The record-union., 1891-01-18

As time went on, the wars on the CoIti-
nent of Europe sent over to this country
early in the last century large German
immigration. These laborers, earnest
people, came with their ideas of Christ
mas, for they honored King Christmas,
and introduced their national mode of
paying him honor. Wherever they set
tied, on the Hudson or Mohawk, in the
forests and mountains OF Pennsylvania
or in Georgia, they kept Christmas mer-
ry; and they made it feast for the
children. They introduced new Christ
mas element to gladden. the hearts of the
young OF the day. This was the Christ
mas tree. England stripped tree of
branch and leaf to drag i'll state to its
destined place the huge Yule log; but the
Germans cut young evergreen and
brought it whole, with its glossy leaves
and cedar berries, to be set in the house,
or even in the church. Then all adorned
it with tapers and bells and knots of rib
bon, and amid them all hung the toys for
the young. When evening came and the
lights were lit, the children, carefully
excluded during the secret and mysteri-
GUS preparations, were admitted to shout
and dance with delight around the at
tractive tree, and to gaze with anxious
wonderment at the toys, each longing to
know what was to be the gift King
Christmas destined for the little hands so
eager to grasp the long-desired present.
Then King Christmas, OF the Christ
Kind, entered to take each present down
and declare for whom it was intended.
This Was indeed an hour of joy for the
little ones, and if the tree in the humblest
homo brought cheer and gladEess, what
raptures filled them when, in the after
noon of Christmas, all gathered at the great
Christmas tree at the church, where the
children received from its generous
branches the gifts. Then the exercises
wound up with hymns and canticles.
People who We're not Dutch or German
began to talk of Santa Claus and Christ
mas trees. Children, eager to have what
they saw other children enjoy, ciamored
TO have Christmas trees, and to hang up
their stockings for Santa Claus to fill.
Here and there they succeeded, but the
celebration of the day did not spread
rapidly. Political troubles threw people
OF different parts together at last, and the
man OF Massachusetts and the man of
Virginia, the old Dutch settlers of New
Netherland and the people of Carolina,
began to mix and learn each other S
ways. People, as they Travelled around,
found many customs which were strange
to them; some they liked and some they
did not; but they talked them over by
their own iiresides, and the way people
kept Christmas was often told
When the revolution came. it opened
with Christmas that cast a gloom over
the country. On Christmas, I775, General
Montgomery reviewed his little force and
addressed them with spirit before max
ing the attack on Quebec, in which he
lost MS life and the hopes of the patriots
were frustrated. AS the next Christmas
approached, the English were in posses
sion of New York and New Jersey;
Washington, with diminished army,
destitute of clothing, arms, ammunition
and food, seemed hopeless. Christmas
came attended with revelry within the
British lines. Howe entertained iavishly
in New York; Rahl and his Germans at
Trenton, held high revelry within doors,
for a fearful storm ragged without. Amidst
it, Washington led his followers across
the river and advanced on Trenton, his
men marking their passage by their
| bleeding feet. With the storm beating in
their faces they charged into the town by
| different roads. The Hessians were de-
| feated, and it was glad Christmas TO the
heroic Americans. They kept the day as
| they never expected to. Then on Christ
mas Eve, 1914, the treaty OF peace was
| signed at Client, making second his
| toric Christmas in this country's annals.
| Prosperity followed. the country grew,
new States were added, Christmas be-
came more generally celebrated, and ever
since the interest and enthusiasm has
continued to increase.-St. Louis Globe
| Dg,1Ocynf