The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-01-02
Esap's Speculaiions ON Shrist-
mas Eb:by,

l.
Editor BrookhaUen LOGGER:
Christmas in IA great city. and such a
Christmas. Great heavens! what ter
rible weather for the celebration
Rain and mud, mud and rain and such
cold rainsana such a dreary, dismal,
cheerless DAY, for such an eventful sea-
sor. | sit in my room, which is cosy
little upstairs apartment, warmed by q
good coal fire, and lighted by two win
dows. Ihad just got to this point in
my letter when I was interrupted by a
rap on my door and upon bidding the
intruder enter was confronted bv col
ored servant of the house bearing a
tray containing a goblet of foamlng
egg nog. q bottle marked "Old Rye
and one or two other Christmas toys.
4 4 Il
l went to the window and looked ont
on the stteet. The rain still came
drizz!ing down. Cabs rolled by, some
occupied, some not, save by the driver.
who clad from head to foot in his black
fubber suit shining like an otter Just
emerged from his watery home; omni-
buses thnnderel past over the rough
pavement jarring the windows like a
young earthquake in its maiden throes,
while the oil cloth covered driver bowed
his head to the blast as the ram patter-
red S'elcilessly against him; the horse
car rumbled along like subdued and
distant thunder and the chatter of the
mules steel shod hoofs kept time to the
sharp tinkle of the bell suspended to
its collar, while the driver who had
retreated to his corner-the most shell
tered position he could fnd-stood a
fixture, as if lethargy had taken pos
session of him, until now and then the
sharp stroke of the car gong would
recall him to his senses sufficient to
turn on the brakes to let out passen-
ger half Flock or SO past bis door;
daintily dressed females, with pretty Its
tie feet enclosed in pretty little CATERS
holding costly silk umbrellas, mary of
them turned wrong side oct by Sudden
gusts of wind they had enooun,5ted on
the way, tip-toed their steps along the
wet and muddy side walk; barefooted
news boys with pants rolled up to their
knees and papers secured under their
ragged coats, splashed along through
the mud or took shelter in some friend
ly door way for the nonce to jump on
some passing Gear; old beggar women,
some professional and some not, some
in rags and some not; some in camlet
cloaks and some in no cioaks at all,
toddled along through the mud and
rain asking aims of those they meet or
calling from door to door; men, women,
and children, white, black and yellow,
from the Caucasian to the Congo, with
now and then an Acknowledged Mongol-
ian pig tailed celestial, all drenched to
the skin, and muddy to their knees,
hurried past, some one way some the
other; some with baskets filed with
toys and some with the material for
.heir Christmas dinner, and some with
nothing at all; some enjoying their
Christmas and calling it merry, while
others find no enjoyment and wonder
where the merriment comes in; some
hurrying home to happy fileside and
a bountiful repast, while others wan
der about they scarcely know whittier
with no freside in vie v, and no repagt
in expectation, save the bare hope of a
few crumbs from the rich mans ta>
BILE,
Christmas! the birth day OF our
Saviour. Yes, one thousand, eight
hundred and seventy eight years ago
to- day, Jesus Christ was born and so
poor were his parents. according to all
accounts that they had to take shelter
in stable as there was no room for
them in the inn. And the shepherds
in the fields tending their focks were
visited by the angel of the Lord, who
broughG them good tidings of great
Joy which shall be to all people. Luke,
second chap. 9th and 10Th verses.
The shepherds heard the news and
they went to see the baby, finding it in
a Manager dres5ed in swaddling cloths.
They then returned to theil focKs glo-
rifying and praising God. Yet there
is nothing recorded of any great feast
on the occasion, and 1 half suspect
those poor shepherds did not get as
much as glass of eegnog, and am
certain they got no roast turkey with
oyster stuffing, for that was before tur
keys were discovered or oysters used as
dressing. Neither did they herald his
coming nor celebrate his birthday in
those good old times by burning pow
der either in the shape of Chinese fire
crackers, Roman candles, sky rockets,
or any other kind of fireworks. MOI
have We any account of their getting
drunk and loading a Queen Annes
musket up to the muzzle with powder
and wad TO burst and blow some of
their heads and arms OFF. Neither did
those old people blow their horns ard
bugles nor beat their drums for they
did not consider that man of peace
was entitled to the same kind of cele
bration as a man of war.
But we of the nineteenth century,
have got over that old fogy doctrine.
We discovered it and this is the way
it was dene: Early in this century
Americans commenced celebrating the
4th OF July pretty extensively and find
ing it such a good thing, end the day
too short to get through, they com
Il 49, 81