The evening times., 1898-12-24
A SATURNALIh OF
GOOD FELLOWSHIP
The Spirit of Christmas Prev
alent Everywhere.
SCENES ON THE STREETS
Great Gift-Seeking Crowds Throng
the City's Stores.
Men Out of Self and Turns Their
Thoughts to Others.

Christmas glee shines in the faces of
the people as they rush along the streets;
Christmas green CLEANS in many places;
Christmas colors glow almost every
where. They greet the eye in the mar
kets and the shop windows. along the
sidewalks of the crowded public ways,
in the parlor of the home and the cham
Gel of the church.
The country and the city blend. Lit
tie trees of pine and boughs of cedar,
branches of bright holly, jeweied with
scarlet berries; punches of mistletoe are
planted along the -pavements of gray and
red. Wild ivy is arranged in clusters on
the curb and at the street corners; crows
foot. familiar and suggestive, is spun
into miles of gay wreaths and green
festoons.
These little bits Of native verdure carry
the mind Of the city dwelIer away from
the roar that swels and surges in tenn
pest tides between cliffs of monotonous
brick and mortar. These little touches of
rustic green carry ones mind far from the
crash and clangor of rapid transit gongs,
fire bells and traffic rumble 10 that realm
of hiil and dale where rest and quiet
reign.
1t is a wonderful season. which lifts
men out of self and turns their thoughts
To others.
There is no safe way to calculate the
numbers and the density of the throngs
that jostle along the Avenue, f Street.
Seventh Street and Ninth Street: that
move through the aisles of the great
stores and pack the street cars.
, All conditions al pa0plp in pyi-
! dence, from the man who buys Il neck
lace of diamonds to the kind-faced old
woman who buys a ball of worsted yarn
with which to knit Il pair of winter socks.
There are those who invest in toys for
the children, from cheap and simple
doll or a set Of building blocks to rare
and intricate mechanical devices. There
are those who buy gifts of use and those
who buy gifts of ornamentatton. Holiday
scenes are being enacted at the counters
of all the stores in the city.
Thousands of men and women elbow
their way through the markets of the
city and as usual host of turkeys have
fallen prey to the Christmas appetite OF
man. But the turkey is not the only Of
fering sacrificed on the Christmas table
The chicken and the goose have done their
share and rabbits and quail are much in
evidence Pork has also had to suffer and
/
front OF the Louisiana Avenue commits
sion houses.
There is final rush in progress at the
express offices. During all the week these
places have been besieged by persons
| whose thoughts have drifted 10 distant
! friends and hundreds of tons of gifts have
| gone out to all the other parts Of the
world.
The weight of mail matter passing
| through the postoffice tells the people
| there that Christmas has come again.
! For two weeks the tide of gifts has been
| ebbing. but yesterday it began TO turn
| and today a strong flood tide of packets
| and parcels is running in. The outgoing
trains and steamboats, are taking b 3ck
| to their own fireside children that have
| drifted from the homes in the country
| and who have sought their fortune in the
city.
| The incoming trains bring many Wash
| ingtonians from distant parts who come
| to spend the festive season at their
| homes A large percentage of these are
| children who have been in attendance
| at out-of-town schools.
The registers of the hotels show that
| during the week the transient trade has
| been unusually heavy, and that many
| shoppers from Maryland and Virginia and
! from points even farther South have been
making their annual purchases here.
| The usual preparations for the obsecv-
| ance of Christmas are in progress in the
| great public institutions of the District.
| The orphan asylums, homes for the indt-
| gent and aged, hospitals. penal fnstitu-
| tons have made arrangements 10 serve
| turkey and cranberry sauce in plenty.
/ Preparations of the same kind, though of
| course on a smaller scale, are in progress
| in the kitchens of Washington homes.
There IS activity in the parsonages and
the churches Special sermons and mu-
| sic have been prepared.
The theaters have arranged to do their
F; share in the general celebration of the
! day.
Blasts from tin horns were to be heard
last night, and there will be a din of
1iscordant sounds tonight Young Wash
| ington Will jubilate, and all Washing
ton will spend merry Christmas.