comparing
presents, shopping candies. and crack
ing nuts l too have dawdled half hour
away in that manner, but have returned to
my first admiration, the greens" Yes,
of all beautiful things which Christmas
brings the mistletoe is, to me, the most
beautiful. True, it is only parasite but
looking at the punches of small pearly
white berries, (which look more like frozen
tears than anything else and tender green
leaves. one can well understand how,ln the
old Druidical time, this lovely interloper
could play SO important part IN religious
ceremonies; and it seems only meet that
none but the vestal priestesses should have
gathered this type of living purity.
Mime was gathered by some poor darkey
at so much per bunch n fact which de
stroys considerable of the romance, bu
none of the beauty of the plant, and makes
me wonder whether then, as now the 18th
of December found so many people SILVER
ing and hungry
I had a good look at the principal toy,
y
and noted well the difference between tins
and former seasons IN consequence can
say that, while costly presents were PROB
ably as beautifully purchased as last year
the cheaper kinds, usually bought by work
ing people for their little Cnes, could not
even find buyers at auction prices. A
pretty sure indication OF want OF none!
among the working classes. Speaking o
this fact to master mechanic OF this city
he told me that, to his knowledge, twent,
thousand persons were at this present TIM
in want Of employment within the cit
limits. who could not, without assistance
sustain life through the winter. And i
view of this widespread misery our ruler
continue, under cover of economy, to dl,
charge both clerks and mechanics, viii!
they unhesitatingly appropriate thousand
upon thousands for the entertainment an
maintenance of visitor like kalakau
Verify, "to him who hath shall be give
while from him who hath not shall be take
that which he hath.
You know already, Of course, that ht
David Il. has left us but you probably {
not know how numerically he snubbed ol
colored brethren while here, They, poe
things, were delighted beyond expressiC
that one approaching their own color shout
visit us in the guise of royalty, and el
deavored to make good their claims to hil
by rendering him complimentary dinner
and inviting him to view their ability d
MINISTRIES. But alas he turned up hi
royal nose and with freezing polteness, r.
fused to be 'dined and entertained b
them going instead right royalty anon
the official big guns, and teasting his ear
upon music furnished by the kellogg
Troupe, who Cor two weeks drew crowde
houses at the National Tboatro.
This coming of the English Opera wa'
by the way, the means of saving the Nj
tional from financial ruin. The times bt
ing so hard the management had bee
steadily losing, and when the kellog
Troupe were announced it was understoo
that if they failed to draw, the doors {
the theatre would be closed They cam
bringing our old favorites, Castle, Peek
Van Xant and the Seguins; poor CAM
bell, the echoes of whose magnificent bar,
tone still linger in our ears, had just ioine
the eternal chorus at Chicago, teaching U
the sad lesson that even tavorite singer
can not always answer our call the kin
was known to be determined to pay homag
80 Kellogg the President was sure to b
in one of the boxes alsO-in short, thos
who did not care "a straw for music care
for one or the other inducemeut held on
and their stay was continued success
One Of the incidents was pretty and beal
repeating, Kellogg is known to be yer
kind aud unselfsh in her behavior towar
her sister singers, and does not fancy til
idea of receiving numberless bouquets an
baskets of flowers while the rest receiv
nothing. She therefore stoops to little N;
nOeuvres at times to balance accounts, {
for instance, dropping slip of paper viii
picking up some floral offering, and the
innOcently exclaiming, Why this is fC
Mrs. or Miss So and So, handing bot
flowers and paper to the singer designated
Well, she had done this one evening;
had been observed from the boxes, and I'll
next evening an immense basket, bearin
the l, :. and the Hawaiian colors, WI
presented to her by the president and kin
kalakaua. You may imagine the lor
necks and wide eyes of the audience abo
that time, description could not DO JUST
to them I'm sure.
Before close | ought to say somethir
concerning the weather, suppose. II
T.. L., Ill l.,
tiful fall that the lovely, bright days crea
no surprise, and we accept the mild {
and warm sunshine as matter Of cour.
something like the adiouruing congress |
fore the holidays
But therel knew that there was ST
something | meant to mention, and now
dawns upon my mind that the great C,
tennial teahght took place at the cari
since last wrote. went there dur
the day and had a look at The decoration
(which were nothing extra. well KNOW
that during the evening ii would be imp
sible to get half chance to look at al
thing but the picture in the ceiling. 5,
atOrs, VI. 7 :, society people of all shad
beaux. bellies aud repoyters were mixed
Into a living knot, pushing coughing dril
ing tea, pocketing coarse china cups q
saueers with congress 1876 On tic
;reading On each other pet corus and !
afraid swearing 10 a low key; suffering
this, ! say, and feeling that, at the pTic
one dollar admission fee, cue dollar
each cup. and saucer Of coarse china wit
little tea in il, and all the above trials Il
had done their duty by the centennial
heroes, aud would consequently sleep
sleep of the Just, with nothing to dist
their renose eXcent Xisinns of smiled G.