Evening Star Newspaper, December 23, 1934, Page 70

CHRISTMAS OBSERVANCE IN EARLY & bl sl L T T T R K U, Holiday Events Have Been Worth While in History of National Cap- ital—Moore’s Popular Poem. BigTimesat White House— Center Market Memories. FEFIFFIFFITrEFrrrreees., BY JOHN CLAGETT PROCTOR ONY two days more and Christmas will be here, and to many—es- pecially to the younger folk—it will bring happiness, joy and one great day of pleasure, while to those whose hair is white and whose brows denote the passing of time, it will be a time of retrospection and meditation— recalling days when they, too, were young and enjoyed, with other boys and girls, the ginger cakes and cookies their mothers baked for them during the holiday season, and the stockings their Santa Claus filled for them long before the word “hose” was generally employed to designate that useful article of wearing apparel. To many the bygone days and the good old days mean much—just as much, indeed, as the present day means to the young ones who are preparing to enjoy this Christmas. A half- century—and in some cases a few decades more—has elapsed since the older folk now with us awoke on Christmas morn and scram- bled out of bed to find out what Santa Claus had brought them, and many things have hap- pened since then: War and disease have taken their toll and the grim reaper has made inroads among friends and relations alike, but the good old days of yore are still recalled and the memories of Christmas and of their childhood days are as bright as ever. Indeed, we of another generation just cannot help but reflect on our early Christmas days, when the pine or cedar tree was lighted with candles—before the days of the electric light, and recall the white-and-red colored candles in the shape of rings, canes and other forms, then a part of the decorations, as well as the cornucopias made of gold, silver and bright- colored paper, which were filled with little candies, gum drops and nuts, and the little white candies, made in the shape of animals, which were hung on the tree with pieces of string, some of which we would “snitch” if the opportunity presented itself. Of course, this was not all the trimming it received, for there were the paper rings made into long chains, to drape the tree with, and the cardboard figures, also covered with gold and silver paper, and plenty of moss around the base, which we gathered in the woods be- fore Christmas, in order to help Santa Claus. And then, not far from the tree, in the corner, was the whatnot, and the little parlor stove, that always looked so red and cheerful when the weather was cold. But the parlor would not be complete without mentioning the Brus- sels carpet tacked to the floor on all four sides; the mohair furniture with the handknit tidies fastened here and there; the marble-top table, upon which stood the glass giobe of wax flowers, and over which hung the long mirror; the Nottingham lace curtains at the windows; @ square piano and, of course, a coal oil lamp or two; a few large, colored candles and the family portrait gallery which hung on the wall—and you can almost see an old-times’s parlor on Christmas morning. ER R R RN RN NN CE K A i S o S o O o S S S TAXRALXEARSELSAERL SRS SRS HERE is a difference between Christmas now and what it used to be, generally speak- ing, and in saying this we are not unmindful that certain forms of so-called pleasure existed ®s far back as the District of Columbia goes, and even from the earliest time the day was celebrated, for there were always those who just had to have their fling, and who had a certain quantity of oats to sow and did not hesitate to sow them. Samuel Harrison Smith, editor of the Na- tional Intelligencer, sounds a sad note alomg this line in that paper on December 28, 1801, when evidently some of his printers had been imbibing too freely and too long during the holiday season, but at that, with editorial as- tuteness, he let them down diplomatically, say- ing: “In consequence of the absence of several of our workmen, engaged in the festivities of the season, we have been obliged to contract the usual quantity of information presented to our readers.” Though, after all, is it not just about what the poet, Churchill, has said? “December last, a month, but best, which gave A Christ to man, a Savior to the slain; While falsely grateful, man, at the full feast, To do God honor, makes himself a beast.” A corner of the old Center Market, photographed at Christmas, 1833. But, judging events by the information ob- tained from the early files of the press, Christ- mas, many years ago—especially in Washing- ton—took on more of a religious atmosphere when everybody went to church and the trim- ming of trees and the giving of presents, and making merry in general, were of secondary consideration. In the early days of this city all business was suspended, and shortly after Mr. Smith had begun printing his paper, he announced, December 23, 1801: “As it is usual in this place to suspend business on Christmas day, our next paper will not appear till Monday.” (This year Christmas occurred on Friday.) As we come down through the years, and especially since the turning of the present century, there seems to be a gradual decline in church celebrations on Christmas. Prior to this time The Star carried columns of reports of exercises at the different churches throughout the city on this day. Now, apparently, these exercises are held by many of the churches on the Sunday preceding or following Christmas. URING the lives of many still with us, Christmas was a great day for parties, balls, entertainments and the like, all over the city, and Prof. Daniels usually found it opportune to show off to advantage his star pupils of the public schools. And so we find one of these entertainments being held at Car- roll Hall, then on G street, between Ninth and Tenth streets, quite a while ago. The item reads: “CHRISTMAS ENTERTAINMENT. “The pupils of the public schools gave a most delightful musical entertainment on Monday evening at Carroll Hall, the spacious and ele- gant music hall being thoroughly filled by parents and friends to witness and enjoy the interesting occasion. The program, divided into two parts, comprised some 24 pieces, mostly choruses, solos and duets. “Prof. Daniels, under whose auspices the children have been trained, and the whole affair conducted, is greatly honored in the result. “We hesitate in mentioning specially the per- formers. All the children were pleasing in their efforts. As it is impossible to mention all who were particularly successful, we will only mention one or two that were prominent in excellence. “Miss Clara Vouch sang ‘Meet Me in the Lane’ very sweetly, and was rapturously encored. “Little Miss Marion Goodall, a child of 9, sang ‘The Old Irish Gentleman’ in a most sweet and charming manner. She was loudly encored and gratified the audience with a repetition. “The affair was a complete success and the treasury, from all appearances, must show a balance large enough to procure the piano, for which purpose the concert was gotten up. We hope so, at least. ““The gem of the evening was the duet, ‘Voices of the Night,” sang by the Misses M. Riess and J. Pugh. “Miss Riess presided at the piano.” Unfortunately, this old clipping is not dated, but the entertainment probably was given some time between 1865 and 1875. 4 An old-time Christmas illustration from Harper's Magazine of 1857. T THAT period the chapel of the Smithe sonian Institution was a favorite place for holding public school concerts, and another undated clipping tells us of one held there some time after the Civil War, and this one is especially apropos since one little damsel sang a piece entitled “I Love the Trees,” etc., probably meaning’the trees in the Smithsonian grounds. The write-up follows: “Public School Concert.—The concert of vocal music given by the pupils of the First, Second and Fourth Female Grammar Schools of this city last evening at the Smith- sonian Institution was a perfect success. The large lecture room of that building was filled to its utmost capacity and by a highly re- spectable audience, among whom were some of the wealthiest and most influential ecitizens. The exercises were under the direction of Prof. Daniels. The proceeds of the concert will be used for the purchase of pianos for the schools. The concert was sustained by about 40 misses, who were neatly attired, and occupied a prom- inent place on the lecture room stage. “The program comprised 24 pieces, ine cluding operatic, comic, sentimental and pa- thetic pieces, and sung in solo, duet quartet and chorus. We can only say that the con- cert throughout was pleasing to all and the amateur singers acquitted themselves remarka- bly well. The solos and chorus, ‘I Love the Trees, the Brooks, the Flowers, was well rendered. The solo part by Miss Robie de- veloped the fact that she has a voice of no ordinary character. The solo, ‘Dear Mother, I Have Come Home to Die’ by Miss Bell Robie, sister of the above, abundantly proved that good voices and taste for music are inherent in the Robie family. Miss Bell is a promising young lady. “Miss Fannie Lemon sang the ‘Banner of the Free’ and the ‘Volunteer Call to Arms’ with credit, but the piece that brought down the house for its humor and eccentricity was the comic song, ‘Way Down in Maine,’ by Miss Charlotte Withers. The gravity which she observed during the time occupied in singing the piece convulsed the audience with laughter. The concert throughout was quite satisfactory and reflects much credit on Prof. Daniels. The piano used on this occasion was from the store of J. F. Ellis.” It was particularly during this period and subsequently that Clement Clarke Moore's well known poem, “A Visit From St. Nicholas,” or, more popularly called, “ 'Twas the Night Be= fore Christmas,” was recited especially at Christmas entertainments, in which the school children took part, for it was printed in some of the old public school reading books. A multitude of children once learned to recite it by heart. T WAS an entirely new conception of Santa Claus and is just what we visualize the old gentleman to be today. It was not a new piece even 50 or 60 years ago, for it was written as far back as 1822, but, like so many gems of its kind, it did not become imme- diately popular. Of course, you will recall it. It goes like this: “THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. “"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; The children were nestled all snug in their beds, ‘While visions of sugar plums danced through their heads; And Mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap,