The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1890-12-18
CHRISTMAS IN PERU.
The oREt1 festival ~ I SUMNER
LiTE SITTING.

I
liTE SITTING.
II Comes il Ia. Height Of the Outdoor
Bafhi4: SEASON and l. Celebrated
Amid Bioonins Wild FIo~er.-A Sol
emn Religion. Holiday.
A. the scna5n eouseeratel y all Chris
San people. o.; Whatever race " cline.
ir4as ue4r. hsse iea u us rea.lze Aaa. If
'ereltly i j. 5.=-,rfeI acc8fd.a-, - tie -.
.tion II the ois.crser ca TIM sl5b-. . ugr..
i-cif 80 small an atom ia the iu.fasus.t:
I tie uniserse. The northern nations =
EIrepe welcome II wiki good cheer and -
zial .sstheriuge. the d~ellers On English
-Y.l with yule log and uis..etoe. or oxn
| leogie with wreatAs Of evergreen ard
| i49l!y, and among all thee her IinZsrs the
.ragr,nce Of the ancient traditions 4 good
| Id 81. NIchola,, the children friend, VIII
team OF reindeer anu burden u toy. which
| the legends tell We're Mtaat f5r elstrlJ4-
| ton fnong the COOL llttle Children.
| But this Is ts!a too serious fJ- Christmas.
| tide. How do our nei-hbors II wariiler
eiimes keep the festival For them santa
Claus and has outfit would be a mystery
TOO deep t. be penetrated. The Only sb9w
obey have ever seen lies mics away 81 tEe
Slopes Of their volcanoes 1Aey have neger
heard The merry jingle Of The -iei- "a bel Or
the keen rag Of tie STATE "a a frost5
| morning. whiie snow storm would aston
Ssh them much ~ We should - amaze
| by the importation Of oue Of their earth
4uakcs.
lat rs take 4 peep at Peru our lovely
| southern sister. blessed WITH a climate
almost perfect, where the he!io,rope grow.
| Wild on the hillside and f5fers bloom all
the year round. there IS 10 more gentle.
| kindly, hospitahle people On earth Lima
| the capital, Is renowned for the beauty and
grace Of its ladies'. and the children are ike
animated Christmas cards. There is nc
jealousy Of tic foreigner. He Is welcomed.
entertained and treated kindly and fairly
By the government and the people Lie
in Peru is Of qucter centler character
than as We know it in tho hurry AID rust
| II our business easerncss, and one wAo
has lived anon. them and learned to AZ
| 2seciate tier lovable qualities wi!l oftel
send back a grateful glance Of retros.se
| ;iOn,
Is ttavlers 1T look back a, ev., when e--staar,l
DARK, going,
To gag upon the ,ht they i-aye d, n fala. D.lud
them glowing
Among the Anglo-Slxou dwellers in
| Peru Santa Claus is a4t FORGOTTEN. aul
the approach Of Christmas Is luoael i0r
ward 10 with eager expectation IN maug ID
childish he1ft. The i4b.ed shoe Of the an
| eieht GaiAe wiki Lef humorous progeny
| the gll.s slipper Of Cinderella. and tie
| trials AID triImphs II the Sleeping Beauty,
are rs familiar 10 them IL t. oar O#H kite
| ones. Perhap, some vino may re..d tae,t
| lines may remember j zen years a.J e.
haSc seen the parior- u sne u the lea i'm;
iorcign families in Lima filled with Dc
| lighted audience to witness the debut Of
the daughter OF the house a Cinderella,
the beautiful child bearing herself with IL
perfect sell POSSESSION Is the bride OF tie
price rs she afterward showed wien. al
the drawing room Of her najesty, IN Lon
don, she bowed before the queen. herself
the fairert among them all
But Peru lies a few degrees south Of the
equator, and while the AluetltAu box is
furnishing his skates or putting hi- sled
| in order his Peruvian brother Is fastening
| to the sefsshore aad the summer batliug
season Is 1T It's nrieiir CHRISTMAS e5ii-
are not 50 plentiful. the saaps not to
crowded with puzzled customers. uar their
rs with Us but beritita, custom Obtains
there, As thr9a 5hout ali South American
countries \, the season ral.s on asaue
and the sacred anniversary draws ui1h,
one of the largest rooms /, st squirt. and a
stage improyi>ed, on which Is ou4lt up. ~
ar.ing degrees Of det.lii, accIrlllu. To- the
ability Of the family, q Representation Of
the scene AZ Bethlehem, with all it, sur
roundings faithfully shown. In the dis
tance are the shepherds watchs: their
il0cks-the wise men - the esl,t in rial
robes, bringing Gifts from afIr. aad 10 tie
foreground the humble mAn-er, Vita the
holy family grouped around the cradle.
while the star OF Bethlehem shines brightly
in the sky above Gold, silver an jewels
are lavished on he decorati On q the scene.
days are devoted to perfectins it, smallest
detail, and on Christmas eve, and Tor DAYS
thereafter, friends and visitors are al
mitted to gaze and admire
At the Christmas seas 5n in L.Ma-cani-
ing as it does at mlsummer-th skies are
cloudles- and the air Is tempered by the
breeze from the Pacific, which rolls plac
idly along the shores Of p-ru. a, the
brief twilight of the tropics fa3-- tic
eweled cross OF the southern hcaH-u.isre
rises in / he sky, the avenues Of tie ,llazt
begin to ill, bright eyes lash brief -lauccs
Of recognition, friends exchange pleasant
greetings as they meet, the well trained
bands Of the garrison play slftiy ia he
summer air, until at last HE sweet voiced
heil Of the cathedral tolls the 'AaIHHls.
There is a momeutAry hG-h. a va- isrei
prayer for the souls u loved ones !; ne o,,
FORE, the crowd besius ta melt silently
| uway, and a. the moon rI-ss SIT ami f4l
over the distant peak. u the An..- we
turn from the scene, beara- with u. a
Pheasant memory II IA Christians he Peru
TX Mayor Grace IA Tray Iu,s