Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-21
CANDY IN THOSE DAYS.

The candies Of those days were different
from those Of to-day. There were sener-
ally but two kinds-plT:'l and French.
The plain candy was of the old STICK
candy variety, striped sticks of pepper
mint and horehound. and long fiat sticks
Of cream candy. with candy fish. striped
with red; and lemon. peppermint or hore-
hound drops, and little pillows OF pepper
mint with stripes Of red and white. Some
times there was g stick of peanut candy.
and very rarely walnut That was the
plain candy and it sold at twenty and
twenty-five cents the pound. French
candy, as il was called when it was not
Of the variety named, embraced little
white egg-shaped drops and sometimes
those of other colors. small motto candies
and others which were valued for their
beauty and rarity Candy dogs and cats
and animals Of many kinds and candy
hearts gaudily decorated were among the
treasures Of that day Then the cid
fashioned kisses, square candy blocks
wrapped in colored papers and containing
a couplet Of poor verse of q. sentimental
sort, were common in those days. Such
were the treasures of the children thirty
years ago IN the line Of confectioneries.
OUT OF BED EARLY
Many Of the children were accustomed
to be awakened early. long before dawn,
to crafty their eagerness TO see what
they had gotten in their stockings. After
the novelty had worn off somewhat the
girls settled themselves to playing dolls.
while the boys went into the yard or
street 10 awaken the leishbors with fire
era ckers ana TO illuminate the darkness
with their rockets until the scant supply
was exhausted Occasionally some atfi-
enI grown-up fellow would pass with
long horn blowing it Justify or would
amaze the children by his extravaganza
pop-crac Elers or a big ''ba by-waker,"
great red paper roll. which made not SO
much noise as one Of the small dynamite
crackers Of to-day. Building a small ire,
the youngsters would gather around it
ard pop their fire-crackers until break
fast was announced or until the tenlpera-
turc without drove them in.
y snowy Oh, istlnas was tho delight Of
I'll youngsters and many had their hopes
OF getting a brand new sled or yankee
jumper" as they were called IN those
days, among his Christmas joys. Even
fewer hoped for such good luck as to
get q pair OF ice skates, for they were
expensive then, those old wooden bottom
affairs with steel runners and held in
liace by a screw which went far into the
heel OF the shoe and with straps around
the instap and toe. It seems that the
winters. are generally milder now than
then, for in those days there was snow
almost every year and frequently there
wes skating for q week at q time.
COST MORE: HAD LESS.
The principal changes noted. however.
are that everything in the toy and es-
o!ositC line was far more expensive than
Tow and that the average child then had
far less than they now receive. and yet
deemed Themselves rich in their new
possessions. The toys were simple things
soon broken up or lost-tfle little tin
horses and carts and doll furniture and
lea sets. Ere another Christmas there
are few reminders OF the last. The treas
ures of one year are forgotten in antic-
rations of the next Christmas. AS one
recalls the havoc wrought with the toys
one is reminded Of the pathetic little lines
Of James Whitcomh RileS's-