, 1890-12-25
X"'' \
IN OTHER
X GApDs.
lEx.Msyor Grace in Troy Times.l

Ex-Mayor Grace in Troy Times.l
As the season consecrated by all Chris.
tian peoples, of whatever race or cline,
draws near. how few of us realize how
differently IL is observed according 10
the position ofthe observer or this globe
of ours. itself so small an atom in tha
immensity OF the universel The north.
ern nations of Europe welcome IL with
good cheer and social gatherings; the
dwellors on English soil with yule log
and mistlctoe; our own people with
wrcaths of evergreen and holly, aIpi
among all these there fingers the fra
GRANGE of the ancient traditions OF good
old st. Nicholas, the children's friend,
with team OF reindeer and burden Of
toys, which tho legends tell wore meant
for distribution among the good little
children.
But this talk Is too serious for
Christmas-tide. How do our neighbors
Of warmer clines keep tho festivale
For them Santa Claus and his outfit
would be mystery too deep to bo pene-
trated. Tho only snow thoy have ever
seen lies miles away on the slopes OF
their volcanoes, Ih9y have never
heard the merry jingle OF the sleigh bell
~
morning, while snow storm would
astonish them as much as we should be
amazed by the importation OF one of
their earthquakes.
Lot us take peep at Peru, our lovely
Southern sister. Blessed with climate
almost perfect, where the heliotrope
grows wild on the hillside and flowers
bloom all the year round, there is no
more gentle, kindly. hospitable people
on earth. Lima, the capital, Is re-
nowned for the beauty and grace of its
ladies, and the children arc like ami
mated Christmas cards. There Is no
| Jealousy of the foreigner. He is well
| colmed, entertained and treated kindly
and fairly by the government and the
people. Life IN Peru IL of Quieter,
genllcr character than as wo know 1t in
tho hurry and rush of our business
cagerness, and one who has lived among
them and learned to appreciate their
lovable qualities will often send back n
grateful glance of retrospection,
AS. trav lers oft look back ut eve, when
eastward darkly going,
To gaze upon tho light they leave still
faint behind them glowing.
Among the Anglo o-Saxon dwellers in
Peru Santa Claus is not forgotten, and
the approach Of Christina is looked for
ward to with engcr ex poctation in many
n childish heart. The fabied shoe of
the ancient dame with her numerous
progeny, tho glass slipper of Cinderella
and the trials and triumphs of the
sleeping beeuty are as familiar to them
as TO our own little ones. Perhaps
some who may read these lines may
remember a dozen years ago to have
seen the parlors of one of the leading
foreign families in Lima filled with q
delighted audience to witness the debut
of the daughter of the house as Cinder-
ella, the beautiful child bearing her
Ex..tth d -.
bride of tho prince as she aiterward
showed when, at the drawing-room oi
her mai jesty, in London, she bowed b..
fore the queen, herself tho fairest among
them all.
But Peru lies few degrees south OF
the equator, and while the American
boy is furnishing his skates or putting
his sled in order, his Peruvian brother
is Fastening to the seashore, and tho
summer bathing season Is at its height.
Christmas gifts are not SO plentiful, the
shops not so crowded with puzzled Gus
toners, nor their windows so filled with
dazzling novelties as with us; but Il
beautiful custom obtains there as
throughout all South America. AS the
season rolls on apace and tho sacred
anniversary draws nigh, one OF the
largest rooms is set apart, and q stage
improvised, on which is built up, in
varying degrees of detail, according to
the ability of the family, representa-
tion OF the scene OF Bethlehem, with all
its surroundings faithfully shown.
In the distance are the shepherds
watching their tlocks-the wise men OF
the East in royal robes bringing gifts
from afar, and in the foreground the
humble mangrr, with the holy family
grouped around the cradle, while the
star OF Bethlehem shines brightly in the
sky above. Gold, silver and jewels are
lavished on the decoration of the scene,
days are devoted to periecting its small
est detail, and OH Christmas eve, and for
days thereafter, friends and visitors are
admitted to gaze and admire.
At the Christmas season in Lima
coming as 1t does at midsummer
the skies are cloudless and the air is
TEN pered by the breeze from the Pacific,
which rolls placidly along the shores OF
Peru. AS the brief twilight of the trop-
les fades, the ieweled cross of the south
ern hemisphere rises in the sky, the av-
enues of the plaza begin to I'LL, bright
eyes flash brief glances of recognition.
friends exchange pleasant greetings as
they meet, the we'll trained bands of the
garrison play softly in the summer air,
until at last the sweet voiced bell OF tho
cath edral tolls the "Animas." There Is
II monentary hush, II whispered prayer
for the souls of loved ones gone before,
the crowd begins to melt silently away.
and as the moon rises soft aud full over
the distant peaks of the Andes, we turn
from the scene bearing with ls n pleas
ant memory of q Christmas in Peru.