The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-18

the mas,heads of the ships in the river
and along the wharves wear wreaths of
| the prickly holly leaves in nonoI of the
! day
There is no business. Banks and
! stores. offices and Warerooms, mills
and post offices, all are closed, and still
| the people who labor in them give all
| their time and thought to the keeping
! Of the holiday. No newsboys' voices
| pierce the frosty air after early morn
| ing, for even the newspaper men keep
| Christmas, and the early morning pa
per viii not be followed by another for
| four and twenty hours. 1t is Christ
| mas, and the world stands still.
Next day is st. Stephens Day, and
| then the holiday season takes on a
| different hue. Every one who can
| spends the day outdoors, if the weather
| permits, and drag hunts and horse
races take the people miles into the
! country 10 see the fun.
| s.. Stephens night is the night of
nights in the play houses. Christmas
| pantOmmes of every class, shade,
| grade and color occupy the boards Of
| the various theatres. and the juveniles
| in the audience strive hard to hold
: apart their heavy eyelids as they gaze
! in open-mouthed wonder at the gor-
geous production of Blue Beard or Jack
and the Bean Stalk, or Cinderella and
| her CLASSY slipper. And then they go
/ home to dream about it all and wonder
why Cmistmas.is not always.
/ While Christmas is the time of holt
ness and OF domestic sociability, it is
also the day fof greatest charity. The
heart of fintiest seems to grow soft
that day, and the inmates of the jails,
the poorhouses, the hospitals, the
asylums for the blind, the Qrphanages,
the homes for the aged. receive each
! their share of public bounty, while
/ Society" women brighten the gloom OF
the wards and corridors with their
CHEEKY presence. Not one of the poor
est of Gods poor is passed over or for
gotten on Christmas Day.
Then there are the messages from
over the sea, How the postman is vel
! coined with his rat-a-tat-tat on the
door knocker, and his mystic package
that has come so far, with its simple
but eloquent story OF love for the old
folkes at home 1t has come from one
whose lot is cast in the western world
among good friends and true, but whose
spirit takes flight if but FOR a mo-
ment. on Christmas day and. all UNI
seen. looks again at the faces of years
gone by
Christmas means much for the Gael
Sea-diVided they may be, but heart-
united they are also, and at no time
when memories THAI long have slept
are reused from slumber and loving
friends are linked together though the
ocean rolls between
The Kaleidoscope of politics has not
been turned much either in England OF
ireland the past few weeks Everybody
laetiveIv concerned in the political world
seems to be disposed to let the holi-
day season go by in peace, and 50 the
leaders Of all parties are simply rest
ing on their oars.
Somewhat of stir was made by Sir
William Hartcourt when he wrote his
letter a week ago to Mr.. John Morley
declining in definite terms to be can
didate for the vacant leadership of the
liberal party. The tone Of Mr.. Morley s
reply disclosed the fact that he also
is not anxious for the leaders, mantle
of authority, and the tone of the Eng
lish liberal papers, commenting on the
correspondence, would indicate that tho
Observant editors have their minds
pretty well made UP that Harcourt and
Morley mean what they say. Some OF
the editors in looking about for new
man who would be acceptable to the
different cliques and factions within
the party, have alighted on the name of
Henry Asquith. who was home secre-
tary under Mr.. Gladstone. Mr.. Asquith
may De WllllH TO take UP the TASK
of reconciliation, but he will do so with
heavy heart. A party without q pro-
gram is a mighty difficult aggregation
at the best, but when there is added a
mess Of bitter jealouses among the
leading members of the party, and
therefore, no sort OF cooperation on
esprit de corps, then the work of re-
organizing a mighty army such as
Gladstone used to lead, might we'll be
called appalling.
In Ireland a reconciliation move
ment is also in progress, and Mr.. Dillon
Mr.. Healy and Mr.. Redmond are said
to be about ready to sit at a round
| table and smoke the pipe of peace. Let
us hope something will come OF it,
Meanwhile, the most comfortable
man in all Great Britain is Arthur
James Balfour. Things keep coming
his way in a. steady stream That they
do so is no mere accident Of luck Bal
four has brains, and. what more, he
knows their use and power.
G. O'CONNELL CALVIN.
Cathartic or purgauve pills do more
| harm than good Carriers Little Liver
Pills do only good, but a large amount of
that Only one pill dose.
Get your coal, wood, -four. groceries.
furniture moving, etc, at Cash Grain