Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-12-27
lancaster f1ltelliQe1lrer.
TUESDAY EVENING, DEC. 81, 1881.
The Christmas Celebration.

1uC Oul lSlLA0S SCACUa oSAVns
Ordinarily Christmas comes but
once year." This year it came twice
and the country had the occasional ex-
perience of two holidays in succession.
When this occurs it has been generally
found more grateful for the second to
come as day of rest and healing from
the activity and dissipation of the first.
The inverse order of things could not
fall SO fifty for any other of our popular
holidays as Christmas. 1t gave US Sum
day this year for the religious and do.
mestic celebration of the day. OF course
st. Nicholas could not he diverted from
his regular time of coming nor the
Christmas tree he held back in its an
nual bloom, and in most homes here and
elsewhere sunday morning was Christ
mas morning and Sunday was the real
genuine Christmas day, marked by all
that is tendercst and hottest in the cele-
bration Of this festal day Of Christendom
and chiidhood's supreme delight. The
day was bright and beautiful and genial
rs the springtide. The churches were
everywhere well attended and Worship
pers were not disturbed nor the neigh
borhood of their devotions Invaded hy
profane and drunken revelry.
Yesterday was wholly given up 10 the
secular observance of the day, and the
general suspension of trade and manu-.
factories, as well rs the removal of all
the restraints usually imposed upon
the observance of the festival by its
religious character, led to a vast
amount of unbridled enjoyment run
ming often to drunkenness and riot
ing. Happily there is little worse to re-
cord in our our own community than
cracked shins or aching heads, but the
crop of crime and disaster from over the
country generally is fearfully large.
Whisky seems to have done more to
make fat gravcyards than the green
Christmas. SO that, on the whole, while
the religious remembrance of the day is
more devout and uninterrupted when it
falls on Sunday, the g second day " OF
Christmas is apparently marked by
greater social disorder than when its
festivities are all crowded into one day
1t has been from all accounts, not
withstanding all unfavorable features, q
merry Christmas the world over. The
gentle weather las undoubtedly mitiga-
ted if not entirely prevented the usua
sufferings of the poor; trade has beer
exceptionally heavy, and in this city the
merchants represent last Saturday t(
have been the briskest day ever known
here; The politicians have enough tC
keep them busy plotting and counter
plotting, and that makes them merry
oiliceholders who are going out have had
a good thing Of it, and those who art
coming in expect Il still better; tht
newspapers seem to he well patrOniZe(
with advertisements, Il sure indication
of prosperous times in business circles
and there are enough sensations ailOat t.
enable them to write them up readabl!
in all shapes, for the diversion of al
kinds of readers: the preachers ant
piOus have good reason to believe tha
the world is growing better when the.
see the Christmas graces more and NOR
abound, and altogether we can look lacl
upon this double -barrclled Christmas 0
1881 with good deal of fondness and
recollection of good cheer.