The Redwood gazette., 1898-12-28
oLD-TIME cHR1sTMAsEs.
The Wonderful Changes That Have
Been Wrought During the Last
Half Century.

Half Century.
The Christmas of 1s47 was simple
and tender affair, consisting mainly OF
Santa Claus and well-filled stockings.
The presents were homemade, with q
few added sweetmeats and toys. Think
of the changesl An orange was sight
more rare than custard-apples are now.
A banana I do not remember having
seen before 1880. Farmers used old
fint-locks to shoot the squirrels for q
Christmas pie-or what we used to call
the Queens arms" These were Brit
ish muskets, captured during the revo-
luton. The first breech-loader was
patented in 1896; but they were not
in common use. We went in thick stoga
boots because rubbers were barely
known; and do not think a rubber
boot was in existence. What we had
were q sort of Indian moccasin i'm
ported from Brazil, capable of wear
ing for ten years. The first Good
year patent was taken out in 1885.
About the same time the first machine
was put in operation for making pins,
while for pens we used goose-quills
or even hen-quills. It was, however,
peculiarly inventive period. All the
knick-knacks that are most familiar to
us were then novelties and costly. A
bunch of pins in Christmas stocking
was not despised. If box of matches
could have been had it would have been
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. In rural sections we had never
seen 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 choco-
late, although we had plenty of tea
and coffee. 1t was impossible to give
a sewing machine or a photograph.
Daguerreotypes were not devised until
1899; and the first were taken in Amer
lea at least year later. remember
when Avery, who took the first sun pic
ture 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 ghostly affair. to
be squinted at and guessed out; but
after all it was the beginning Of a
great art.
The presents were fuller of affection
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 stockings and muf-
fers 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 knowledge of land cul-
ture. 1t is interesting to note that some
of our best observers and social stu
dents prophesy large reaction from
our present fast and uneasy age to the
quiet and calm of those earlier days of
the century 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 a
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 home
grown 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 even
ings lasted from candle lighting until
nine o'clock. No child was ever per-
mitted to absent himself from the
household after dark without the di-
rect,on of his parents. But after nine
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
ods OF living it will be by a resurrection
OF more homo life. Let us see to it that
the farm home is more of home. and
the farmhouse family more self-con-
tained.-E. P. Powell. in N. Y. Indepen-
dent.
For the Pleasure of Others.