HOLIDAY-MAKING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 12, 27 December 1911, Page 4

HOLIDAY-MAKING.

MANY PLEASURE-SEEKERS IN STRATFORD.

UNSEASONABLE WEATHER

In olden days the people observed many festivals. The Romans had one for each god as a permanent fixture. Considering that it was said of one gentleman of the Roman era “by the nine gods he swore,” we may safely conclude that in the good old days, twelve festivals in one year was by no means an uncommon , occurrence. Nowadays wo have only one—Christ-mas-tide. True we have plenty of holidays, but Christinas is the only real festival, the only period when we truly rejoice, and the only (one with which, alas, wo associate eating and drinking. The Romans just before the fall of Rome certainly carried things-tq excess, but he would be a bold man who would assert that wine, oyer flowed more freely at the Festival of Bacchus.',than did ; water at our recent Festival., of Christmas. This year we wqj’O; fayoyfed/with two Christmas Eves—the first belonged to the. shopkeepers, and the second to the churches., E>oth clays, one ,ventures to think, ai;e now but memories. , Few; blit the country people j worp in town oil Saturday night. From Toko alone there arrived four carriages and one covered truck crowded with passengers, and from all parts they came in corresponding portions. Fair weather tempted them to come in large numbers, and foul weather kept many of them in Stratford longer than they intended, and certainly deprived them of the enjoyment which usually accompanies a day in town. As; one passed them on the strecVts one 'Could, without being the possessor of any supernatural powers, guess that the' thoughts that lay uppermost in their minds were not- “How thankful we should be for a season of prosperity, and what a jolly time we are having,” but “Will Mary catch a chill with those wet feet and how shall we get home.” With none' of those things were the youngsters concerned. They looked lovingly at big brown paper parcels and made discordant noises with squeakers. One hold youth, notwithstanding the presence of 6ft Sin of the Majesty of the Lav/ in the person of the Te Wera policeman, oven ventured to set going in Broadway a couple of squibs. Two bold Salvationists, the rain causing their torch to give as much light as did the lanterns at the burial of Sir John Moore, essayed an open-air meeting. All honour to them for the courage they displayed. But why dwell any longer on the scene? One hesitates to say it, but Christmas Eve, leastways the statutory one, in Stratford was a failure. Sunday was none the less gloomy. In the evening the preacher told the glad tidings amidst thunder and lightening. The voice that spoke of the Star of Bethleham was drowned by the roar of the rain, from a sky were no stars, but only dark clouds, were visible. On Christmas Day it rained at frequent intervals. But on Christmas Days nothing matters. Only an earthquake or an eruption of Mr Egmont could have disturbed the smiles and laughter of the youngsters, or the reflected joy on the faces of their elders. Boxing Day ciime as a redeeming feature of the holidays. At New Plvmourh the races drew large crowds; at the Axemen’s Carnival at Eltham there

was a gay crowd in holiday attire; at Dawson’s Falls and eve \y holiday resort tliore was rejoicing in plenty. For once Mt. Egmont had a clear view of Stratford, and even Ruapehu cast an eye upon us. After all, it was not such a had Christinas time.