The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-22

naughty on Christmas eve, finds only q.
birch rod in his SC ckinZ Instead OF bon
bons'and play things The dread CT getting
the rod from old Pslsnichol on Christmas
Keeps many German child In order all theEs
year.
CHRISTMAS IN MEXICO.
There Is no country In the world wheraT
Christmas is better observed than ii
Mexico, as | found during my long resi-
dence in the Mexican capital. There. as In
spain, the Nocle Buena or Christmas eve.
Is an occasion scarcely sec )ndary to the.
Nos Navldad (Christmas) itself. Toe streets
ard plazas are throngsd. OF all the shop
windows so gay aud brilliant In their holt
day attire none is SO bright as the consec-
TONERS. Nowhere is the confectioner's arv
carried to greater perfection. TIE window
OF every large confectionery In Mexico Is g
revelation, crowded as it is with cakes Of
such an elaborate character as are never
seen In our own country, many of them
consisting Of numerous alternate layers Of
the richest creams Of various colors aud
naVors. sugared ard glazed fruits, etc. IL
We look beyond the rich display such q
window contains, this Christmas eve, We
shall see within troops Of bewitching senor4
ltas readily complying with the invitationa
OF their deoonnaire escorts, and revelinR In
elaborately constructed cakes, caramalos-
chocolates and custards.
AT midnight of the Noche Buena all
Mexico forSakes its pleasures, and repairs
TO the Misa dol Gallo. or mas of the coak.
high mass of the most imposing character
which, IN every one Of the magnifcens
temples reared by the Catholic church IL
the City of Mexico, is celebrated exactly az
midnight on Christmas eve, or morning, to
commemorate the Savior's birth. All the
churches have an augmented choir aud a
large orchestra specially engaged for tho
OCCASION IL Qtad x.sf~t -
every Joncomitant that can highten its
effect and grandeur. The magnifcent old
cathedral on the plaza Mayor displays y
complete repres ,nta ion of the nativity in
wax figures OF life size, con nluchd pros
pteddd very much like the original), and
at midnight the signal for the mass to begin
Is given by the growing Of real cock,
hence its name of Msa del Gallo, or mass Of
of the cock.
Christmas in tho West Indies is perhaps
the most novel experience that citizen Of
the United States can enjoy In connection
with Christmas. To wander about among
palm trees or orange groves and fields oE
sugar cane on Christmas day with the Their.
mometer at 90 in the shade certainly has
the zest OF newness. Ii you are la thu
British West Indies-in Kingston, Jamaica.
for example, as / was on Christmas day.
1SS5-your attention will DO much attracted
In all the Christmas gatherings, of waich
you FORM part, Whetner in the streets, the
home or the church, by the close ass cia-
ton Of whites and blacks. and you will
find upon inquiry that intermarriaga
between the two races is so common as to
excite no remark. passed my Christmas
as guest In the home Of an English gen.
tlenan of noble family--an attac Q Of the
governor generals staf-whose wife, coal
black negro, was one Of the most Intelligent
and refined ladies, and, without exception.
"a has Tam fafa niat I
my surprise, found that tho mixed race
resulting from such Intern lrriages poss
sessed tue wealth, culture, and influences Of
the island.
ttThe Swedish Christmas has many quains
superstitions. La Sweden, for centuries
past, there has been handed down from
generation to generation popular belief
that all cattle fall upon their knees at mid
night on Christmas eve, as the OK and the
ass of Bethlehem are said 10 have dons
when Jesus was born in the manager bes
side them.