Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-12-23

Special Correspondence OF Gazette and journal
New York, Dec. l7.--In the times
gone by when Christmas day came
around, whoever had tho biggest house
and the most money gave dinner and
asked to it all her NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.,
cousins aud aunts, and all the mascu-
line contingent as wGll--to eat and cat
and eat until eating ceased 10 lie
pleasure and Indigestion became q GER
taiuty. That was the day OF the turkey,
the mince pie and tho cranberry sauce,
the big punches Of celery and the
homemade sweet pickles; the day OF
tho heavily laden table, warranted to
fake away ono's appetite at once, pro-
vitled one were at all delicate in ones
tasies. But we have grown civilized.
We have changed all that nowadays.
10 tht distan. relations wa scnd a
Christmas dinner with bunch OF
holly berries and our compliments;
then oil we scamper to the country for
week and invite a house part for that
time, II is no longer the thing to lie
IN town on Christmas day. The giving
OF ChriBtmGs party has become a
matter OF SO much importance that the
mistress devotes all her artistic tasts to
what shall appear in the dining ruom
HUll Oil list ClBVbTttbb 10 BlNlHB
to her guests. She does not just sey,
Come aud spend Christmas with me, ~
but she says "Come and be young for
week; come and be a ohild for a
week." And we VINO are horn old. like
that famous haby of Mr.. Gilberts, ac-
cept her invitation on our best note
paper, in our hest English and MS
quickly MS possible. She il most anx-
ious, this American hostess, to follow
the fashions rot by her English cousins,
and it ia pretty tu ace how she achieves
it, especially in the breakfast room.
She has an old house down 10 Vir-
ginia. 1t is painted that peculiar yell
low, the exact tint of which ia only
known to painters in Maryland and
Virginia, ami there are great high pill
lars in front Of the house. There 10 a
huge fireplace in the hall, and after
driving II miles from the station you
stop just in front of roaring fire and
have a glass Of something TO warm you
up. You don't ask what it 10. you sim
ply know that it smells like rum and
tastes like nectar That night every
body sits around and talks. An coca,
siona woman vanishes, and you have u
vague idea that she is consulting the
mistress of the mansion in regard to
the doings for Christmas night To-
morrow morning you lie in the soft.
warm bed and lazily watch small
1afky hoy make your fire. duplicate
of him, except that il is older and
feminine, helps you to dress, and when
you notice how quick she is in her
movements and how absolutely caress.
ing in her touch YOU wonder that you
ever cared for French maid. Ten
O'Clock finds you in the dining room.
The sidoboard is exactly like great
huge piece Of furniture that you re-
member seeing in an English house.
On it are delicious looking cold meats
cold game, veritable game pies, and
everybody is pposed-that is, every
man hody-to get up and carve for
himself and TO help to the guod things
whatever woman body may DO al the
table The colored servants fetch
wafllss and hot buckwheRt cakes aud
somebody helps you to kidney, stewed
properly in Madeira, while somebody
olse tries to tempt you with funny look.
ing little sausnges that are sizzling in
chatting dishes Just in front of tho fire.
The walls are trimmed with red herriea
and green leaves, and there are Christ.
mas greetings wrought out in holly on
them, and over every doorway there iH
u mugs DuUCu OF WlbIleIOb.
You go for drive, whole coach
load of you, and drop in to see neigh
bor Is miles away and TO your surprise
find you can eat plumcake and drink
eggnog as il you had had your usual
breakfast of toast and tea. There is
something in this southern air that
not only creates an appetite, hut that
induces you to eat rich food. You,
who have declared yourHf dyspeptiC
years ago. Home from the drive. you
hang a round the big hall fire and find
that this air is so wholesome that the
young men are absolutely making love
to thu girls, while husbands arc grow.
ing aifectionate to their wives. Before
you realize it is Christmas owe you arc
nskei il you want to help get the pres
ents ready, and, feeling yourself young
again of you 60, prepared to tie up the
many packages. You don't know what
it means, you from the north. There
RFe hundreds of packages to tie up.
There is an apron for this one, hand
kerchief for that one. gown for tn,
other, tiny purse holding a little
money, ID pouch filled with tobacco
and always there are 10 be fixed bag,
for holding candy, nuts and raisins.
Who are they for? For the innumerablt
uhThl6h WIN uhNt HbftT IoCuplIheu INN
they nave no claim upon that family
with whom they were horn. They al
come trooping homo at Christmas tint
and expect that the madame of to-day
will be as generous as the mudame o
30 years ago, who owned them. AnC
this madame feels the responsibility,
for aa you stand with her tomorrow
morning. helping her TO give out hel
presents, you will nee boy come up,
who will say, MADAME, don't yot
know me? Ise Celestine's Tom" the
aforesaid Celestine having betrayed thu
hiding place Of her mistress silver dur
ing the war, but returning after ii ex
pecting to be cared for when i'll and get
ting just what she expected. Their
will appear an old man, who will say
"Huney, you didn't spec to see oil,
Uncle Jake, but lse done come for M
Christmas money" All the year arount
Uncle Jake goes out saving wood, ant
he would not do quarter Of a cord fo
the household unless he were paid TO
III. Yet they all feel that they belong
TO the Gary household. and when the.
! are talking will say with an air o
\ pride: "Oh, you amt uuthin; you
amt nuthin 'cept Yankee! Ise heel
attached to the Carys fob generations. ;
And these southern ladies', remember
| ling that, afte7 all, the darkies are onl.
| grown up children, forget their faults
I remember their virtues. give 10 then
\ generously and honestly wish them
a merry Christmas and happy New Year
4 II is nearly time for dinner. We al
bava on nur fnest frncka and ara anil