Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 December 1881 — Christmas Festivities. [ARTICLE]

Christmas Festivities.

The Holidays in Rensselaer are being observed with great interest. Balls, parties, Sunday school entertainments, theatrical performances, &c., follow each other in rapid succession. The season was to have been inaugurated by a grand ball at the opera house, but utterly preposterous weather then prevailing made necessary a postponment of that affair. The Sunday schools celebrated at the opera house and at the M. E. church, in accordance with previous announcmento. Both rooms were crowded with people and a vast number of beantirnl and valuable presents were distributed. At the opera honse the hirsute and übiquitous Santa Clans was personated by Prof. Hooper, and was, of course, a success. At the church the Santa Claus met with an accident which though not serious in its results, might easily have been so. -Santa Claus represented by T. J. Farden, dressed in cotton-batting bonnet and over-coat, made his advent througli a sham fire-place prepared for the purpose; and after inspecting the array of presents, withdrew by the way he came. But in so doing lie unluckily knocked down upon himself one of the many burning tapers from the fictitious mantle-piece, and in an instant flis cotton garments were all in a blaze. “And then and there were liurryings to and fro,” and, we think Wfe may add, some “gathering tears, and tremblings of distress.” Mr. Farden displayed great presence of mind, and while fighting the fire from his face, with 'his hands, to prevent inhalation of the flames (and to protect liis mustache), lie made his way to the corner where an over-coat was deposited, and by wrapping the same around himself succeeded in extinguishing the fire. The only damages being a pair of very sore ears and a blistered neck. “No insurmfce7\. It has been suggested that this occurrence might be made the subject of a very profitable admonitory sermon upon the necessity of taking precautions against fires, here and hereafter, the text being: well done good and faithful servant. It should be stated however that Tom himself avers that he is by no means “well done” but so very rarely cooked, indeed, that in some places “he feels decidedly “raw.” Persons prematurely gray can have their hair restored to its youthful beauty, by using Hall’s Vegetable Sicilian Hair Renewer, the beat article in the market. ?