Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-12-26
Crisp, Cold Air and Bright Sunshine
Give Real Winter Holiday.
CHURCHES HOLD SPECIAL SERVICE
Poor and Needy Are Remembered By
Charity Workers of City.
KRIS KRNGIE REMEMBERS ALL
santa Claus Takes Care of Rich and
POOr-PubIie Installations and
Jails Also Have Joyous
Christmas.

| It was Just Ike this in the olden days.
| Days that we dimly recall:
| 1t was snow and blizzard always,
] But / don't like this at all.
| Christmas Carol. 1909
! The masons working high up on the new
| sTnokesrack OF The Bee annex late Friday
/ night, under the cold glare Of electric
| lights, could have sung some such carol
/ with vinegary vim.
And the early travellers Saturday morning
/ would have echoed the chorus with right
good will, even though they we're on their
way to o'clock mass. These dark-of-the-
| morning church -goers were pathfinders in
deed-through drifted SHOWS rivaling those
reported at the Antarctic circle by Shack
Teton and his mates Many a later riser
found himself and his family showed in by
drifts and as he cleared a path down the
steps he sang merrily-Maybe. but IL he
/ did, he was real optimist
! As the Christmas morning zephyrs slid
/ off the corners Of The Bee and the New
! York Life buildings with chilly saw-blade
edges, they cooled many warm heart.
I When criend met friend and signaled
Merry Christmas" the words could be
heard falling on the pavement-almost
/ God save We, merry gentlemen. time
honored-needed an accompanying eggnogg
to make it sound just right this wintry
Christmas morning; OF burning brandy on
a hot fat plum pudding might serve to
give zest 20 the saying. The few merry
gentlemen who were laboriously shoveling
their way down high terraces Of snow-cov-
cred steps couldn't save enough breath to
! mildly calculate anything that remotely
resembled "benedcite" Father let the boy
/ do 1t. II he had boy; but in most eases
everybody let It alone. so that pedestrians
would get the benefit OF the exercise and
work up appetite.
Unpaid Messengers Are Busy.
/ Despite all the forhidding aspects pre-
sented by the Arc1ic-like outdoors tho
Christmas spirit could not be suppressed.
/ Unpaid nIuffled messengers, big and little,
passed around and through the various
neighboriy neighborhoods where common
folks i've exchanging personal greetings
( and leaving mementoes TO gladden. the re-
cipients.
Thus the warmth within in large de-
gree melted the congealsd atmosphere with
cut. Children shouted until the chan
deiiers ratified; family groups rivaIed the
glad anthems Of church choirs. toy pianos
pianissimoed. horns footed. wonderful ami
mails executed gr0tesque figures OF move
nont and then rePosod in unheard of pos
lures. The snow could go cavortinE in
and its devutees hurled high defiance 70
Old Boreas and all his impS And the
ovens al worked overtime
/ A feather renovator showed in at Twen-
ueth and Farnam was the warmest thing
! IN the landscape from Bemis park to the
/ Union depot The milk wagon horses gave
/ II a longing glance they passed along
I and the ballroom kid away from home,
drew thrilling shiver from the memory
| Of feather beds that mother used 10 ar
range.
But inner satisfaction. to the general
I citizenship came from the thought that
the lumber-yard kids and the rail-uhd-
track coal pickers were all cared for in
, some Christian way by the uns salfish work
ers who had gathered funds and food and
/ clothing and toys to be distributed 10 the
ones Dame Fortune had not favored with
her smiles. Dinners OF generous makeup
were also served 10 hundreds al various
hospital centers OF the city. and the on7s
restrained by law ate plentifuIy OF good
viands IN warm quarters. Everybody who
could. realize anything was made TO know
it was Christmas
Santa Claus and his understudles adopted
every orphan and neglected ore that could
be found. Orphanages, detention home.
old folks homes, hospitals. Young Mea
and Young Women's Christian associations,
hotels and boarding houses-au honored the
birthday OF the Christ enid BY turning
on every spigot Of Joy in reach. Even
II one here and there did not feel Joyful
the rebellious tone was repressed out OF
Difference to the ringing Of the bells OF
hope from every church and the echoes
OF the sounds Of rejoicing from thousands
I Of happy gatherings.
Churches Observe Day.
In the Catholic churches Christmas festi-
val masses began to resound at o'clock
in the morning and crowded pews and
aisles bore witness TO the undying faith
typified IN the miniature stables OF Beth
lehem before the high a,tars. Hearts
warmed 10 the holy atmosphere. crate
fUl hearts sang in unison with the sacred
music. and sincere prayers ascended with
the incense loosed by the acolytes These
masses OF the ancient church continued
each half hour until 10 In every Catholic
1 edifice. and at II O'Clock most Of them
/ celebrated a solemn service with al the i'm
pressiveness Of an ages-old ritual. with a
sermon fervored by the spirit OF the great
day.
In the Protestant churches. from cath
edral 10 humble chapel the overwhelming
Christian festival was honored with carol,
hymn, anthem. glorious music. and a re-
neval OF happy faith in the Lord OF hosts.
Pastors exhortsd in gsdsome vein, and
I worshipers departed 70 their homes In a
renewed and resilient spirit Of Christian
/ cheer.
Workers there were, 20 be sure, 20 whom
the day meant no more than any other day
in the week The coal hauler. sh0veling
in heavy load. could perhaps give little
or no thought 70 religious emit mpation.
In the places where the roaming multi
tudes are led might also be found those
who were too busy 10 sing or pray. But
perhaps some time during the day or even
ing came a pause that gave opportunity
for Heeung thought that brought back ths