The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-12-25
THEY HUSTLED I'LL LATE
All Sorts of Blaze and Color and Noise
of Drum and Horn.
FIRE-cRAcKERs CRACKED ALL NIGHT
The Day to be Genuinely and joYOusIy Celt-
brated by Raleigh People, in their
Homes, in the Churches, on The
Streets, in Their Hearts.


It's here at last. Christmas is, like
wise all its accessories, small boys, pop
ping fire-crackers and ravcovs tin horns.
Sleep was almost out Of the question last
night in consequence, but then who wants
to sleep Christmas eve1s There is too
much to do. and it only comes once
year. How tame it would be just to go to
bed as usual the night of December 24th,
and sleep soundly until the morning OF
the e5th Why, it would be monstrous.
There would be nothing to look forward
to all the other hum-drum days of the
year Yes, We all like the fuss and
noise and confusion of Christmas eve. 1t
makes the Oldest of us thrill in our very
marrows, and jump about like young bucks
once year,at any rate, setting UP and
dressing that Christmas tree while the
tots are asleep. Yes, it makes us hus-
tic, that it does and how we enjoy it,
even if there are some of us who pretend
we don't. Just mark it down, the man
who says he don't enjoy all the fuss that
Christmas brings is more knave than fool
every time. You never see him stop, do
YOU?
And the crowds in the streets these
last few days, how we did like to watch
them! They made things lively on old
Fayetteville street from one store to
another, as they looked eagerly for some
thing that someone would be apt to like.
OH it was just too sweet for anything,
to see them trying to pick out what he
would like, just as if he would be brute
enough not to like what she would select
for him. even if it was one of those lurld
smoking jackets. Christmas shopping is
truly fearful and wonderful thing. Ii
is catching, too, to remarkable degree
Every year we hear something like this:
Now, next Christmas, I'm not going to
wait until the last week, I'm going to buy
all my presents like q rational being
weeks beforehand, when l can have the
whole stock to select from. and not have
the breath damned out of me by the
crowd" But when the time comes, dozen
things are suddenly remembered at the
last minute, and rush down town is
made, and desperate battle waged for
hours. to be relinquished only at the
close of day and the stores, when re-
turn home is accomplished, with all sorts
and shapes of bundles, hat on one side,
hair on all sides, out of breath. but hap
by. Thus it always is, and we WOULDN'T
have it otherwise for the world, else II
wouldn't be Christmas.
It's funny how everybody seems to be
in hurry around Christmas time, even
staid old gentlemen, bankers, ministers,
jurists, are noticed to step little higher
and trifle more jauntily as they &c
home with suspicious looking packages.
And the sedate and stately matrons, how
energetically they push their way through
the crowds, and what a purpose is writ
upon their brows! But the young girls,
they simply run, and fit about, lighting
here and there, with dizzy speed. How
they chatter and what world of melody
there is in it! How they giggle, and what
merry music it is How they look, though,
that's best of all those eyes and-but right
here's where we stop on this tack. Where
were we? Oh, yes; everybody seems tc
be in a hurry. Well, that's fact, and
it's only another sign that they like IT,
You never see man, or woman either,
for that matter rush pell- nell, breath
less, at thing they don't like. On! no.
not till human nature changes. He starts
10 get something she wants, and, by
George! off he goes and you can't stop
him, either, till he's got it. She sud
denly thinks of something she heard him
saw he'd like to have, and Goodness gra-
cious me-" she'd most forgot it. On go
hat. cloak and gloves, and down the
street trips another dainty little daugh-
ter of Eve, all aglow with the JOY she's
planning.
And so it goes That's what makes the
crowds at Christmas, and that's why we
like to look at them. There's something
really inspiring and uplifting about seeing
our human kind for once in way forget
ling their sordid self-preservation IN
stinct. and striving with might and main
simply TO please another. And how much
more eagerly they rustic and hustle to
that end! 1t speaks well for human ma
ture anyway 1t isn't as black as it's
been painted, no, not by manly shades
And il all ended last night in boom
ing of fire-crackers, a footing of horns,
and a blaze of light. The streets looked as
If some great fair were going on. All
the stores were open and brilliantly IL
Illuminated and crowded to the utmost with
folks who needed just some little thing
to put a finishing to the fete they were
preparing.
The small boy was particularly HAPPY
because he could make all the noise ne
wanted and he wanted a good deaf as y
turned out. But we were all glad he mace
il. We really wanted to raise racket
ourselves. but were too dignided, so i
lust ticlled us to death to have it done
for us This reminds me of story, which
/ hope / may be pardoned for REPEATING
in this connection. A lady, hurrying to
catch a train, arrived at the station just
in zine to see the rear end disappear
round a curve. simultaneously man q
rDbicund countenance rushed up He SAID
thing or two that wouldn't look well
in print. Thank you, sir, said the lady
with deep feeling.