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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 22, 1911)
Christina IRotmt wn 4 HISTMAS at Mount Vornon in the peaceful dayB which followed tho Rovo lutlon ri8 always exceedingly merry. Tho Virginians of those dnyB, being cavaliers, mado tho most of tho holiday which tho grim Puritans of Now Eng land 'Ignored. It was a season of profuM hospitality, But ia all tho northern neck ct Vir ginia no houso was tho scono of mor joyous doings than that of George Washington. Often mero strangers, bearing Icttero of Introduction, catno and went at will, sotnotimcs staying for weoks, or even months. Though stern, Washington could unbend consider ably on such an occasion. lie was getting to bo nn old man, and his adopted son, Gcorgo Custls, de scribes him as wearing habitually at that period plain drab clothes, with n broad-brimmed wlilto hat, and carrying nn umbrella with a long staff attached to his saddle-bow when ho rodo tosholtor him ffom tho, aun, his skin bolng tender and burning easily. Whilo yet a young man ho had inherited the Mount Vernon estate from his half-brother. Tho houso was much Binallor than it la today, being what was then called a "four-room cottage" that is to say, with only that many rooms on tho ground floorv It had been br.llt in 1743 by Lawrence Wash ington by the labor of transported convicts from VSVC QY-y--wXy I ft England, tho main timbers being cut from tho noarby forest, whllo tho outer sheathing of North Carolina plno was liown into blocks to resemble stone. Thero woro about a dozen bedrooms, all of them small, and doubtless they wero rather crowded at Christmas tlmo somo of tho people, very likely, "doubling up." All of tho rooms had low celingB; there was no paper on tho walls; wator pipes of all kinds woro conspicuous by their absenco; no furnaco heated tho mansion (thero wero no stovos, Indood), and tho only il lumination in tho ovening was furnished by can dles. Tot, an things went In thoso days, this was a luxurious establishment. Tho Christmas dinner was at 3 o'clock in the "banquet hall," and probably twenty-five or thirty people sat down to tho repast Tho tnblo waa covered with a snowy damask cloth, and thero wero flno linen napkins both bolng luxuries rath er exceptional In .those days. But this was by no moans all. There was a handsome service of pure Bllvor, most of which had belonged to tho widow Custls whon sho married Mr. Washington, and also thero was a big display of cut glass even more precious. Most remarkable of all, howovor, there wero real silver forks a rarity indeed Ladies and gentlemen ate with their knives in thoso days in a way that would now bo consid ered shocking. It was a matter almost of neces sity, Inasmuch as tho forks they used, which had only three tines, did not serve very well for some purposes, such as the carrying of peas to tho mouth, for example It is painful to think of tho Father of His Country at his Christmas dinner putting bis knife into the mouth, but thero is no doubt that bo did so. Another oddity, as now adays it would bo considered, was tho arrange ment of tho tablo, upon which all tho dishes to be served, including even the puddings and pies, woro placed at onco. No wonder that In those times a festlvo board was said to "groan" beneath tbo weight of the viands! As a matter of courso, at tho Christmas dinner (as on other occasions) tho tablo waa waited upon by slaves, who did duty as houso servants. Two woro allotted to each guost, so that qulto a num ber woro roqulred. All of tho eatables had to be fetched a considerable distance, tho kitchen bolng detached from tho mansion, with which it was connected by a covered way. At tho houses of tho great Virginia families at that period It was customary for tho slavesto wait on tho tablo in their ordinary plantation garb. But at Mount Vornon many things wero on a Bcalo of exceptional luxury, and tho ncgroos who performed such service woro clad in Washing ton's own livery of red, whlto and gold, which was hnndsomo and striking. Ono rany suppose, then, that tho conversation at tho Christmas dinner was more than ordinarily ontortalnlng. As a matter of courso, everybody was hungry; for, according to tho custom of those days, thero wero only two meals breakfast, which was early, and dinner. Tho necessity for supper waB removed by a great prolongation of tbe dinner, at which each person was expootcd to eat all that ho or sho possibly could. In fact, it was tlio duty of the hostess gently to porsuado her guests to gorgo thomsolves to replotion, whllo tho host mado It his business to proas wino and other drinkables upon tho men to an extent which in these times would be considered most Im prudent. Tho ladles, however, drank llttlo or nothing. So far as thoy wero concerned, tho prohibition of stimulants wbb much more strict than It is today a rather curious thing, when it is considered how copiously tbo men imbibed. As for tho lat ter, if on occasions a gentleman took too much, the matter waa politely ignored such an acci dent, it was considered, being more or less likely to hnppen to anybody. But It should bo under stood that tho really hard drinking was done, not while tho ladies wero present, but after their departure from tho tablo. Ono may vlow tho sccno In Imagination, ns, tho moment having arrived for an Important act of ceremony, Washington rises to his foot from his place at tho tablo, holding a glass of Madolrn in his hand. Ho is a very tnll man, two Inches nbovo six foot in height and largo of framo. Ilia noao Is slightly aqulllno, his mouth brond, his chin square, his cheek bones high, and hla com. ploxlon rathor florid. Ho Jb dressed in a suit of costly black volvot, with knoo broochos, black Bilk Btocklngs, and Bllvor buckloB on 1Ib shooB. At hlB wrists aro flno laco ruffles, and his hair la drawn back and dono up behind in quouo. "Gentlemen," ho Bays, bowing right and left, "I drink to my guostfll" Tho nntural response, at tho instance of tho most dlBtlnguIshod guest present, is a health drunk to iJidy Washington. This Is followod, norhapa, by flvo or ten minutes of general conver sation, after which Mrs. Washington glvoa tho signal by pushing back hor chair, and tho women rlso to tako their departure Tho aonoral himself walks to tho door, throwing it wldo open, nnd each of tho ladles courteslos deeply as she goes out, in response to tho bows of tho host and tho other men. If when tho tlmo comcB to rojoln tho ladles, two' or thrco of tho guests find themselves hnrdly in a condition to do bo, thoy aro handed over to tho care of the African major domo, who sees thnt thoy aro put to bod. Such things aro bound to happen occasionally, and it Is not likely thnt nny of tho women will havo tho bad tact to ask what hns bocomo of thorn. Thoro Is a good long ovonlng, which, appropri ately to ChristmnB, is given up to a romp. Such old-fashioned games as blind man's buff and hunt tho slipper furnish incidental opportunities for much incidental flirtation nnd love-making. Per haps thoro may even bo a kissing gamo or two; and n spray of mlstlotoo fastened over a doorway gives oxcuso for somo osculation and n groat deal of merriment. It is nil very delightful. Christ maB gifts aro exhibited, and Nolllo Custls, it la llkoly, plays n bit on hor harpsicnord. A negro llddlor, ono of tho slavoB on tho estato, In plcturesquo plantation garb, stnrts some morry music, whllo tho young pooplo chooso partners for tho danco. But tho oldor ladles nnd gontlo mon prefer cards, and alt about llttlo tablos, Bhuffllng nnd dealing. Tho host hlmsolf plays, for small stakes only, gambling for raonoy to considerable amounts being ono of tho vIccb ho most abhors. Ab for Mrs. Washington, alio talks to n neighbor and knits. When not otherwise busily occupied sho always has knitting in her hands, hrfvlng acquired tho habit in camp during the Revolution, when bIio mado stockings for dcB Ututo soldiers. Fortunately, tho framo, or setting, as It might bo called, of tho Christmas festivities hero de scribed in such crudo outllno Is still preserved intact, thanks to tho efforts of a fow patriotic women who htivo mado this tholr loving tnak. The United States government has never paid one cent to keep tho homo of Washington from destruction. Many years ago congress refusod to give tho money to buy it. But in tho hands of tho Mount Vornon Association tho hlntorlo man sion and its immediate surroundings aro kept in such excellent repair that Mount Vernon today Is practically as it was moro than a century ago, whon George and his wife, Martha, kept open houso nnd offorod a gonerouB hospitality, not only nt Chrlntmastldo but at all othor seasons of tho year. A MERRY CHRISTMAS. Chrlstmf.8 brings tho remembrance of a gift bo great and wondorful that all who realize what It meant to tho world feel tbo desire to give some thing In return though It may bo nothing more than tho expression of a wish for a merry Christmas. No ono waa anxious to receive tho gift at first. People do not always know tho value of what 1b given them. The enly door opened to rocolvo it, led Into a cattle stablol But now, whoso door does not fly open at Christmns to Bend out somo blessing, some word of good will? The old carol, sung to a few shep herds, has gono around tbo world now, and tho message of peace and good will has been carried every whoro. Somobow, when you lay a now-born babo in a man's arms, you aro pretty siiro to bring a smllo to his face, and a softonlng to his heart as well. An Infant Is a great peaco brlnger. What has touched and soft ened tho heart of this grim world moro than anything else, Is tho re membrance tbnt Christmas brought a blessed child down to earth and Inld him confidingly in tho nrmB of hu manity, brought him from homo, and left him outcast, that the opportunity might bo glvon to ovory man (o take him in and glvo him tho lovo and tenderness which Is vrr child's birthright This it is, which moves us to strive to mako children happy at Christens, They may be Ilka thoso who float nlong with tho river, knowing nothing of its lovely source high up In tho everlasting hills. But even if they do not know why, most of ub do want lo make It a merry tlmo for children It is emphatically tho children's fes tival. No ono ever regrets It who goes out of the way to help somo llttlo ones to be happy at Christmas. Thoy are tho special friends of tho Christ inns child, and It is well to bo ablo to entertain tho king's friends, If not tho king himself. It does the world good to open Its heart and tako In tho season's greet ing. Business goes on all tbo happier, because thero is a warm charitable fooling In a man's soul towards his employers, or employes, or acquaint nnceu. Wo aro all so buoy, wo aro apt to forget to bo consldorato, forgiv ing, and kind. It is well to let tho brain rest, nnd allow tho heart to rulo sometimes, or men may lose tho facul ty of loving and bolng chnrltablo. Centuries of exporlonco havo prov ed that it is woll nlso to mako a clearing house of the season, to squnro accounts by wiping off all tho old grudges and Bottling old quarrels, and listen onco again to tho messago of peace and good will. Anger and mal ice never gavo a man happiness; nothing but forgiveness and charity can do that. IN THE GARB OF AN EMPRESS Bo Gowned London's Moat Popular Aotreis Becomea tho Drlde of A Scotch Latrd. London. -From n llttlo Yorkshire (asslo, playing bnrofooted and tousle-, headod about tho streets of tho quaint English town whoro sho was born; to. be tho brldo of Ian Bullough, n, Scotch land ownor of a vast estato, and holding nn honored placo In tho highest Boclnl circles of Great Britain; Buch, In brier, has boon tho re markable career of Lily Elslo. Hor mm k.. W-V ' real namo ia EIbIo Cotton, but whon, nt a vory youthful ago, sho appeared in "tho provincos" ns n mombor of a thontrlcal troupo sho waa appropriate ly called "Lily" by enthusiastic ad mirers 'and so nB "Lily EIbIo" sho haa slnco boen known. Hor rlso la ono of tho romnncoB of tho Btago. Whllo yet in hor toons sho bocamo a favorlto In London nnd at tho tlmo of hor marriage, which took placo re cently, was rockonod ns tho most, beautiful nnd wlnsomo nctrosa in nil tho vast English metropolis. Natur ally, titles nnd fortunon havo boon laid nt hor dainty feet, but of thorn all tho Yorkshlro Lily chooso tho dig nified Scotchman. For hor Is pre dicted n triumphant rolgn as n socloty quoon, for even tho haughtiest of nrlstocrnts aro forced to own hor charm. Tho illustration shows Lily Elslo clad In hor wedding gown which was copied from ono worn by tho famous Empross Josophlno. CANDLESTICKS USED IN 1829 Indianapolis Woman Possesses Heir loom Pair That Make the Antique Soarchers Envious. IndlnnapollB. Mrs. Georgo Bolln, G39 South Dolawaro stroot, Is tho pos sessor of n pair of parlor candlesticks thnt wpuld mako tho oyoa of tho Bonrchor for tho nntlquo glow -with covotousncBS, Thoy nro of aolld glass, ns clear no crystal and of vr foot smoothnoss, and wolgh within a fraction of thrco pounds. Thoy aro twolvo inches high nnd nro cuppod to hold a rocoptaclo for candles. Mrs. Bolln has tho candloatlcks no nn heirloom. Thoy woro handed down Ancient Candlesticks. from her grandmother, Mrs. John B. Crawford, Sr., lato of Now Albany. Mrs. Crawford, with hor husband, set tled in Now Albany in 1820 and tho candloatlcks woro part of tholr house hold equipment. Tho candlesticks woro highly prized in thoso days and woro admired by all visitors to tho Crawford homo, Clothes Her Hena. Colorado Springs, Colo. Mrs. 10. Stocker of Colorado City, rathor than soo hor chlckons, which had moulted lato In tho Boason, surfer from tho cold, has mado noatly fitting coats which button undor tho wlngB nnd has provided tbo chlckons with soft Han nol caps, fastonod with dainty colored ribbons that tlo under tho beaks of tho fowls. Tho chlckons strut about npparontly comfortable nnd from nil indications nro proud of tholr clothes. Mrs, Stockor aaid that tho bons, Just to show thoir gratitude, nro laying eggs to tholr full capacity evory day, A FEDERAL HEALTH BOARD. It la gratifying to noto that tho bill for thn crnntlnn nf n fiwlnrat hn!thi board will not be allowed to pass with out a protest Roports of organized! rislstanco corao from all carta of th country, nnd It may bo that tho oppo sition will soon bo Bufflclontly Bolldi fled to dofoat n project that promisoav Inflnlto mischief for tho community, and suffering and Inluntlcn for tho in dividual Tho nronoaal Ih hnnurt unnn thotta' specious claims that are notoriously' hard to controvert If a federal health' board woro to conflno its activities to tho promulgation of Balutnry advice upon hygienic mnttors, to tho abate ment of quackory, nnd to tho purity of drugs, it might be possible to my much In Its favor, although it would' still bo difficult to Bay that such an. organization Is needed, But wo know' mat it will attempt Co do far more' than this, Booing that its adherents' havo loudly proclaimed their inten tions. Indeed, Ihoro Is no nocrecy about thom. It is conflilnntlv oytwictMt thnt tho board will consist of advo cates of ono school of mcdlclno only and that tho mnthndn nf thnt si-hnnll will bo not only rocommondod, but oniorceu upon tho nation. Indeed a, board that waa In nny way roprcaonta- Uvo of tho medical nrofrmnlnn an a wholo would bo stultified by its own cusngroomonts. Outside tho domain of slmnlo hvutfinn. for whl.-h no federal board nt all, thoro is no single- point of medical practlco upon which allopaths, homeonathn. eclectics and osteopaths could bo In unison. Any oonru that could bo devised by tho wit of man must ho composed of roprosentntlvca of one school onlr. and thla means that nil othor schools nro urnndod ns of nn Inferior ensto, OVOn thOUKh nothlntr worno linminnivl to thom, And somothlng worso would Happen 10 tncm. if wo nro to establish a school of modlclno, if wo nro to as sort thnt tho government of tho Unit ed States favors ono varioty of prac tlco moro than others, why not estab lish also a sect ot rollclon nnd ho. stow apodal authorities upon Bap- tuts, Mothodiats and Episcopalians? An established, nrhnnl nf rnllcrlnna conjecture scorns somowhat lens ob Joctlonnblo than an established sect or psoudo-BcIontiflo conjecture. Thoso who buppobo that a fodoral board of health would havo no concern with Individual rights are likely to find thoniBolvon tinrtnrnlvml. It Id for tho purposo of interfering with indi vidual rigtits tbnt tho proposal haa boon mado. Wn tonnri nn nnnMnt knowlodgo of conditions to be aware uini wnat may be cnllod unorthodox mothods ot healing havo made sad In roads inlo the orthodox. Homeopathy claims a vast number of adberenta who nro JuBt as woll educated and Just nB Intelligent an thonn who nilhnrn in tho oldor school. Osteopathy, ecloctl- cjBm, ana nnir a aozen other inothodn of practlco are cortalnly not losing ground. .Beyond thom Is tho vast and iticronslng army of thoso who may bo classed under tho genoral and Vague nnmo ot mental hoalora. Thoso who aro addicted to any of those forms ot unorthodoxy need havo no doubt na to tho purposes of tho fodoral health board. Thoso purposes are to mako It difficult for them to follow tholr particular fads nnd fanolos, to lead them, and if necessary to drive thom, from medical unorthodoxy to medical orthodoxy. Now tho Argonaut holds no brlel for nny of the oxcessos and tho super BtiUons connected with tho care of the body in which this ago Is no rifo. But it doos fool concornod for tho preser vation of human llborty and for the rights of tho individual to doctor him BOlf in any way he pleases bo long na he does not indubitably threatou tha health ot tho community. Ho may tnko large doses or small ones, or na doses at all; he may bo massaged, anointed with oil, or prnyod over, Just us tho whim ot tbo moment may dlo tato, and probably it makos no par tlclo ot dlfforence which ho doos. But ho has tho right to chooso, Just as he chooscB tho color of his necktie or the characfor of his underclothing. It Is pot a matter in which nny wlao gov ernment will Book to Interfere. This Is precisely tho liberty that the health board intends to take from him. Orthodox medicine, conscious ot Its Iobsob, is trying to buttress itself by fcdoral statute, to oxalt allopathy to the status ot a privileged caste, and to create an established school ot medicine Just as some other countries havo allowed tbemselvos to create an established school of religion. It la for tho common sense ot the commu nity to rebuke that effort and to re pel an unwarranted invasion upon ele montary human rights. Ban Fran citca Argonaut. A Drain of the Company. On his way home from the theater, wnoro ho had soon a performance of "Othello," Bobby was' unusually quiet "Didn't you enjoy tho play," his grandfather asked at last "Oh, yes, vory much," ropllod Bobby. "But grandpapa, thoro's ono thing X1 don't qulto understand. Does ths black man kill a lady evory nlghtt" Youth's Companion. Natural Deduction. "Papa, aro lawyers always bad-tempered t" "No, daughter; why do you ask that?" "Bocauso I road so much In the pa pors about tholr cross-examinations." Kindred Spirits. "Lady," said Plodding Pete, "I ain't had a squaro moal In two days," "Woll," said tho resolute woman, as sho turned the dog loose, "neither has TowBer, ao I know you'll excuse bJm."