The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-01-21
Mrs. Peary,s Arctic Journal

In Mrs. Peary's delightful story, INV
Arctic Journal" she tells, with the
simple directness that characterizes
this whole recital of courage and en-
durance, how the holidays were passed
up there in the land of ice and Eski-
maux, in the depth of the sunless and
sinister arctic winter. Under date of
December 2s she writes: "The day be-
fore yesterday was spent in decorating
the interior of our arctic home for the
Christmas and New Year festivities.
In the large room the ceiling was
draped with red mosquito netting, fur
nisheG by Mr.. Gibson. Dr. Cook. and
Astrup devised wire candelabra and
wire candle holders, which were placed
in all the corners and along the walls
Two large silk United States flags
We're crossed at one end of the room,
and silk sledge flag put up
on the opposite wall. I gave the boys
new cretonne for curtains for their
hunks. In my room 1 replaced the
portiers made of silk flags, with which
the boys had decorated their room, by
portiers made of canopy lace, and dec
Grated the Photographs of our dear
ones at home, which were grouped on
the wall beside the bed with red, white
occupied all
the greater part Of the day About 8
o'clock in the evening Mr.. Peary made
a goodly supply of milk punch, which
was placed upon the table, together
with cakes, cookies, candies, nuts and
raisins. He gave each of the boys a,
book. We spent the evening in play
ing games and chatting, and at mid
night Mr.. Peary and / retired to our
room to open some letters, boxes and
parcels given to US by kind friends,
and marked, ITO be opened Christ
mas eve at midnight 1 think our
feeling of pleasure at the many
thoughtful remembrances was clouded
by the feeling of intense inconsistencies
which involuntarily came with it. 1t
was the first Christmas of my life
spent away from home, and for the
first time since the little Kite steamed
out of Brooklyn, | felt how very far
love u.s. Mr.. Peary had carv-
ed for me two beautiful hair pins, and
/ made guidon out of a silk hand
kerchief and a piece of one of. my
dresses, to be Carried by him on his
long journey over the ice cap to the
northern terminus of Greenland"
THE next day the Christmas dinner
was eaten at 4:90 p. m. 1t consisted
of:
Rabbit pie. with greM peas
Venison, with cranberry sauce.
Corn and tomatoes.
Plum pudding, with brandy sauce.
Apricot pie.
Pears, candy, nuts, raisins.
Coffee.
1--WE arose from the table at 7:30, all
voting this to have been the jolliest
Christmas dinner ever eaten in the
arctic regions
Under a later date Mrs. Peary tells
of the New Years festivities ION the
Goth l issued cards of invitations for an
at home in the south parlor of Red
cliffe, December 81, from 10 p. M, 1891
to 1892 The day was a thoroughly
arctic one and | was glad that my
guests would not have far to come
All day [ was busy preparing for COM
pany. l had to manufacture my own
ice cream without a freezer, bake my
own cake and crullers, and set every
thing out on an improyised sideboard
At 8 p. m. l dressed myself in a black
silk tea gown, with canary silk front
covered and trimmed with black lace
cut square in the neck, and filled in
with lace and having lace sleeves. All
10 my guests began to arrive. The invi-
tations were limited to the members
of the North Greenland expedition OF
VI ana w, ana Jney all looked eSpec-
tally nice and very much civilized
most of them actually sending in -theil
cards. They were dressed in store
Clothes, although ones or two chung tc
their kamiks, or high boots of tanned
seal skin. 1 had no chairs, so each
guest was requested to bring his own
Mr. Peary sat on the bed, while / oc.
cupied the trunk. spent a very de-
lightful evening, and I think the boys
enjoyed the chocolate, ice cream anc
cake At midnight we all drank q
happy New Year in our Radcliffe
cocktail, and then my guests departed
| All this time the wind was bowling anc
moaning and the snow was flying
while the night was black as ink, no
star being visible. More than once
during the evening, when a particular
| ly heavy gust swept down with {
Shrek, the contrast between inside ant
outside was forced upon us While
we are reading this Mrs. Peary i.
probably providing for the comine
Christmas at the new Radcliffe house
Philadelphia Ledger.
It is not growing like a tree in bull
doth make a man better be; or stand
| ing long an oak, three hundred year
to fall a log at last, dry, bald and sere
A lily of the day is fairer far in May
although it fall and die that night, i