Show how washington celebrated christmas T IS 11 1 ng to look back upon a I 1 IT christmas day at mount blount vernon with the father of ills country ns as dost and bis his charming wife as hostess christmas at mount vernon in the peace peaceful tul daya days which followed the revolution was ainars exceedingly merry the virginians Irgin lans of those days being caval cavallera lers made the most of the holiday which the grim puritans of new england practically ignored says the philadelphia presa press though generally serious washing ion on could unbend considerably on such I 1 n occasion mount vernon was ain ays crowded at this period and the celebration wae was of a luxurious character cho christmas dinner was arved si arved at three in the banquet hall ond and probably no feaver than 30 per ms sat down to the repast for this special occasion the hostess always got out her handsome service of lure silver most of v bleb had belonged to her when as the widow custis she had married mr washington and there iru aleo also a big display of df cut glass an oddity as nowadays it would bo be considered n as the arrangement of the table ble upon which all the dishes to be s arved including even the puddings and lies pies were placed at once no wonder that in such days the festive board was bald said to groan beneath the weight of viands As a matter of course at the christ lias dinner us as vell as all other occa om lions the table was waited upon by lavea 10 ho lo did duty as hause servants two were allotted to each guest so that quite a number were required all of the eatables had to be conveyed n considerable distance tho the kitchen bone bene boing being ing detached from the mansion with i aich etwas it was connect d by a covered lay ay at the houses of too greit virginia families at that period it nas customary for the slaves to wait on the table la in the ordinary plantation garb but it at mount blount vemon vernon many things were on i ik scale of exceptional luxury and the negroes who pom performed formed such service were clad clid in own livery of red white and gud which was hand bome and striking the necessity of supper was removed by a great prolong prolongation nUon of the dinner it which each person was expected to eat nil all that be he or she possibly could la in fact it was the duty of the hostess gantly to persuade her guests to gorge themselves to repletion while the host n made it his business tr to press wine and other drinkables upon the men to an which in these times would be misi dered most imprudent at a certain p briod of the meal it or as a autom to rise from his chair holding a glass of madeira in his hand and bowing right and left to say gentlemen I 1 drink to my guests the natural response at the instance of the most distin distinguished hed guest present wax was a stealth drink to lady washington Foll following ovOng the dinner a good long evening was indulged in with pastimes appropriate to christmas blind roana mans bull buff and hunt the slipper were not suf guf undignified in the eyes of washington to be indulged in the wast lington family christmas gifts were exhibited and nellie bustle was always called poto play on berhart her harp ei al chord A colored fiddler ne of the slaves oa an the in lo picturesque plan garb mould be called in at a certain period ard when ho he we would start some D rry music the young people chose partners for the dance B but tit the older ladles indies and gentlemen pro preferred cards small dinkes were ere it SU ally played tor for but gambling for money ta fc u c considerable amount waa was always moat most objectionable to washington As an 1 for mrs washington she would inva i enter into none of tho the general festivities but would be the host to each such part of her guests who would not care eare to indulge in either dancing or cards it wax was at a late hour on the morning following christmas that the guests would take tate ehtor departure and the I 1 Wa Waston household would quiet down to ito its ordinary routine |