The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-24
HOW THEY BUY PRESENTS
STREETS LIVELY WITH HOLI-
DAY SHOPPERS.
THE EXPRESS OFFICE A BUSY PLACE
The Postoffice Also a Scene of Lively Ac
tiyity. 1t All Ended in Terrific
Downpour of Rain as Dark
ness Came.

There is something funny about
Christmas to the man up the tree,
imagine. This mythical gentleman,
looking down from his arbored perch
approaches, must often think to himself.
1T is funny how much human nature
there is in people, after all" | believe
that is just what the Christmas fever
is, genuine human nature asserting her.
self. There is lot of sentiment in hui
man nature; but sentiment in work
aday would look foolish, so we have To
Smother it most Of the year. 1t is bound
to have some outlet, however, and
Christmas, by force of common consent
and unwritten law, seems to be the
sentimental. In other words, we let
our natural foolishness have sway, give
it head. as it were, for the time being.
And how nice it is to be real foolish
for little while, to stop calculating with
cold and mcrcenary spirit, and warm
ourselves up with the stimulating enjoy
ment of little real human feeling. No
matter what a man is-cynic, stole,
ascetic, aesthetic. dyspeptic, choleric,
anything you please, there is sure to be
deep down in his marrow some of the
sap of human joy, some of the feeling
called foolish, and the contagion OF
Christmas is sure to bring it out on the
surface.
How interesting it is to watch people
hurrying and scurrying about under the
influence of the stirring stimulant of
foolishness. What funny things they
do! What silly things they say! How
hard they work to spend money instead
of to make it, What mental gymnas-
tics they go through, ransacking their
brains TO try and think what the beloved
she or he especially bankers after
What ingenious and cunning little plans
they lay to find ont! How they strive
and struggle to surprise, All this to
give pleasure to others. 1t is good for
one to see things of this kind once /:
year; it restores the faith in the good
ness at bottom that there is in most
people.
Raleigh for the last few days has
shown the effects of the outbreak OF
Christmas in many seasonable symp-
toms. Things have generally gone
wrong and they have gone right at the
same time. They have gone wrong be-
cause it is right for them to go wrona
at this season. They have gone righi
for something like the some reason.
The streets have been crowded, the cars
have been crowded. the stores have been
crowded. The trains have been late.
the express has been late. the mails have
been late. But it is all right and propei
that these things should be thus, becaus,
it is Christmas This is an all-suffl
cient reason and excuse for all irregu-
larities, and it is accepted without ques-
ton or row.
The postoffice is fearful and won
derful thing these days. We begin &c
realize how big the world is ard how
many people there are in it when ".
look inside this institution gorged Will.
the crystalized illusions of Christmas.
The express office looks lively, 100
with its huge pile of packages and boxes
that seems to grow faster than if is IL
mlnished. 1t seems hopeless, the bea.
ver-like work of the men to assert and
assign the numberless parcels that a2
pear to come one knows not whence anf
to 90 one knows not WHITTIER
OF course, the last is generally in the
superlatiye degree; but really this yesi
the mass of business through the express
office is apparently greater than any
previous Christmas.
But of all the enhancing places and
scnese the stores were the quintes-
sence. Here were to be seen all the
fairest of the city's fair ones, looking
and buying, shopping and chatting, to
their hearts content, wondering how
he would like this, or whether he would
like that better, and finally deciding %
something that was perchance of all