New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-29
OVERDOING CHRISTMAS.

In one of Dickens's Christmas stories men
ton is made of little tailor who, having just
before been fined for being drunk and blood
" thirsty" became sober and amiable on the
25th of December, and did his best to help his
lean wife to make the small pudding. With
out doubt, we have plenty of tallors and of
other handcraftsmcn who kept the last Christ
mas that ever was In way equally com
mendablc but if they were the rule, we are
sorry to say that the newspapers bring rs
plenary evidence that there is no rule without
exceptions 1t is notifying to be obliged to
declare that we do not remember Christmas
more prolific of breaches of the peace than
this which has just come and gone-murdcrs,
not to put too fine a point upon it-murders
mainly of women, with some by women,
which is little better.
1t is quite evident that too many persons
have no notion of keeping Christmas except
by drinking particularly hard and what comes
of particularly hard drinking, is it not writ
ten in every smeared calendar of crime
Next Tuesday is New Years Day, which is
also considered as sacred to Bacchus by a
great many misguided merrymakers; and
perhaps it may persuade the weak ones with
be told of certain deeds on Christmas night,
or about that tme-of Michael DOran, shot by
Mrs. Slade at a festival of the whiskey sort,
in Methuen Mass.-of Edward Trimpy, shot
by Mistress Kitty Sparrow, in the
Pearl Liquor Saloon in DeadwoOd, ID. t.
of Michael Mackey, killed in North Stoning-
ton, Conn.,, by a mere boy named Goddard
of Edward Van Tibury, in New Brunswick,
n. j., who being superlatively drunk was
pushed down by somebody comparatively
the same, and SO Edwards neck was broken
of Mr.. Warfield instantly killed on Christmas
day itself, at GAINESVILLE, Nd, by Mr.. Jami-
son, the former being engaged to be married
To the murderer's sisteT-Of the Christmas
frolic at Loudon Bridge, Va, which ended in
the killing of GOrnto by Ethcridge-but
enough! What if we should stretch the
catalogue to a columns length, as we might
easily do 1t would teach no more than any
single instance here given. Forty follies are
no foOsher than one.
Nor need we cynically ask if this is the
way in which men celebrate the birth of
Him who came to preach a gospel of peace
and gosd-will. We must separate the
historical origin of Christmas from the
opportunity of excess which the stupidity oil
the stupid has made it. To the pure and
gentle. to the generous and kind-hearted, to
h ,ppy parents and to innocent children, 1t Is
none the less an anniversary OF serene joy,
because in slums and smoky splrit-shOps, in
auarters which are not so much homes as the
holes of the foxes are, the debauched and
degraded turn it into a saturnalia, and finish
their obscene feasts by killing or trying to Kill
each other There are those who sanctimOnlouly
turn I'D their noses at all festive observances
Whatever. and who think it wasteful and
ridiculous excess to be jolly upon any day OF
the year. There is one way of getting the
better of the MawwOrms and the Amninidab
Sleeks, and that is not to give them grley-
ance great enough to put right upon their side.
There are teetotalers, we suppose, who would
have no celebration by friendly visits OF next
Tuesday, because the custom of calls has lei
to so much tipping. II we fetch out the cot
fee-pots and the tea-pots instead OF the de-
cantcrs and champagne bottles, and drink the
health of the New Year in the cheering, non
inebrating cups, we shall rescue time hon
ored public habit from even a suspicion OF
blame. We can certainly have brilliant day
enough without duplicating all the candles,
and making every flower double.