Christmas In Spain

lnere is no civmzea country on eartü in which children are not made happy by the promise of the coming Christmas. But in every country the festival iscalled by a different name, and its presiding genius is painted with a different coatume and inanner. You know all about our olly Dutch Santa Claus, with its shrewd, twinkiing eyes, hisfrostybeard, hia ruddy face and the bag of treasurers with which be comes tumbhng down the chimney, while his team of reindeers snort and stamp on the icy roof. The English Christmas is equally well-known, and the wonders of the Germán miracle-tree, the ïrst sight of which no child ever forgets. 3ut you are perhaps, not so familiar with the spirit of the blesaod season of advent in Southern' Europe, and so I will teil you soiue of the pleasure and fancies of the Spauish Christnias. The good cheer which it brings everywhere n is especially evident in Spain. They are a frugal people ; and many a good Spanish family is supported by less than the waste of a household on Murray Hill. But thare is no sparing at Christmas. This is a season as fatal to turkeys as thanksgiving in New England. The Castilian farmers drive them into Madrid n great droves, which they oonduot from loor to door, making the dim old streets gay with their soarlet wattles, and noisy with obstreperous gabbling. But the leadquarters of the marketing during hose days are in the Plaza Mayor, where very variety of fruit and provisión is sold. There is nothing more striking than ;hose vast heaps of fresh golden oranges, )lucked the day before in the groves of Andalusia ; nuts from Granada, and dates 'rom África ; every flavor and color of ropical fruitage ; and in the stalls beneath the gloomy arehes, the butchers rive their flourishing trade. All is gay nd joyous - chaffering and jesting, greetng oí friends and filling of baskets. The Ky is wintry Dut tüe grouna is ruaay ana ich with the fruits of sutnmer. At night the whole city turns out into be streels. The youths and maidens of be poorer clase go trooping through the iOwn with tamborines, castanets and gui;ars, singing and dancing. Every one ïas a different song to suit hig own state f mind. The women sing of love and eligion, and many of the uien can sing f nothing better than politics. But the art which the children take in the festival bears a curious resemblance to those ime-honored ceremonies we all remem)er. The associations of Christnias in pain are all of the Gospel. There is no orthern St. Nick there tojstuff the stockngs oí good children with rewards of nierit. Why, then, on Cbrlstmas eve do ou see thelittle shoes exposed by the windows and doors ? The wise kiugs of lie East are supposed to be journeying )y night to Bethiehem, bearing gifts and lomage to the heavenly Child, and out of aeir abundance, when they pass by the louses where good childron sleep, they will drop into their shoes some of the reasures they are bearing to the Baby rince ii .Tu'íaa Thia thnncrV" 'ü rno"'11' absent f rooi the rejoiciDgs of Christnias tide in Spain. Every hour of the time is sacred to Him who canie to bring peace and good will to the world. The favorite toy of the season is called " the Nativity." It is sometimea very elabórate and costly, representing a landscape under a starry night; the shepherds watching their flocks ; the magi coming in with wonder and awe, and the Child in the stable, shedding upon the darkness that living light which was to overspread the world.