Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-12-10
CHRISTMAS EVE N SuAB|A
O. w. wEIPPIERy,

oages lining both sides of the main
street OF an ancient ham let in romantic
5uabts; and thif pleasant sensation WAS
70 AIDE even more realistic BY q glance 40
the silvery brooklet which was trying
hard to wind ite way through compara
lively heavy masses of glisteninR ice.
Peace, prosperity and content, The three
great blessings conrted and enjoyed By
the peasant Of the Suabiau low laads,
had tndee d united In producing o pic.
ture pleaaing TO the eye and delightful
to the mind. Wherever one might hook,
hs became convinced tina. among the
simple people inha6iting these hamble
he mes, frugal honesty is held in higher
esteam ban dishonesty attained wealth
and craft policy.
Christmas Eve with these pioas coun-
try fox does. mot mean mere exchange
OF presents and compliments. hut q de-
voted thankfulness for blessings re
ceived during tAe year. The poor and
the rich are for the nonce made one,
| their otjest being TO assist the few of
their fellow-townspeople living In wan.
and squalor. During the evening hours
OF the day preceding the SsViour's birth
goodly portion of the thrifty Villages Of
the poetic Neckar valley, and good will
to all 10 expressed upon the well.fed
faces Of old ard young.
The large front room of every cottage
| whoee scrupulously clean foo. Is COW
cred with shining sand, is decorated
with emblems suitable to the high
holiday. The broad sill by the quaint,
old-fashioned, email psned window
supports q gay ChristmRs tree loaded
down with good things to eat and en-.
| bellished by dozens Of wax candles,
whose bright light dazzles the eye
The square and heavy tieur.trou9h In
the corner Ia covered with gifts tor the
little ones. The substantial onken
table, which has done duty in the
family for perchsnca century, is
almost breaking down under the weight
Of tooths0me morseIe. Busily tho par
tents fit hither aud tnither, and at last
the children who have spent many
anxious moments in the bed.chan Der
under the roof are allowed 10 enter
Grandmother smiles. dear old grand
father gives vigorous pull at the pipe
70 conceal the emotion which hs IL
caused his weak eyes 10 sized tear I
10y, father AID mo her proudly survey
the treasures of their hearts and home
as they approach the ha lowed tree
not hastily, lot impstien.ly, but de.
murely and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT in u
low, sweet whisper he message OF
joy: "Gjory TO God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will toward
meu." Gra0dfatt er whiepers solemn
"Amen," and then rises to read q
prayer from the old and well worn
family prsyer-book, while the others,
with folded hands, Surround the tree
.snd lisien with vrapt attention to the
words OF thaDktulness and application
u tered by the noble old man. Then
tie children receive gifts brought by
Chriotkindcheu," tokens of love
whoes piufal inttiasic value would
caute wording to smile, but which
q Q dearer to .hose remem bered than
the most gaudy and expensive b4ublos
can be to those highly civilized" un-
fortunates who know not the value OF
love.
While this touching distribution Is
taking place in the cottage, a sweet
chant 10 heard on the street, and In O
few moments y dozen voices, Lowry
singing "Glory TO God in he Highest, !"
seek and gaiu admission. The spokes.
mau Of the twelve young men and
women repeats the story OF the "CArist-
kinds" (Christ.child's birth, and asks
in simple verse for q gift for the poor
and sick and needy for whose sake the
Son of God was born in low WY man ger,
suffered and was oruc;fied; and while
the sturdy youths, clothed in leather
knee brt eohes and short jackets with
huge brass or silver buttoDs, and the
pretty young women, whose picturesque
| attire adds to natural charms, slug
another appropriate song, the peasant g
| IA ALA huaHaf 9th frnff Nd Ira
and jug with apple cider, thus practi
cally responding TO the melodious petit
tiun of her visitors, who leave the house
chanting once more the joy ful message,
"On earth peace
| From house TO house they wander,
filing g heavy cart with the contribu-
tiops OF the cheerful and charitable,
ever repeating their songs and their
stories and their legends, until every
| one able To do 80 has given bis or her
| mits End when the work of collecting
| ia finished, the distribution begins.
The novels OF the poor and sick are visi-
ted, and at each door basket Is left,
together with q word Of cheer and the
never cessing Good will toward men,"
! The sleepy old night Waterman of
the Villags toots the hour of eleven on
his NJ Melancholy horn as the cheerful
band of young people reach the last
cottage whose owners ara to be made
happy through the generosity of their
neighbors. Their glad chant is, how
ever, NO, answered by words of wei
come Instead OF the care worn face OF
the overworked widow whose load they
desire TO tighten, they ses the beneyo.
lent faco OF the village pastor. Quietly
they file into diugy room, dimly
I'D hr, ct, u. t,ll
distracted mother, wrapt in gloom and
sorrow, stands at the head OF o misera
BILE bed watching every motion on the
face OF little sufferer whose iraIl body
ia buried under the weight of heavy
feather bedding. Slowly the child opens
h-r CLASSY eyes and raises her weak
body. A thought Of the present seems
to fit across the feyered brain.
"Mammi," she whispers, "has the
Chr ST ohid' Gomez"
Yes, my darling" sobs the heart
broken mother, land It has brought you
such r gay little frook."
'Ob, mamma'-lispiHg ly-"give it
to neighbours Barbele, they're poorer
than we"
KUeeling at the bedside the worthy
pas OR wipes away tear, the almost
para yzed mother suppresses O heart
rend,ng sob, the subdued roysterers
werp tears of sympathy. Silence,
broken only by the slow tick of the old |
cuckoo c'ock on the wall and the heavy 1
breathing of the dying child, is at last |
interrupted By the patient sufferer.
Mamma" she whispers, boarsely,
evJ IN death preaching charity, "I'm
going. Give me kiss. I'm going. |
Let me see the dress. Yes, yes; give 1t |
to Barbele. Give 1t to Barbsle. Yes,
10 ANNA" up-"to see the |
Christ child 1t beckons me to come, to |
cnma Yaa VIE I'm cnminQ-IIm com.