Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1880-12-23

welitralaed hand ol cbor-b boys their
inusic N the still5ri9ht e AZ wchoIne 4
and delightfti as tbe words oi sothe Of
tho old carols are sinRile and toaahnn Y
fylH sOsne corntry districts the boys Z
rig themselves Ike a pack % fantastic
CIV faAvkts r0unlmUrs Hiftl go Ab0uf 4
peffolnsng plays belorc Ihr houses a /
PLAYS they can be eallad., Short dla.
lpgues, with deal pi cut and thrust,
and antics ON tho lawn bat hel-ring-
erS watts good and bad, mummers. (
they all them mean nouey; sixpances,
or i,ear. or both Bnt tiian' everybody
means money iust now. The postmen,
the carriers, tho erIzlnd boys. che lump /.
lighters, the sweeps, tho street. clean |
ers, ne German-hand men, the garbage /
collectors, etc, etc, all START forward
with hRnds 0utstretched Tor s. pences,
shi'lings. half crowns III Is Is the Old
Christmas BoX. and originally II seems
20 have been box ike our savings
boxes. Il was called Thrift Box as
we'll, and used to be set pp IN tho shops
OF tradesmen for each customer 90 place
a gift therein Now it IS the tradesmou
Z who must give gifts THE cook az any,
house OF moderate style fares wcll az
4 christmas. for every tradcsmau serving
I the house bestoWs upon her uoneG
Z contributions In houses where there
: are several children the milkmap who
3 knows his business Is careful 81 send
4 nurse douceur aS well. prophating
( thus both tile chief ructjunariis.
5 la by-gone days bakers gave TO their
customers q cake made in the form OF
n baby OF OF a lamb; but this custom is
extinct Old portions of the Christmas
fare are gone, too One now scarce
over hears of bOar's head 81 'ck sabout
with rosemary appeariagat table rho
pepper cakes are gone, and the, great
sausage which must needs be, ,boiled at
daybrtak Goose pie Is no nlore 20 be
I seat. and plum porridee, "plum por'
ridge hot, plnm. pprriige eotg mas
passed away. Tho "Wassail cup. u
chat meant punch, rema MS. ami plum
pOrridge's iiueal descendant, plum pud
ding Rght, firm. crowned with n holly
sprig aud blazing with bme brandy
flames, is 81 necessity of existence IN
every English household On Christmas
!, Day Mince pics no. loss imperlous
condition, aud no wonder; for % my
native land They're not hall SO good as
thine. They are mean in size, 20 begin
with. baked in small patty pans with
.scarce a good spoonful Of mince 70 the
\ pie And one authority says they
, should be obiong. typifs ing thereby The
/ manger. as their contents do tile gifts ol
the wise men.
"A The day alter Christmas rs Boxing
a day..a general holiday So far q business
i, is concerned, but especially the Festival
! 4 OF ades-pcople, artisans and servants
They crowd the city railways, I'LL thC
: cheap theaiers, make q day OF 10 at The
CRYSTAL Palace, or for three Shiiiing'
transport themselves 20 tiighjOn TO eA'
plore the wonders OF the doepiin ih,
.roat aquarum there anl 10 got pottee
I, shrimrs with their tea. .1
And then Christmas Is over for Lon
= tlondrs who have kept it in,towm iol
adait .oudoners. than is To say. lor ih'
!, pantomhues will be In iud blast 70
= weeks TO come, and AFTERNOON a1er at
= eruoan the theatcrs will he ihmmc,
y from lit to gallery with hi4ght-eye'
= children Shouting 10 ecstasy oyer th,
= spectacular g0rgeousuess and fanta
= sizes OF 1.-The Fair one With th
- Golden Locks "Puss in Boots,
= or what not uf fairy oNtrava
y ganza, but delighted 70 the last un
- contrullabe degree dyert the mistortuue
: and. brualities 81 mob, clown un'
= policeman, in the farce as might b
y y expected Of the cruelty OF children. but
= above all, Of children reac9d in Ian,
y where Punch's odious squeak aud pitt
! - iu sayageries pursue one from Land
!, End To John Otiroat's,
y ! But how beautiful they are--thes
2 fair-haired, sturdy, frauk-eyed, red
II checked English childrenl And 10 n
England one shall not see a pretde
sight than one OF uiase grcat chil
audiences freely given up TO tho bliss :
- watching a Christmas pantomlme' a
~ ~ In theHlsissse natural. so chlldbke. $
w fresh. solittle blase. That one pardons
y certain remnant of long sinceb bequeatl
~ ed Berserker and Viking legacies. Lii
20 Is before them, aud life softens us all
y miseries known and unknown. n OhYl
v L ffoRf IlnfOn a"