The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-12-23
FURETASTE OF XMAS.
Santa Claus Visits the Central
Union Sabbath School.
The Children Made Happy-Ice Crea IN
and Popcorn Disappear Like the
Snow in Spring Thaw.

Owing to the existence of so many
other competing attractions, the an
nual Christmas tree celebration for
the Central Union Church Sabbath
School took place last night. In
these days of the Higher Criticism a
small departure from the usual date
signifies little. At $50 the parlors
of Central Union Church were
crowded with eager, happy, expect
ant children, the sunlight of blissful
anticipation Illuminating hundreds
of innocent faces. The tree was not
quite ready at the appointed time,
and the children were beginning to
grow little noisy, when the Super
intendent, Mr.. T. j. Lowrey, ex-
planned that the signal for starting
upstairs would be given. The child
rem went stairs by classes, each
headed by its teacher. 1t was anus
ing to see the jump that the boys
and girls, too-all made when their
turns came. They disappeared
as though charge of dynamite
were behind them, showing an eager
ness to arise and go hence equal to
that of pig with a kerosene can at
tached to his tail.
The Church was soon full to over
flowing, the children filling a goodly
share of the seats, which left the
rest to gaze admiringly from the
aisles and stairway at the animated
scene. Rev. DR.. Beckwith called the
excited youth to order, after which
the exercises of the evening were
gone through with. Mrs. w. w. Hall
read an amusing Christmas selection,
which was followed by a finely-ren-
dered recitation by Mrs. W. L. Hop
per, the Rev. Mr.. Greeley closing
with few appropriate remarks. All
this was better enjoyed by the grown
folks than the children, who were in
all the pangs of acute expectation,
but, in general, bore the delay with
the silent endurance of Christian
martyrs. A shout of delight and
clapping of hands greeted the ap-
pearance of the long looked for
Santa Claus, under whose furry
robes and snowy beard Mr.. Lovekin
was concealed.
The Christmas Saint, lover and
beloved of children, proceeded with
out further ado to distribute his
gifts, and the scene ensued-that
scene of laughter, delight, curiosity,
excitement and pure childish rapt-
ure, unclouded by doubts or Fears
which all of us know so well, which
none Of us can see without the
chords of memory being strangely
swept and shaken.
After the tree-a noble fir gay
with the glitter of tinsel ornaments,
bright with Christmas candles,-had
been despoiled of its fruitage, and
had scattered it's popcorn SHOWS on
the carpet, the children adjourned
to the church parlors again, where
their stomachs-called only by poetic
license, little,-were filled with vast
quantities of cake and ice cream. It
is reassuring to know that up to the
time of going to press no fatal con-
sequences had been reported, al
though it cannot be doubted that
the ice cream had all the virtues of
the root beer of T. B. Aldrich's
childish memories, which caused
san uninterrupted pain for twenty
four hours"
By 9 o'clock most of the mamas
had trotted their offspring off to
bed and nightmare, and the scene of
carnival had become a scene of ruin.
The floor of the front parlors where
the children had congregated, looked
like the field of Waterloo, or like the
ground after the miracle of the feed
ing of the multitude. It was strewed
with fragments "thick as autumn
leaves in Vallombrosa"-a cheering
sight for janitor who has no soul
for poetry!
The main object was accomplished,
however-the children had a good
time, and the thanks of the little
ones are due to those who have spent
so much time. thought, money and
patience on this true labor of love.