Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1880-12-25


tramps. many, many loads are stolen.
The use of the green's is far more COM
mon than in the United States. Even
the railway stations get themselves up
festally in laurels and holly. loop their
arches with festoons, bind their lanterns
about with green, and the locomotives
on Christmas day whiz along with holly
branches.
Christmas morning is ushered in by
the bell-ringers and the waits. The
clamor of the bells becomes nothing
less than grievance. and though the
idea of the waits singing carols is poetic
and charming, the reality is but too
often horde of urchins and half-grown
louts all bawling. in ear-splitting tones
and perfectly Independent time, some
thing of which one can discover only
that it has certain swing which would
indicate rhyme, and that a constantly
recurring assurance is, '-For Christmas
comes but once a year, fact that has
its consultations for the suffering audi
tors. When, however, the waits are
well-trained band of choir-boys their
music in the still night is as welcome
and delightful as the words of some of
the old carols are simple and touching.
In some country districts the boys
rig themselves like a pack OF fantastic
Guy Fawkes mummers and 90 about
performing plays before the houses--if
plays they can be called: short dia-
logues, with deal OF cut and thrust,
ers, waits good and bad. mummers,
they all them mean money; sixpences.
or beer, or both. But then everybody
means money just now. The postmen,
the carriers, the errand boys. the lamp
lighters, the sweeps. the street-clean-
ers, the German-band men, the garbage
collectors. ETC., ETC.. all start forward
with hands outstretched for sixpences.
shillings, half crowns. This is the old
Christmas Box. and originally it seems
to have been a box like our savings
boxes. 1t was called Thrift Box as
well. and used to be set up in the shops
of tradesmen for each customer to place
a gift therein. Now it is the tradesmen
who must give gifts. The cook at any
house of moderate style fares well at |
Christmas. for every tradesman serving
the house bestows upon her a money |
In houses where there |
are several children the milkman who |
knows his business is careful to send |
nurse a douceur as well, propitiating
thus both the chief functionaries.
In by-gone days bakers gave to their
customers 4 cake made in the form of |
a baby or of a lamb; but this custom is
extinct. Old portions of the Christmas
fare are gone, too. One now scarce
ever hears of a boar's head stuck about
with rosemary appearingat table. The
pepper cakes are gone, and the great
sausage which must needs be boiled at
taybreak. Goose pie is no more to be
seen. and plum porridge, "plum por-
'idge hot. plum porridge cold" has
passed away. The "wassail cup" if
hat meant punch, remains. and plum
,orridge's lineal descendant, plum pud-
ling, light, firm. crowned with holly
'prig and blazing with blue brandy
lanes, is necessity of existence in
very English household on Christmas
Day. Mince pies are a less imperious
condition, and no wonder; for, 0 my
lative land! they're not half so good as
hine. They are mean in size, to begin
With, baked in small patty pans, with
carce good spoonful of mince to the
lie. And one authority says they
hould be oblong. typifying thereby the
hanger. rs their contents do the gifts of '
ne wise meni
The day after Christmas is Boxing
ay. a general holiday so far as busiut IS
J concerned, but especially the festival
I trades-people, artisans and servants.
hey crowd the city railways, fill the
heap theaters, make day of it at the {
'rystal Palace, or for three shillings
themselves to Brighton to ex-
lore the wonders of the deep in the &
reat aquarium there and to get potted I
hrimps with their tea
And then Christmas is over for Lon
opars xyhos bara rapt e Il, to,rc, e. |