The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-01-03
LETTER FROM tIDGEyY<fY
a Full and Interesting Account of ho
Festival recently given there
RIDaEwAY, S. c., Dec. 81, 1877.

bcarance if not veneraticn, ut least
to tho extent of few jottings
OF the Christmas Festival given by
the ladies of Ridgeway and vicinity
for the benefit Of that stalwart corps,
the "NIoise Light Artillery" For
weeks this matter has been agitatcd,
talked of, and noiscd abroad, and
NC all began to believe that strange
sights would be witnessed, and that
mighty events would occur. Com
mittees of ladies wero appointed, as
sisted by detail from the Battery,
and they all went to work, with the
determination to make it q success,
and you know, Mess i. Editors,
nothing can be more touching than
to behold soft and tender females
who have been all weakness and
dependence, and alivo to every
trivial roughness while treading the
usual paths Of life, suddenly using
IN nnshrinlting iirmness md energy
and mastering those difficulties
which often break down the spirits
Of men. Through the efforts Of tho
committees the town and country
was thoroughly stirred, rs 10 has
never been since the clarion voice
Of Hampton aroused it from it's
long slumbcr Of lethargy. Tho
people realized for tho time the high
duty they owed to tho old State and
it's citizen soldicry. The pros
gramme as arranged was for
Christmas tree in connection with
a hot supper. To meet this az
rangcment, and in the absence of d
moro suitable building, the Masonic
Hall store-room had been tastefully
decorated, and a graceful cedar
reared to meet tho requirements of
our annual visitant from the frozen
regions Of the north pole, at the
same time the adjoining store room
was being fitted up for tho purpose
of serving the inner man with tho
essentials Of life. Everything being
arranged, the dawning of Christmas
day was looked for with many miss
givings for the success of our de-
tcrmined managers, for with their
other difficulties they now had rain,
mud and slop to contend with. The
old adage, "they that determine
half succeed" was fully verified, for
they met tho issue squarely and
fearlessly, and determined to 90
ahead as though the "oriontal god
Of day" was reforming his usual
daily duty, in uncloudcd splondor.
At six AMI half o'clock tho doors of
the treo room were thrown open,
and the efficient door keeper was
soon besieged by IN anxious crowd
OF eager and expectant sight seers.
''They, jostlng, crowd in one wild rush
There, bending under the weight of
it's varied and innumcrable gifts,
and glittering from top to bottom
with it's many .colored tapers, stood
tho artistically arranged treo. This
was sight to both old anu young
well worth the triiling cost to see.
Tho numbers were soon called
which created much excitement and
amusemcnt-for q young lady to
got bunch of cigars or for u bashful
young gent to be presented with
tastily dressed doll. Among the
gifts [ noticed some valuable ones,
and my attention was particularly
arrested by a beautifully executed
lamp-shado, made by Miss
H. X, young lady Of tho ncigh-
borhood, and made special present
to the ctp ain. The distribution
over, the tree, shorn of it's glory, was
thrown out to make room for other
amusements. Supper being next