The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-12-22

his ribbon" There will be gener-
al pull, and from under the tree will
tumble out the packages, little and
big, to their rightful owners.
Of course every one has had gifts,
or will have them, from the others
present, and these packages are only
intended to make fun. A clever
imagination must think up what will
strike the weak point of each diner,
and clever mind must write some
appropriate doggeler to go with it to
relate why the gift is presented.
There is no need to tell what merry
uproar will follow the opening of
each one as the verse which is en-
closed is read. For a man who was
proverbia1 for never being on time,
at such a Christmas dinner that 1
once went to there was a little toy
watch and a verse about "Tardy
Thomas - another guest was pre-
sented with toy gold-bag, ana it
was told how
She left the socks undarned,
And left the babies roar,
While of she went, on lofting bent,
To equal Boeies score,
and much more of the same kind of
nonsense. The little people must be
treated as fairly as the others-rather
more than fairly, perhaps-the gifts
and verses being suitable to their
understanding.
While, as 1 have said, the dinner
par excellence of the Christmas sea-
son is the family meal, there may be
others given where outsiders are en-
tertained Perhaps one knows of
some strangers who are boarding in
the city, and what could be truer
charity than to invite them to ones
board on Christmas For such en-
tertaining things must be more en-
regle than at family function. Let
me describe Christmas dinner that
I once attended. 1t was such a de-
lightful entertainment
The notes of invitation were for
maIly worded, and asked us to come
on Christmas eve at eight O'Clock.
The table was long, and it was not
ornamented by Christmas tree, but
by bowls of red roses at intervals,
and in the centre mass of the bril-
liant red poinsetta leaves that are es-
pecially appropriate to the season.
Holly wreaths were twined in and out
among the bowls and small dishes of
confectionery. Pots of Jerusalem
cherry trees decorated the room, and
over the doorways was hung branch
of mistletoe. At the covers there
were punches of red roses for the wo-
men, and boutonnieres of red carna-
tions for the men, and red candles
burned under red shades in the can
delabra. The menu was elaborate,
and some of the conceits were charm
ing. The punch was served in ice
forms of Christmas bells the indi-
vidual plum puddings rested on beds
of holly, and each was ornamented
with a holly sprig sticking out of its
top each was, of course, on fire, too,
when served. Here is the list Of the
courses: ~N Z
Caviar canapec.
Gumbo SOUP
Whitebait. Dreamed potatoes.
Saddle of mutton. Current jelly. Fried amp.
Roman punch
Green goose. Apple sauce. Salad.
Individual plum puddings.
Nesserode puddings. Cake.
Bonbons. Coffee.
Sauterne, champagne, and Burgun-
DIV were the wines.
There was one very pretty feature
about this entertainment. The din
ner was not over until late, so that it
was nearly midnight when the guests
rose to take their departure. Just
before the first one went the clock
struck twelve then the good old
fashioned Christmas drink, egg-nog,
was passed around in small glasses.
Some of the women had put on their
wraps and stood III their furs, others
were in their evening dresses uncov-
cred, and the men were coated or
not, as it happened but it was an at
tractive picture when all drank to
the day which was being ushered in,
while they wished one another "A
merry Christmas. "-Haabey'S Baga,.