Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-02-26
CHRISTMAS IN ALGERIA.
JOURNAL or THREE DAYS.
BY A YANKEE ABROAD.
The Third nav,

for our late vigils.
Our FIRST move is to the same Arab quarter,
to witness negro dancing We find, in a
court, band OF men, two beating huge
drums with bent stick, the others with long
iron castanets or cymbals, which they strike
while dancing. BY turns, one man gets In
the centre and jumps, turns, till he is eH-
hausted. The scene is coarse, and its only
attraction is the gusto with which they attend
to their dancing. A tall stalwsrt individual
OF 80 or 30, dressed in white and blue-a glo.
rious specimen Of humanity joins in the fun ;
an old man, almost in tatters, decrepit and
stupid-looking lifts up his feet in cadence,
and is tolerated by the others. 1t is the same
gro type-fun-loying which we have in
the southern United States.
Arabs, mostly boys aud girls fill the yard ;
they know us, and ask for pennies, their
hands dyed with henne, a brown, dark dye
which promises good luck Even little chill
dren are thus adorned Some big girls re-
move their wells, that our Lady may see the N
in full they are plain looking.
Soon we have enough of the negro fun, pay
for our welcome, and drive to the cemetery.
Under the secular olive trees in this small
valley Of the Atlas surrounded with high hills,
near the never failing springs, is a scene
worth coming for Under ihs trees two or
three hundred women, all veiled, seated on
the ground surrounded with their children,
eat fruit aud candy, listen to the wild music
of the same band we have heard the previous
evening, placed under the largest tree near
the path which leads to the tombs Of the
saints Coffee and tea men are in full sway
sheep are killed and dressed to feed the pill
grims. Tbs mosques and sheds are full Of
praying men. Tue crowd is enormous the
weather magnificent Near the music the
Assasouas are play ing again the same tricks
and fascinate again our Lady, for whom a
place has been secured under the awning OF
a coffee man, who to-day charges Ave cents
for each cup, because we are on sacred soil
and he has heavy rent to pay (money, al
ways moneyD Ahmed protects the Lady,
while we men circulate in the crowd-but not
among the women, or we should be quickly
stopped. Taught by experience we have
brought small bag of pennies, with which
we buy the whole stock Of the candy sellers.
Fame spre ads the news Of our liberality, and
we are surrounded by a crowd of boys aud
girls extending their kennedy ed hands.
The venerable writer Of these lines becomes
for the Arab boys an Atlas Santa Claus. He
seizes bis Vhole stock in trade and brings the
crowd to Cur Lady to distribute the candle 3.
He claims that thus he will teach Arabs to
honor and resptct woman We seek the
timid children, go to the babies in their moth.
ers' arms, and soon would be at home With
them, IL their husbands were not looking; but
even some Of these are smiling, and let their
children accept our gifts with a sign OF thanks.
In the midst Of the scene appear q pumber
OF common Spanish and French men aud
women, who jeer at the Arabs-make fun OF
their customs. 1t is r voting they deserve
good whipping. A few officers on horse.
back seem also to care nothing il they are
rude with the natives. No wonder il these
bate all foreigners aud curse them silently.
The tombs OF the saints are decorated with
flags, covered with new pieces OF silk and
cotton printed cloth. Pious women pray aud
kiss them.
When we have looked enough, drunk pound
ed coffee and highly favored tea, we buy a
new load OF candy for the children we are
sure to meet on our way. 1t is quickly dis
tributed.
The sun is of the Atlas valley, but shines
full on the orange groves, whose attractions
are not to be resisted.
In the evening, between . and 10, must
take place the last and grand proce sson, with
hundreds of men carrying wax candles and
coming up to the saints tombs. 1t is the
feast of lights We anticipate a crush, and
have taken necessary precautions.
Lo! while we rest and dine, a violent wind
comes down from the Atlas heights; we meet
it 10 gusts, with such clouds of dust that we
wrap ourselves in our shaWls, breathe through
cloth, and go to the festival as criminals to
their gibbet. We alight follow the crowd
to the same cemetery and olive trees The
mosques and SHE ds are full Of lights. Wom-
en- are there, grouped as before. The music
| is there, with another auction of csndles
| (money, money , The hres OF the coffee
men blaze away. The Christmas trees (thus
called for shortness) scattered in the city have
been brought on the grounds But the wind
|
a refuge and drink tea or coffee TO keep warm.
l offer cup to neighbor-s respectable
looking Arab, who speaks French He thinks
be is between ~ and 80 years old; he cannot
tell exactly. When he was born no registry
law existed, and nobody cared. We use
thou" aud thee" while speaking together
1t is 10 O'Clock when the procession movei
on-a failure hardly a couple of hundred
candles are kept burning, and that with the
utmost difficulty. The pilgrims surround the
saints tombs; divide in groups in the cen
tire of each a number of lights. They cham
prayers, put lights in the little recesses OF
ovens of monuments, kiss each other on the
forehead, and seem to enjoy their worshi ip
Thus they will continue till day break.
We leave them chanting and praying fnG
with difficulty our carriage in the crowd. The
clouds shift the moon tries to shine. VIZ
drive slowly back, silent as mourners. Al
soon as we reach the hotel, Ahmed leaves III
to return to the cemetery and join in the ex
eroises. He is pious fellow.
Next day We returned to Algiers.
A few lines will be sufficient to say that W.
spent our own Christian Christmas in thii
African land very much as we would have
done if we had been in Brattleboro. On De
oember 24th we attended the Christmas. tree
Of the French Protestant Sunday school. One
of us had been requested to address the crowd
ed audience. He told them stories of Yankee
land; took them to Niagara, the Rocky Noun
tains, aud San Francisco. He was a success
Next day We attended the English (Episco
PAD church beautifully decorated with mass
es of roses and other flowers, now in full
bloom in open air. Then dined with friends
who tried to make us forget that we were
away from home, away from our families ant
our old friends.
However, we have not been forgotten. TIL,
Vermont PL eniI himself has brought US
Christmas greeting aud many New Year.
good wishes, all doubly welcome.
JOhn ID. Cough.
Mr. Cough was born in Sandgate, England
AuQuai % 1917 His Darenta were nOor Hi