The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-26
CHRISTMAS IN GAY PAREE
From the New York Evening Post.

| From the New York Evening Post. hARIS.-Five Americans fingered 1T the fast-thinnng crowd at Paris | A hotel dinner. "It is Christmas Eve that Paris celebrates said the man who | had been there before. Christmas Day and Christmas night Freuchmen shut | themselves up with their families. If you
 want to see Paris celebrating, tonight's the night
 There is the midnight mass at a few of the big churches, said one. There will be a crowd till after midnight look ing at the street baraques all along the boulevard" said another. There will be more amusing crowd at the midnight breakfast in the boulevard restaurants, said the man who had been there before. The start in two cabs was at Il, so as to reach the church a full half-hour before the time. The great doors were indeed wide open, but every one of the 1G.00O people whom the church holds, when moment, however.
 in squeezed or tumbled One sheep more to the rest in fold
 just as in Browning's Christmas Eve '.in Zion chapel meeting" With a single file rush, practiced at the football field and bargain counter, the two American men and three women got well forward In the vast seatless side-space, and there stopped motionless in the solid, pressing. decorous agglomeratfon of men and women who looked like anything rather than Latin Quarter types known to Americans After a long wait, the tallest man of the party informed the others that priests in pro- cession were coming out to the altar.
 At last there were broad currents of movement in the swayng crowd, and the man announced that numbers of the peo- pie were going forward to kneel in turn at the altar rail for communion. "Why, thought it was a ceremony-a show" said one of the women. "It will be a long time before they are finished" said the other in voice that was tired. With a they too, reached the back door, entered cab obviously waiting for such as they, and gave the address of the boulevard cafe over the river and far away.
 Along the boulevard the crowd was only less dense than indoors of the church. Tn the night air, hardly touched with frost, lively, laughing men and women of every age and condition looked at the toys exposed for sale in the baraques along the curb or glanced curiously as some cafe door opening disclosed the bril- liant lights and gay company within, sending whiffs of humanity and human cookery on the midnight air.
 The baraques are little wooden booths built up in the street, and opening full on the sidewalks of the frequented boule- yards They are first and foremost in tended for small artisans to display and sell the toys and wares which they have found time to make out of hours. There are always new designs, many humorous, some artistic, few really useful. They show the Paris skilled workman at his best, neat patient, inventive, not easily satisfied with his work. intelligent and full of taste. All day long his women folk stand and barter across these little coun- ters, and at night he comes to see for himself and act as barker. Of late years the shops try to profit by this wander ing holiday custom and put up sbaraques of their own; and gay colored Orientals sell nougat and cakes. The artisans com