Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1909-02-16
LETTER FROM EGYPT
Written BY a Former Citizen
of Christian County Now
in Alexandria,

Mr.. Geo. V. Donnell, formerly of
this county, is now in business in
Alexandria. Egypt. and wrote the
following letter Christmas to the
Lebanon, Tenn, Democrat, at which
place bis family now resides:
Perhaps a description of Christ
mas in Egypt, as it appears to one
who has never known anything ex-
cept American Christmases may
prove Of interest to some of your
readers.
In the first place there's no regard
paid to the orthodox Christmas
weather as viewed from the stand
point of a Middle Tennessee boy.
Snow is thing unknown and ice is
only to be had of dealer.
In the fields cabbage, onions.
squash. radishes, beans, etc., are
growing, while the public parks and
private gardens present most gor-
geous display of beautiful flowers in
full bloom.
December 25, except for a dis
agreeable drilling rain in the early
morning, was an ideal spring day.
An American Santa Claus would
experience no difficulty in filling his
pack from the shops of Alexandria
merchants, though some of the ar
ticles would differ slightly from
those of his native land owing to the
fact that many of the toys are made
by hand.
"Some things he would not find at
all for there is something else be-
sides a dearth of snow and ice that
would make the Alexandria Christ
mas failure for the Tennessee boy
the complete absence of fire works
of every description. No cannon
crackers, TO torpedoes, no pop
sticks, no Roman candles, no toy
pistols-no accidents.
Think of it, Christmas without
those familiar noises.
There is scarcely any effort made
by the native Egyptian parent to
provide entertainment for his chill
dren. Being a supremely selfish in
dividual he attends to his own
amusement and leaves the children
to do likewise.
With rare exceptions Santa Claus
only visits the children of the Eng
lish and Americans, the exception
being the native Christian.
st is sad to know that this land
so intimately associated with the
early history of the Israelites and so
near to the birthplace of the Christ
child, that the anniversary of his
birth-the giving of the greatest
gift to man-is not universally OBJ
served. In way the day was quite
generally observed. as a holiday,
but not as time of good cheer as
in America, it was simply a cessa-
tion from labor"
The stores of Alexandria present
much the same attractions for pros
pective present buyers as those of
the United States, and the night be-
fore Christmas they were over run
with good natured shoppers elbowing
through the crowd to see the display
or perchance make purchase,
The unfortunates are remembered
here as in America and charity
reaches out a helping hand to light
en- the burdens of the afflicted. The
children at the school for the blind
were made to forget for a time the
darkness of their long night in the
enjoyment of a hountiful dinner
furnished by some of the good la
dies of the city.
Let US hope that the day is not far
distant when the Islam children will
join the great throng of Christian
children in concentrating the
great event-the birth of Christ.
G. V. d.
Alexandria Epvnt. Dec 81. 1903.