Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-19
HOME ADJUSTMENTS
FOR CHRISTMAS TIME
MRS. BURTON n. HAREtsoN,
Author of ''Woman's Handiwork IN Modorn
Homes" "Helen Troy, ""Golden Rod" Etc.


lCODgrigAted, 1885,
1t was Sir Roger de Coverly who felici-
tated himself that 'Christmas should fall
out in the middle of the winter" because
it is "the, most dead uncomfortable time
OF the year." If Sir Roger had under
taken to confront an American Christmas
he would have seen no reason tc modify
his statement. What has become OF
Christmas in New York? 1t is the dullest
most forced season Of festivity we have.
We set about making the most assiduous
preparations for it's celebration during
the preceding months. We order all the
Christmas ANIMALS from our book
sellers, and our houses are
overlooking with high colored, I'M
pleasantly odorous Autographs of English
manor houses buried in snow, OF English
robins with the reddest possible breasts,
and OF bewitching old-tashioned English
children, about whom every mother OF
ones acquaintance says. with modest
pride, twas bought that because 1t is gen.
orally considered the image OF our Jane"
We force large sticks of wood into our
city freplaces, which invariably make
them smoke. We bestow huge portions
of plum pudding upon our innocent chill
dren reckless of indigestion on the NOR
row. We permit unlimited bonbons to
infest the house, at ordinary times forbid
den. We hang green wreaths in cur WIN
dows and scour the streets and florists
shops for English mistetoe to suspend
between the folding doors. And yet,
it is not Christmasl The vital es-
sence is not there. Even the children,
sated with sweets, confused by many
gifts, darting from one book to the other
of their holiday supply, wander aimlessly
around the house asking what there Is for
them to do. The grown people, including
the remote, unfriended, solitary, slow
members OF the post-prandial circle con-
vened because it is really too bad we
have never asked cousins sO-and-so and
sO-and-so to anything this year, and at
Christmas we can have them all at once)
sit about the drawing-room and think OF
school and college bills; of Heen's tooth
that must be taken to the dentist; OF the
Kitchen boiler that would leak, just as
cook was about to dish the Christmas din
ner and almost wasted away the turkey;
of the thousand and one petty blisters of
humanity that will, in short, assert their
presence on inappropriate occasions.
This is plain prose, and l shall be sus-
pected OF being raven in disguise. But
lt is only because | lament the false
standard Of social entertainment we pin
great city like New York, where home
testivity is beginning to be felt to be an
effort, and for amusement we must 90
Outside to theatre or eXpend our sub
stance in a party beyond our means.
Evenings at home have, In our artificial
civilization, come to be voted among the
bores, and hardly wonder that poor old
Father Christmas, seeing the state of
things, wraps his snowy mantle round
him in a mortified kind of way and
retreats 10 the country or to smaller
towns, where he is sure of a more sympa-
Ihetic atmosphere. Itis for those regions
where pleasant homemade amusemsnts
still hold their own that shall try to
sketch the outline of a Christmas enter
tainment once serving heartily TO please
a circle of clever and cultured people.
Its purpose was merely to fill up one
evening of a weeks visit at a delightful
country home upon the Hudson, where
the well-assorted guests had been left
free to do much as their fancies prompted
them during the short, sunshiny winter
days, assembled at evening to dine and
conjure Christmas fun.
For the last evening of their stay was
proposed series Of tableaux vivants, at
which every male member of the party
groaned despairlngly, and ended by sub
hitting. The place chosen for the per-
formapce was the dining room, opening
by double doors into the large paneled
drawing room of old colonial date, where
the audiences sat. To facilitate our
movements the hostess had produced a
platform made in three pieces. easily
fitted together by the country carpenter,
which had been gathering dust in the
garret for some years past; and after che
stage was in place everything else was
comparatively plain sailing. Curtains of
maroon, worsted stuff (any old curtains,
by the way, may be dyed good deep
maroon, and are invaluable for back
grounds and draperies) were run upon
wires inside the folding door, to be parte
IN the middle for the scene.