The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-24
 SPIRIT OF
 XMAS EVE Holiday Bespoken on Every Hand. YOUTH JOINS HANDS WITH AGE Celebration Has Begun and Pictures Glorious Are Conjured. Explosion of Cannon Crackers and Endless Stream of Shoppers Make Typical ~Atmos- phere" in Mont-
 gOmery.

Long before anyone had the slightest intention of getting up this morning an occasional roar of a cannon cracker. tearing the innocent mornig air to fragments, convinced all sleepy heads, beyond reasonable doubt, that it was the morning of the, day before Christ mas, Volleyy after yolley, intonation on intonation reverberated through the city in one mad diapasm of boyhood's joy.
 After the eannonading began it was useless to try to sleep and soon after an early breakfast, Father Montgom- cry, his wife and children and their visitors, will be out on the street, watching and taking part in what is going on.
 Up one street thes will go and down another, seeing things that they had bought earlier in the week now selling almost at half price, and they will wonder why the kindly disposed people will pity the poor store people when they know the show shop owners are going to change the prices. But for all that, people were yesterday spend ing money as fast as they could get it out3 of their pocketbooks and porters were sailing off towing little top wag- ons and go-carts filled with bundles. From the country. wagons came in
 
 Christmas trees trailing over the wheels. Piled up around the trees were masses of holly and mistletoe and no matter what the price they charged they were selling it.
 The postofaee was the place where there was tumult and alright. even the extra stamp window availed not--the crowd just surged up and down the aobby from the money order window to n fnat1fnn hl tuning, trying to count money and keep the peace between the hair of a doll in a bag and a bag of bananas who were seemingly animated. at- tempting to gawm the hair of the doll to its head.
 Gallant men were stooping to pick up packages women had dropped and spilling pencils on the floor and get ting very red in the face. Children tuating the minutes with raucus yeowls of offended dignity at being kept there so long.
 Dova at Express Omee.
 The express office was also a pande- monfum simmered down In a skillet. and the poor clerks were dancing around as If judgent day were at hand As soon as the shoppers got a sufficient load they would stagger of Es Groups of college and high school boys paraded the streets having a glorious time. occasionally lowing to a girl they knew and too scared to go up and speak.
 But of all the fun in the preparation for Christmas, the kids and especially the boys, will get most of 1t. Not only the scraping of the cake-pans and swiptng raisins and things from the table where they are being mixed for cake, but just the general excitement. And the joy of going to bed Christmas eve; that is easily the best of 1t all the exquisite anticipation, the unutter- ably happy expectancy. The grown people are still carrying on their fool ishness whispering things, and one't older sister and brothers are fooline around in corners with other peoples older sisters and brothers. putting the finishing touches to the green. things and berries and all. You are sent to bed-to bed, mind you--Christmas eve and at 10 o'clock, because you have tc leave the way clear for Santa.
 Fhe bed room isI not quite so warm as the sitting room where all the peo- pie were, and the fire has gone down a bit, but the others are taking off theiT shoes and stockings and getting into night clothes. so you take the stock ing you borrowed from mother and hang it on the mantle and then sit on