The gold leaf., 1892-12-22

HdnS Cne1r ClOCneS; Wnen the meat mar
ket was on Bowling Green, and the pres
ent City Hall park 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
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 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,
filling the aisles Of street cars and trun-
fling through the highways in wheel
barrows. 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
for grandfathers and grandmothers.
'O1d 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
handsomest among all the neighbors.
Now comes Christmas eve-the fairy
time of the little ones. And who shall
describe it? The old mantel, 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 commotion in the
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 gabble of delight as they
gather around the bedside of the sleepy
father and mother and arouse every one
in the house to display the iberality 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, focking through the
streets in their best clothes and with
their gayest faces. Closed stores and a
general cessation from labor give Sab
bath sanctity and reserve to 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 viands. The turkeys and
geese and chickens that caused such a
stuffing of baskets on Christmas eve 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. The old folks gather around the
big fireplace to enjoy the outpouring of
good feeling and honest Interchange of
affectionate attachment which abound
at this season. The young people betake
themselves to the frolics of a sleigh
ride, while the children repair perhaps
to the neighboring hills and ponds to
try the new sleds and skates This is
the Christmas Of the average home cir
Gle throughout the north and west.
The Christmas of the rich is also
fairyland in which for one day at least
nothing save the spirit of Kris Kringle
enters the voluptuous heaven with its
armament of gas jets, its carpeted floor,
softer than clover, its perfumed air, en-
broidered curtains and gorgeous Christ
mas tree, al aiame 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 is another-the families
of the poor, the labyrinths of wretched
homes and teeming tenement houses,
the prisons and hospitals. They are not
forgotten The rich man has spared
from his abundance that the hard pres
sure of poverty may for the moment be
ightened, and charitable hands deal cut
the stores of good things that make one
and all feel as if the spirit Of Christmas
was indeed the angel of the day bring
ing the old time message, Peace on
earth and good will to men,"
F. G. De FONTAINE