The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-28
GIFTS AND JOY
FOR THE POOR
The Associated Charities
Meeting Tonight.
LAST NIGHTS DOINGS
The Fayetteville Street Church, the
Baptist cantata, the Christmas at
the Penententiary and How
the Crowd Spent the
Holidays.
LAST NIGHTS DOlNGS


with the young folks and those older
high spirits. Although there was a
damp and heavy mist, the streets
were filled with merry makers, who
made the air palpitate with sound
and kept the police running busily
from corner to corner like playing a
game of tag in the search for VIOLA
tors of the anti-fireworks ordinance.
The major portion of the noise on the
principal streets, however came from
the horn blowers of whom there were
regiments of all classes of citizens
from the small negro mummers to the
occasional portly and respectable citi-
zen. who was trying to renew his
youth at the expense of his breath.
The crowds gathered in knots
rather than in mass. Each corner
held it's throng, who joked and sang
and blew horns, and occasionally-as
stated-attracted official notice by ex-
ploding some one of the powder noise
makers surreptitiously. There would
be a deafening explosion, a wreath of
blue smoke above the heads of the
crowd, a shout of good-natured
laughter. Then policeman would
come upon the scene, burroW into
the crowd, take a quantity of good
natured chaff and emerge empty
handed, only to be greeted by fresh
salvo from an opposite corner. Oc-
casionally the police caught some too
incautious citizen and the arrest was
made with fine spirit. The people
were we'll aware of what they were
doing. and the various offenses and
captures were made in the spirit or
the chase.
At night there were the several
parties and Sunday school entertain
ments, and in numerous private
homes more or less elaborate display
of fireworks and red fire. The young
folk who largely had to confine them
!, selves on Sunday to simple explora-
ton of their stockings were turned
loose Yesterday, and they made good
despite their exertions and the lib
eral stuffing of the previous day.
At Fayetteville Street Church.
The always thoughtful John Pullen
and his corps of assistants had pre-
pared at the Fayetteville Street Bap-
fist church an evenings entertainment
which made entirely happy the large
membership of the Sunday school.
The play which preceded the giving
of gifts was one which dealt with the
popular saint. of the Christmas season
and included the greater number OF
those who afterwards participated IN
the reception of gifts. 1t was pretty
idea that those who received should
have furnished entertainment and as
sisted in giving the gifts.
The play opened with a Welcome
to Santa Claus" which was sung by q
chorus of girls, who came on the stage
and made ready everything necessary
to the comfort of their guest. They
swept the apartment, placed the chalf
and lit the fire. Following them came
company of boys who assisted i'll the
singing and in the preparation for the
- Christmas saint. The girls then cook
ed a dinner and after everything had
been made ready, the boys thought OF
the pipe which was placed convenient
w at the side of the chair.
Later some of the larger girls APP
peared on the stage ana sang of what
they could do for Santa Claus and they
were followed by the smaller children
each of whom had a stocking. While
the chorus sang, the little folk went
fast asleep against the wall and their
stockings were filled by the larger
girls of the school.
When the tots were fast asleep, there
entered the fairy. very lovely with
hair down and dressed in white with
wand in hand and star shining on
head and awoke the. sleepers. In the
meantime Santa Claus had come in
and found things to his notion. AS he
settled himself he was peculiarly
grateful for the forethought that had
been displayed, even to the matter OF
his pipe which, man-like, was the first
thing he had missed in his Eden. He
had entered with a jingle of bells ana
a. big red bag which was full of all
sorts of gifts and things to eat from
which the little stockings were plent1-
fully filled with an abundance left
over for those of larger growth.
After Miss Cates-who was the fairy
referred to-had walked the sleepers,
c. and when
the entire school, including the infant
class had come on the stage at once
in an all embracing chorus, he and
the fairy and the larger girls lis
tributed the gifts to every one in the
church.
The evening was one in which the
idea was we'll carried out from start
to finish and the young people en-
Dyed themselves beyond measure
The Baptist Tabernacle.
At the Academy of Music a cantata
( was given by the Baptist Tabernacle
Sunday school which was largely at
tended and which greatly pleased all
who witnessed it, The title of the
piece was santa Claus and Uncle
Sam and the cast was composed en-
tirely of members of the school. The
chorus. which was drilled by Mrs.
Horace Dowell and Mrs. Joe Weathers
was most admirable and sang and
acted in perfect time
The plot was a burlesque on the
time thrown away by conventions in
talk. Delegates were elected for Santa
Claus land and started to board 9ain
until they were informed that the
country of Saint Nicholas was not on
the map of the railroads. Uncle Sam
came to the rescue with a Union
Sleigh and all We're ultimately landed
amid the SHOWS where they proceeded
at once to have convention at which
resolutions We're drawn UP instructing
Santa Claus in his business as to gifts
appropriate for different countries.
After the Christmas saint had express
ed his scorn at conventions which
talked and did nothing the whole
company. to get out of an embarrassing
situation, took the charmingly illogi-
cal advantage of a chorus over the
matter of fact and paid all its debts in
a stirring song, lead by Mrs. Horace