The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-12-24
Schools Turned Out Yesterday
for Their Annual HOLIDAY
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL EXERCISES
Many of Them Will Have Christmas
Trees, Accompanied by Songs and
Observation-Disclosures to be Dis
tributed to the Poor.

Today Is Christmas eve A hard day for
the mothers, the fathers. a harder one for
the merchants and an expectant one for the
children.
The edict of the weather prophet for
Christmas eve is that it will be fair, slight
ly colder with light north winds. Christ
mas weather so far has been superb. Just
cool enough to be exhiliarating.
Fair weather or cloudy weather, the
streets will be lined all day and until late
at night. People of all classes seem to
have plenty of money to spend and the
business men, street car company, and. in
fact, all lines are reaping a harvest.
For a week the sidewalks and the bust
ness houses have told that it was Christ
mas, the most glorious season of the year.
Today the crowds will be strengthened by
the glowing faces of hundreds of school
boys and girls.
The holiday of the public schools began
yesterday at 1 o'clock. and will continue
until the day after New Year Exercises
were held at most of the schools the most
pretentious being at the high school build
ing. The exercises here were under the
auspices of the senior class of young ladies'.
The entertainment was in the nature of
vocal and instrumental musical selections
and recitations appropriate to the occasion.
Miss Bertha Gelders read paper on
christmas in Germany" which was quite
an entertaining exposition of the celebra-
ton of the day in the foreign land. Several
vocal selections were rendered by Harry
Hall and Eugene Enslen, proving very en-
joyable.
The Sunday School Celerabtions
Christmas will be appropriately celebrated
in Birmingham this season by the various
Sunday schools in the city, the children in
many instances having made elaborate
preparations for their Christmas trees and
entertainments. Nearly all of them will
have some kind of exercises, some of them
being no more than appropriate songs and
exercises, at the regular Sunday school ser
vices tomorrow morning
The dear little tots-the older ones, too,
for that matter-are taking great interest
in the preparations, and it is their chief de-
light to tell of the part they are going to
take in the exercises.
Last night at the First Methodist church
the pupils of that Sunday school rendered
beautiful little cantata entitled Santa
Claus & Co." A large number of children
took part in it, and every one OF the specta-
tors present said that it was complete sue
cess. After the cantata was over, the chill
dren enjoyed a genuine candy pulling.
Tonight at the Southside Baptist church
the members of the Sunday school will
have a Christmas tree, and tomorrow morn
ing at the regular Sunday school, they will
have exercises appropriate to the occasion.
Tonight at Woodawn there will be Christ
mas trees both at the Baptist and Metho-
dist churches.
The Sunday school of the First Baptist
church instead of having the usual Christ
mas trees or having Christmas entertain
ment, is endeavoring to get up large con-
tribution for the Baptist orphanage at
Evergreen. Contributions Of all kinds are
being obtained and it will be 'jolly Christ
mas box" which the parentless little chill
dren at Evergreen will receive from Biz
mingham On Monday night the infant
class of the school will have Christmas
tree. 1.-THE pastors helpers" composed of
about thirty-five of the young ladies of the
church, have been doing splendid work
during the past few days, preparing nice
baskets of provisions for the poor of the
church. They have done remarkably well
and will bring joy to at least thirty-f1ve poor
families today and tomorrow.
Tonight at ST. Mary's Episcopal church
the Sunday school pupils will have a
| Christmas tree, accompanied by the sing
| ing of anthems and other appropriate ex-
| ercises.
At the Church of the Advent the Sum
| day school will have no celebration until
| Wednesday, when the regular exercises
| will take place.
The children of the South Highland
| PRESBYTERIAN church will have their cele-
| bration Tuesday night, Christmas tree,
with singing and other appropriate eXer-
| cises.
The Sunday school of the First Presby-
| terrain church will have it's Christmas cele-
bration some time next week, though the
| exact time has not yet been fixed.
| The Central Presbyterian Sunday school
| will have it's Christmas social Monday
| night at the church.
| The above are only a few of the Christ
| mas entertainments which the various
| Sunday schools of Birmingham will have,
| as all of them are arranging to have cele-
| brations Of some kind.
Christmas Trees at Home
The indications are that Santa Claus will
| be very liberal in his supply Of Christmas
| trees in the homes Of good little boys and
| girls who live in Birmingham These cedar
| trees which when lighted with their nu-
! merous candles, bedecked In their bright
| colors and loaded down with gifts, are
| such a delight to the average youngster,
| are obtained at no great distance from the
| city.
Cedar grows in great abundance in some
| parts of the valley. The farmers cut the
1 prettily rounded trees in great numbers
and bring them into the city for sale. A
| little sapllng which has the great privilege
| of bringing so much joy to few childish
hearts is indeed a fortunate tree and has