The sun., 1907-12-29
EUROPE'S HOLIDAY TOPICS
BEG CHRISTMAS TREE ron THE
BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY.


BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY.
nnrHaln IN Antiques Lost ny an American
--Londsn Brides Fewer-A. Device for
PreVldng Small Talk at Dnner-Rx'
DloAts OG Three sWhndlers In BaVariu
--L00dOn's Theatrical YeaF-klnE Ed'
ward'p stage Coach.
GcMDoN. Dec. ls.-England takes a long
time TO adopt custom, but when she does
finally annex one she makes It so entirely
her own that in q few years her loyal lchildren
forget that IL really originated elsewhere.
To-day the average Englishman would
cay that the Christmas tree has aOurished
es a part of the English Christmas since
medieval days when roasted chestnuts,
vassail. mummers. plum pudding. the
Yule log and barOns Of beef all formed part
Of the festivities.
Al q matter Of fact though the tree may
have appeared here and there in aristo-
cratic families during the Hsnoverian
Fsigns. IL owes it's present popularity to the
Prince Consort. who brought IL over from
his native country. the land Of Hans Ander-
sen. to amuse the royal children and the
nation followed the example. The tree
idea caught on and became so firmly fixed
that il survives as -real old English. y
when most Of the truly English forms OF
celebration have died out and been for
gotten.
AT Sandringham. where the King and all
the members Of his family who can be
gathered together are spending their
Christmas. the tree is animportant feature
Of the festivities. II is a straight young
ar, carefully chosen from Windsor forest.
This year II is taller than ever before and,
planted IN a large square box it is 30 high
that its topmost branches touch the ceiling
Of the ballroom where il is set up and where
II stays from the day before Christmas
until the second day Of the New Year.
IL is a royal tree and is a beautiful sight.
for il in wired throughout and covered
all over with some hundred colored electric
globes. 1t is hung from top to bottom
with a whole shopful Of Christmas toys.
notices. boxes Of candy. &C Around 1t
are placed tables and on these are the
heavier and more valuable presents. each
labelled with the name Of the recipient.
The room 10 kept carefully locked until
the moment when everything is ready.
Then the Queen turns on an electric switch
end the children rush into the room to see
the tree ablaze Of multi colored lights.
Princess Victoria, who is spinster aunt
20 the ever increasing royal grandchildren.
always distributes the presents to old and
young.
English dealers in antiques and old flrni-
ture are smiling at the way one Of their
fraternity has just outwitted an American
customer and the American is inveighing
against the English habit OF putting of till
tomorrow what you can get to-day, which
he has acquired from long residence here
and which has made him lose an excellent
bargain. The American is Mr.. Jimmy
Van Allen, and the story of his misplaced
confidence in human nature is this:
Mr.. Van Alan II. completing the refitting
Of Rlshton Hall, his estate in Northampton
shire, and 20 carry out his scheme of decora-
ton IL 10 necessary to obtain early English
strictly in accordance with
the old ceilings. which are already in posi-
ton. The other dag he Rscertained that in
an old, delapidated mansion in Battersea
we're a pair OF mantels which exactly
his ceilings. 80 ne decided TO
secure them, but being perfectly sure Of
his purchase he neglected entering into
Hnal negotiations.
Now Americans don't prOwl around
Battersea without causing some slight stir
and news Of this visit reached the ears Of a
West End dealer. He also made a pill
grimage to Battersea and promptly secured
the mantels for about SIS.
When Mr.. Van Allen decided to carry on
the mantelpieoes to grace Rushton Hall
he learned that they were to be purchased
at this particular dealers establishment
and that their price had gone up thousands
of dollars. Now his American astuteness,
which resents such an experience, is battling
with his artistic sense, which tells him that
those mantels are necessary to complete
the beauty and harmony Of his home.
A marriage rap has been published
lately showing conclusively in which coun-
ties Of England a young man is in most
peril Of matrimony.
In the county OF London, it seems,
bachelors run the least risk. and within the
sound Of Big Ben the number OF wives is
twenty below the average per thousand.
This 10 due undoubtedly TO the present
day women's clubs. the professions now
open to women and the fact that women
W tOubos hocu AOA a hOulc.
The London woman can have her work,
her own nat her clubs. her men friends.
and in fact is a perfectly independent
citizen 90 tho news that marriages here
are actually becoming rarer ID n develop
ment which ia interesting but not altogether
astonishing.
instantaneous resurrection. as It may
be Witnessed on the stage, is an annoying
absurdity that has long grieved the play
goer who objects to the disillusion caused
by the Unsuitable vanity Of the player.
anxious TO miss nothing in the way Of ap-
plause that may be coming his way. Actors
are not such sinners in this respect as their
brethren OF the operatic stage who during
the recent season at COvent Garden seldom
failed 70 succumb to the temptation.
Can anything be more absurd than the
sight OF q stout tenor-distinctly robustO--
rising from bed Of mortal sick ness or from
death itself to bow his ack nowledgments
a