The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-21
AN AMERICAN CHRIsTMAs.

Mabel" said Elizabeth Roneeval to her sister, ''let us celebrate this year strictly American Christmas at our house. We will cut out everything borrowed from culiarly American"
 There will be dinner. The dinner"
 That's dead easy" interrupted Eiix-s abeth, the natural cook of the family. Roast turkey. with cranberry sauce, or course. and squash and lima beans and canned corn. Those are enough vegefa-s bles. We cannot have the first course. oysters for other countries have them. ,s
 Yes, but other countries oysters are such beastly, mean oysters they don't count. Let us have our own Blue Points
 Very good; Blue Points it Is. Then We will have pumpkin pie-the kind our New England grandmother made--and ice cream. That's like oysters; all foe cream except the American brand is so poor 1t does not count
 ''what'll we do for fruits. nuts. raisins and coffee?" asked Mabel.
 Well have Florida oranges, California figs, raisins and almonds, oceans from yes, of course; our own South and Cen-l tral American grown coffee IS the pest anywhere. and the old East Indian coffee planters say so. It's American coffes grown anywhere on the Western conti. nent, Isn't it?'
 ''Of course. But, Eliza il, I'm afraid we'll have to use Irish taole linen"
 That's so," admitted Elizabeth crest fallen But never mind. The best part of Ireland is in America, so it's much ths same"
 Then the charming Ronceval girls planned out the rest of the Christmaa scheme The gifts to their friends wars of American manufacture and invention To Aunt Jane they gave sewing Ha- chine, to Cousin Ruby, who had literary aspire tions, a typewriter; to tneir small brother Fred a mechanical toy steam boat, while to a young man not paruou- larly in favor they sent Yankee chromo card with much red and yellow m it. Finally, to sister who had married an Englshman and was shortly to keep house ln London they presented carpet sweep-s CT and a clothes wringer, knowing she could scarcely find these in all Great Britain.
 Christmas Day they had the turkey ana pumpkin pie dinner at o'clock, because the fashionable evening dtnner is an ini- ported institution. After dlpner the fam fly, children, grown people ana aAl-nad popcorn, hickory nuts and molasses can dy. The candy was made from the gen. uine Louisiana cane molasses.
 But there's the evening to be provided for" said Mabel after dinner in the gloaming. sI don't know what to do: We must have dancing and music. and all the dances. all the music worth anything. are foreign. even to the Aguinaldo marcn that a Filipino composed.
 Elizabeth thought awhile. I've got itI she exclaimed brightenlng up 'Ws'H just have conversation as long as poasi- ble, which will he stupid, to be sure. for hardly anybody can talk Interestingly, especially after a big dinner. But we must put in the time somehow, rih o'clock Old fashioned Americans kept carly hours. Then we'll dance the yir- ginia reel and Tucker. l think the Ntr- SinIa reel Is an American dance. If It isn't 1t ought to be. and know Old Dan Tucker is an American dance tune huta we can't do the Virginia reel all night Oh, yes; there's the Shaker dance-hop- ping up and down and moving the hands to the music If that Isn't an American dance, I don't know what is."
 Correct, Elizabeth. Then let us close with singing. I Aere are The star span gled Banner and Dlxie'-simon.. pure American. After that coon songs. Then listen, Elizabeth. l have the idea Of my Mfe-we will close out the evening of our American Christmas by all singing some thing from Moody and Sankey. Howe that?'
 Fine" answered Elizabeth.
 Susan Meriyale.