The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-12-20
van GEl,Dl|l'S CHRISTMAS.

II ~ essssse0
Christmas Msyss ! good deal of m an
achosism ins Fifth Avenue; q much ont
Of place NJ though - had stspped
down from BSn Jonscn's llasqus, ~
tired In Ground nose; ieng stockihss, :
close Publst . hish-cfowned hat With
. long. thin beard, i trunchson, little
tufts and all the rest, according to
tho old atage direction. But although
these are the days OF drsss suits and
gibus hats, and enthuslaanns are bad
form, 1t ID still quite thu correct thing
TO be full OF fun and 3ollity and the
antique Joy Of Chfiftmastlde. It ID
the day Of all the year for the poor,
little rich children. Al! those t1nhnp.
py little porphyrosenite, who do not
know what It 10 to want Anytling.
They have never cried for the moon,
but what they were given q very fair
imitation In green cheese. The illusion
has gone out of mechanical toys, dane
ing dogs and talking dolls, and trains
Of cars that smash up: like the real
thing. Candied fruits and honeyed
dgs aud b0nbOns are dull and COM
mon. But, bless you'll. here's Christ
mas. Here's the good old chap with
the white beard md red cheeks and:
the Jolly, fat paunch. Here's one night.
when the reindeer bells jansle ON the
roofs. 3,3 .gs 4. rs 4. Is s
You sec, when one gets to be seven.
or eight, or nine even q dwarf pony
with q b4uged tail does mot arouse
much enthusiasm. It ID nm old story.
One has all the fun there IL In child
hood, except running away and being
captured BY giants. There was once
0 fairy-but d fairy In Fifth avenue
would be ridiculous.
It's lucky there's Christmas left,
with the merriment that never quite
dies out In the Oldest heart or the
worst.
Even miliionaires, who are extreme
~ millionaire, keep memory OF old
Christmas 3times-the jolly old times
Of windy mornings, when the hearth
log blazed md snapped and love went
round with the loving cup. You can
never quite rub out these pastels. For
three hundred and sixty-four days In
the year. society 10 orchidacious. Then
II throws away orchids and blue
chrysanthemums and its heigh! for the
holly and misfletoe. Family gather.
lngs, roasted turkeys, snap dragon,
bobbing for apples, the postman's
knock, and the n.addest sort of blind
mans bun are all In fashion. And
Christmas ID the only wise day OF the
year. becanse 1t b the only merry
one: \. !, 5;s 1. 4 &
It was the ringing of the bells In
the church ateeples that woke Mr..
6tuyvesant Van Geldt. An he had q
touch Of dyspepsia, be woke with d
notion that he had swallowed q bell
factory, for the jangies seemed to 70
through him from he0d to foot. He
called feebly for Brown, and Brown
came with q soda cocktail. Now when
ones man comes In with q soda cock
tail there should be an expression Of
Subdued and sympathetic grief ON his
face. But Brown was absolutely smil-
sBrown,n said Mr.. Van, ae,dt,
ssdon,t let that occur again. = z
'tsNo, sir," sud Brown, .'bnt bein, a.
sow It was Chrlstmas, sir, i thort - :
4An' 70 Il Is, Brown" Mr.. Van Geldt
added, % he drank the soda cocktail.
" forgot, Merry Christmas, Drownlts
'srhank,y', sir. Merry Christmas.
.:s1r. van Geldt lay. On his back and
looked at the ceiling, and decided that
be was rather glad OF It, after all.
There r. pleasure In being well
groomed and s0lemn-l oking, In tod
ding upland down Fifth avenue.
which only the fashionable knew,
But It lacks variety. The hall and the
opera and the clab are all very well In
their way. The trouble II It 10 always