Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-12-24
EASIER FOR SANTA CLAUS.
How Modern styles i'm Architecture
Favor So. NiCk,s Plans.

The Christmas stocking is coming more in voOue
again. The little ones are taught to prenarp Tor
the coming OF the good saint who On Chr,sfrnas
eve energies. cosey and smiling from the Chin
ney. For some years past. however this time
honored legend OF santa Claus has been roo,,oad
10 meet the changed conditions of living The
children have, 1t is true, been taught that the
glits they nave found by their bed side on Christ
mas morning. or At their places ut the table were
brought by the patron saint OF the houaavs put
IN view or the tightly-closed chimney plaees
Whlch the furnaces and latrobes In modern houses
hlide necessary, new explanation OF how Santa
Claus gets In the house with his wondrous pack
had 10 be invented. The Old ideas and pictures.
which represented the good old man. freshly
aIheu from MS northern home, standing upon
.he snow-covered roof OF the house with one leg
.hro"n over the chimney, just ready TO disappear
nl.o the depths, have lost their meaning. The
Pa"ing team Oh retDdeerS waiting, and evidently
nnpatient. for the dash into the long vista OF
mouse roofs, which stretched out far as the eye
could see was sufficient to give an air OF reality TO
any Childish mind. The picture was not complete
however, unless sectional view of the house was
snugly tucked in their little beds, with the smile
on their faces OF the anticipated glories
or Christmas. There, too, could be seen
manteipiece, completing the picture Of Christmas
Joys-aE Illustrated itinerary SUFFICIENT evidence
legend OF Santa Claus. BUT when q the Change was
made In the method OF heating houses from the
open freplaces TO the furnace fiues how could the
coming OF Santa Claus be satisfactorily explained.
IL could not be. But the old story was still told,
The old pictures were shown. and when the natu-
spirit Of inquiry asserted itself and demanded an
explanation the only response possible was some
feeble remark, ooh. well he can find way 10
reach your stocking. He just comes in Lfkethe
ghost of old Marley to the trembling ScroOge
santa Claus was supposed In some Intangible way
To glide through ponderable matter and appear
just as cheerful and smiling as IL a free ingress
had been lett TO him in the good old times. This
eSRlanation as lar as IL went, ana Win very young
the parents whose imaginattons were not equa! to
the task OF adapting The old myth to modern re-
quirementsf The old story OF Santa Claus had
become familiar from repetition, was part of
their mental makeup and gave shape and form TO
their ideas ana plans for Christmas. Could they
invent or did they invent something new? Was
the old myth ever given anything more than
clutches TO hobble forth in generation OF unusu-
ally skepticai children It seems not. The ro-
nance OF Christmas gifts has been Threatened.
The custom o. hanging up stockings has Largely
To great exteny commercial, and this is due, per-
haps, as much as thing else 20 the want OF an
attractive and plausible explanation of how the
presents CAM 10 be made You can't persuade a
child that rosy, roturd person like Santa Claus
could come out through the narrow apeTtureS OF
furnace register, much less bring his pack along;
The origin OF the gifts must be explained, and
then, OF course the sentiment OF the season Is sac
rt1ced. But now
THE OLD-FASHiONED FIRE PLACES
are coming back in style again. 1t is true, not
but still they have come. They may be
foul1 in all the new houses, both large
and small The old colonial fire places with
ingle hooks. massive cranes and leaping wood
fires are almost as Familiar 70 the Younger Genera
ton OF to-day as they were to their ancestors a
century ago. Even in houses where space does
not admit of such lavish nre place there Is the
small one with iron CRATE holding cheerful coal
fire; SC that under these changed conditions santa
Claus can be revived for place has been provided
for him TO come down and carry out his benevo-
lent intentions. The open fire places have re-
stored the patron saint OF the holidays in his
original attractyenesS 10 the world OF Children
And whap beautiful world il Is, no one can
know who has not administered to the happiness
OF some child. To be able TO enter into the innO-
cent pleasures OF a child is nor given all; but it
Is one OF the real and abiding joys OF existence.
Thus 1t happens that the custom of hanging up
the stocking on Christmas eve is coming inlO favor
again, although there have always been children
or such sincere faith In the good intentions OF the
even though IL has been by some window in the
absence OF the fire place. But there are great
many others Who have never known anything OF
this delightful custom, and would no doubt be
awkward IL they attempted ii.
WHAT WAS TOLD A STAR REPORTER.
Some OF the older boys and girls who for many
years have been in the habit OF hanging up their
stockings, have been interviewed by STAR re-
porter, and have told what they know for the
benefit OF the younger readers OF THE STAR who,
perhaps have not been 50 fortunate as TO have
Santa Claus visit their homes on the night before
kinds OF pretty and delightful things. some OF
them the reporter found had lately begun to think
that they were TOO old 10 observe the old custom,
but when Christmas eve arrived the memories and
recoilect1ons o. former ChrfstmaSes came over
them with such force that after they had gone to
their rooms for the night they have secretly hung
UP their stockings and said nothing about 1t 10
Others, because they were afraid that 1t might be
considered childish. But Santa Claus has very
tender feelings. and they always found that on
such occasions he never stopped TO put anything
IN their stockings but fastened on 10 where some
innocent sweet faced child lay dreaming in happy
confidence OF the visit o. the kind saint and the
good things he carried in his pack. The reporter
was furthe: told that it was very important on
Christmas eve that all the children should 20 to
bed early beauSe each one must hang I'D his
stocking himself. and very important rule TO be
Observed was that the stockings OF the younger
children should be hung Up frs. and then accord
ing 10 the ages until the parents, who. of course
come last. Now as there are great many chill
dren In the world. Santa Claus has very busy
time on Christmas eve. and so he has to harness
up his reindees early In the evening and start
or else he would not get through by daybreak. He
has never been known, the reporter was told 10
enter Il house until alter the children were asleep
and so, OF course II was necessary for them 10 get
TO BED BRIGHT AND EARLY.
Another matter was mentioned, and that was
theimportanee OF having all the stockings hung in
q row on one mantelpiece, for then Santa Claus
would not have 10 go from room to room thus
wasting valuable time. III they were altogether
be is so expert in his work, that he at once jumps
down the right chimney as soon he gets out OF
the sleigh. and without stopping to think fo- a
moment. one reason for this Is that. generally
In the room OF the father and mother, as Santa
Clause well knows, and he IS very glad OF IL, be-
cause II the stockings were in the room where the
children sleep he would probably wake them up.
Because when the little ones 20 TO bed they are so
flll of thoughts O; Santa Claus and 50 anxious TO
sc him that they have made up their minds TO
stay awake until he comes, and Santa Claus Is
very much afraid that perhaps some child may
succeed The parents, however, know from ex-
pcrience that they can't possibly wake ND ut the
right time. and sd they don't try TO surprise santa
Claus, and In consequence the merry Old fellow
regards their rotm as the very safest place in the
house. lie Is said 10 cAUckle good deal as he Is
filling the stockings because they exhibit some
very amusing traits OF character. Fort Is very
apt 10 be the ease that some child viii be salts
fed with the capacity OF his own her own stock
oder members OF tie family, thinking thus to get
more OF The good things from Santa Claus pack
then the Others But The reporter was told that
the Old man knows ali about each child and lust
how good and how bad each one has been during
TIE past yea-; and his gifts are entirely governed
ty this knowledge. bad boy or a bad girl gets
very little noIE the good saint, and when he sees
An avaricious spirit displayed in
HANGING Up STOCKING
simply because t is a Large one, IL is said that
handful less OF candies and nuts and fewer TOYS
and other things are placed by the saint in that
particular stocking than In each OF the others
And sometimes he finds a little stocking, where
the active little toes have themselves through
and LETT great holes which perhaps the tired
mo- her had lot time To mend, but it does NOT
make the old man impatient or angry. He Just
puts something in the stocking first that nils Jp
The hole entirely, and then he pouFS In a generous
measure OF candies, and in the morning the stock.
tFsh IN n avAf fsrcf