Fort Pierce news., 1910-12-23
Christmas In '"
A Scotch Civ

| AASNl VJUllS OF
scotland with its well nigh million in
hapltants, can be chosen as an intarest.
ing Illustration of the manner in With
one-fourth of the people of the country
spend the holidays, Many days before
the store fronts on Argyll street a
thoroughfare as busy as any in tho
ianu-are gayly and profusely dano.
rated with holly and evergreens Abovo
nearly every entrance signs of VOL.
come and the compliments of the sea.
son are exhibited in holly leaves. On
CHRISTMAS eve the stores keen omen
late Either side of the thorougbfare
Is a mass of blazing, cheerful light
ana 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. t4I w
On Christmas forenoon the lor0 nro.
vost OF mayor presides at the annual
meeting and breakfast given by the
directors at the royal infirmary. His
lordship makes speech, after which
there Is a distribution Of good things
to all the patients in the large institu-
tion. Then he visits sundry other in.
stitnuons 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 2 o'clock, according to an.
nual custom for years past, he pre-
sides at the annual dinner given to
from 5000 to 5000 poor men, women
and children In the city hail, 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 organist.
At the close his lordship makes a
speech, which is reported verbatim in
the newspapers. 1t is usually mas.
terly production.
0utwardly the aspect Of the city
resembles that Of Sunday, Neverthe-
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 pantomime
performances that have already been
running. These pantomimes are 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 fairy tale. Jack the
Giant Killer" "Ali Baba and the For
ty Thieves" and aladdin and the
Wonderful Lamp" have been favorite
themes. AS a rule, the playwright re-
tains enough of the tale so that the
young folks can recognize the char
acters. but taken altogether the pro-
duction becomes really a dramatic
burlesoue of local life and character
interesting, entertaining and even ele-
yating to old and young. Actors ana
actresses of renown take the Leading
narts. while there are dazzling cos
tunes, magnificent scenery and a gor'
qeous ballet thrown In. No wonder
Il is that often until the middle OF
spring the pantomimes enjoy con
tinuous run. Latterly they become
IN q sense classics. for their lDrett
undergo weekly Improvement at the
sno0estion of local wits noted Tor tne
nnneeucy of their sayings and the
fnnd OF dry Scotch humor they pos
aeSs II IS no exaggeration to say tnat
tbese pantomimes are visited by some
netsons each night all the season
through and by others fully a score Oi
times tGgF a.,.a,,s NJ
rorno men to the country at Cnrlst,
msstide II is a common saying among
Snr,oS,San that all roads lead to Lon
SoD This is changed to Glasgow IN
son,o cases. There is scarcely a ian,
Az ~ note in the Highlands tnat naS
~ son at the universities OF Gas
COW or edinburgh studying ior -, .n
sv~ eUo,ossions OF law, medicine the = pu,, y,
~ the army or the home or lore'Sd ia
PIT, 'ne with what hope ana
sr,Ss cS% the advent of the young student N.al
p prioe ssn% ,ns for for at the little railroad sta- ia
= t,oD ,0OneO up in the mountains on cas cnris' or
uos srOn eve e or morning! II he liyes ives, On q
mas state ea the next day he is given ea "a, /"
a,ao an essate nS es rustic counrymen in aaefr
s,ue nnOI oy Christmas Chi day football matsH. test.
II The osa game rmpred II and refereed BY the the
laird an'l ne'u ao,d e placed cask OF