The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-12-29

Letter From Washington.
WAsuIN GroN, Dec, 18th. 1874

NAsHIN GToN, Dec. 21th, 1876.
Centennial Christmas was ushered in here by
a sobhy, murky sky. reverberating with such q
mingling of sounds that one is ut loss to tes to-
nate one which prevailed. Let us give tin horns
the precedence, hoping that the man who makes
them, after having won that glory may be glad
and willing to pass away SO heapcd up with
honors. II dear old Santa Claus is my tn let me
always hug this dension. | would not have il
destroyed. Last night this good CHEEKY soul
came down our old ricketty chimney, put down
his pack, shook of the SCOT from his fur and
with loving hands filled four stockings, chcered
four little hearts, remembered older folks and
silently sped away. Should we not love him /?
To-day in sunny Italy the bithcst song is sung,
the whole land cchOs and rc-cchos with the
richest strains. There man measures the love
of his iellow-man by song. Norway in her
sombre way rejnces; the gables Of her barns
ard storehouses hold out their shcavrs of grain,
tempting, imploring the little birds to stay with
them M man is SO poor there but that he re-
members the birds on Christmas day.
The music in the churches was grand to-day
much time having been spent in practicing by
the chnirs. The children of the several churches
will enjoy their trees and festivals on Thursday
next. The associations connected with the fes.
tival as celebrated by the churches l-lay is
thus graphically described by Charles Dick
ems.
can ANGEL speaking TO group Of shepherds
in a field; some travellers with ewes upiftcd
u
In a spacious temple, talking with great men;
q solemn figure, with mild and beautiful face
raising dcld girl by the hand again near
city gate calling back the son of a widow on his
bier to life; crowd Of people looking through
the roof of Il chamber where he sits, and letting
down sick person on bed with a rope; the
same in tempest walking on the water 10 a
ship again with child on his knee and other
children around; again restoring sight to the
blind, speech to the dumb, hearing to the deaf
health to tue sick, strength to the lame knowl
edge to the ignorant; again dying upon the
cross watched by armed soldiers, thick dark.
ness looming on, the earth egnuing to shake
and only one voice heard Forgive them for
they know not what they do.'n
The COrcoran Art Gallery received valuable
additions from the Johnston sale in New York
last week. Church's oil painting of Niagara,
bought for Sl2 800, ard bronze statuette of
Augustus Caesar, with Nela's Last DAYS of
Napoleon" acknowledged one of the best pieces
of sculpture in America Besides these are
three immense and rare japanese vases of great
value. One can find in this Gallery delightful
paslmc for hours Of recreation and study, for
tnere is much here tending to elevate the hu.
man scale
While remembering and being remembered
on this joyous season, we cannot forget that
loved ones are sitting in sorrow by the still
form of a darling boy, removed from their
midst just Ns the whole household would have
Joined in Il shout Of welcome for the birth of
Christ. Now, sorrow rcigns, and the low
whisper and gentle ooflll speak OF the subdu-
ing presence of the whtc-winged messenger
With all the compliments of the season,
ISEZ.