CHRISTMAS EVE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1320, 26 December 1911, Page 6

CHRISTMAS EVE.

, SORRY CROWDS IN STREETS. "THE'DOWNPOUR.'" - Eain-soaked, disappointed, and. weary it was indeed a.sorry crowd that strolled tho down-town streets on Saturday evening. People had corao in from tho liir-thost-out .suburbs to mako Christmas piirchascs, to niako friends,' and to -.make merry, but the' rain . came—a persistent, dreuching downpour-nrid -they- wore driven home. Many mothers had brought in their children to sea-tho shops, and to allow them to be sharers in the general' gaiety, but the little, folk-were sadly disappointed. Early, in. tho evening tho ■weatlior' was comfortably warm, and la-die.-i came.out in. fclieir summer clothes" •without, wraps of any-kind, so that when the Hoods : came tho effect for- them Was a.n extremely .unpleasant one. • • - Bofore the deluge, tho town was really merry, and the prospects wero promising for a jolly night. Kospectablo . diyiiifiod citizens were to bo secji struggling out of toy-shops laden-up-.with such undignified purchases as wheelbarrows, horses, and other bulky parcels which only partly concealed their contents. Ladies Bad- a glad time showing their children tho liood things, and - treating them , to some of them, and young people of.both sexes made fun for themselves.in various ways. 'A,'favourite . joko '.seemed to bo-to bring Konie weird sort of wind instrument'and in'ako a noiso with it. -at tho most startling tinveSi.- ■■~, ~■ .■-'■. -.-. ~. ', All this -.was going on, gailj--, and --tho good friendly,, feeling of .Yuletido . was ahronrl' when- th«j rain-clouds .' converged on Wellington,,-and all : tho -Streets • aud chamielg ..wore presently •a-sivim.. The Fliopkeepera - wero all- jTierously disappointed. People have been consumed with the political, fover oflate, and tho exclusion of all thought of the. coming i/'hristmas and tho usual Christmas trado 'did. riot come along. It was expected that all records would bo broken on-Christmas rv?; -but' tho wteather ordaiiicd ■ othoririse. ■ ■ ~. ■ -,-. .. ■ To make matters worse for the poor f.roifd, all eager to get home, -the' trainway service misbehaved. -A' length of overhead wire came down in .Cuba .Street, luckily, at a timo when only a fow people were moving there. Otherwise, wet : as the.-roadway was, thero might have been serious, results- from the falling of tho lire. wire. All that actually'happened' was.that the current had to bo cut off i romi several circuits in order to innke it possible for the repairs to bo mnde. This delayed traffic, and for a coiifidorahle time airs in Courtenay Placo am. Cuba -Street wero standing on tho metals in darkness. Eventually the re.Sw S resum. f^ 10 and ' th ° runnin S