Evening star., 1939-12-24

sauce, mince and pumpkin pies anC
st. Nicholas also makes his annual
appearance and the Christmas tree
is trimmed for the children and
they seem to enjoy themselves just
about as much as did their fathers
and grandfathers, when they, too
were youngsters. But with the old
sters it is not the same, for many
miss the big fireplace and the spa
cious chimney, one actually almost
big enough for good sized Santa
Claus to get his rotund body in.
And then there was not only the
fireplace and big chimney, but in
the former were the blazing logs
of pine and oak wood, so abundant
once in the District of Columbia.
However, in and around Washing
ton many of the houses could not
boast of an old-time fireplace, but
employed in the kitchen for cook
ing and heating the large coal and
wood stove.
Coal then cost about the same
as wood and was less troublesome
for those who bought cordWood
had to call in the sawyer to saw the
logs into desirable lengths. But yet,
even with the inconvenience of coal
and wood and the possible discom-
fort of sometimes having to 60 to
bed in cold room when the
weather was below freezing, there
has been nothing since to equal the
glare and roar of the burning wood
on the hearth and the popping and
cracking of the fuel, nor does any,
thing appear more cozy and cheer
full now than did the red-hot parlor
stove and the red-hot lids of the
kitchen range of bygone days.
What pleasure we used to have
popping corn on the old kitchen
stove, especially during the holiday
season, and roasting chestnuts ano
chinquapins. What fun we used te
have pulling off our red-toppeo
boots with the bootjack in winter.
time and toasting our feet by the
fire, and oh how difficult it was
sometimes, to get them on the next
morning.
Never to Be Forgotten.
These and many other similar in
cidents produced not a few OF the
thrills the old-timer will never for
get, nor the greatest occasion OF all
Christmas morning-when we-fol
perhaps the only day in the year
arose before our parents and scam
pered down to the parlor, where the
decorated pine or cedar tree was
always placed - decorated with
home made strings of little paper
rings, cornucopias, figures OF al
kinds made from bright-coloreo
papers, sticks of candy with rims
tops, decorated French candies, col
ored in places in imitation OF dogs
cats, roosters and all sorts of ami
mails; colored glass bells, little bag'
of sweets and occasionally an orange
or two helped to make the tree
look attractive.
And, of course, there was the little
railing fence, the animals from
Noah's Ark, the little pond, tht
canton flannel or some other ma
terial used to initiate snow, and som'
of the smaller presents were alst
there. How beautiful it all looked
the first night, when the vari-col
ored candles were lighted. Indeed
Christmas does make an old time,
reflect, for many things have hap
pened since some of us were chill
dren, and in many cases the gentl
hands that filled the stockings ant
hung them beside the fireplace ant
trimmed the tree with infinite car
are no longer, and the father, toe
may be missing, and perhaps tn
sisters and brothers who rompet
with you upon such occasions ant
made the house ring with thei
cheerful voices may now also b.
among the absent.
Well, after all, children can b
children but once, and those VIII
are enjoying the pleasures of toSa,
will, no doubt, recall them with JUS
as much real enjoyment in the day
to come as we, their seniors, do now
Early Celebrations.
A hundred years ago and NOR
Christmas was not celebrated to tn
same extent as was New Year Day
nor in just the same way. Col. j. N
Smith of Georgia, who was borl
in Washington, but who went Soutl
during the administration of Presi
dent Buchanan, many years late
had this to say of the way Christ
mas was celebrated here during hi
boyhood days:
I'm my early days Washington wa
q purely Southern city in its wa
Of doing things. Now it is dif1er
ent, and it is hard for an old timer
for I was born and reared here