The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-12-21
GL|lE)EEST CHRISTMAS
IHRICHnOHD'S HISTORY
Continued from First Page.)
about the flowing bowl.

AND SO the market man ana INC CON-
mission merchant have taken many pre-
cautions tlat=no famine shall! come upon
the city. Weeks and weeks ago the post
nla.n collected letters from his boxes and
heIped them on their way to the eremotest
country districts Of the State and North
Carolina and West Virginia., telling the
fa;nsr to save his latest and largest
turkeys for Christmas. Then the de-
rnand would be greatest he was told,
md the prices highest. There will be
hustle and a great. cry of fowl Will so
np all over this land Tomorrow, and
there will be ru1nmagipg and searching
under back porchss and In odd places in
lr1any sections of the Old Sta te for barrels
and boxes in which to ship Richmond's
Christmas dinner The trucker and
| nearby small pro0ucer will grease his
cart whsels and receive from his wife
die memoranda of purchases to be mace
wien he has sold his butter, eggs, chick
ems and turkeys.
SHOPPERS. IN THOUSANDS.
| N3y,4ads OF shoppers! What a vast.
| tireless, sursing army they are! AL day
| long and until Tie stores close ct ten and
| eleven O'Clock at night, Broad Street is
| covered with a seethinS and kaleldo-
| scopic mass, which dssGlves itself, upon
-eIy minute inspection, into hurrying hr-
| man beings Of both sexes Of all conditi1ilS
! OF age and color, Of comparative poverty
| errand, buying and seeing. eternally see
| il. sonethilg they would like to have
and making the most nladdening calcula-
| items 10 discover if they have funds SUI
| i,cient to afford it, or, if purchased. who
| of th-ir friends on the list it would best
suit.
Broad Street is a marvel and Curl
| osity in itself. The stores are ,bee-h1veS
humanity moves in clusters IN them.
/ a sweet sentiment attaches to Christ
| mas, It is with many a day of rest, or
reunion with loved ones in the home ana
OF beautiful and impressive services in
tue church. And SO preparation has gone
OIL for the hours to be. spent III ootn.
TOUCHES OF RED AND GREEN.
| Tho housewife has been busy indeed
| for weeks past Almost Every effort made
| contributes something to the complete
ntss Of the home appointments. a thou-
sand things are to be done. The incest
| iiren must be sent to the laundry in time
| TO be returned for Thursday. The silver
must be rubbed Touches OF red appear
| n,ysteriousiy about the house. Mistletoe
| climbs 20 the chandeliers and swings
| from the top door-sill. Running cedar
| festcons the walls. and holly, ed-berTled
| aud brstling like n porcup!ne,, mlngies
| freely with the dark green cedar.
The clloirs of the city are expected tc
sing their glaGdest and sweetest music a,
1
training and practice" are spent by thesi
| organizations, that the people may be
! touched with the spirit OF Christmas as
the masters" have felt IT and woven II
into Sharps and fats
4, Christmas would be nothing without tho
I! children. They are the life and the little
teachers Of unselfishness in the home any
| way And as The Saviour was a little BIZ
OF a child at this season and the wise
men of the earth and the angels Of tht
/ skies came and did him honor. SO the
grown-up people on this day grow care
| less about the great business concerns O.
| life, and the children are the sweet SOW
ere:SnS OF the home.
The boys believe Christmas Day ths
greatest in all the. year. To them it |:
| q cav of noise and light. Fire cracker:
are more acceptable than nuts and. rails
ms But the night must be illuminated
or ii would not be Christmas. and so TO
months they have been collecting bar
rels which must have originally been In
tended for bon-tires, they serve that pul'
pose so we'll. The youngsters have sue
ceeded better than ever before, notwith
standing the order Of the chief OF pollc
/ TIA, the little fellows should be sarreste,
i if caught making prepare ionS:
THE DAY WE CELEBRATE
j The first Christmas was observed abOu
TIE fifth century. Why the birth. Of Chris
Was fixed on this date is not known. q
it is conceded that Christ was rot borl
In December. Knowing ones suggest tina
Emperor Constantine, who was the frs
Christian ruler, OF Rome: settled ON De
cember 18th that this festival should TAX
j the place of one accustomed to be hell
ut this time in homer OF 4 heatllen deity
Land so the poRulace should not miss thei
| wonted celebration. and be dissatisfied
E;rt il makes no difference about the day
The spirit is the same. Just as it make
I.nos difference that the date, Of Easter, tn
ANNIVERSARY of the resurrection OF TIL
Saviour. changes from year to. year-
Is the time fixed. at a. period upon wf!c!
/ The, light. of history falls dim. when al
the Christian world shall be glad becaus
its Redeemer was .lorn. 1t IL the das
i when the mean and stingy are soino more
ano feelings Of goodwill. fairly overflow
1.-the hearts of tbs generous; and noble
lat is the day when every one wishes al
i the world was. happy. It Isl. theS day wtle,
There is. the supreme comfort of having
i vour friends. thinking chatitabiy abou
ifyou. tbs .saNs whens there are noh bnck
| hitings and bitter, things to hes said. an'
s one. does not wish to- say them, becaus
they are not in the heart, s.s. 4.
III would be. impossibl tos esttmate IN
iEx,c. .,,,,r.. ayat cf1aste uiflp influence q