The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1895-12-25
UsH{RfD n CHRISTMAS
RattIes, T0slins Horns and
RDais Prsriaim the Day.
SOME TYPICAL.
SCENES
How the Day HAS Been Spent In the
Homes Of 1.-THE Upper Ten and
"the Lower Five"-A Shop Girls
Time of PleRsure-Old Auny's
Chicken-Stories of the Season.
christmas comes but once a year,
A nd when ii comes 1t brings good cheer

And when ii comes, 1t brings good cheer"
This morning. merry Christmas rang
out on the air from lusty young throat,
wherever the young of the land are TO BIZ
found The young save the grace of the
day and Keep up the cheer of the festival
The house without children on Christmas
day is u house of frigid, respectable quiet,
but the home Overruning with children Is
the home where noisy glee, warm-hearted
salutations and mad rrOlics revivify the
blood in old peoples veins and give back
| TO them the Joys of being In the after
| glow of their years.
Who Is it that creeps silently, s,calthily
down the back stairs on Christmas morning
TO get that stocking by the chimncypiece;
and who is Ii falls into the trapl id for him
and comes down into the living room with
a crash like the falling of Rome? 1t is that
irrepressiblc John Henry, and he wakes
every one up in the gray dawn. ana every
one eXcitcily yens from chamber doors,
Merry Christmas! l said it first! l said
| ii firsti'
Then the children pour down from all the
| bedrooms in the house. They can't wait
| to dress: they drag the precious stocking
| about for every member of the family TO
| inspect, and scream ecstatically every
| minute over new discoveries. The home
| is filled with the laughter OF children, the
| rich, uDstudied, musical laughter which
happiness gives birth to; laughter mellow,
golden, ripping, squirting; laughter which
| leaves behind il nothing but the glow OF
bounding health and the energy and desire
| to live to the uttermost.
Breakfast is well-nigh forgotten In
the overpowering interest of the occasion.
The children forget II in feasting their
md l.na MT In old Ala,
forget ii in drinking their joy. Break
fast is an everyday occasion. but Christ
mas stockings and Santa Claus love is a
thing which only one long, long year can
bring around TO the people. II is the ultimate
goal. And dear me, how can people just
be ordinarily affected?
FRoLIC UP AND DOWN.
After breakfast is accomplished out into
the street pour the children. In Washing
ton this year they are denied the pleasure
of sled and snow and mock battles. But
the warm air lurcd them out to frolic up
and down the walk and blow horns and
beat drums. II was "A noisy brigade which
salnted the morning. jolly, hOydsnish,
mad brigade. The first call to the on
slaught or the day was made SO early you
would scarcely believe it unless you We're
restless on your pillow and turned to look at
your watch when the lawless blast rang
out.
All imaginable noises that any conceiv-
able toy could make were used 10 startle
the home goer from early church ser
vices and put Ia flight religious musings
though il is questionable il all good wishes
are not religious, and the man and woman
with the true spirit OF Christmas never
loses his grip on his good nature because
of a mere horn.
And IL il thus with a morning Of frolic, a
dinner OF magnificcnce surpassed by moth
ing but thar of Tbanksgiving's, and an
evening of more frUlic and dancing and
merry ma king, that tue day is passed by
the great and happy middle classes. What
the submerged fifth do, or the upper ten,
or the Isolated ones, is a question not so
easily answered.
Yesterday the holiday trade seemed To
take its final squirt. Everybody said 10
would go at this last moment for a song,
and so everybody went shopping. The stores
were packed and people stood in line for
hours waiting Ia get served.
1t was a Good-natured throng. and there
was plenty or the oil of human kindness to
keep people from rubbing too roughly against
each other. and in the hurry OF trade many
women found time to exchange a little |
friendly gossip with the tired girls behind
the counters.
DO you work tomorrow. dear" one !
woman asked. |
"Oh. no, ma am. We have all day tomor- |
row. brightly responded the girl.
Now, that's nice. And what are you go- |
ing to do al your house,"
"Oh, we're going to celebrate. l live with |,
and she is going 10 Ia We al the |
children at home on that dayif she hastogive |
up her new black alpaca to do it, she says. |
But she won't. Deed! when the boys |
come over from baltimore l reckon they'll |
have the black alpaca all right"
There was sly and happy twinkle in her |
eye, and though she was tired, she smiled |
checrIly.
well now" said the inquirer. who was |
''you take a half yard of that
ribbon off my purchase to put in a new cap
for grandmother. You'll want to be fix
ing cap for her TO wear with that gown"
''Oh, why thank you" was the sur
prised and pleased response, and the crowd
pushed the listener on.
THE SHOP GIRLS CHRISTMAS.
AT another counter two girls were talk
ng during a breathing spell.
I'm going over to Alexandria to see my
oiks tomorrow. l do get so tired of
fare. Jim's going to he
here. Umhum. And I'll bet we won't do
, thing but have good time. He's got
morse ana buggy, You Know.
'Oh, you'll have good time" said the
,ther. Think of me. Pm going to he
Hone all day. don't expect to get
hing, either. I'm going to sleep until
,oon, and then get up and study. III
lcep untilnoOn, that'llbe half the da y gone"
why, Name, you come over home with |
me- said the first speaker slowly, and il
vas plain she was having a little sa crifice
ogivc up her expected afternoon alone with |
yer sweetheart.
The other demurred. saying that she was
lot going TO intrude herself. But the little
samaritan being started, Insisted.
You shall too. Name. Just as IL I'd |
ct you sta here all alone on Christmas Day.
ID have asked you before if I'd known"
AT another counter a clerk was asked: 4
What are you going 10 do tomorrow
Were going to have n little Christmas |
rec at our house. We're poor. but a tree
DOESN'T cost much. you know, and we save
,ver the trimmings smu oh n possible from |
Tear to year. Then the children all get |
,ags of candy aud little inexpensive toys.
'erhaps you don't know. madame, how /
title will plea So Child. A few cents will
my something That will keep the little folks
.oing a month. Ycssum, we try to make
he day 4 merry one"
.Do most of the clerks live at homer"
"Oh, yes, madame. We are rarely paid
'ver So a week, and often not so mucn. So
iris without ONES cannot afford to do this
work. unless they live in an institutional
iris home. you know"
But in your own home, suppose, SIS
ONES in well?'
f m hao 10, do l