The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-12-24

and among the people of all civilized
lands, it is the n season of the year
marked by a reign Of hospitality, merri-
ment and open heartedness. It recalls
to the old the pleasures Of youth, and
transports many an absent one back to
his own Preside and quiet home.
In the early annals of New York city,
when it was Nieu Amsterdam and the
sturdy ~Stuyvesant was commander in
chief; when our now crowded Broadway
was below Wall street and known only
as plain Here STRAIT; when our business
throttled Maiden lane was T'maagde
paatje-'sThe Maiden's Path'-where
the red checked Dutch girls went to
hang their clothes; when the meat mar
ket was on Bowling Green, and the pres
emit City Hall park a public pasture out
side the city wall, the Gath and 25th Of
December were dedicated to st. Mich
olas, the patron saint of the colony. 1t
was his image that constituted the fig
urehead Of the ship that brought the
first Dutch emigrants to this shore. 1t
was he who gave his name to the first
church within the walls, and whose ben
isons were most solemnly invoked in the
hour of trouble by all Dutchmen on land
and sea.
To the Dutch boys and girls st. Mich
olas was a jolly, white bearded, little,
old man, smoking his long stemmed
pipe, and in their fancies driving
through the air over town and country,
oceans and deserts, sending through
space the sharpest of whistles to the
wonderful reindeer team that carried
the wonderful sleigh. These little
Knickerbockers have passed away for
bver, 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 is
celebrated differs according to the habits
and associations of the people. In the
great cities and the country towns, for
days and weeks beforehand, the markets
and stores, the streets and avenues pro-
claim the approach of the fete. The
whole community abandons itself to for
aging expeditions. Bundles and baskets
are everywhere-on mems shoulders and
in their hands, in wagons and coaches,
filing the aisles of street cars and trun-
Cling through the highways in wheel
baIvows. Women and children, hus-
bands, bachelors and sweethearts strug-
gle beneath their weight. There are
gifts for boys and girls, presents for
men and women, and heaps of presents
&or 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 ~bookkeeper during the
year, while materfamilias declares to
herself that her Christmas shall be the
handsomest among all the neighbors.
Now comes Christmas eve-the fairy
time of the little ones. And who shall
describe it? The old mante1, with its
row of stockings, large and small; the
expectant looks of the youngsters as
they linger around the fireplace won.
dering what Santa Claus 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, the mysterious movements
of the happy parents as they produce
the Christmas gifts from their hiding
places and tie them up in the most pro
voking knots; the connection in the
house long before dawn when the chill
dren bounce from their beds to see what
the King has sent them; the chorus 81