The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-12-27

TNCfA SHA ION ~Hlons lAoss
vi u ~ - who 90 down TO
1.-The sea In ships,'
and among the people Of all civilized
lands, it is the one season Of the year
marked by e reign Of hospitality, merri-
ment and open h~eartedness. IL recall.
to the old the pleasures Of youth, and
transports many Al absent one back 70
bis own Preside and quiet home.
In the early annals OF New York city,
when 1t was Nieu Amsterdam and the
sturdy Stuyvessnt was commander ia
chief; when our now crowded Broadway
was below Wall street and known only
as plain Here STRAIT; when our business
throttled Maiden lare vss T'maagds
paatje-'The Msiden's Path"-whers
the red checked Dutch girls went to
hang their clothes; when the meat mar
ket was N Bowling Green, and The pres
ent City Hall park 4 public pasture out
side the city wall, the 9th and 25th Of
December were dedicated to ST. Mich
olas, the patron saint Of the colony. It
was his image that constituted the fg-
urehead of the ship that brought the
first Dutch ~emigrans 30 this shore. It
was he who gave his name to the hrst
church within the walls, ana whose ben.
is0ns were most solemnly invoked In the
hour of trouble by all DuteAnsn on land
md sea.
To the Dutch boys and girls 30. Mich
Gas was a jolly, white bearded, little,
Cd man, smoking his long stemmsd
pipe, and IN their faaeies driving
through the air over town and country,
oceans and deserts, sanding through
space the sharpest of whistles TO tbs
wonderful reindeer tesna shat carried
the wonderful sleigh. These little
Knickerbockers have passed away for
ever. but the children Of today still keep
up the devotion Of the children OF 1850
for st. Nicholas, only they now call
him Santa Claus. He is the same friend,
the same little. low built, chubby,
merry, mysterious ancient who loves
children Of all ages and all countries.
The manner in which his coming il
celebrated differs according to the habits
and associations of the people. La the
| great cities and the country towns, for
days and weeks beforehand, the markets
| and stores, the streets and pro-
claim the approach Of tAs fets. Thu
whole community abandons itself DO for
aging expeditions. Bundles and baskets
are everywhere-on mems shoulders and
in their hands, In wagons and coaches,
filling the aislcs of street ears and tran
ding through the highways In wheel
barrovs. Women and children, hus-
| bands, bachelors and s~weethearts strug-
gle beneath their weight. There are
gifts for boys and girls. presents for
men and women, and heaps Of presents
for grandfathers and grandmothers.
"Old Scrooge'' is there, crowding pater-
familias in his endeavor to buy the big
gest turkey and make amends for his
meanness to his bookkecper during the
year, while mAterfamilias declares TO
herself that her Christmas shall be the
handsomest among all the neighbour.
Now Christmas sve--the fairy
| time Of the little ones. And who shall
describe 1t! The old msntel, with its
row Of stockings, large and small; the
they linger around the fireplace won
dering what Santa Clans will bring; the
creeping into bed and listening, while
| the grown folks are making merry over
their eggnog and mulled cider, for any
sign Of the coming of the old gentleman
down the chimney; then, when the
house is still, ths mysterious movements
Of the happy parents as they produce
the Christmas gifts from their hiding
| places and tie them mp in the most pro-
| voking knots; ths commotioa in ths
house long before dawn when the chill
dren bounce from their beds to see what
the King has sent them; the chorus Of
chuckles and gable Of delight as they
! gather around the bedside Of the sleepy
father and mother and arouse every one
in the house to display the liberality Of
the God Of gifts-who shall, who can
tell the story OF such . happy time?
By and by the bells in the steeples call
the good people all TO church and chapel,
and away they go, fockins through the
streets in their best clothes and with
their gayest faces. Closed stores and q
general cessation from labor give q Sab.
bath sanctity and reserve 20 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 ~nervously impatient to attack
the heaped up viand.. The turkeys and
geese aud chickens that caused such a
stufing OF baskets on Christmas W are
set out stuffed in turn upon the tables,
and soon after lots OF little boys and
girls are in the same condition.
The feast ended, other pleasures FOL.
low. Tho old folks gather around the
big fireplace to enjoy the ouspouring OF
good feeling and honest interchange OF
affectionate attachment which abound
at this season. The young people betake
themselves to the frolics Of q sleigh
ride, while the children repair perhaps
to the neighboring hills and ponds 70
try the new sleds and skates. This j.
the Christmas Of the average home cir
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