CHRISTMAS IN CAPE MAV 1984__

The Christmas Tree: ' Pretty German Toy'

The Christmas tree, that familiar symbol of holiday joy, nas been the subject of • description and admiration by many writers during the past two centuries.

Among them is Charles Dickens, whose gripping "A Christmas Carol" is a holiday classic. The following excerpts provide a variety of observations, as

well as a fascinating glimpse of the development of the Christmas tree tradition in England and the United States. THE DESCRIPTION of the eight-foot fir tree with six tiers of branches that Albert decorated at Windsor Castle for the royal children: "On each tier, or branch, are arranged a dozen wax tapers. Pendant from the branches are elegant trays, baskets, bonbonnieres, and other receptacles for sweetmeats, of the most varied and expensive kind; and of all forms, colours, and degrees of beauty. "Fancy cakes, gilt

gingerbread and eggs filled with sweetmeats, are also suspended by variouslycoloured ribbons from the branches. "The tree, which stands upon a table covered with white damask, is supported at the root by piles of sweets of a larger kind, and by toys and dolls of alldescriptions, suited to the youthful fancy, and to the several ages of the interesting scions of Royalty for whose gratification they are displayed. "The name of each recipient is affixed to the doll, bonbon or other present intended for it, so that no differences of opinion in the

choice of dainties may arise to disturb the equanimity of the illustrious juveniles. "On the summit of the tree stands the small figure of an angel, with outstretched wings, holding in each hand a wreath." From the Illustrated London News, Christmas Supplement, 1848. "I HAVE been looking on, this evening, at a merr^ company of children assembled round that pretty German toy , a Christmas Tree. The tree was planted in the middle of a great round table, and towered high above their heads. It was brilliantly lighted by a multitude of little tapers; and every where sparkled and glittered with bright objects. "There were rosycheeked dolls, .hiding behind the green leaves; there were real watches (with moveable hands, at least, and an endless capacity of being wound up) dangling from innumerable twigs ; there were french-polished tables, chairs, bed-steads, wardrobes and eight-day clocks, and various other articles of domestic furniture (wonderfully made, in tin, at Wolverhampton), perched among the boughs.

as if in preparation for some fairy housekeeping; there were jolly, broadfaced little men, much more agreeable in appearance than many real men - and no wonder, for their heads took off, and showed them to be full of sugar-plums; there were fiddles and drums; there were tambourines, books, work-boxes, paint-boses, f s weetmea t-boxes , peepshow boxes, all kinds of boxes; there were trinkets for the elder girls, far brighter than any group-up gold and jewels, there were baskets and pincushions in all devices; there were guns, swords, and banners, there were witches standing in enchanted rings of pasteboard to tell fortunes ; there were tee-totums, humming-tops, needle holders; real fruit, made artificially dazzling with gold leaf ; imitation apples, pears, and walnuts, crammed with surprises; in short, as a pretty child, before me, delightedly whispered to another pretty child, her bosom friend, 'There was everything, and moref " Charles Dickens, in "The Christmas Tree," 1855

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News Notes from The Cape Mays I Dolly Stango

It's called "Operation Fireside." Many of our Coast Guard recruits will not be able to leave the base to go home for Christmas. While we are most happy to have the Coast Guardsmen here in Cape May, it's going to be lonely for so many away from home. If anyone is able to invite one or two, or however many, of these boys to your homes to have dinner and spend a few hours with families, please contact Gertrude M. Reiss, 884-1587 or leave a message at the Chapter Office, 465-7382 for her to call to discuss arrangements. Star of the Sea PTA Christmas Bazaar will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Parish Hall,

Ocean Street. So many beautiful items for your Christmas list. Goodies to eat, too! RESCUE SQUAD Auxiliary will hold its Christmas Bazaar, also on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Casale's Shoe Rack on the Mall. There will be lots of home-baked cakes, cookies, pies, stocking dolls, stocking stuffers, and a white elephant table. All proceeds go toward Cape May's Rescue Squad. Ladies of the Auxiliary have been hard at work getting ready. Plan to come early. A benefit will be held Friday at the Atlas Restaurant Lounge on Beach drive in Cape May for the Deborah Hospital. There'll be open bar with hors d'oeuvres, music. Price is $12.50 per-

son. Chairperson is Sarah Henry. For more information, phone 884-3110. Tuesday is the Penny Party sponsored by the Star of the Sea Altar and Rosary Society in Victorian Towers auditorium. It starts at noon. Admission of $1 per person includes coffee, tea and cake. Anyone wishing to donate any articles may call Teresa Banscher at 884-8141. Cape May County Art League, located in the Carriage House of the Physick Estate, has cancelled its Christmas Bazaar. • • • IT'S THE LATEST. In case you didn't know, beauty marks are in! On your forehead, between your, eyes, on the left or right with a little bright star, [ above your lips in the form of a diamond, even a halfmoon type. Anyway, that's the latest, straight from Paris. Don't. forget, West Cape May's Christmas Parade is Saturday at 7 p.m. Back home from a hospital stay: Cecille Jarvis, of Cape May Point; Evelyn Passaro, of Del Haven; Lucille Kentner, of Villas, and Marcie Vinson, of North Cape May. Get well soon. Larry Inderwies, hospitalized in Philadelphia. He and his missus are residents of Victorian Towers and they're the proud parents of Jerry Inderwies, Cape May City's Base Manager.

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