The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-25
HOLIDAY CROWDS
GAYEST AT NIGHT
Broad Street One Great Mass OF
Screeching People Out
for Fun.
Mr.. pEsslMIsT GOES HOME
Turns in Early, Leaving Merry
Makers to Celebrate
Without End.

Christmas was welcomed last night.
1t happened on Road Street. For |
years upon years II has been the cus-
tom Of the good people Of Richmond !
In the good year 1910 there was no
diminution OF the enthusiasm of pre-
yious years. Broad Street from end to
end WAC crowded with typical holt
day crowd Good nature was pre-
eminent Not even the patron saint
OF this greatest OF ell holidays could
have been disappointed by the crowd |
which appeared last night TO welcome
his presence.
Early in the day Mr.. Pesslmist left,
He quickly discovered that this was
no place for him. Mr.. Pessimist is a
man well acquainted with the ways of
the world. He ia no fool. Nor can he
exist on smiles and good nature.
Travelling with him and occupying
the same seat was Mr.. Cynic. The
two are great friends. But they bega:
to realize their insigniiicance when
confronted by the laughing, jolly,
marching mass which thronged the
street, which has been so brightly
lighted by farseeing municipal gov
ernment
Noise Everywhere.
Bells rang horns sounded, fire.
crackers blazed, and still the crowd
marched Christmas was In the air.
1t was in the shops, on the streets,
in the by-ways and highways. Every
body was happy Good nature stalked
as brazenly before the crowd as if the
existence of pessimist was not
known.
1t was a time FOR. rejoicing, and re-
joice they did. What mattered
burned skirt or disarranged toilet?
1t was Christmas Eve. Time was not
lost even In apologies. There was no
time to stop. The moments were
precious, and each feeting second stole
some of the remaining time for ccle-
bration.
Back behind the lights which blazed
brilliantly in the several stores Were
the women who work. But even they
had become obsessed with the great
day which was a-borning. The Christ
mas spirit ruled. kindheartedness was
the watchword. And the fellow VINO
/, had imoided early but not well was
4 treated with a consideration which
under less favorable circumstances
I would have been quickly reversed.
/ Good Cheer supreme.
| Not even the meanest man in the
I world-not even so unfriendly a soul
I as Scrooge could have withstood the
/ very evident good cheer which ami
mated the crowd last night. No flinty-
hearted individuals remained on the
street. The warmth Of those present
/ would have thawed any one. II was
! the melting time. Drops of human
kindness fell as freely as an april
shower.
/ OF TO one side was discovered from
/ time to time some one who asked that
! they be helped to some of the good
cheer which was being spread with so
lavish a hand. Not single soul was
forgotten There was time for all.
The begger. the faker, the willing
workers who to-day will visit the hun
dreds OF families to whom Christmas
would be under any other conditions
only name, were all greeted, and sub
stantially, too.
I All in all 1t has been great season
4 Richmond is prosperous. Richmond Is
thankful for the prosperity And those
who live in this peculiarly favored city
are willing to make Acknowledgement
of the good things which have come
their way.
i There will come other Christmas
days. There will be other Christmas
{, crowds. Next year it is probable thai
Broad Street will be just as crowded
as it was last night
Mr.. Pessitnist will doubtless fine
himself just as lonesome on many mori
J such days. But knowing all of tti:
and realizing that each succeeding
Christmas Is but repetition of Christ
masses which have gone before, it would
be a finty-hearted individual indee,
who would not feel better, who would
not know more of the joy of existence
after display of the great and eve
present human kindness which wa
displayed last night.
Night Clear After Mist.
The day began austere and cold
. heavy cloud obscured the sun. a driz
zliug rain fell fitfully. But as tn
: night approached the mists dlsap
peared When the sun had set tn
, great candles of night appeared !
! auickened the pulses of the many VIII
look ed forward to to-day, The street
began to fill. Then the crowd arri ket
: And then the good cheer became eNi
: dent.
1t was night OF nights, just as TO
day is n day Of days With all of IN
iolIity evident, there was still tn
underlying thought, always apparen
that the eve of the greatest day in tn
: history of all Christianity was abou
TO be born. 1t was not levity whic
tilled the minds and the hearts OF tn
! Icelehrants. but thankfulness, both fo
: the privilege which was theirs, and 10
i the great day which made the privtles
d possible.
II Hit Him With Beer Bottle.
d Willie Wool, decent looking colore
8 man, was landed in the First POM
y Station last might, charged with ma
1 ing made vicious attack on Geols