The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-23


debutante who had dropped in
for intellectual pabulum and cup of
nadame's famous tea. My dear, there
was no happiest; my Christmases have
all been so happy that I viii not apply
the superlative TO one of them. I would
rather say they We're all the happiest, and
they were happy because meant they
should be. No one has a right to be un-
happy on holidays. especially on Christ
mas the king of holidays Unhappiness
is q great privilege. a great luxury, may
say. which only the ultra selfish and
mentally afflicted can enjoy. To be hap
by was the philosophy Of the Epicureans;
it is the philosophy of the Christian Sci
entists, and of all normal and sensible
people Now I am not going TO give you a
lecture on how to be happy, because that
is something that every one must learn
for himself. but I am going 10 tell you
some OF the interesting ChTistmases ] re-
member. I have been a sad nomad, you
know, and they have been passed all over
the wOTld-in Germany, France Italy,
Sweden, and here in dear old Washington.
"a Swedish Christmas, All. my dear.
there is sport and fun for you, First
comes Christmas Eve, next Christmas
Day. then the second and the third-fou-
Christmases in alI-dued with iollity, fun,
and merry-making, and, indeed. the fes-
Invites go on until the old year is rung
out and the new year ushered in, and are
revived again on what the Swedes cali
'tretton-dag Jul (the thirteenth day
Yule), and not until the twentieth day
Iule, which comes on the 18th of jan
uary. is Christmas really over
You cannot imagine how much more
seriously those northern nations take
Christmas than we do. Summer is hardly
over before an good Swedish housewives
begin preparing Tor it, and for a week
before the eventual day all the cities of
the Northland are turned into out-of-
doors markets where every conceivable
thing under the sun is displayed for sale
There are acres OF Christmas trees. SO
that one suddenly finding himself in a
market place might fancy he was in a
spruce forest, for no family is so poor il
does without a tree; and such trees. So
beautifully green, so snapely and SYM
metrical
Christmas begins with mathis at 6
o'clock ia the morning. and then follow
days of feasting From the King to the
lowest peasant every one wears a happy
face and has "A pleasant greeting for
whomever he meets at this holiday time
Whether the happiness one sees on all
sides is affected or real cannot say, but
ii is delightful and contagious. I have
trees; just fancy your own tree, only a
thousand times more gorgeous. Its tapers
are lighted ut nightfau and the children.
forming a ring. dance around. singing
old Swedish songs. Gay parties of mas
Queraders go from house 10 house. Ieav-
ing gifts cracking jokes. and toastIng
their friends in the wine that is found on
every sideboard nanked by big plum
cakes. This feature recalls carnival times
in the south of Europe, for at the yule-
tide the usually stolid Swedes show real
Latin gayety.
what do they have for dinner2 Goose.
always. goose is the piece de resistance of
ali formal feasts I'm the north Of Europe.
but supper is the holiday meal at Christ
mas, and lux fish with baked potatoes.
rice p0Tridge seasoned with cinnamon. and
great fat goose are as universally
served for supper on Christmas Eve
I'm Swedish households as the turkey here.
No goose no matter how fine. ever tastes
as good TO a loyal American palate as
our own turkey, which IS the national
bird after all one often sees a touching
thing in Germany sheaf of wheat fast
ened to tie roof of a house to provide the
little birds a Christmas feast.
It gTieveS me that Just at this time
the King of Sweden should be lying SO
low. but I hope he may long be spared
10 his country, for he is not only a wise
and kind ruler, but one Cf the most
gifted and delightful men I ever met. and
50 considerate of his subjects. Every
Tuesday DE sives a public audience at the
Toya! palace TO which every one and any
one is admitted. and he listens patiently
and sympatheucally to the stories that
are told him. righting a wrong wherever
be can.
king Oscar, you know, is a great
grandson Of Bcmad0tte. The founder OF
the present Swedish dynasty. and OF
Josephine. NapOlcO1's divorced wife. his
mother Queen Josephine. having been q
daughter Of Eugene dc Beauharnais
which accounts for his wonderful charm
for he is charming, this aged monarch
the life and light OF society In Stockholm
him, but that would not Doe telling about
my past Christmases, SO they must wait
Yes. I passed three Christmasas f.
Germany-one in Berlin. one i'm Wies
baden, ard one in Munich; but the Ger
man Christmas is exactly like IN.
Swedish. But little work is done dur
ing Christmas week I'm Kaiser vii
Ham's empire, and young and old. ricl
and poor, devote themselves TO havins
a good time. the Kaiser setting them Z
worthy example At every palace h,
owns a great Christmas tree is set III
and every person in his employ is sur
Of a greeting and gift from his majesty
II is the happiest time Of the year TO
the children Of the royal family. for the,
see much Of their father and he enter
into their fTolcs and sports with III
enthusiasm of a boy.
Two years ago. just before the holida
season. the Empress was on her way &
POtsdam. when the royal carriage drov
over a little boy some three or four year
old who was playing in The street. Tn
Empress was out of her carriage in an In
slant, and taking the child I'm her arm.
examined him tcndeTly to find out IL
was hurt Fortunately he was only slight
" injured, but, nevertheless. she wen
to his home and saw % Ii that he had
doctor and n nurse and when Christina
came a few days later the child's be
was covered with toys sent 10 him p
the Empress Ny dear. she is the hes
OF women, the wife of the German En-
peror; not beautiful, nor witty. but wis
and good. and more of force than sh
is credited with being.