Since writing our communication of last week, the appearance of the mercantile portion of our town has put on attractions galore. When the Chronicle arrived on Friday last, and we were informed that all communications for next week must be in by Monday, we set ourselves at work to size up the situation. Naturally, we went to Welch‘s pharmacy first. He was busy putting his recent invoice in an attractive position. As we went from the store, we were attracted by a beautiful design on one of the front windows. It represents a winter in one of the New England states. The trees with bare arms outstretched are covered with snow, and the merry sleigh riders are having a happy time. The little ones are covered with fleecy white, and one can almost hear their merry laughs as they jump out of a bank and brush the wintry element from their clothing. The picture is pretty and very suggestive. But we could not stay long to enjoy this beauty; and on we went to the next most attractive place—the windows or the “Big Store.” Here we expected to find beauty, and were not disappointed. The beautiful and artistic arrangement of these windows, under the deft hands or their manipulators, cannot be surpassed even in metropolitan business life. The pretty mistletoe, the green holly with its red berries, the beautiful wreaths, combined with the display of Christmas goods, are captivating-more eyes than two, and while the simile may not be altogether pertinent[i], one is led to think of one of Bayley’s stanzas on Christmas:
“The mistletoe hung on the castle-hall,
The holly branch shone an the old oak wall;
And the baron‘s retainers were blithe and gay
And keeping their Christmas holiday.“[ii]
We leave this enchantment with regret and hurry around to C. H. Atkin’s emporium. Here, too, a picture meets our eyes, combining symmetry of arrangement with splendor of design. Every detail has been looked after. The portly porter, the “master of arrangements and professor or odd jobs,“ is on hand, and says he expects to be. There are many other things of which we cannot speak for the want of sufficient data on which to predicate our remarks and on account of the paper going to press so early in the week.
The Safe, Trust, Title and Deposit Company advertises to pay its stockholders a dividend of 5 percent on the first day of January 1903.
Mr. William Morris with his family, has removed into the Fox property on Federal Street.
If the person who picked up my glove on the street last week, will let me know his whereabouts, I will send him the other one as one alone is of but little use to either or us.
John B. Mustard, a former Miltonian, but now residing in Philadelphia, paid our town a visit last week.
Mrs. Jennie Atkins has returned from an extended visit to Kalamazoo, Mich., and other points west and north.
Coal is being hauled from Milton to Georgetown in quantities. This is being sold by W. W. Conwell, of the National Bank.
C. H. Atkins has received a cargo of coal this week by water transit.
The Milton schools closed on Friday for a vacation of two weeks.
The Milton shirt factory closed on Saturday and will reopen on the 29th.
The Warrington Brothers have enlarged their capacity for making bricks to 20,000 daily.
Josiah G. Sharp died on Tuesday near Georgetown, of consumption, aged 68 years. The funeral was held on Friday at Sand Hill M. E. Church.by the Rev. Mr. Williams, and interment made in the adjacent cemetery. S. J. Wilson funeral director.
It is singular, but true, that much of the printing done for Milton parties—envelopes, bill heads, etc., is done at Milford, Lewes, Georgetown and Seaford.
There are many persons expected to arrive in town for the holidays. Persons who claim Milton for their home, as well as visitors from other town.
————————————
[i] Not for the first or last time, either, but at least there is an acknowledgment made here.
[ii] Excerpt from the ballad The Mistletoe Bough by Thomas Haynes Bayly (1798 – 1840), English poet, songwriter, and dramatist