Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-25
A XMAS NIGHT.
AN ELECTRIC EPISODE GIVING RISE
TO TWO SUITS.
A vIrainis Christmas Dinner and Law
and Lovc suit which
Followed II.

begins Win an M anu eHus WIN T.
More I really must not say. for this
story is true one, and there are num-
bers OF people South. and not few
North, who know all the parties men,
toned, and will easily recognize them
under the fictitious names have thought
best to use.
The entire Carter family were preparing
to take their usual Christmas o'clock
dinner with Mrs. Scaisbrook. an aunt on
the maternal side, who was famous for
good living at all times. but whose Christ
mas dinners were thirgs to think over
for days before and dream OF for nights
afterwards Mrs. Carter, handsome
matron, to whom Time had been kind.
and upon whom Providence had been
perpetually smiling. as IL is said 10 do on
women who have large families. was al
ready dressed in her best black silk.
slightly V at the throat thereby reveal
ing white neck. still young-looking and
pretty.
"Glrlsv' she called. at the foot OF the
| broad stairway in the big. old-fashioned
| hall (the girls rooms being all above),
rage, which is at the door, and us
nearly o'clock Horrid manners TO be
| late for dinner. You know how punctual
your aunt Is. Think OF the turkey, and
| hurry" Not without effect was the
| allusion to that noble bird, for soon light
| footsteps were heard, and two fairy-iike
visions appeared-one in pure white. the
| other In pale pink Twas Philliss
| fault. Mamma; she wouldn't give me
i h. oil at oil 4
| go in the next room TO fix my hair,
| and I'm blue with cold. Just hear my
| teeth chatter. Phillis and l will go
l with you. Papa and the boys viii walk.
/ OF course, the younger children Will not
1 be permitted out this bitter-cold night
| 'twould be absurd to think of such
| thing" Thus Elizabeth. the commodore,
as all her friends called her. summarily
| disposed OF the family; and, as will be
| seen, most fortunate II was that the
| younger ones were left behind. So. no
| one gainsaying her, the party started OH
| In the order named.
The electric lights. of which our am
| bilious little city was very proud. burned
| brightly overhead. The 1recrackerS
| thrown all along the streets, and fire.
| quently almost under the feet Of the
spirited horses by the llght-hearted lads
! and lassies who had obtained a DISPENSE
ton from the Mayor for that night, gave
| a Zest and element OF excitement to
| what was ordinarily and by daylight
| considered a rather tedious drive. The
| Scalsbrooks hospitable home was soon
reached. lights blazing from every win
dow. and the very atmosphere laden with
| that indescribable eggnogy, plum-pud-
| dinghy smell, suggestive Of the season.
Mrs Scaisbrook met her guests with the
| kindest greeting. and after al the sisters
and the cousins and the aunts" had kissed
each other and everybody present, and
Invested themselves Of wraps and muf-
fiers they assembled in the library. This
room was hung with holly and mlstletoe,
as was likewise the parlor adjoining,
whose shining waved floor, rejecting the
open coal fire and brilliant gas-jets, gave
promise Of the dance which invariably
ended the evenings festivities.
Aunt Kitty Gilmer, az the Oldest mem
Der of the family present was enthroned
in the place Of honor. a large armchair.
and nieces. nephews, and "in-laws'
gathered around and hung upon her every
word. How we pitied the people who had
no Aunt Kitty In their household. our
dear relative was large. motherly. and
comfortabla-looking a handsome, black
merino dress fitted her substantial figure
neatly. with a little edge OF white tarla-
tan huting in the neck and sleeves, and 4
square OF the same on her head, Ned
behind, under the knot OF silYer-gray hair
parted smoothly in front, and brushed
| slightly away from the noble brow
Miss Kitty have got such good, hard
features" one of the old family-serVants
was heard TO say. She meant strong
rather than hard, and intended to be en-
tirely complimentary. Dear Aunt Kitty
how heartily she laughed when she
l 4 I....- lnaf rlla1
herl But the clock Is striking G, and old
Uncle Peyton. the butler, standing within
the door, the pearls OF the mistletoe Just
touching his gray hair (combed In an
extra-high pompadour for the occasion)'
announces Dinner Is ready, Mistis'-
| and with a Chesterfeldan bow, steps %
one side, allowing the merry. eager
throng to troop past him on their way
TO the dining-room below. The arrange
ment OF the Scaisbrook table never varied
from Christmas 10 Christmas. and every
thing In the way of viands tasted better
and better from year to year. In front
of Aunt Lizzie Scaisbrook, with unfal-
ing regularity; first the silver tureen OF
mock-turtle soup. with forced-meat balls
floating unctiously on top, interpreted
with slices of hard-bolled egg and lemon
large. oblong platters Of rare, old china,
heaned high with sliced loaf-bread. such
as Is never seen to perfection anywhere
but In Virginia; delicious homemade
pickles. In old fashioned cut-glass dlsnes'
stewed cranberries, catsups, and the
whitest celery; these were all that gracen
the board at first, except small spray
| OF holly at each plate--no flowers. NO
foolishness on Christmas-day, LIZ Uncle
John Scaisbrook would say. Il want
something good to eat! THIS was ue'
| .f.l txrf Ia IN =
al the foot OF the table. with napkin
as large as a small table-cloth pinned
tightly under his chin. and ready for
business.
The SOUP removed, on came the old Viz
ginia ham, Sizing from the oven, baked
a rich brown all over. with spots or bAacF
pepper here and there giving IL TN
appearance Of a roasted leopard. Aun
Lizzie in no wise awed essays the carv
ing OF this formidable looking dish. whll'
the turkey. stuffed with oysters and win
its inyarable accompaniment or celery
sauce. makes its appearance simultane'
ously, and it ic put before Uncle John
Two silver chatting dishes OF 'scalloped
oysters the pleasantest looking little roas
Mig with an orange In its mouth
creamed Irish and baked sweet potatoes
maccaronl. and a dozen other Things
which, IL am ever to get TO the electric
part OF this story, / cannot take time u
tell Of Then the dessert: FIRST th'
plum-pudding, with pale blue spectra
flame burning on top, family suggestive
| OF a place where people DO not get pun
ding OF any kind; vanilla ice-cream' leiiy
charlotte-russe, frult-cake, followed D.
fruit cheese and coffee. After partaKihi
az All these daintles, there Is a pause
solemn one, for everybody is 50 fuii Una
they cannot but be solemn-when ohei
Iohn rises and a time-honored custom
observed, peculiar to the Scaisbrook ram
lily. Al. ,anas
Everybody at the table joins nanas
sings A different tune. and goes iherIh.
around and around the table, reversih'
occasionally as they do In the "DasAe
cotilIon" 10 prevent dizziness
Amt KITTY sings "Auld Lang syhe'
,rncia John. Come, Rest in This BOSOM
(after unplnning the napkin, the Son III,
dore. "a Life on the Ocean wave; ,sa,
the rest MARBLE Annie Rooney .
sweetheart's the Man In the MOON, un'
cher modern ditties that give pleas'hl
yarie,v 10 the ear-splnting perforhsnSe
which Is warranted a sure cure lor VI
,rdigestIon liable to follow cnris,nia
dinnsr was discovered by Uncle JON
scaIsbrook and Is given TO the wor'a ~
the benefit OF mankind. .,.,r,
IA the merry party ascendeu the s'ai',
ON their return to the parlor 'he souh'
80 the dre-alarm reaches them. n.'
On Christmas night" says Euzapetn
81 wander where II IL. Let's Try TO nn'
| ,hay nress eagerly to ths