The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-01-01
Notes from Aunt Chats Portfolio

| Christmas Week in the Crescent City-The
Shops Teenling With Beautiful Goods
Cl,ildren's Faith In Santa Ciaus-At-
tempt to Bribe Judge-Elegant Fair
for the Benefit Of the Touro Hospital-A
Tribute to the Virtues Of TIE Je.. ish Peo-
ple-Hazei kirke.
EDITOR CHEZ:
New ORLEANS. Dec. 20. 1880.
The city is as gay and joyous this week
as IL marriage feast. The weather is just
charming, the shops are ablaze with
beautiful things and the people are ont
III crowds, because, you know, Christ
mas in coming.
Old Santa Claus is as bnsy rs whole
hive of bees reading the thousand and
o"e letters from the little people, who,
contrary to the old adaxe, Beggars
must not be cloosers," are telling him
very empl'atically what they want. And,
doing it in faith, too; firmly believing
that, whatsoever they ask they will re-
ceiv..
Oh, what blessed, beautiful thing il
the real, live faith of children! What a
pity that they should ever awake from
their roseate dreams. What pity they
should ever be forced to leave their
Es,ens of innocent bliss and realize tho
world. l have two little friends who
were lately rndely told that there wus
II" such jolly, good hearted old man az
Santa Clans. Taey were ut school ard
We're in ecstasies of delight at the bare
amticit'a ton of Christmas. They had
been studying hard, trying to be patient
and loving vt home, and hey w.se sure
that Santa Claus would be unusually
generous to them III retnrn. "Sahta
Claus in.lrrti!" j.errh their playinates.
g There: is no snch person. What minnie.
you are t" believe such Il thing. CO
home aud ask your mother. Size, too,
will laugh at y"m; two poor little geese
that yon ars!' Would that men and
women could be as mucl, shocked and
gricve.l ii told there were u" God to'hesr
their petitions and supply their wants.
80 loving, pi,ying R-deemer-no Sane
titi.r! They few home, breatlless with
excitement and half frantic with grief
Books, luncl, baskets, hats, few in every
direction. In surprise, the patient little
mother looked up from her work and
quietly awaited all explanation Of this
unusual conduct. "No Santa Claus, Nam.
maj Then we don't want to live. There
can lie nothing more to look forward to
all the long year, II" more pleasure, DO
more Christmas" They sob,ed aud fret
ted by turns, nor conld they be pacitied
for days; not until they had learned to
like the change that had come into their
lives; not until they bad leaned to
cherish the feeling that they were pos
scssed of wisdom beyond the reach of
the wee ones. Chiltlhood's innocence!
Cnil.ihopd's faith! Would they could
last forever!
would like to tell you of all l saw
during my promenade this morning. It
was almost impossible to decide, amid
the mass of tempting things, what to
buy, "r to get the assistance of = clerk
at the crowded counters. Those are
wise who satisfy their own minds as to
what they want, aud tisrn, list in hu,Al,
go and get it at least two weeks before
Christmas. The only plan now to pnr-
sne is to go early iii tue forenoon when
the many are either chatting over the
break fast table or attending t" household
matters. fingered long at Greshan's
looking over his lovely cards, books,
fancy boxes of stationery and other arti-
c'es gotten up exprrssl. fer holiday gifts.
What more beautiful present for on- Of
aesthetic taste than the "Ancient Mari
ner" and the Wandering Jew" illus
trated by Gusfave D"r6, or the MUSES.
Francais," which is a collection Of copies
Of the old masters. Mr.. Gresham is To-
Gated OH Camp street, near his old stand,
aud is the same genial, oblisiny dealer
as OF cid.
Christmas is really til. childIen's day.