Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-12-20

| lsAtFIFSNHr<e =. ruuinfIu Iiitula-
.rsEp.l NCts tion, among those
VI M@ ~ who go down 90
''thsse. IN ships"
,nd among the pcople Of all civilized
ands, IL Il the one season % the year
marked by reign % hospitality. merri.
nent and open hearto,lness. II recalls
~ the old the pleasures Of youth. and
transports many an absent one back 90
ale own tre.ide AMI quiet home.
In the early annals % New York city,
when II was Nieu Amsterdam and the
sturdy Stuyyessnt was commander In
.hief; when our now crowded Broadway
vas below Wall street aud known only
a. plain IIeere STRAIT: when our business
lhrottlei Maiden lane was T'maagle
paatje-"The Maidon'- Path--where
the red checked Dutch girls went %
hang their clothes, when the meat mar.
ket was ON Bowling Green. and the pre-
snt City Hall park public pasture out.
side the city wall. the sith and 2jih %
December were dedicated to 80. Mich.
olas. the patron saint ~ the colony. IL
was his image that constituted the hg.
urehead of the ship that brought the
hrst Dutch emigrants 30 this shore. IL
was b. who gave his name to the first
church within the walls, aud whose bcu.
isons were most solemnly invoked In the
hour of trouble by all Duichmen on land
AMI sea.
To the Dutch boys and girls 81. Mich.
olas was u jolly. white bcar,lcl. little.
old man. smoking his long s.emmed
pipe, and In their fancies driving
through the air over town and country.
oceans aud deserts. sending through
space the sharTest % whistles b. the
wonderful reindeer team that carried
the wonderful sleigh. These little
Knickerbockers have passcl away for.
ever. but the children of today It'll keep
mp the devotion % the children of 1850
for ~. Nicholas. only they now call
him Santa Claus. H. Il the same friend.
the same little. low built, chubby.
merry. mysterious ancient who loves
children u all ages and all countries.
The manner In which his coming 4
celebrated differs according t0 the habits
and associations of the people. In the
great cities aud the country towns, fur
days and weeks beforehand. the markets
and stores, the streets and avenues pro-
claim the approach ~ the fete. The
whole community abandons itself 30 Tor.
aging expeditions. Bundles AMI haskets
are eyerywhere-On men'ssh0uldcrs and
Ia their hands, In wagons and coaches,
filling the aisles of street cars aud trun.
fling through the highways IN wheel.
6arrowr. Women and children. hus-
bands, bachelors and swecthcarts strug.
gle beneath their weight. There are
gifts for boys and girls, presents Tor
men and women, and heaps u presents
for grandfathers AMI grandm0thers.
"Old Scrooge- Is there, crowding paier.
/ familias In his endeayor Ia buy the big.
ge-t turkey and make amends Tor his
meanne-s 20 his bookkeeper during the
year. while materfamilias declares 90
herself that her Christmas shall b. tho
handsOmest among all the neighbors.
Now comes Christmas eye-ths fairy
time ~ the little ones. And who shall
de.crils iti The old maniel. with IT,
row of stockings, large aud small. tho
exp.ctant looks of the youngsters as
they linger around the lreplsce Won
dering what Santa Claus will bnng; the
creeping into bel and listening. while
the grown folks are making merry over
their eggnog and mulled cider, for any
sign % the coming Of the old gentleman
down the chimney. then, when the
houss Is still, the mysteriou, movements
Of the happy parents as they produce
the Christmas gifts from their hiding
places and tie them up IN the most pro-
/ yoking knots; the cOmmoti0n IN the
house long before dawn when the chill.
dr.n bOunce from their b.,ls b. see what
the King has sent them; the chorus of
chuckles and gabble % delight a. they
gather around the bedside of the sleepy
father aud mother and arouse every Que
In the house 10 display the liberaliiy of
the God Of gifts-who shall, who can
tell the story Of such happy timer
by aud by the bells In the steeples call
the good people all TO church and chapel,
and away they 20. hocking through the
streets In their b-st clothes AMI with
their gayest faces. Closed stores and a
general cessation from labor give q Sab
bath sanctity and reserve 90 the day out
side, very different from the Christmas
echoes of the night before. A little later
We are seated at the Christmas dinner,
each one neryously impatient Ia attack
the heaped up viands. The turkeys and
geese and chickens that caused such a
stuffing Of baskets ON Christmas eve are
Get out stuffed In turn upon the table,,
and soon after lots of little boys and
girls are in the same condition.
The feast ended. other pleasures fol-
low. The old folks gather around the
big fireplace to enjoy the ouipouring Of
good feeling and honest interchange u
sffectionate attachment which abound
ut this season. The young people bctake
themselves 10 the frolics u a sleigh
ride. while the children repair perhaps
TO the neighboring hills and ponds 10
try the new sleds and skates. This Il
the Christmas Of the average home cir
clio throughout the north and west.
The Christmas of the rich u also q
fairyland In which for one day at least
nothing save the spirit Of Kris Kringle
enters the voluptuous heaven with it,
armament Of gas jets, its carpeted foor.
softer than clover, IT, perfumed air, en-
broidered curtains and gorgeous Christ
mas tree, all shame with light and color.
where are gathered fashionable throng
Of old and young awaiting the bestowal
Of costly gifts.
but In the background OF even this
pleasant picture l. anotber-the families
OF the poor. the iabyrinths OF wreiched
homes and teeming tenement houses.
the prisons and hospitals. They are no,
forgotten. The rich man has spared
from his abundance that the hard pres
sure Of poverty may for the moment be
lightened. and charitable hands deal out
the stores Of good things that make one
and all feel as u the spirit OF CHRISTMAS
was indeed the angel OF the day bring
Ing the old time message, "Peace on
Earth and good will 10 men,"
1 a nr Ro<r.t~U