The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-12-24
ORPHANS WILL Be REMEMBERED
Inmates of City and County
Institutions To Be Enter
tanned.
SPECIAL SERVICES IN CHURCH
Charitable People Provide Green
vilIe's Poor Children.


noun, always written with capital let
ter. 1t might almost besa verb. as it cer-
tainly admits Of the three lenses, present.
asst and future, only we cannot Christ
mas it. Christmas in its present tense
covers one day, in its past anywhere
from month to two weeks. and1in. it's
future, the period between Christmas and
New Years, known as holiday week
After that it passes into the reminiscent
stage. which lasts throughout the year.
Christmas in its past is perhaps less
attractive than either of the other lenses.
at least while that past is being ex-
perienced It is a conglomoration Of
charity fairs, crowded thoroughfares and
packed trolleys; women who persist in
dragging children of diminutive statue
and years through New York crowd,
because 1t comes cheap, like a bargain,
.'cllildren, under three not being taxed on
ears and boats. and that '"three, in the
mothers eyes being quite as elastic as
her own age; women who block the pas
sageway with some bit of friendly gossip.
or even an argument with ferry master or
CONDUCTOR over the change, and women
who move comfortably along. even in a
crowd, elbowing their way as they go, to
The CONSERVATION of everybody else.
Then to come right down to the pres
ent year and this city (and these women
all live in Jersey City as well as else
wheres). The fog of the past week. the
delay in traffic. the dirty, muddy streets
and their blocked condition, when Mont
gomery street was one thick mass of i'm
movable wagons waiting their chance to
cross the river, for hours at a time. But
all this goes with the spirit of Christmas,
and Notwithstanding a few swears now
and again from motor and truckmen, it
was, for the most part, jolly crowd,
ready to laugh at the slightest pretenee
to joke.
Then there is always as a preliminary
to Christmas that long list of charity fairs,
wherein the club women take such de-
light and wherein man, when he gets in
side. and he most unaccountably does is
at once an object. of envy and pity. Envy
for his position and pity for his pocket
He is made 50 much of; he is fattered.
and his advice is asked on dozen ques-
tions at once. until, with all this honor,
he feels compelled to put his hand in his
pocket and come away .penniless, like the
Bowery chump. swearing .I'll never go
there any more
Nor is this creature, man. to be pitied
only At the charity fair. but through the
entire past tense of Christmas, when
day after day. over the morning coffee,
he hears the same advice, given in the
sweetest tones: Charles. you had better
get dinner downtown today. / am going
to do some shopping In New York, or
night after night Charles. shall want
little money. There is a bill Of goods
coming over tomorrow. all this in the
most coquettish and sweetest pleading
that any man would be a brute to refuse
especially at Christmas time
Then comes in the line of Sunday schooi
"christmas trees., each with its little
song and. dance, like the vaudeville, some
very eieyer and some not worth the see
ing, all leave their place upon the Christ
mas stage and an are rewarded with
boxes of candy bought 50 much per ton
or half ION. according to the size Of the
school Tie public schools. too, must
each DO their turn, and then Christmas
past IS over
The Christmas present tense" actually
begins with Christmas eve, tonight, when
the crowd on fhoroughfares and ears viii
be bigger ana joIlier tllbn ever. When
stout women with gtout baskets overflow
ing with stout turkeys will board the
trolley cars. ana with the conductors
new pathod Of Move up front. Z namely a
few pulls Of the bell. either suddenly sit
npen their own or somebody eises tuf-
keys or a man happy IN the possessle'l
OF asbsg paper bsg nllea with oranges and
nuts suddenly bursts xthe bag and out
rolls nuts ana oranges in sweet confusion,