The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-11-29
Christmas Decorations. From Harper's Bazar,l

Year after year Christmas comes and goes, it's joys and merrymaking losing no whit of interest and sentiment for young. or old: and while always new each season in their giving of pleas ure, the same old customs continue to prevail, with alterat tions in detail only.
 The day would hardly seem like Christmas without the hanging of Christmas greens, and though great CT variety is offered in the way of dec- orations than formerly, those are still most liked and used that bear out the old practices and significance; and chief among them are the mistletoe and holly, whose very names carry one back to the days of ancient English cheer at yule-tide, with wassail-bowl, yule-log and joyous merrymaking.
 The most favored mistletoe comes from across seas, but some is sent from Canada and the south, where, particularly in Texas, 1t grows in large clumps on the live-oak trees, always to the latters gradual destruction; for being parasite, it saps the oaks life blood, f1ourishing luxuriantly the while. It is not so artistic in appear ance as its English cousin, the leaves more commonplace, and the berries smaller and poorer in quality, though more in quantity. Strange to saN the Texas mistletoe, like the prophet in his own country, is not greatly prized at home, and at few of the Christmas fes- tivities does it make part of the deco- ration, while in all other quarters a cluster of the oddly shaped green leaves and opaque white berries must almost of necessity be suspended in the doorway or from the Chandelier when Christmas comes in; and it never fails to cause the same testing and merriment; for a kiss stolen under the mistletoe is ones right, and the pilfer- CT cannot with justice receive rebuff.
 The English holly, too, is finer in quality than that grown on American shores; the leaves are better green, and the berries larger; and before the holiday season sets in great hampers | of it are shipped from the English ports to delight American eyes and hearts. An attractive manner of using 1t is to tis Dig buhches with long satin ribbon loops and ends,
 matching in shade the hue of the ber- ries, and place them over pictures or mantel-shelf, or fasten against the wall, especially in some picturesue nook or corner. Underneath the man tel, when there is no fireplace, the space may be banked with masses of the spiny leaves and bright berries; jars or vases may be filled with them,
 while holly wreaths and ropes are ar1- other form of decoration, very effec- tive both in large and small apart | ments.
 Next to the mistletoe and holly the laurel and ground-pine are mort ia. vored, the formers glossy leaves and green berries suggestive of good cheer, and always forming an effective back ground when gay berries ot fn5sses are used in addition: The ground-pine coils easily and grAcefuily into wreaths, and Is invaluable for twin. ing about staircases or pillars, or for using in decoration bn lstSe scAie. when boughs of spruce, hemlock and cedar are also much iii vogde.
 For the past year 6f two afi inn1va- tiot iii Christnas 0rdathsntatioti haS been the use of potted nonah5Nstiiig plants and shrubs, from the tail paltis to the delicate aiaidenhSir kid siivSrySi fern There, afe. sevefat Satistiga of palms besides the rounal llsaved Uhss ] most common H tii: thy iSht DlaFs-