Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-12-23

vi VNS } who go down to
''the sea in ships"
and among the people of all civilized
lands, it is the one season of the year
marked by a reign OF, hospitality, merri-
to the old the pleasures of youth, and
transports many an absent one back to
his own ireside 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 Tmaagde
paatje-"The 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
ent City Hall park public pasture out
side the city wall, the Oath and 25th of
December were dedicated to st. Mich
olas, the patron saint Of the colony. It
was his image that constituted the fig
urehead of the ship that brought the
first Dutch emigrants to this shore. It
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 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,
filing the aisles Of street cars and trun-
ding 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.
"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 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 tic them up IL the most pro-
| voking knots; the coEmotion 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 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, focking through the
streets in their best clothes and with
their gayest faces. Closed stores and
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 dIc SSdlSi tH0 SuI1StluetS
each one neryously impatient to attack
the heaped up yiands. The turkeys and
! geese and chickens that caused such a
stufing 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 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, all afame with light and color,
where are gathered fashionable throng