The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-23
AGO.

''No, indeed! For we none of us really
believed it; and oh how hard we tried to do
so. and cling to the delightful mystery
long after we knew pretty ell who was =
hind that grotesque masquerade. But
Christmas day Is prominent In being the
one day when we can all be children to-
gether. You know told you before that
in my world Thanksgiving was more of a
festival than Christmas, and with most
people in New England at that time
New Years day was the gift
dav. 1t was the old Puritan spirit
of ignoring the Church of f gland festivals.
At that time Ch istmas was not OBJ erved
in any of the churches, except the Episco al
and Catholic churches. Bat as a family,
We have always kept hTistmas, even up 10
this present time. Now, though, / am
afraid we win neglect it, since my daughter
has left us, for she was the sweet spirit OF
Christmas herself; and it has gone back
with her to merry England, from whence it
came; for, in fact it did come to US in that
wav. We had. in those early days, an
English lady livi G with us as governess,
and she taught us all the Christmas ira IL
tons. The children would sing the Christ
mas Carol on Christmas eve, and cry
their greetings in the morning; and every
BODY was remembered with present.
remember we used to put all the little
Things away uOWu lAlbO bhJ byo VI bLo 0b1Sh
ing. and then fill in till it overfiowed s)ne-
times, and there was pie on tne Hoor
besides.
"Did you have Christmas trees for the
childrenF
"No. that entailed too much labor in the
nrenaration. and too much litter after
wards: and was not half as pleasant, for
there could be no perfect conceal nent with
the tree, as everybody expected, so that all
the charm OF Santa Claus and the reindeer
was lost.
"But afte all it is very pretty custom.
We we're In Berlin one Christmas, visiting
a friend. The Chr stmas tree is nati3n ]
institution there, AMI in the evening we
walked cut 10 &c the sights, for in every
house there was a gaily decorated tree,
blazing with lights and brilliant ornaments
in many instances, and always placed In
front of the window. Even the poorer
classes then manage co have something OF
the kind. if it is only cast Off branch from
the evergreen of some richer neighbor, that
has been Topped off, for tue SAX OF symms-
try, from tier more pretenti)us affair. II
makes The houses look very gey and full Of
cheer. with the shades left undrawn and
the lights inside showing Thu beautiful OBJ
iect in bold relief from the windows OF rows
on rows Of houses
Secre.a, v E..d.cott came In du ing the
conversation, aud when told what was tae
subject der discussion, said:
II do not need TO express my ideas OF
Christmas, for the poet has done it for me,
in that exquisite pen picture poem entitled
"The Night Before Christmas
Eyes, responded his wife. 81 can remem-
Der when we C ildren used TO lie awake at
night straining our sleepy eyelids 10 keep
awake long enough 10 see If any funny
little man did really come down the chi -
new. On, how we 10 ged TO have certain
doubts that had begun to gather in our
minds dissipated by the actual sight OF
him. But he always gave us the slip,
though the gifts were tnere all right in tue
morning.
Mrs. Whitney has come to be regarded as
Mrs. Santa Claus by certain pr teges OF
hers here who have but little else that il
green in their desolate lives.
II have had nothi & but happy Christ
mas days all my life. she said, save few
times when the joy Of IT was temper by
some parting from loved ones. wso were
witn Us the Cnfistm s before; but l think
the very happiest Of all was the Christmas
OF two years ago, the winter when my little
Dorothy came.