The herald., 1894-12-25
FOND OF SANTA CLAUS.

"What are my first recollections OF
Christmas ?' said Mr.. X. H. Wade, the
manager OF the Southern Califor.
mia railroad, swinging around from his
crowded desk in the we'll appoints ted
office Gn this upper floor of the Bradbury
ek. "Wel, let me see," and, as he
sd off through the window, over the
OF the buildings to the wonderful
lntains, with old Baldy in the dis
nee, Whoae crest is white with snow,
q friendly smile came over his face
and into HE eyes. "My first reCollec-
tions of Christmas are of rambling old
house in the western part of New York
state that belonged to my father IS sister.
1t was built in the last century, with big
rooms, enormous tire-places. and the
second floor was made SO it would have
q spring; that was good for dancing.
"0ver the frozen ground, covered
with three or four feet OF snow, would
race the sleghe, the bells jingling cheer
ilv and filed with the different branches
of tine family with their various men,
bers, mum beriag about %, whose rosy
cheeks, bright eyes and merry greetings
told of their joy in the reunion better
than words, Tor in those good old days
the family gathering gave TO the
different Eem bers moro happiness than
the more conventional formal Assem-.
blaEea OF noT&dGye, when the various
branches ara so widely separated, not
only by niles. but by their individual
interests, mat gathering OF the clans
doosu' mean the same thing al ell.
And IN those Iaya the intrinsic value
of the gifts exchanged was OF far less
importance than the fact that we were
TO bs togther. When candy bears and
other animals were very dear to our
childish hegrsg, and we loved them and
carried them to bed with Us, feat
which is an impossibility in those DAYS
of intricate mechanical contriv8nces
they call toys. When tho ice and snow,
the great hreplaGes and wide chimneya
made the reindeer and sleigh and Santa
Claus myth q practicable possibility to
the childish mind not only in getting
thers, but in getting in. How can the
most uniformed mind Of the little folks
nowadays be expected 10 believe that
Santa Ola us can seG IN through a 20x30
inch Rrats that ia blocked up by sheet
OF asbestos with row Of gas burners in
front of it, or registers that bring hot
cir to the 'ooms from furnace under
the house?
Dun lutA We AhL AiilllllSu JHlLO IN
Santa Claus and the biggest stockings
we could beg or borrow were religously
hung in front of the widest fireplace
Rnd ag religioualy tillsd during the night
OF course by Santa Claus himself
There were no ureeH in those days the
simple giits to old and young came
through the medium of the stocking,
and as we alTays came together the day
before TO remain over night, the early
hours Of Christmas morning were as
lively as the day before had been. The |
s!eighs arrived over the frozen roads,
and through the row OF Lombardy |
poplar0 that grew hundred feet high |
along the front of the farm, about noon |
on the oath, and dancing up stairs By
the elders and games down stairs by the |
children kept things jelly from about |
2 o'clock till the Tins for feaating ar. |
rived.
And what feast it was, turkeys and |
sucking pigs done to a turn in the big
old ovens; pumpkin and minoe pies,
and plum puddinga, ,-then the cere-
nony of hanging up the stockings and |
an early bed that we might DO up in the
earliest dawn, the children nowadays
may enjoy their Chriatnaa merrymsk-
inRa and the grown people too-but am
z sd | was u child when Santa Claus was
resl, and when big families were the
rule rather than the exception" and
Mr. Wade turned back to his desk to
look into statistics relative to the econoo
mY VI burning oil versus coal in the
'unniag Of enginss on the Saata Fe
'oad.