The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-29
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= HER POINT OF VIEW s:
AMMMMMMMMMMME!
n EOpLE who have everything for
Christmas that could seeming y

member that Christmas was ever any
different to them from any other sor-
did, monotonous day. For instance,
the fair young girl who had q hors,
given her, together with jewels and
lovingly wrought handiwork from
multitude of friends, and all the rich
gifts which wealth and taste could de-
wise. with the prospect OF holiday gai-
ETY. in which admiration and devotion
encircle her like a happy mist, must
naturally regard Christmas in a vast
ly different light from that seen by
the little boy who breads the day
which marks only a deeper debauch
of his drunken parents.
Between these two extreme types Is
room for a great range of feeling for
the most blessed feast-day of the year.
There are those to whom Christmas
has grown monotonous because of the
| annual exchange Of goods reckOned on
| the cost mark schedule. There are
others who find the season dull be-
cause it brings to them no unexpected
gift, since no gift at all gladdens their
hearts. There are those whose dis
contented temperament. can never
make even this happy time beautiful
and others whose poor little reniem-
brances of but a few cents worth H.
lumine even the night Of toll.
| thirk today of a lovely girl who
came with her eyes alight, and said:
"Oh, had everything for Christmas
l really wanted and about twice tls
! much that was a surprise"' I think
OF another. scarcely more than child.
who at the humble MONDAY meal in
the poor home, unblessed by any gift,
could only look forebodingly to the
morrow when for the first time she
must leave that safe refuge to work
amid uncongeniality of surroundings
for which refinement Of training to-
tally unprepared her 1t was not the
work she dreaded: work was nothing.
1t was the horror of the new scene.
The loud voices, the coarse jests the
unfamiliar faces, so different from the
mothers just dead who would surely
have devised some other means than
sending forth the frail timid girl into
| this sort of a life.
I think, too, of the little man, aged
eight, who wept to leave the house
Of charity which had been the only
! home he had ever known, for new
place among strangers. He looked af-
ter the friendly face which turned away
and left him with his new friends. He
had scarcely known her a day, yet he
cung to her and cried: ooh, take me
with you, ma am: I'm so loncsome!"--
the poor little chap who lad never
had mothers love or a fathers cara!
She could not see the snowy path
| leading away from the door 'becaus.:
her eyes were so dim. but the mem
| ory Of Christmas is sweeter for her
because she has heard of the little
| 80. l,x, 1,t XI,>
splendid tree, the hulging stockings at
the hearthside. the wonderful new sled
and the tender fondness of the kind
| hearts where he had found q resting
| place.
Then the thoughts must go to the
| homes stately or sinull where no
| Christmas can ever be the same again
because of the absent dear ones who
cap never any more join in the merry
cheer since they have passed through
the portal we call Death"
So there are Christmases and Christ
masses. one lady prominent in Scran-
ton society had her Christmas spoiled
in a most uncomfortable way--a way
which casts {, long tresome shadow
over the pleasant features OF the sea-
husbands fault. Most things are the
fault of husbands 1t was in the Ho-
boken station the day after Christ
mas, which they had beer spending in
New York. The lady had small
travelling bag which contained among
other valuaDles several Christmas
gifts received the previous day and
some costly jewels. besides handsome
toilet articles.
The lady left her seat for q few
moments while they were waiting for
the train and cautioned her husband
TO keep an eye on the bag. When
she returned, the bag was gone, ut
terly and Enthusiastically. 1t had been
taken right from the side of it's GUS
todian and of course will never be re-
covered, as there are too many
means of escape from the Hoboken
station for the authorities to locate
such daring thief. Naturally my
lady's memories of a merry Christ
mas are decidedly mixed.
The ethics of this street car affair
afford considerable food for reflection
now-a-days. Everybody feels so ry
for the employees. Who could help it?
Poor fellows, their lot is not a happy
one at best. Some of our cars have
been very poorly equipped for the
comfort of anybody particularly IL
motorman, who has been obliged to
stay outside. exposed to the bitter
weather and unprotected by IL vesti-
bnle. The long hours of standing
must be horribly weary:ng, and to be
poked in the back by gentle womans
umbrella when the car reaches her
corner and be roundly sworn at by
tha man who gets off before it stops,
and stands on his head in consr-
quence, are somewhat depressing. The
hours are killing and the pay is
small, and it is surprising what a
number of men have an ambition to
manipulate street car, considering
all the disadvantages OF this mode Of
earning a livelihood.
Therefore. the long suffering motor
man and conductor have the SYM
pathy of the public. The strike
is unique in that respect; evely-
body feels sorry for the street
car employes-with two exceptions,
Those are two young women who We're
on front platform last Saturday
night-for the reason that it was the
only foothold they could gain. They
were tired out by belated shopping,
and felt that they couldn't walk the
long distance home. The conductor
came along and demonstrated wi
them for being where they were.
500 inside he commanded peremp-
torily. They remembered the doubt
which lopicians of all times boya