Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-12-18
Christmas In
 4 Scotch City

Glasgow. the commercial metropolis of Scotland wii;l its well nigh million 1T habitants. can be chosen as an interest ing illustration of the manner in which one-fourth of the people of the country spend the holidays Many days beioi, the store fronts on Argyll street-a thoroughfare as busy as any in the land-are gayly and profusely deco rated with holly and evergreens. Above nearly every entrance signs of wei come and the compliments of the sea son are exhibited in holly leaves On Christmas eve the stores keep open late. Either side of the thoroughfare is mass of blazing, cheerful light and there is moving mass of human ity between. But when the stores close they close until boxing day All the working people now get their Christmas holiday.
 On Christmas forenoon the lord pro vost or mayor presdes at the annual meeting and breakfast given by the directors at the royal infirmary His lordship makes speech, after which there is distribution of good things to all the patients in the large institu- tion. Then he visits sundry other in stitutions for the care of the sick and poor, where there are Christmas freeing and feasting. By the way. Christmas day is one of the lord provost's busiest days. At o'clock, according to an. nual custom for years past he pre- sides at the annual dinner given to from 5000 to 6O00 poor men. women and children in the city hall. Albion street. His lordship and the city magistrates occupy the stage and take dinner with the poor During the re- past, which consists of soup. beef. an entree, plum pudding. tea or coffee and fruit, stirring Scotch airs are played on the big organ by the city organisl At the close his lordship makes q speech. which is reported verbatim in the newspapers. It. Is usually il mss terly production.
 Outwardly the aspect of the city resembles that of Sunday Nnverthe less thousands of people are moving about. The myriad of riveters in the miles of shipbuilding yards along the Clyde have come to the city with their wives and families and are attending the matinees or evening pantonime performances that have already been running. These pantomimes are d fea ture of city life in Scotland during the winter. Usually three open at the big theaters in Glasgow Christmas eve. They are rehearsed for weeks before. The playwright usually chooses as his theme a fairy tale "Jaes the Giant Killer" Ali Baba and the For ty Thieves" and Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp" have been fayorits themes As Il rule, the playwright re tains enough of the tale so that the young folks can recognize the char 0eters. but taken altogether the pro duction becomes really d dramatic hurtesque of local life and character interesting. entertaining and even ele vating to old and young. Actors and actresses of renown take the leading narts while there are dazzling cos tunes, magnificent scenery and a gor geous ballet thrown in. No wonder it is that often until the middle of spring the pantomimes enjoy con tinuous run. Latterly they become in a sense classics. for their libretti undergo weekly improvement at the suggeStion of local wits noted for lhe pungency of their sayings and the fund of dry Scotch humor they pos sess. It is no exaggeration to say that these pantomimes are visited by some persons each night all the season through and by others fully score ot times.
 Then there is the usual exodus of young men to the country at Christ mastide. It is a common saying among Scotchmen that all roads lead 10 Lon don This is changed to Glasgow in some cases. There is scarcely q fam fly of note in the Highlands that has not son at the universities of ti,as gow or Edinburgh studying for he professions of law. medicine the put pit. the army or the home or foreign civil service. With what hope and pride the advent of the young student is looked for at the little railroad sta tioa sa in the mountains on Christ n.:,S eve or morning! If he lives on a:: estate the next day he is gtv"n sid. l,y his rustic countrymen n '.,'a' annual Chrta,mas day football n,,'s I. The game b usually stout. '''''ss' ed one. unpired and refereed As s laird and heads of the estate \! tti. corner of the fleld is placed eass of good Scotch ale. from which the psiv ers reEale themaelvee at half tisnr' Then the game resumes. and the S.'' ond half is fast and furious Around the ropes are the young women of 'he estate looking on with pleasure ahe discussing their choices In the dance fist of the evening. Brooklyn Eagle