The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-26
IN HOTEL LOBBIES
AND ELSEWHERE

Angelus at dawn of Christmas Day. rain
and snow and sleet were blown by rude
winds about the pendant world. The in
cense from eensers by priestly hands set to
swinging had scarcely faded from the altar
when the elements OF the clouds and the
winds of the caves were asserted to the
discomfort of man. The hottest day OF
Christmas broke in rayless physical gloom,
and only hearts that loved, reverenced and
were true felt the thrill of spiritual joy.
Seldom is the breaking of Tie day the
Christian holds dear of 50 dark an aspect.
But hours before the noonEme the clouds
had rolled in splendor fron the glory Of
the sky, and sunshine radiant fell in golden
light upon the beauty of the rill, the rivu-
let, the river. 1t was like the coming Of
light to a LIFE of gloom. At noontime the
sun scared in unclouded majesty, and its
westering way. even unto the fall o6 the
gloaming's soft shadows. was of unsur-
passable beauty. The mists rolled away.
When the mists had rolled in splendor
from the glory Of the hlis, and the sun
shine soft and tender fell on the beauty
OF The rlls, we read loves shining letter
in the rainbow OF the stream-when the
mists rolled away. The sacred day was
born m the tempest: it died upon the sweet
notes Of even-song, and the shadows fell to
lend brilliant beauty TO the stars.
The Sits, the givers and the receivers of
sits were happiest amongst mortals on
Christmas Day. 1t tnattered not what the
nature of The gift. it was joyous to them
that gave and Joyous to them that re-
ceiyed. a little card comes vita the greeS-
ing, penned under to the prompting of true
hearts:
We never speak our deepest feelings;
Our hottest hopes have no rivalings.
Save in the CLEANS that light the face
Or faneies that the pen may trace.
These lines are the essence of truth. 1t is
a time of giving and receiving material
gifts all time is the time Of friendship
love. ho5e Charity. Tae poorest little thing
that was placed n tie poorest little darned
stocking yestermorn blessed the heart that
prompted the gift and blessed the little
hands, that received. Charity ruled the
world, right royal empress of human
generosity and love. In some homes the
round golden apples of the Hesperldes out
weighed in joy-pcwer the round golden
coins in the palaces OF the ricIh and great.
It is ard must always be a matter Of
environment. 4 poor little wooden cot is
rich to the oaild that was never rocked in
a cradio of gold. One doFar of The coin
Of tha realm seems a fortune to him who
hasn't got it.
The broad spirit of charity and enlghten-
ment was beautifully illustrated yesterday
in the great establishment of Loveman.
Joseph and Loeb, IN Nineteenth street This
firm of cultured and enterprising Jewish
citizens employs some three hundred and
fifty or four hundred clerks most of whom
are Christians. The order was given that
no Christian employee should go to work on
Christmas Day unless he or she desired to
do SO. The Jewish employees were required
to work till noon, in order 10 accommodate
the customers of the house who came from
suburban and neighboring towns; and near
ly all business houses were favored with
great trade during the forenoon hours At
the Jewish new year, the Jewish employees
Of Loveman, Joseph and Loeb are given a
holiday and the Christian employees are re-
CURED to work. Broader charity than this
nobler religious sentiment could not prevail.
The dulleSt time for hotels is the Christ
mas season. The hotel Hobbies were prac-
tically deserted yesterday. In the places
that are crowded by men three hundred and
sixty-four days of the twelvemonth there
was dulness, emptiness Charles II. Nabh,
proprietor of the Morris, and perhaps the
most successful individual hotel man in the
SOUTH speaking upon this matter, said he
never expected much business at Christ
mas. Men whose business it was to travel
managed to get off duty and spend their
holidays at their own homes or with in
innate personal friends. For the first time
in 1899 there is plenty of hotel accommo-
dalton in Birmingham Tomorrow the rush
of the crowds will be resumed.
The Messrs. Charles Smith and Walter
tors, are spending Chrstmas-time at their
home in Birmingham. The Messrs. Smith
are now busily engaged In constructing
thirty-fve miles of line for the Gulf and
Ship Island railroad, leading into Jackson,
Miss; and they are stiH building extensions
of the Illinois Central in Mississippi, below
Memphis. They are busy and prosperous
and no firm of contractors deserve more to
prosper!
Press reports from Washington have CIV
en- out the information that Congressman
G. Washington Taylor, of the First district
of Alabama, introduced in the house bill
prepared by General Wheeler, requiring
the first sergeant of each company in the
army, when roll is called, to call out the
names of men of the company killed in
battle This is sentimental, emotional, and
would seem to be impossible of permanent
observance Various newspapers are print
ing the statement that General Wheelers
proposition is way that 'other nations
have of "perpetuatlng, as it were on roll
of honor the privates who have given their
lives for their country on the battlefield
That is nonsense. No country does any
such thing. The only historic case of such
rol-call is that OF Latour d Auvergne, the
First Grenadier of France as he was
styled by the Great Napoleon. For a time
his name was called in the roll, and the