Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-12-23

woods for running cedar or ground
pine. for spruce and fir trees, for
branches of hemlock, cedar and pine.
In some lucky neighborhoods the holly
grows. and sometimes the mistletoe,
with its mystic, poetical associations,
is to be found. Often the little church
must be adorned for the great feast
dav, and this cannot be done, as in the
city, by hands of paid professional dec
orators. In the country it must be a
labor of love. and busy hands must
work early and late to make the trim
ming of the church attractive.
Then. too. the day before Christmas
| the Christmas tree, chosen and marked
! long before, must be cut and carried
4 home with almost as much enthusiasm
/ as attended. in old times, the bringing
in of the Yule log. 1t is not only in
the decoration department that there
are great labors on foot the day before
! Christmas. The kitchen is a veritable
hive of industry The mince meat has
been prepared days ago and has been
ripening in great stone crock IN the
cellar: but to-day the pies are to be
made pies of many kinds, as bef1ts al
American household. Crullers ano
doughnuts are to be mixed and fried
cranberry sauce to be compounded, the
materials for the plum pudding to be
prepared. cakes, jellies. blancmanges
tarts and other goodies brought to
state of perfection.
Outside of the kitchen there is al
air of subdued mystery. There have
been restrictions laid upon nearly ever,
member OF the family concerning his o
her free access to some part OF thu
house. The eldest boy, whose chic
desire for months has been bicycle
is warned to give the woodshed wild
berth. The closet in the guest cham
Der is forbidden ground to the mother
while none of the children are above
to 20 near the linen-closet, wher
mamma has stored her gifts.
Everything in the house is ii stat
of shining cleanliness by the time tn
dav falls The house is fragrant wit
odors OF spruce and pine and looks
very bower Of greenery by the tim
that the tinkle of the sleigh bells {
more probably the rattle of the vince
for in these degenerate days sno
does not always come for Christmas
o announces the arriva. of the guests.
L
= members of the flock. who would travt
o any distance rather than miss Assem-
ling for Christmas under the hon
}. roof tree. They come with laden arr
II and gay greetings, bringing in rus
= of cold air and fresh influx of tt
l. Christmas spirit. They are full
a stories about the trip in the train,
!. the country people and their parcel
a Of the children going home to grant
It fathers for Christmas, of the parties
e young people eager for days skatir
# or coasting. of the crowds OF vehlcl
awaiting the travellers at the station
of the merry greetings. of the spirit
E. love and goodwill that seemed
Y. brood over everything and eve
" body. After dinner comes Il
= great event of the day-tl
event for which the childr'
fondly believed Christmas eve was iii
devised-hanging the stockings. Th'
there is the repetition of the never-o
always charming poem, Twas t
night before Christmas. This is fl
lowed by anxious con. ectures as to he
Santa Claus will manage his slei!
and reindeer If there Is no snow ON t
ground. and then the little Cnes a
b tucked away and left, while visio
+. of sugar-plums dance through the
heads.
Il. With the first break of dawn
M Christmas morning there is a rus
NJ of excitement through the hou
\. Ghostly forms fit through the. ha
and happy voices shout Merry Chri
mas" from door to door. Then COZ
the hurried dressing the jolly bret
fast, the exchange of gifts and all t
dear delights of the day OF da
There is no sound outside 30 distri
: the attention from. these joys. I
Va solemn silence of the country in win
a. surrounds them on every side a
m makes sweeter the mirth and che
n within.