Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1886-12-18

What is Christmas without dis-
ner2 1t is like the play Of Hamlet,
with the part OF Hamlet omitted, for
is not Christmas q festival. = feast
day, sanctioned by the csnons of the
church, and the usage of all christian
peoples? We ssk these questions,
moi irreyerently, but naturSlly. for per-
haps not one in n thousand who sits
down tc enjoy the annual feast, thinks
Tor moment that il is the accepted
anniversary OF the birthday of the
founder Of Christianity. Ncvorthe-
less, il is 4 day Of good deeds and
good feelings, How many charities
are voluntarily dispensed, how many
old grudgcs are forgiven or forgotten,
IN this, the day OF atonelncut for
Christendom. But a trucS 10 moralix.
ing; u object il. to discus.t the Christ
mas dinner in its material and esihat-
ic sense. sud leave the moral, if indeed
there ia any, to be drawn by our read
era II Christmas Was \ dinncrless
day, ii would be 4 dull day indeed.
There would be no weeks Of suticipa.
ton, none o. those preparatory pleas
ures which finally culmiuate in q great
socisl aud gustatory enjoyment that
crowns the vanishing and welcomes
tie coming yesr, The Christmas din
ssr virtually closes the b@.idsy seas9al
among sll who profess the christian
religion, and ia the great elaborate
fcs.i Of the whole year, calling into
sequisilion whGtcvor skill III cooking
each family possesses. What an exqui-
site bit Of realistic description is Dick
cu's pen.plcture of Christmas dinner,
especially the advent ofthe plum-pud-
ding. borne siott, stesming and qniv-
sring from the oven, the anxious cX-
pertsney OF the family at the fear OF
it, being oyerdone or uaderdono, or a
lttl. soggy from imperfect cooking,
the halt triumphant look of satisi@c-
ton when il is placed, light and flaw
less on the table, garnishcd, perhaps,
with sprigs Of holly, what . Subject
this wapld be for an artist. Nov, the
plum pudding il distinctly an English
dish for Christmas. No doubt the bet
Ter classes have it At AL seasons, but
not the plum pudding OF Christina,
daY. that il q work reserved for that
day only, and is elaborated for days
before, with every precautioh taken to
render it a triumph OF culinary art. 1t
has not been naiura,ilod in this N
try, at least it has not become q na-
tional dish, for with Us. nothing can
supplnnt the turkey. What The eagle
is to our flag, the turkey is to our
Kitchen, and is emphaticalIy the mon
arch Of :hc Christmas table. Like the
English plum.pudding, it ia eaten at
all seasons, bu, the Christmas turkey
must be OF extraordinary averdupois,
and .attcncd for weeks before the or
der is given "ol with his head" lie
occupies q place OF honor 81 the table,
richly Drowned, picthoric with fat
mud oysters. surrounded with sauces
and ~ipilirs, and q sentinel bottle or
two Of champagne standing guard on
either side, and effectively or estheIi-
cally considered, is a model Christmas
dish. Even the goose, though u fine
bird if properly cooked, hasn't the in
posing AZ p~cnrsncC Of its successful RI
val. Ii would be interesting il some
crsn. statistician would estimate the
number OF turkey. sacrificed on the nj
tar ofChrislmas by American families,
for almoat every family can afford this
comparative inexpensive luxury, at
least. once a wear. We know I'll or
nearly allthe subscribcrslo the BEACON
womb count among them, and we
wish them a merry Christmas, "May
good digestion wait on appetite and
iisslih on both"