The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-12
A SUMMERTIME CHRISTMAS.
The Hottest Day of tho Year in Argentina
How II Began, Continued and Ended.

How II Began, Continued and ENDED.
BuENos AYREs. Jan. 6.-Christmas In the
southern hemisphere Ia wholly different to q
Northerner from Christmas on the other side
OF the line. Probably the difference comes
from living backward" as Lewis Carroll said
in Through the Looking Glass" 1T makes
one a little giddy at first" But even II IL 10 the
living backward that puts the first covering Of
queerness to the day down here. yet the climate
and the manners and customs finish up the
oddity OF the occasion. You really cannot be
rolicking with the thermometer ut 100 in the
shade, and a blazing plum pudding does not
create in you a desire fora closer acquaintance
Christmas eve was brilliant and bright with
nico GOODNESS in the air-say about Sa-and we
all had hopes OF Christmas. That afternoon
was a queer combination OF the English cele-
bration and the Spanish. The Englishmen.
meaning also the Americans and Germans.
went home with parcels and packages under
their arms, most Of which probably contained
whiSkcy bolt .es. and the Argentinos and Span
iards drove before them light porters. who car
ried baskets well filed with the good things OF
life. In the evening there were the usual rows
between the young Englishmen-not including
the Americans and Germans-who tried to run
the theatres to their taste and got run In them
selves in consequence. Then at IL o'clock began
the midnight mass. and then the bells in all the
churches and overs made a fearful racket
for an hour or 30. and more young men got
into trouble. and by an early hour Of the morn
ing there was standing room only" In the
lockups. and mighty little even OF that. The
faithful went to early mass and came out ahead.
as the day was fair and hot: the staid British
ciS dug out their top hats and irock coats, and,
despite the intense heat. went to st. Johns
Chut ch to hear the service, just as they would
have done at ONE" and a few Americans and
Il number OF dissenting British had service in
fhA hAt th 1lIINh
by breakfast time it was hot for fair, and it
grew worse during the afternoon. until finally
for Christmas? So behind drawn pPrsidnds we
sot and thought, of cold things. mint juleps and
to help ii until 1 O'Clock. when a. function was
tIo, eventunte, II that Is what q function does.
TIL 1r was WtdnSson1 n ny iinGos 81 a statue It to AiDear.
what of an effort to put on ones clothes again.
but the sound OF military bands acted as a spur.
Of + the Teeoleta ei Tark. The escort n looked t5S"i
GSG,I; an" mp on me eitheTT '@ sfde of 0t the 'n ave ThG;
Alvear, looked cool. comfortable and business
warm wait tho buRles began to sound. and
then the President came In sight Then the
bar got in their Il fine 4 E work each ,ma band PLACED ysS
half a lap behind the other: it was remarkably
well done. sounded fine. and was unique. The
ly Anew cavalrymen and fanked by some Gen
erals or things; swung down the avenue and
footman hoped down and opened the carriage
door. the President descended promptly. and
s SSsns OF the SIPS took o OIL their hats. lie h
hugles blew louder than ever. and the GROVE
peyrr stirredGnot a cheer; not 9 hat removed.
some one pulled the string and the statue was
UNVEILED; Then the party took positions on
~prettiest to be Photographed. The bands
stopred, the people moved and gasped and a
was the signal for the bands to start up again,
and his words were drowned in the torrents OF
This proceeding was repeated every time any
one tried TO speak, and, rather tired the crowd,
which began to dribb!e away without waiting
for the pnra,e OF the friendly soc. cites. which
inevitably seize an occasion like this for show
ing themselves.
ward home. for the scent Of the turkey was in
thu air: As ours was a cooperative. dinner. we
oil took a hand in managing 1t, and the cooks
life was made miserable for a while. until she
ceased to heed our suggestions. SO the turkey
low, We lived on it for the rest OF Christpas
week; The plum pudding was great. too: but
lust then the heat became greater, and our ap-
and. MS is the case with most wanderers. we
drank to our elves first and the absent friends
last. Anaconda hour being over-annconda
hour Is the time that n wise man devotes
to ,loing nothing after he has had a
Al the world and his girl bad gone there
or was going there with us. The long avenue
was crowded for all its three miles of Length;
afternoon. ard the cafes. half concealed by the
trees. and lii brilliantly by electric lamps Of
all co'ors. made a ~fairyIike scene, The small
tables under the trees were crowded. so our
party pushed on to the river. The banks are
covered with trees. and tho pretty women in
their dainty dresses made il "a most delightful
spot. Over all was the moon. There we found
II good breeze. and. after enjoying II for only
too short a I me. We returned to our carriage
aud drove along the river road until we reached
n sand Hat. on which we drove far out into the
river to cool the horses. As we waited in
tho middle Of the river we looked back
distance the lights and the figures. the
music and the laughter. tho moon above. and
the water unlorneath ana stretching in n sill
yer streak all around us. made n most wonder
tul and strange picture. the noises seeming 10
he part or the picture, and not an appeal To a
different sense than that of sight. Twelve
O'Clock came entirely too soon: hut the dawn
comes SO soon after the night begins nowadays
that on" cant wait much altar midnight If he
wants to get TO bed in time to get up for break
fast so we hauled the reluctant heads OF the
horses up from the water and drove slowly
back to shore TO join the crowds thronging
back to town. And that Is ths way we spent
our Christmas on the othcr-no. you're on the
other side Of the line-our Christmas on this
side Of the equator.
BITING SHOES FOR " BOY.