Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-12-27
!mAe Minhitatat+
FRIDAY MORNING. DEC. 2, 1878.
Local
CHRISTMAS SCENES.


THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TREES 20
rIvALs AND THE sERvICEs-A chill
DREN's COSTUME BALL-THE DAY In
THE COUNTRY,
&C.. &c. W"
Christmas passed off without accident,
though there was enough OF cracker nrihs
and horn blowing. Notwithstanding the
fearful temperature the Ragamufhns par
AIDED in the day and at night some coloreu
1mitators marched around. Social enter
tainments were given. The young people
had four entertainments given them our
ing the week at Kalorama, Mozart, LIZ.
MeChesney's and the American Hotel.
We give below the Christina IS news:
CHRISTMAS EVE AT THE LUTHERAN
CHURcH-THE EGG BREAKING-A
HANDSOME CON rRIBUTION.
The Central Lutheran church was brill
liantly lighted Tuesday night and the
door was opeued every second while people
hurried i'll bringing in Il draft Of the bitter
cold without, with them. In corner OF
the church stood Christmas tree about
fifteen feet high, sparkling with tiny wax
candles and thickly dutted with little boots
filled with candy for the children. at the
top was large doll Which the pastor told
the little ones was not for distribution but
merely to represent an angel. Tie church
was handsomely decor ated. Festoons OF
evergreens hung from The ceiling, while on
the walls were anchors, crowns, crosses
and stars of evergreen and gold, and across
the tree were the words "a merry Christ
mas" The altar Was decorated with ever
greens and over the minister's seat ran the
words, 'Glory to God in the highest"
The ceremony that was most curious and
which had attracted most of the visitors
Was the egg breaking, which was explained
by Rev. j. B. Haskell, the pastor. He
said that some time since 12S hollow eggs
OF plaster of Paris, with little Sits in the
end, were given out to the children Of tho
Sunday school and sent to friends of the
church. Some of the eggs we're sent down
the Valley, and as far North as Philadel-
,hia and as far South as Charleston, s. G..
AS reward of merit the boy Whose egg
contained the largest sum collected by a
boy and the little girl whose egg contained
the largest sum collected by girl, were
permitted to assist in the egg breaking,
and Willie Baker with an SSH egg and
BERTHE Butler with d s. egg, proved to be
the fortunate ones. AS the breaking went
on Mr.. Haskell kept up very interesting
running talk to the audience. He said the
eggs would have been pun in nest Of moss
ordered from South Ca, DINA had it arrived,
but it had not. One of the eggs sent in,
he said was from little girl lying on her
dying bed. One came from Philadelphia
fro m the Rev. M. R. Ainnich, the former
pastor Of this church, and in it Little
Georgia" his son, sent So. The former
pastor accompanied the egg with letter
of affectionate remembrance of the church,
written by himself. One of the eggs was
from the Superintendent Of the Sunday
school of st. Johns church at Charleston,
S. c., and contained 81. Another WAS
from Winchester with $402, another from
Baltimore with 81, 48. At the close of the
counting it turned out that 81 of the 1873
eggs had been sent in and that they con-
tanned $156,26. Then an envelope was
O ened with the contribution of the young
ladies Won Bora Socie to the Council Of
the Lutheran church, amounting to 1853
and that was followed by the pastor open
ing an envelope containing the contrib;
ton of the young gentlemen's Luther AID
Society, $l05, and last y came the contri-
button of the congregation composed of
s149,9S in cash and four shares Contributed
by four prominent members of the con-
gre ation) of certain stock worth $1OO a
share, making $549,9S. The grand total
for the night being $50 t,l9, and this from
the smallest denomination in the city and
not blessed with great degree of wealth
At the announcement of the sum even
some Of the disinterested spectators not
connected with the church showed a strong
disposition to break out iuto applause.
The bonded debt of the church is 81. $50
and its entire indebtedness is only 81 500.
SO they came near wiping it out in single
night. After these announcements were
made the gifts on the Christmas tree were
distributed to the Sunday school children
and to any other little ones in the house
the Lutherans noe confining their Christ
mas gifts to their own denomination.
Then there was a goblet presented to the
indefatigable pastor and a school satchel to
the little fellow, Willie Baker, who stood
first on the egg list, and the calling to
the front the members of the Luther Aid
Society and presenting each with Christ.
mas gift from the ladies of the Won Bora
Society. After singing the doxolugv
the nesting broke up at the reasonable
hour of a little past o'clock.
NIGHT AT THE BAPTIST
CHURCH.
The Sunday School room of the Baptist
church was packed Christmas night for.
The festival to be given the children. Mr..
John w. Todd, Supel intendent of the
school, presided and opened the proceed
lngs. There was a brief and fitting adj
1ress by Rev. DR.. Manly. the pastor, and
1t various times during the evening Some
lice singing by the school. There we're a
'erv large number of prizes and presents
slven' many OF which were very pretty and
valuable. Handsome prizes were given
Misses Margaret McLain, Ella Shields and
'allle Wood for collecting the larpe.t
mount of money for the festival The fol-
owing young ladies received, prizes foran.
wering correctly all the Bible questions
lurlng the ye r. Misses Sallie Woodso,
Alzzle Carwell, Oma Stoddard, Mary Bella.
Nv. Natl ia Wnndsl,n / ,uu;n