Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-12-23

| m WIZ nilies Oh evergreen SarlandS
small forests of pine and palm trees and 4
corresponding quantity of moses in the
! markets tins morning. Why everybodv
! feels ii incumbent to invest in Chris, mo.
decorations now, where two-thirls Of the
same number never thought of such = tbinr
! ii'e years back, is one of the curiosries 81
modern fashion. Every market basket was
! topped oil with a bunch of evergreen and
the bit OF sentiment in CONJUNCTION with the
uaE proVender seemed 4 general weak
! ness. There are ten times as many green's
son. SOLD now as there were as many years back.
linen me conntrymen used to bring in as
many bushes or limbs of trees rs they could
manage TO carry along with their other
stun, most OF which We're bought for
Christmas trees or for decorating for public
| festivals. There was little taste then dis
played in the made-up wreathing or designs,
but all that is reversed now and there is
! quite an amount of artistic taste displayed
in the mingling of the various tints of
moses, berries and dried. flowers with the
pine. The wreathing of running pine is
the iavorite decoration. Most of this comes
from near this city, and this year looks par
tiaulariv green and full. Men, women and
children mostly among the colored popula-
ton, engage in this industry, and have to
wade through bitches. climb hills and cover
good de;:l of ground to secure it. The
belief exists in many juvenile minds thai
this was the original use nature designed
for the trees. Christmas trees in palms or
other eVcrgrecns are also used.
! The made up designs embrace crosses,
wrcaths, great and small, anchors, stars,
diamonds and horse shoes in an immense
! variety.
! The holly branches are usually full of
berries, but the leaves are not as shining
greer AZ some winters. There is less of
holly brought in than any other green.
NisIlctoc boughs, the most suggestive of
all the Christmas decorations, are rarely
used IN proluSon, and not in general use al
all. The mlStlctoc bought is the one piece
OF decoration about which all the rest is
mere hl!ing III Or background. 1t is usually
suspended IN some conspicuous place, and
IN the Christmas tcasling, she who passes
beneath Is, pays the penalty of kiss to the
first brave youth who claims the privilege
1t IL needless TO say that a look through the
stock OF all the market women revealed no
signs of mistetoe boughs, nor of Florida
moss, another luxurious article Of decora
tlon,a in more common use. But there
Is enough left about the market house in
inc way of cleaning leaves scarlet berries
ana velvet moses to invest their often
Grlmy surroundings with all the elements Of
picturesque woodland beauty.
| THE MARKET this morning presented Il
Christmas appearance, and though the past
few days have been unfavorable for country
people to get about, yet q number Of then,
were present and brought large quantities
OF produce. Prices, of course, were high, as
II Is an understood thing that people arc
more literally disposed during the HOLIDAYS
thah al any other time, and the sellers pre-
>um1d on the understanding and got all
they could for their articles. Quantities of
! cvcrgrcens were also for sale. and there was
ali active demand for every variety Those
who had not received turkey from their
country friends marched up this morning
and paid lSa20c per lb for one. and though
II went against the grain to pay so much
1t had TO he done. and that was the
e'" VI II; IN" market was well attended
ny pom h'yerS ana sellers, and prices were,
! aS above stated, higher than our last quota.
tons but rs the arketing for at least sew.
eral days has been done, it is needless to
| give figures, us it would only provoke an
ger in those who were compelled to pay
the prices.
The WEATHER AND THE RIvER.-The
moist warm weather of the past few DAYS
/ mas caused 4 dense fog to hang over the
| river, which has interfered considerably
with navigation. But little ice is running
! now, and that is soft and offers no resistance
10 either steam or sailing vessels. Most of
the former are running regularly, being but
| slightly delayed by the fog, and the latter
are beginning to get about. The Virginia
was put on the Maryland Ferry line again
this evening to enable the people on the
opposite side Of the river to make their
purchases in this city.
Although the weather continues raw and
disagreeablc, the rain stopped falling last
night and to-day has been a decided i'm
rrovemcnt on the past three or four, the
sun having made his appearance several
times.
The streets have been thronged with
purchasers of Christmas goods and the
! countenanccs Of the merchants, which had
before assumed gloomy appearances bright
ened up, and everybody looked cheerful and
happy.
CHURCH SERVICES ON MoNDAY.-Services
will be held in several of the churches on
Monday, Christmas day, and in many of
them fine music will be rendered, the diff
ferent chors having been practising for
some time past.
In ST. Mary's Church there will be SOL
emn High Mass and sermon at 5 a. m, fol-
lowed by two Low Masses second High
Mass and sermon at 10 a. M, followed BY
the Bcnedction of the Blessed Sacrament.
At all of the Episcopal Churches there
will be services at II o'clock, when appro-
pirate sermons will be preached W hich will
be followed by the administration of the
| Holy Communion.
AT the NJ. E. Church, services will be held
! at + q. m.
TIMBER FOR THE NEW ScHooNERs.-
Large numbers of men are now engaged on
both sides of the river below this CITY in
getting out timber for the two schooners
to be built here. Beside the force of men
employed at Glymont by Mr.. Speer. that
gentleman now has thirty hands below
Gunston, on this side of the river, who are
kept constantly at work and the timber
which they cut is sent here and put into
shape at the saw mills of the shipyards pre-
paratory TO being used in the construction
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