St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-25
CHRISTMAS IN LONDON.
One of Charles Dickens Many pica
lures of the Great and Merry


| One Of Charles Dickens Many pfcA
lures of the Great and Merry
| Feast.
The poulterers' shops were still half
open and the fruiterers' shops were radient
| in their glory. There were great round,
pot-belIied baskets Of chestnuts, shaped
like the waistcoats of Jolly old gentlemen,
| lolling at the doors and tn milling out into
the street in their apoplectic opulence.
There were ruddy. brown faced, broad
girthed Spanish onions, shining in the fat
ness of their growth like Spanish Friars and
winking from their shelves in wanton
slyness at the girls as they went by and
glanced demurely at the hung-up missletoe.
There were pears and apples, clustering
high in blooming pyramids; there were
punches of grapes, made, in the shopkeep-
ers' benevolence, to dangle from conspic-
uOus hooks, that peoples mouths might
water gratis as they passed; there were
piles of tilberts, messy and brown, recalling,
in their fragrance, ancient walks among
the woods and pleasant shuffiings ankle
deep through withered leaves; there were
Norfolk Biffins, squad and swarthy, setting
off the yellow of the oranges and lemons,
and, in the great compactness of their
juicy persons. urgently entreating and be-
and eaten after dinner. The very gold and
silver fish, set forth among these choice
fruits in bowl though members of dull
and stagnant-blooded race, appeared to
know that there was something going on.
and. to a fish, went gasping round and
round their little world in slow and passion.
less excitement.
The grocers'! oh, the grocers'! nearly
closed, with perhaps two shutters down, or
one; but through those gaps such glimpses!
1t was not alone that the scales descending
on the counter made merry sound, or
that the Irvine and roller parted company
so briskly. or that the canisters
were ratified up and down like
juggling tricks or even that the blended
scents of tea and coffee were so grateful TO
the nose, or even that the raisins were so
plentiful and rare. the almonds so extremely
white. the sticks of cinnamon so long and
straight, the other spices so delicious. the
csndied fruits so caked and spotted with
molten sugar as to make the coolest lockers
OH feel faint and subsequently bilious. Nor
was it that the figs were moist and PUPPY,
or that the French plums blushed in
modest tartness from their highly deco
rated boxes, or that everything was good
to eat and in its Christmas dress; but the
customers were all so hurried and so eager
in the hopeful promise of the day. that
they tumbled up against each other at the
door, crashing their wicker baskets
wildly, and left their purchases
upon the counter and came running
back to fetch them. and committed hun
dreds of the like mistakes in the best humor
possible; while the grocer and his people
were so frank and fresh that the polishe
hearts with which they fastened their
aprons behind might have been their own,
worn outside for general inspection and for
Christmas davis to peck at if they chose.
But soon the steeples called good people
all to church and chapel; and away they
came, focking through the streets in their
| best clothes and with their gayest faces.
And at the same time there emerged from
lscores of by-streets, lanes and nameless
lturnings. innumerable people, carrying their
dinners to the bakers shops. The sight Of
these poor jewellers appeared to interest the
h sprit very much, for he stood with ScrOOge
beside him in BAKERS doorway and. TAX
ing off the covers as their bearers passed.
sprinkled incense on their dinners fromI his
torch. And it was very uncommon kind
Of torch; for once or twice when there1were
angry words between some dinner carriers
who had jOstled each other. he shed a few
drops of water on them from it and their
good humor was restored directly. For
they said it was shame to quarrel on
Christmas Day. And 80 it was! God love
it, so it was!