The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-17
THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS.
VISIONS OF SANTA CLAUS FILLING
EACH CURLY LITTLE HEAD.

shopping and other Preparations
for the Day Are Going on and win
Increase During the Week-The
streets and stores FILLED with HoI-
idny Buyers-III VIII Has Vanished
and the Spirit of the Season Is in
the Air-Student boys and Girls
Are Coming Back Home for the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Preparations
for the Poor of the City In Pro-
gress.
Christmas is but week and a day
away and the heart of the small boy
and small girl, TOO, for that matter-is
beating a joyous accompaniment to the
holiday thoughts and wishes that ill his
or her little head visions of Santa
Claus, soon to appear" drive all I'M
I pleasant dreams from each juvenile mind
! The Christmas buying, already largely
INDUCED in, will begin again with re-
newed energy and enthusiasm tomorrow
morning, and the streets and stores will
be filled with crowds of merry shoppers.
anxious to select just the right thing.
that will be sure to please their loved
ones, and in ninety-nine cases out of a
hundred doomed to disappointment. Large
| sales Of felt slippers, already stamped
| with designs in roses and violets, to be
worked by the dainty fingers Of many a
! fair parishioner, are reported. and it Is
reasonably certain that the clergy of the
city will not be forgotten.
| Indeed, those who know say that the
! fair ones have been working arduouslv
lfa and
/ preparations, the result Of which Will be
| known only to the recipients of these in
/ tended Christmas offerings, that make of
/ many households a tangled web of linen
and silks and gay colors. The cigar
stores have laid in extra supplies of that
! brand Of cigars that much-in-love wives
! are fond of giving to their doting hus-
/ bands and that are so overwhelmingly bad
! that Il Is relief to know that they will
not appear again until Christmas Is again
/ in the immediate prospect The furnish
! ing stores have scarfs and ties that no
! sane man would wear, destined to some
| thing like the same purpose as that to
which the cigars already described are APP
| Piled
! After all, though It is the spirit that
| makes the gift appreciated, and not the
| real comfort or pleasure that the recipient
derives from it's use. If he Is still much
| In love he may consent TO smoke a portion
| OF one of the cigars or to wear the impos-
| sibls scarf, but If the honeymoon Is long
] over he will be likely to smoke the cigars
| by throwing them into the fire. and to
wear the scarf by proxy, some inoffenslve
] de- rkey, whose early education in matters
! OF taste has been neglected, serving as
| the victim.
The spirit of Christmas Is In the air. on
| the streets Is heard the occasional report
of a cannon cracker, and now and again
rocket shoots across the sky Old feuds
are being made up and every face wears
! a smile OF content and anticipation. The
messc &c Of peace on earth and good Will
( 10 men" is with the city for q time al
least. and its devout appreciation Is 20 be
] seen on every side. IL Will probably be
cemented into living and working prln-
I ciple on New Years morning, and broken
Z ana forgotten the first time the pipes
burst or the man permits the furnace FIRE
I 10 so out. Nevertheless II ~ good while
I N lasts, and Il IL well IN such matters not
20 be cepfioDs or capficioua
The boys from school and college and
4 the girls from the seninariee are coming