The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-15

fn England Tor some time before her ma
-csty came to the throne. 1t was the great
est festival Of the year in older days: but
the stern Puritans disapproved of it, as
they did of all other feasts and junket-
ings, and under their influence the keep
ing Of Christmas had come to be compar-
atively a small affair 1t was always a
holiday, but had ceased to be made the
most Of" Two great influences have res
tored it to its present popularity as a fes-
tival with a deep meaning that is to be
expressed in gifts and kindly feelings.
those of the Prince Consort and of Charles
Dickens While the latter by his enthusi-
astic writing in praise of the Christmas
idea was famfliarizing the minds of the
people with the notion of its being sea-
son of generosity and jOllity. the court
was by its example making the same OBJ
servances fashionable. Christmas was
the favorite festival of the prince" it is
remarked in the Life OF the Prince Con-
sort" for which the queen has made her
self responsible. He chung TO the kindly
custom of his native country, Germany,
which makes it day for the interchange
of gifts as signs of affection and good will.
The queen shared his feelings in this re-
spect, and the usage was introduced into
their household on the first Christmas
here and was always after continued"
The principal novelty,tO the English in
the royal customs here alluded to was
the palace Christmas tree. Familiar as
we now are with this means of display
ing the Christmas gifts by hanging them
on a bushy. evergreen fir tree, it was
novelty when the prince consort set it up
in the palace on the first Christmas after
his marriage. The custom that he then
initiated has never been dropped. The
queen has not one, but several Christmas
trees always prepared. There is one set
up to hold gifts for her majesty herself
on which the loving hands OF hef chl-
dren, whether they are near enough 10
do il themselves or have to employ a
proxv hang presents for the royal mis-
tress of the home. Then the queen mas
another one dressed for her own family
on which are placed her gifts TO them;
and there is vet a third tree set up, the
largest of all, for 1t has to mold the royal
gifts to the household. Nobody Is Tor
gotten, from the ladies' ana Bentlenlell,
for whom there will be some work OF art
or literature, down to the number ser
wants who find a dress-piece, a book. an
album or some other gift ready for each
one to brighten the festival The mo-
ment for the illumination OF these trees
is nightfall on Christmas eve; Tor, as we
all Know. the tree is not itself except it
be lit with many tapers, whose sparkles
are flung back thousand told from shln-
ing balls and refiectorS with the daIkly
shining background of the evergreen to
emphasize the whole BY the time the
queen and her husband came TO their
Second Christmas they had two children
to provide for, though the baby could not
yet understand the. occasion. ON that
day the prince wrote to his father:
This is the dear Christmas eve on
which / have so often listened with inn
patience for your step which was TO
usher US into the gift-room. To-day,
have two children of my own to make
gifts to; who, they know not why, are
full of happy wonder at the German
1t is more than fifty years ago since
these words were written, ana Tie
Christmas tree dressed at the. queens
home this Christmas is to delight her
children's children. Little Princess Ena
Eugene Victoria) Of BattenDurg, ana
her brothers. the children of Princess
Beatrice, are especially the little ones
who enjoy the treat at present Christ
mas at Osborne is now the queen rule,
though in the prince consorLs time II
was always spent at Windsor. Though the
royal borough is now left at the festive
season, it is not forgotten; for the poor
of Windsor, to the number OF some nun
dreds receive benefactions from the
queen, consisting of beef, vegetables, ana
clothing. The Scotch tenantry are also
remembered; but the day is now always
passed by the queen in her, own smalleF
home, Osborne, which has been Well de-
scribed as more like the castle OF little
principality than the abode Of so great
a sovereign" The special regal dish Of
the day, however. cannot be cooked at
Osborne This is the baron of beef.
III ]
the resources of the immense Kitchen OF
Windsor for its preparation. A baron OF
beef is a cut from an OK similar 10 a sad
die of mutton from sheep; it is the
as one great hole joint. This IS no ordi-
nary joint for the spit, and only the
size Of WindsOr's fireplace and utensils
can cone with 1t. 1t is the tradiuonal
royal Christmas joint, as Indispensable
as the turkey of the middle class family
table As a rule, the queens table meat
is not taken from cattle bred on her
own farm but is supplied by butcher.
The Christmas joint is an exception, a
special bullock being selected. from the
home farm, and duly fattened each year
to supply the baron" 1t IS served cold,
the huge joint. beautifully garnished, be-
ing placed on the sideboard. 1t IS more a
show than a Wand. Turkey, simple
entree or two. with the usual soup and
fish, and amidst the sweet dishes, plum
pudding and mince pie, also appear at the
royal dinner on this day; and often the
huge Baron is hardly touched. The
queen does not like dinner to last over
an hour, and her menu is shorter and
simpler than that of most of her welthy
subjects on all occasions. The queen at
tends divine service in the morning; and
cumstances permit, some little charades
or tableauX are got up and given for her
amusement by the immediate members Of
her household.
Christmas at Sandringham, is, to some
extent, modelled on the similar usages to
which the Prince of Wales was brought
up. He and his gracious consort fully fol-
low the example of the queen in trying to
make the time a bright and pleasant one
Tor all around them. Every laborer and
cottager on the estate has a Christmas din
ner provided The meat for these gifts is
cut up in quantities corresponding to the
size of the various families, and set out
on long tables in the village school, each
portion labelled to with the name of the
recipient; added to it viii be the mater
ials for pudding and often, also articles
or clothing or blankets, and sometimes
more special personal presents; for the
lord and lady of the manor know much
OF the individual circumstan and needs
OF their people. On Christmas eve, the
whole royal party, or some. at least of its
members, VIII generally 90 TO distribute
the gifts themselves; or at all events. they
look in at the schoolroom to see the spread
ready, with its gay decoration of holly and
eVergreens for the admission of the lucky
recipients.
Everybody in the house. too. is sure of
a present OF some kind. Often the gift
takes an added value from being the hand
work Of the princess who bestows IT, The
young Princesses Of Wales are accomplish
ed IN many arts. Leather work, wood
carving, brass-chasing, and pOker-wOrk,