Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-26
THE DAY OF GOOD WILL.
PEOPLE CENTRALLY STAY At
HOME AND FAT TURKEY.


PEOPLE GENERALLY STAY At
HOME AND FAT TURKEY.
Jhe pay Celebrated Indoors-Chvlst-
mas Enioyed 20 It's Fullest Extent by
Every body-scenes in and About the
CIty-The Churches Filled and the
Poor and Prisoners Feasted by the
Charitable
Christmas was just what Christmas
eve predicted that it would be. No one
in savannah had cause TO complain OF the
day. Everybody made the most OF 1t.
The weather in the morning promised to
De on It's good behavior and the promise
was fairly kept. The sun shone out
brightly during the forenoon. Later IN
the day it was cloudy and damp and at
might slight rain fell, but at the worst
ahere was little to complain Of for a
christmas day.
The troops Of children who rose so
early in the morning 10 unload the
stockings that they had hung up the
might before had barely finished lnvesu-
eating their presents, taken long and
ocular drauzhts OF the hundred and one
pretty things hanging on the Christmas
tree IN The parlor and swallowed
breakfast which was perfunctory be-
cause they had so much else Of impor-
lance to attend to, before IL was time to
20 TO church.
Christmas worshippers were plentiful.
From the first early service in the morn
ing TIL the last prayer had been offered in
the afternoon the attendance upon Church
,seryice was large. The Roman Catholic,
Episcopal. and Lutheran churches gen.
orally observed the day. There was
tarong OF wOrshippers at the Cathedral.
The interest Of the day centered in the
high mass. which was celebrated at 1880
O'Clock The music was grand. The
choir, under the direction of Prof Mehr-
items, consisted Of a chorus Of twenty-five
voices, supplemented by full orchestra.
There was no vesper service. The early
mass at st. Patrick's church was also
largely attended.
The chimes in the tower Of st. Johns
aaDg out their glad Christmas melody and
tine beautiful sentiment OF The old Latin
hymn Of praise, "Yente adoremus" pre-
walled in the congregation of every Chris
titan denomination. Apart from the
music and decorations there was one
Feature Of particular note IN the Catholic
churches. This was the custom OF pre-
senting at one Of the affairs a picture OF
the birth Of Christ. The custom is not
new. The first representative crib was
shown early in the thirteenth century.
st. Francis, of Asslsium, had been TO the
Holy Land and visited Bethlehem. Re.
FurHing to his home, he placed in one of
churches at Christmas time a rude model
O. the town OF Bethlehem and the scene OF
Chrisrs nativity. His action was i'm
stated, the manger became feature Of
the celebrations at Christmas, spread
over all Europe and through the entire
bwoFld Of Catholic power.
The crib in the Cathedral OF Our Lady
Inf d. IN al FNa.1ra 10 ud haFu hn
altar Of st. joseph. Before it crowds
passed all day. The maager will remain
IN its place until Feb. ,, the Feast Of the
Fabrication. That is the time when Mary
Brought the child to the Temple at Jeru-
salem for presentation TO God, according
70 the Jewish custom. Saint Simeon held
Jesus in bis arm at the presentation, and
exclaimed: This is the light Of the Gen.
tiles" The anniversary is known now as
Gsndlemas Dsy. the time for the annual
Offering Of the candles.
At Christ and st. Johns Episcopal
fchurcnes and at the Lutheran church the
services we're fun OF interest, and were
largely attended by deyOut congregations.
In all the charitable institutions the
inmates INDUCED in festivities. The
teaching that the occasion is not one in
tended to impart Lesson to the rich or
the good TO the exclusion of the poor and
needy was made practical by the pro-
viding OF some Of the benefits Of the day
to al without reference to the condition
OF the body or soul.
Distributions Of bread, meat, turkeys
and soup were made all over the city. The
plumber Of turkeys in the city that on
Shrstmas eve were whole, and that last
nigbt were represented by a heap of
tangled bones and sinews, must have
been enormous. There were turkeys
everywhere. Even the saloons doled them
ont In inhRitesimal portions in the form Of
N.lree lunch" and no boarding house was
30 poor that at its table turkey was not
served in some form or other.
The usual holiday aspect was given TO the
city by tightly closed banks and places Of
business. A few OF the retail stores,
chiefly those dealing in groceries or
Lhrlstmas toys, were open during the
forenoon, but after dinner the mer-
~ holiday was almost uni
yersally observed. There were but
few people comparatively speaking
on the streets. The streets in fact were
BOT popular. The barroOms did a brisk
business during the early part OF the day.
Many places kept "Open houses for their
patrons, and Christmas punch flowed tree.
After O'Clock most OF the down town
Darr0Oms were closed. The hotel bars
were shut up for the day at O'Clock, but
Hhe corner saloons and lane dives
Tan all day and most OF the night.
The blatant note of the tin trumpet
she squawk OF tin horns, the crack and
Dang Of IRE p0ppers and the shouts OF re-
Tellers mingled with the shouts OF the
email boy and wanton hoOdlum, the
tgrOtesque and ludicrOus costumes O
negro fantasies, and at night the glare o.
lbOnfres, the fiz Of sky rockets, the pop Of
Roman candles and the sharp crack o
Chinese bombs, made up a combination Of
sights and noises that is seen or heard or
no other day OF the year. As soon as il
hegan 20 be dark the squares south Of
Liberty street were lighted up with bon
5res, aud until 9 O'Clock blazed with hun,
dreds 81 barrels and boxes. Very few
accidents occurred from the use OF fire
works, and 50 far as WAS reported last
might there were none serious.