Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-01-28
Christmas In San Francisco.


dent OF this town, we are kindly permitted
to make the following e1tract:-
SAN Francisco, Dec. 25th, 1875.
TO you all a hearty Christmas greetfng;-
One Of those welcome warm rain falls last
night has made II a little damp under foot
this morning, but the sun shines brightly,
tho sky is clear and blue, and the air is
genial this lovely Christmas day. The trees
and plants and vines in our court-yards
are still in full foliage, aud many OF them
in bloom, and ii appears to he the height OF
the season for Gala lilies. Even those sand
hills upon the outskirts of the city which
look ed 20 bare and desolate in August, are
now covered with verdure. AS / write
troops of jolly boys with trumpet and
drum are parading the streets, and happy
little girls are giving their new dolls an
airing in heir brand new carriages on the
sidewalks. Altogether / have never ex-
perienced so fine Christmas day, and
may say few happier ones. BY this you
may well judge that there is sunshine with
in as well as without. So mote 1t be. The
Pilgrim Sunday school of "Starr Kings
church," of which your nieces are mem
bers, gave Christmas festival last evening
at one OF our largest halls. The exercises
consisted OF singing, recitation and panto-
mime. The hall was handsomely trimmed
with evergreen and banners, an illuminat-
ed fountain in the centre, and very large
elaborately ornameHted and brilliantly
lighted Christmas tree on the stage. AMER
the preliminary exercises the grand fea-
ture of the evening for the children was the
advent of Santa Claus. He made his ap-
peara nee from one Of the upper private
boxes, which with its draperies resembled
very much the second story window OF a
nice dwelling house. He was dressed in
the conventional style, excepting his great
fur oyercoat. 1 suppose he left that up in
the mountains, not needing it down here
on the coast. But you may be sure that he
did not forget the great pack on his back,
for ii is 10 that he owes the best part of his
fame. The jolly old fellows eyes twinkled
with delight rs he looked down upon that
e expectant crowd of little ones. So many
bright and pretty faces, with mouths wide
open and eyes that twinkled in return, all
wide-awake so late on Christmas eve, was
a sight W hich 1 presume is rare even 10
Santa Claus. So he bowed and rubbed his
han ds and danced in high glee for a min
ute, and then nimbly slid down a rope 10
the stage. Here he quickly deposited and
opened his pack, and consigning its con-
tents TO his deputies, uho Sunday school
teachers) for distribution, lie jumped down
into the midst Of his admirers. He shook
hands with the boys and kissed the girls,
and such a merry shout as went up, and
such an ovation as he got was enough TO
excite the envy of princes. OF course his
stay had TO be short, for this night ho must
be dreadful busy, but he left an excellent
Impression, and confirmed in many
young mind wavering belief in this pret-
ty conceit OF Christendom. After the de-
parture of the patron saint OF the evening,
old and young Joined in the dreamy
waltz" and social Lancers, keeping step 10
very fine music from full orchestra.
These festivals are a feature Of social llfo
here, are Of annual recurrence and attract
the elite. And by The way, If l am any
Judge OF beauty, our city can boast larger
proportion of fair women aud noble look
ing men than any city am familiar with.
Several of the little "six year olds' at the
festival were ito use a female extravaganza
perfectly lovely.
The observance of Christmas, AS a chill
dren's celebration day, is, 1 believe, becom-
ing more and more general. 1t seems par
ticularly appropriate that it should be so
when we think of Him who said "Sufier
little children to come unto me-" and no
Christian family should allow the day to
pass without joyful re cognition, except
indeed on account of some serious afilic-
ton or misfortune. When the question
comes up of reading the Bible in the COM
mon schools, of electing a chaplain 10 a
Stale Legislature or TO Congress, or recog-
niz ing God in the constitution, it is some
times denied that we are distinclively a
Christian people. The universally of the
celebration of Christmas In this country
goes long way in refutStion of this idea.
l rather think that everybody in San Fran
cisco has had a merry Christmas, unless
| it be the Chinese and the Jews. II.