The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-12-24
oID-TIME CHR1srMAsEs.

u of Santa ClauS and Well-hlled
bookings. The presents were home
nade, with few added sweetmeats
ahd toys. Think of the changes !
An orange was sight more rare
tlan custard-apples are now. A
banana I do not remember having
sen before 1850. Farmers used old
ffnt-locks to shoot the squirrels for
christmas pie-or what we used to
tall the Queens arms" These
we're British muskets, captured dur
hg the revolution. The first breech-
bader was patented in 1896; but
ihey were not in common use. We
vent in thick stoga boots because rub
Der were barely known and do not
.lhink rubberboot was in existence.
What we had were a sort of Indian
hoccasin imported from Brazil, cap
able of wearing for ten years. The
irss Goodyear patent was taken out
in Is35. About the same time the
first machine was put in operation for
pens We used goose -quills or even hem
quilts. 1t was, however, peculiarly
inventive period. All the knick-
knacksthat are most familiar to us
were thsn novelties and costly. A
bunch oi pins in Christmas stocking
was not despised. If box of
matches ould have been had it would
have beena welcome gift from Santa
Claus.
The stockings were hung up by the
huge old fireplace, where great logs
buxned andcoals were covered up at
night. Inrtral sections we had never
seen a scuttle of coal and had only
heard of it as an effort to burn black
stones. Whale-oil lamps marked the
advanced line oil PROCESS in lighting
streets and houses. There was no
dream of canned lruits and coca and
chocolate, although we had plenty OF
tea and coffee. Itwas impossible to
give sewing machine or photo
graph. Daguerreotypes were not de-
vised until 1889; and the first were
taken in America atleast year later.
remember when Avery, who took
the first sun picture west of Albany
carried it up and down the streets,
flushed with his first success and
ran into the house after house to ex-
hibit it. 1t was a ghostly affair, to
be squinted at and guessed out but
after all it was the beginning of a
great art.
The presents were fuller of affection
because homemade. The whole fam
lily had been at work for weeks plan
ming and executing little gifts. The
boys made boxes and toys and hand
sleds. The women made stockings
and muf1ers and dainty caps, while
the girls made slippers, and the faith
ers made shoes. A home was word
that meant great things in those days !;
for both the women and the men had
trades as we'll as a knack and know
ledge of land culture. It is interest,"
ing to note that some of our best OBJ
servers and social students prophesy
a large reaction from our present fast
and uneasy age to the quiet and calm
of those earlier days ofthe century.
OF course we shall not give up our
inventions, but with them we may lose
our boyish excitement, and react to
another period of reconsideration.
This has been the history of the past.
Eras of restless aggression have been
followed by periods of reflection. We
could do all that is necessary for a
happy social state with less of wear
and less of nerve friction. Will cleo
tricity help usin this direction ? We
believe it will.
The most delightful part of these
oldtime holidays was the sports, pure
and free from every guile. Our even
ings were always at home; and IN the
one great family room, which was the
dining-room and the kitchen in one,
we gathered before the huge fire OF
logs and had that sort of unadulter-
ated fun which can be had only where
the whole family is united. We
parched our homegrown corn, and
made our candy Of molasses, and
PLAYED simple games, in which nc
one Joined more heartily than the
father and the mother. The even
ings lasted from candle lighting until
nine o'clock. No child was ever per-
mitted to absent himself from the
household after dark without the di-
rection of his parents. But after nine
O'Clock no one ever thought of being
absent. Then we were all in our
beds. If we react to these or to sim
pier methods of living it will be by a
resurrection OF more home life. Lei
us see to it that the farm home is more
of a home, and the farm house family
more self-contained.- E. P, P0veU.
WHILE on the subject of animals
here is story of prominent Vir
ginia lawyer who shutters rather bad
". He was arguing not long since,
a case involving some sheep. In th'
m1QSL Oh Tue dI uAChI A~ WoS AA1SA
rupted by the opposing counsel
"Your honor" protested the attor
ney, ST cannot understand why the
learned gentleman should lay so mucl
stress on the sex of those sheep
There was no evidence"
"What's that-who said anything
| obo,,t +l,air eex 7D broke in the speak
er, indignantly.
"Why, you have called them 'sh
sheep every time you mentione'
them, replied his adversary.
''I WANT half a pound of water
crackers" said Mrs. Newcome.
"I'm all fred sorry, ma'am," re
piled the country stprekeeper, "bu
1 amt got but two dozen of 'em i
the place. "
"Well, will take them"
"Just wait ten minutes. Hi Peter
an Josh Slocum has been usin' 'er
fur checkers an they're playin tn