Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-12-28
CHRISTMAS.
The American Way of Observing the Day
Something About Holiday Presents.

The American Way of Observing the Day
Something About Holiday Presents.
[From the Chicago Times.l
The custom of giving presents on
Christmas was imported to this country
from England and Germany. Like o
good many other imported customs, we
never exactly know what to do with it,
and it is a question if the custom has not
resulted in more harm than good. We
have not yet learned how to keep Christ
mas in this country, and it is very doubt
full If we ever will. In New England the
day is hardly celebrated at all except by
the comparatively few Catholics and
Episcopalians. In the Southern States
the day is set apart for coon hunting,
horse-racing, and playing whisky poker.
1t is reported that an Indian once came
into Southern frontier town on a
Christmas morning with some furs which
he wished to exchange for fire-water.
Seeing all the places of business closed
except the taverns and am.shops, he
inquired the cause, and learned that it
was the birthday of the Savior of the
world. After surveying the field for
some time, he expressed the opinion
that the aforesaid Savior must have been
very fast fellow, who owned large
number of fast horses and who was
mighty fond of hunting coons. In the
West a good many people try to cele-
brate Christmas, but make ridiculous
failure of it. They read in one of Wal
ter SCOTS poems or novels how the
thing is done in the old country, and
foolishly think they can do it here.
They succeed no better than the board
ing-school girl does who undertakes TO
make an English Christmas plum pud-
ding by the aid of the information she
derives from cookbook. The truth is,
neither she nor her elders are educated
up to keeping Christmas. Everything
is against its observance. Our trees
don't provide mistletoe; our cattle won't
kneel in the stable, and even young
children have no faith in Santa Claus.
We are more successful in copying
the German observances of Christmas
than were the English. In truth, tie
only German custom we ever took very
kindly to is that of drinking lager beer.
It was reported at the close of the war
that colporteur of the Young Mems
Christian Association presented some
one-legged soldier in hospital with
copies of tracts on the evils of dancing.
Christmas presents are generally selected
with about the same degree of appro-
priateness cigar cases are given to peo-
pie who never smoke, while deliberately
embroidered shaving leaves are present
ed to men who babitually wear full beard.
Sometimes an article of wearing apparel
is sent to some poor female who has a
scanty wardrobe. If this is done 1t is
very certain TO be of character to make
her clothing look the worse for the ad-
dition. II is customary in some coun-
try towns to present the minister's wife
with an opera cloak on Christmas. 1t is
as much use to her as hand-sled is to g
boy living in the West Indies. As
rule, Christmas presents seem to be
selected with an eye single to making
the recipient of them as uncomfortable
rs circumstances will allow. III the pres
ent comes in the form of clothing, it is
commonly some article that will make
the remainder of ones dress look shabby.
Young ministers always come In for
slippers, while the thing they need by
way of foot-gear is walking shoes. The
chief effect of making Christmas pres
ents is that those who receive them seem
to think they are in strict duty bound
to make returns on New Years day, or
on the succeeding Christmas, and they
set to studying maliciously what map
propriate thing can be made or bought
to fire back to the person who put them
under " obligation" to him.