Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-12-31
CHRISTMAS IN THE CHURCHES AND SUN
DAY SCHOOLS.

llOt NutIt bthill bht huhHAbh hhu W. y
little children sat down TO eat, after which
they went into the church, where two large
Christmas trees were loaded for them with
gns. An hour was devoted TO exercises,
singing aud speaking by the children.
Then the distribution Of the presents, each
one receiving some token Of love. Mr..
and Mrs. Harris were kindly remembered
with nice presents.
There was a large gathering TO witness
the distribution Of presents that hung from,
or had apparently fallen from, the Christ
mas trees that gracod the rostrum of the
Baptist church on Christmas eve. The
event was iuauSurated by some very fine
vocal and instrumental music. Among the
players upon Instruments, Mr.. Schusler and
daughter demonstrated to the delight Of the
audience that the violin is a cherished in
slitution in the family. Santa Claus was
well rendered, and his descent from the or
gan-loit TO the platform was duly acknowl-
edged by the rising generation. The occa-
sion was enjoyable and one to be long and
gratefully remembered.
The Episcopalians closed their Christ
mas festivals on Tuesday evening in liar-
mony hall, where bOuutirul supper was
served and two mammoth trees bore many
elegant and useful presents. Al $3.50 p. NJ,
before going TO the hall, the children met at
The church, where a shor. service was held,
the little ones performing their Christmas
carols under the direction of Colonel and
Mrs. Sawyer, assisted by Miss Cooke, in a
manner highly commendable, not only TO
the children but to their instructors as we'll.
The decorations in the Episcopal church
were unusually elaborate and attractive far
outdoing former years-the music by a
quarteite choir consisting Of Miss Palmer,
Mrs. Haskins, Messrs. Taylor aud Childs,
with Miss Rowland as organist, was finely
rendered and well received.
The Catholics held a midnight mass at
their church, Christmas eve, in which the
most striking feature was the singing of
Christmas hymns by a chorus Of about
thirty young ladies DIRE ssed in white. The
church was beautifully trimmed for the &C.
cason.
AT the Methodist chapel, Christmas eve,
presents were distributed from two trees
well laden, previous to which there were
songs, Rotations, etc, by the Sunday
school children. The occasion was well
enjoyed by young and old.
Among the mtny children's gatherings
which took place on Christmas Eve, no
one seemed to US TO be more in accordance
with the real character OF this most beauti-
ful of festivals, nor more calculated TO keep
in mind the meaning OF the words-"For
unto you is born this day in the city OF
David, Saviour, which is Christ the Lord, !"
than the gathering of the children Of the
Unitarian Sunday SCHOOL in Harmony
Hall, Friday evening. \ charming little
play entitled: Tho night before Christ
mas" followed by some tablesux, opened
the exercises Of the evening, which were
appropriately closed by the distribution OF
gts from the Christmas tree by Santa
Claus himself, in one of his most amiable
and condescending moods. The prologue
of the play: "Wh2t shall little children
bring, on Christmas day in the morning."
was very distinctly recited by a member
of the Sunday school, after which the cur
tain rose upon scene unique in its way,
owing to the perfect sans gene OF the youth
full actors, and tho SIX i'll IN the arrangement
of all the details. Nothing could have
been more natural than the picture Of the
old grandmother and Hannah, her sons
wife, sealed before the fire and knitting by
the light ola iallow candle, while the chill
dren we're amusing themselves in various
ways about The room. At last, admonish-
ed by their mother of the lateness Of the
hour, they delight their old grandma by
reciting aud singing some Christmas Sc
lections in a manner which would have
done credit TO older performers, after which
they hung up their stockings amid the joy
Gus hustle and scufliing usually attending
such scenes, and then scsnpered off tc
bed. II the highest perfection in art is to
equal nature, as we suppose it TO be, then
this little scene was perfect; for so natural
did it appear that we trembled more than
once at some little outburst of impatence
on the part of some Of the younger chill
dren, believing it to be entirely impromptu
and destined to create confusion, and thus
bring the play TO a speedy and ignoble end
OF the remainder OF the scene in which tho
grandma had the principal role, we viii
say nothing except that 1t was admirable
and amused the older part of the audience
fully as much as the children.
The first tableau represented the children
in bed, with two angels leaning over the
cradle, while behind the scenes was hearC
one of Kucken's cradle songs, sung by {
charmingly fresh voice without accompani
ment. The second tableau was similar L
the first, the angels being replaced by
Santa Claus standing near tho chimney
down which no had evidently come for the
purpose of filling the stockings. The thirC
lableau represented the children just out o
bed and intent upon examining the con
tents of their stockings. AfIer these tab
leauX, followed by two more equally pref
ty, and representing, we believe, "th'
twins" OF the Sunday school, curtain a
one side of the hall was drawn, thus dis
playing TO view graceful and well filled
Christmas tree containing some littli
mem ento for each member of the Sunday
school. 1t had been resolved, as we un'
derstand, TO give no costly presents on thi'
occasion aud this seems TO us to be poin
well worthy of imitation, for the system o
present maxim is carried to such an ex
tent at present that we are apt TO lose sigh
of the real beauty of Christmas, and con
slider il merely as a season for exchanging
gifts rather obligatory than spontaneous.
A VISITOR.
School District No. proposed Oh
Christmas eve to have an old fashioned
good time; so, in the words of one wit
was present,
The Smiths and the Yeaws set out with their sleighs
The RedWAys and Morses they took on their way;
The Aliens aud Parks came in with good cheer,
While the ChAmberAins and Kelleys brought up tn
rear.
The Proutys aud Howes cried "santa Claus near,
So come one and all without any fear"
The Chmberlains and Esteys Che last on the hill)
Came In with the little ones, all with good will
There Lillis and Capen, and his wife Marie,
Had In With 4 no oh al In ola