Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-12-17
OLD-TIME CHRlSTMASES.
The Wonderful Changes That Have Been
Wrought During the Last Half Century.

ULD-TlME CHRlSEMASES.
The Wonderful Changes That Have Been
Wrought During the Last Half Century.
s The Christmas of 1847 was a simple
and tender affair, consisting mainly Of
Santa Claus and well-filled stockings.
The presents were homemade, with a
few added sweetmeats and toys. Think
of the changes An orange was sight
more rare than custard-apples are now.
A banana l do not remember having
seen before 1850. Farmers used old
aint-locks to shoot the squirrels for
Christmas pie-or what we used to call
the "Queen's arms" These were Brit
ish muskets, captured during the Revo-
luton. The first breech-loader was
patented in 1886; but they were not in
common use. We went in thick stoga
boots because rubbers were barely
known; and l do not think a rubber
boot was in existence. What we had
were sort of Indian moccasin import
ed from Brazil, capable of wearing for
10 years. The first Goodyear patent
was taken out in 1886 About the
same time the first machine was put in
operation for making pins, while for
pens we used goose. quilts or even hen
quilts. 1t was, however, a peculiarly
inventive period. All the knick knacks
that are most familiar TO us were then
novelties and costly. A bunch of pins
iu Christmas stocking was not de-
spised. If a box of matches could
have been had it would have been a
welcome gift from Santa Claus.
The stockings were hung up by the
huge old fireplace, where great logs
burned and Goals were covered up at
night. Iu rural sections we had never
seen a scuttle of coal, and had only
heard of it as an effort to burn black
stones. Whale-oil lamps marked the
advanced line of progress in lighting
streets and houses. There was no
dream of canned fruits and cocoa and
chocolate, although we had plenty OF
tea and coffee. 1t was impossible to
give sewing machine or a photo
graph. Daguerreotypes were not de-
vised until 1889; and the first were
taken in America at least year later.
1 remember when Avery, who took
the first sun picture west of Albany,
carried it up and down the streets,
flushed with his first success and ran
into house after house TO exhibit it.
1t was a ghostly affair, to be squinted
at and guessed out; but after all it was
the beginning of great art.
The presents were fuller of affec-
tion because homemade. The whole
family had been at work for weeks
planning and executing little gifts.
The boys made boxes and toys and
hand sleds. The women made stock
iugs and mufflers and dainty caps,
while the girls made slippers, and the
fathers made shoes. A home was
word that meant great things in those
days; for both the women and the
men had trades as well as knack and
u knowledge Of land culture. 1t is in
teresting to note that some of our best
observers and social students prophe-
sy large reaction from our present
fast and uneasy age to the quiet and
calm of those earlier days of the CEN
lury. OF course we shall not give up
our inventions; but with them we
may lose our boyish excitement, and
react to another period of reconsidera-
ton. This has been the history of the
past. Eras of restless aggression have
been followed by periods Of reflection.
We could do all that is necessary for
happy social state with less of wear,
and less of nerve friction. Will elec-
tricity help US in this direction ? We
believe it will.
The most delightful part of these
old-time holidays was the sports, pure
and free from every guile. Our even
ings were always at home and in the
one great family room, which was the
dining-room and the kitchen in one, we
gathered before the huge fire of logs
and had that sort of unadulterated fun
which can be had only where the whole
family is united. We parched our
homegrown corn, and made our candy
of molasses, and played simple games,
in which no one joined more heartily
than the father and the mother. The
evenings lasted from candle lighting
until 9 o'clock. No child was ever
permitted to absent himself from the
household after dark without the d.
rection of his parents. But after 9
O'Clock no one ever thought of being
absent. Then we were all in our beds.
If we react to these or to simpler meth
DDS of living, it will be by a resurrec-
ton of more home life. Let us see to
it that the farm home is more of a
home, and the farmhouse family more
self-contained.-E. P. Powell, in n. Y.
Independent.