Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-12-22
A CHRISTMAS BUDGET.
Oakley Halls Holiday Walk---The
Merrie Christmas Time Coming.
How to Spend Christmas Eve-A
"Reminiscences Of James 7. Brady.
Ahlwardt, the Jew Batter Yvette
and Antoinette Sterling-G. A. S.
Set Right.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
I1.np

New York, Dec 10.
Merry Christmas! Merry Chr.sumasn
is the chorus daily repeated in the
! households and marts CT this meropO-
! lis; and over the Union as well. But
have heard my grandiatleS narrate that
| Observance Of Christmas was OF very
! slow growth IN the infancy OF the re-
public, IJWas too British II origin and
in the keeping. 1 also remember when
the observance was exclusively kept
here by Ep.scOpalians and Catholics, OF
descendants Of the Dutch, OF whom ST.
Nicholas was patron saint. The en-
thusiasm which the poet author OF Twas
the night before CHRISTMAS, when all
through the house, Not a creature was
stirring, not even a mouse, etc, in
fused into his lyric-beloved Ol children
was mainly due TO his beng a son OF
an Episcopal Bishop. When l was only
a decade old, l remember attending
church with my mother On Sunday
before Christmas, and hearing a ser
mon from a Presbyterian minister, that
reflected upon the religious observance
of Christmas Day as sav0ring Of Popery.
1t was in the Laight Street Church, a
site now frowned upon by the huge
Vanderbilt freight staten; and Uhe
preacher was the Rev. Samuel Hanson
Cox, father Of Episcopal poet Bishop
Arthur Cleveland Cox. who ang5red his
sire by adding an aristocrat.c letter Z
to the termination of the family name,
and by embracing Episcopacy My
boyhoOd preacher spoke sneeEngly CT
the Chris, Mass, and denied that there
was authority for selecting December %
as the holy birthday. Young as | was,
my gorge rose against the hereto who
would attack a juvenile reverence for
the day of Santa Claus. Moreover. l
had found Clement c. Moore, the author
Of the Santa Claus poems just referred
10. pointed out to me in the street and
he at once became a god of juveniles.
So informed my maternal that l never
wished to go again to the church where
Christmas was abused. And / fancy
the incident induced her TO thancetor-
ward take me 10 S.. Johns Church, tnaJ
was on an adjacent corner and where
the Christ Mass was duly hOnored and
the Christmas tree became a fond OBJ
ject Ct Sunday school alteration
In cur Knickerbocker parlance. it is
Kris Kringle day, sacred to new dresses,
gifts. toys, b0nbons and games.
HOW TO SPEND CHRISTMAS EVE.
During several years n a far away
pass it was my habit to pass Christmas
Eve in a ramble with those eminent
lawyers. the late James T. Brady and
the late Judge John r. Brady. his broth
er. Our Christmas fun consisted IN lay
ing in a stock CT con, wish which TO
walk through the Bowery and Grand
street-each filled with small shops hay
ing every variety of goods, wares and
cheap there essay the
role CT Santa Claus. Those thorough
fares at early evening would then be
thr0ngad with HCple, and especially
children Of The poorer East SIDE clasi,
there attracted by the display CT IL
Illuminated shop windows. AT a con-
dictionary window, or Of pastry cook.
there would sure 10 be eager faces peer
ing at the de,acicies with longings pic
tured in the eyes-eloGuen- longlngs
marred by poverty; and who has not
seen such?
"Weil. my little dear, if you had pen
MES with which to bay, what would
you go in and get?'
Doubtless the Santa Claus tone was
assuring, for the answer would come,
Mister I'd buy That c0rnucopia CT
candy for sis" Or wouldn't l lam
that cream puff. just" Or Chat big
doll. whose eyes work" Or the men
agerie i'm the corner y0nd5r, by Noah
ark" Whereupon the amateur Santa
Claus would forthwith take the children
into the SHOP, and the coveted purchase
would be made to the delight OF juyen-
ility. And 50 our Christmas ramb,e
would continue with similar results UNI
til pockets were emptied. and remcm-
brances Of the pleasure conferred would
sink deep into our hearts.
THE BABY'S CHRISTMAS CUP.
l recall on one of these Christmas Eve
rambles pausing before a jewelor's
place with the windows exhibiting all
his attractive specimens, and noticing a
young couple of the working class look
ing Wistiully upon some silver cups.
They were debating, oblivious Of their
outside surroundings, on the purchase
Of one of these as a present Tor baby.
We could hear the words "costs TOO
much" and the like in regretfully pa
thetic tone. and the elder Brady-one
of the most chiyalric of gentlemen
touching his hat to them, said: And ii
Won had the means, which would you
buv?" The young husband and father,
with innate pride affected to turn the
question: but the mother, with unmls-
taxable eageTness. pointed to the small
est Of the cups. Inside we went, and
not that smallest, but the largest one
was purchased. The young man
pride went down before the delight of
the newly made mother; but he wished
TO know to whom they were indebted.
Retorted Brady, with infinite solemnity
I'VE are from the Court Of Santa Claus
and are his plenipOtentiaries on eartn
at Christmas tide; and if you viii re-
main a few moments here we VIII ma4-
icallv vanish" And vanish we did
only a few dollars poorer for the freak.
Fully a year af,erward, while WalAlh2
to court through the park, Brady lelt a
hand on his shoulder, and turning
around saw q woman. holding a ialT
Fat child in her arms, and heard her say
please. sir. this Is the baby, and the
cum is home and used every day she
had recognized him by his unmis aba5le
features. In narrating the meeting
Brady said: My cup of joy became
fuller" We nus honored Santa Claus
many succeeding years, and always
agreed that no merrier method OF
sDending-literally spending Christ
mas Eve could be devised. recon-
mend the plan for others to follow. FcI
to how many does Christmas come "a
whom the adjective "Merrie' sounds
ironical. but to whom gratuities bring
merriment
-,l.,r,.,,,- ~,rr,pr-ry A SHAM