Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1896-12-24
CHRISTMAS At SINGAPORE.
How the Glad Day Was Celebrated
I'm India

|
| I'm India.
We went to church at half past ten.
The weather was intensely hot, and
yet we drove to the great English ca
thedral on the Esplanade and brayed
the binding glare Of the Malayan sun.
! Just to try to lseep up a stimulation Of
che Christmas we observe in distant
homes. The usual hours for worship
IRE half-rast six in the morning aad
half-past five in the evening.
Our ordinary garb of pure white
linen and cool dark helmets we had
discarded for suits of wooden and
black derbys-so hard did we try to-,
,lelude ourselves into familiar Christ
/ mas feeling. The night before, OH
Christmas eve, 1 saw a hundred or
more men-rich ship. owners, high Off.
:.ials-try to do the same thing.
Their wives were at home in Eng
hand or Germany. recuperatfng after Il
long term in the Orient, or perchance
some had gone home to die. Those
that had not wives were younger sons
nnd brothers. All had met at the club
to spend Christmas eve. lM
In the center Of the room was a tree,
q causuarina, decorated with candles,
toys, candies, and penny balloons; just
such a tree as they would have gone
into raptures over In their childhood.
At it's foot were the presents.
An orchestra played outside under
the wide-spreading arms Of a great
baniah tree, and spotlessly dressed Chi
nese 'boys" circled about with re-
freshments. Songs We're sung; every
one laughed and cheered and Slapped
each other on the shoulder, and yet
everyone knew that it was q pitiful
failure.
Between laughs faces grew grave,
and faraway looks filled tired eyes.
They were wondering what wives,
mothers and friends were doing on
that night in the blessed land CT the
SHOWS.
The great English cathedral is but
copy of its sisters in London and New
York; as unsuitable in it's Gothic
grandeur for the hot winds of the tor
rid zone as for the cold winds of the
arctic, Its great vaulted roof, ponder
GUS pillars, and long, narrow chancel,
protect you from nothing save q sight
of the face of the kind old bishop Of
Singapore and Sarawak, or the sound
of his pleasant voice.
The one innovation that has broken
the cast-iron sameness Of the Episco-
palian temple is the great white pun
kahs which swished back and forth
through the hot air above our heads.
The punlSah is the sign of the East,
from Port Said to Yokohama
The church was decorated with mai
denhair ferns in abundance, great,
pure e11harist lilies, and delicate dove
orchids.
A brilliant green lizard, with long.
curving. pointed tail, glided silently
down the aisle and peered into and
then crawled into the soft felt hat Of
his honor the chief justice. His honor
only smiled. 1t paused but moment
and then departed on it's journey
among the worshipers.
No one felt any alarm. 1t stopped
in front OF a little English miss with
golden hair and great blue sash, and
gazed at her from head to foot with
it's jeweled eyes. The little miss took
NO more notice Of it than an American
girl would of a fly. Then it wandered
back and found resting place on the
venerable archdeacon's prayer book
Another lizard, with red and yellow
stripes, came out and chased the green
lizard into the organ loft.-Rounseville
Wildnlan in Overland.