BY LAMPLIGHT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 699, 27 December 1909, Page 4

BY LAMPLIGHT.

CHRISTMAS EVE IN THE STREETS, "h ■;.:.; '• (By Sylvius.) ■" ':' \ -. -- Though the air; was heavy with th«/ : scent of summer on Thursday, evening,'.. , the moon—good, '' faithful soul—lbokcd : ;' : (lown'-with a watery eye as if ,to; say:; "Do not bo too sanguine, yo Christmas';, rovollcrsl; I cannot, see you too. clearly')v this evening, owing to tho aqueous vdp-j ours that obscure my usually good eighl,': and 1 has not: Mr. Bates,spokcu—guardedly,. it is true—as to a.thfoatened change, io': tho weather!". This; is.' what one might; have , imagined therooon to have said,';■ but few, barring master mariners, h01i.;.. day-making . yachtsmen, and lovers,','. thought of tho moon, It was Christmas,' : i!vo, and as it is the great colonial habit. to ■'■ go "down town" when . any-; occasion arises that is worth dropping the asperi-'; tics of work-a-day life ' for, Wellington-.-went down town not in. twos andthrcej, or. dribs and drubs," but in battalions.' Looking from a Cuba or,'Willis Strert'. . window at 9 p.m. - it seemed as if; soiflo '.'.'■ knavish giant bad nought rocreation ; by visiting all the houses, gathering up v the. . inmates, and .pouring ■ tbrim,.down.'the;i. thoroughfares, mentioned just to see how' , '.'■. many they would hold. So crowded were they that ■ one, .viewing the scene-, from "a';'''.■ littlo. distance, involuntarily shudderedas' the electric carsipassed along..toVtho> : accompaniment of harsh-sounding gong!].'; under, the niotormen's foot. Every shop/, was, a safety valvo for tho crowd—the! .butcher, tho baker, the candlestick-mater,;: but more particularly, perhaps, the goods. and the.'"tuck ■_■ ■ sliops, tho drapers, -. and tho jewellers.'.(• Everybody wanted to buy something for : ; somebody, if they actually did not,- But-S' hs'a great many did, the salosmen had? , a hurrying, scurrying time endeavouring;', to ; meot the seasonable 'desires . of. .whilst preserving , a seasonable demeanour..'. —not at all an easy. thing, to ,do.. when.:. the' passage between salesman; and: cash*':, desk i:i a. solid phalanx ■ of-pusLing, ■ laughing humauity. After- duo considera-,'. •tion of the point, the writer concludes that the toy shops proved th?. strongest ■■ magnets on.■• Thursday" evening.. ;■ It;'!' is: : . not . to! be wondered - at.,■Toys become '• ' more " wonderful" and bewildoririgly ingenious !caoh year,-- , and not only please the little ones, but' !make .a ■ distinct; appeal ■ to maturei". folk, I have lone held that most lriar- , ':'>. ried folk with ohildren get almost as -, much fun but of the toys they.buy as' do the-children. A.mother, as a , , riilej-'"'. , will take more, real delight ovcrVmok-'. ing a ; doll's; dress ■ than sue", would -ov«f'/ a school-gown, and; I. have come sud-! ■:'. !donly. on some. fathers ■ havins, a!- great:; time with toys—brainy toys, I'concedelong after .-. the . children hayo gone- ! to l ' bed. ' They usually excuse ;'thom&elve«-; by paying that, they hara.-been, mend-i----ing Johnny's engine or Joanio'e Teddy; bear, but the wife's quint.smile tellsVme. , that ho.has, actnally : been "playing with ' the toys." That ;mnri instantly, goes' up ';■ in my; opinion-mot■;for the little whit*' lie ho tells,- but -that' ho.-still■ has that left witliiri- him which'.tops a. niaov young./. ; :.'": .•"■■'■ ; . ■'■',; ■ V'■'■.•■.■'' "■:"• '■:■-■ i,: ■' -There is another : business connected..: with Christmas Eve which keens a ipan.' old.. It is ' the ..toy symphony,' which'-; smites thenar in. one monotonous, con-;; Hnuous blare,-made up of- a\ooncatena-:< tion" of sounds, .prolonged far into- the. : night.' .■• ;A. squeaker in 'action (it!; is operated■ by a balloon attachment) is a ; mere> irritation,', but. -SS7 , of. them-'all.' blown- at once in varying; keys, is more maddening than.- dropping water , - on ,: a"! bald,head. " Bed :\vas the only solace: on ; ; : Friday; night--qven then,: I had ' to; sloep ' with.the blankets over my., ears.