The Washington times., 1909-12-25
Happy Spirit Pevades
Washington and Its Snow
Covered Streets.
PRESIDENT CENTER
OF FAMILY GROUP
Following Custom of Several Years,
There Is No Tree at the White
House Today.

Somehow it required mighty little ef-
fort to say Merry Christmas todar.
It's tho kind OF Christmas Day that
appeals and that carries everybody back
70 the land Of childhood. with It's faith
in Santa Claus and his reindeer. ana an
+ innocent wondernent at the distance
daring feats the old fellow performed
in getting around over the snow and
ice
No wonder the hearts Of young and
+ old alike were made glad this morning
wh9n an after-dawn peep outside the
/ bedroom window revealed the snow
fakes. and-yes. sauta's footprints DIM
ly showing on the rooftops- Christ
mas, it has been said. is the one season
that makes all humanity akin. That
seems 10 be the spirit that pervades the
Capital today
Here Christmas Day IS being eele-
brated quietly. From the President
down 10 huRhlest citizen. the occasion
is devoted rather 70 freside reunions,
to the exchange OF remembranees that
betoken love and esteem. and. hers
and there over the city. 10 church ser
vices where the old familiar Christmas
earols-joyous In the acclaim over tbs
birth Of Him-win he sung.
Services Tomorrow.
Tomorrow, doubly important becauss
II IS the sabbath also. viii be devoted
10 impressive Christmas scr.1ces Il,
practically all OF the churches of the
capital Last night. az midnight. ths
uletide season was ushered in with
high mass at more than score OF tha
Catholic churches.
1t IS in the home. particularly though
today, that the real spirit or Christmas
is most generally manifest. Snow
covered streets without TEND TO make
one a hOme-lOVer on a DAY ike this
The tots with their toys, the head OF
the house. his mind free from business.
the wife and mother raciantly happy
the older girls and boys at nome from
schooI-an these are grouped today
about happy hresldes. and there are
hundreds Of scenes Ike this in Wash
ington tod&S- 80 which no artist could
iully DO justice.
The President Of the United states Is
the center OF q group OF this kind Just
as simple as the Christmas Day OF any
citizen in the land is that which IS now
being celebrated at the White House
The family circle IS complet- There
win be interchanges Of gifts but. as haE
been the custom for several years. no
White House Christmas tree
The Vice President and Ms Sner-
man are having large family party
a their Utica home The Secretary
OF state and MIS- Knox have a family
festival on at their Washington home.
and the same is practically true of
every other member Of the Cabinet
nc-., -e--o-Eo FIo-o5
The Government departments. the
stores. the offices throughout the city
an are closed. For thousands Of clerks
the landlady's csH this morning had
no terror. they slept on oblivious %
time and dreamily CONSENT pa the
thought that Christmas in reality
meant a holiday.
This afternoon the most az them
win brave the weather and lend
touch of life 10 Washington streets that
have throughout The entire morning
seemed almost deserted.
Despite the warnings OF press and
merchants. tho army Of belatsC shop
pers seemed almost as large as of vore
last night. The stores-vith stocks dis
arranged and clerks on the verge of
exhaustion-closed their doors in The
face of some of the midnight bri-
a more prosperous shipping season
ana never have the purse strings
seemed more loose Old General Hard
Times and his army, not half so strung
as season ago. seems TO have been
completely routed
Even the proverbih grouch-for IL Is
said every city must have a few OF
these-had TO Join in the Christmas Eve
Tnerriment and this morning he man
aged 10 get out half-ashame6 ''Ner-r
Christmas"
Appreciates Prosperity
In appreciation or the return of PROS
perity and in the spirit of good wlH
toward all men. many OF the merchants
OF Washington. after the stores were
closed last night. prepared nuEe boxes
of leftover toys and dispatched them
10 the orphan asylums ana The poorer
sections Of the city, There this morn
ing they made the hearts or hundreds
OF littIe ones glad, for Santa does NOT
always come to the more humble homes.
The one hundred and thirty gir.s az
81. Vincent's Orphan Asylum gathered
around a Christmas tree today Si1tisr
plans were carried ont A. the Washins-
ton Orphan Asylum. The Inmates 1t
the Chudren's Hospital, too. shared In
the good cheer of Christmas and -ra
few children I'm the tuberculosis Hos
pital were made glad oy The VISIT Of
s.. Nick
The German Orphan Asylum. OWNS
TO the large number Of chudren who are
spending holidays with relatives, vu
postpone its main Christmas ceiesr1-
zion until January 3 when every c
viii combine in celebrating both Ch
mas and New Year
Tire Protestant churches. WitH but fcv
exceptions, viii hold thCi. prncirL
Christmas services Jomorrow inSteaG sc
today. -
Beth the Salvation Army an9 taa