THE FRANKLIN TIMES i - -it ^ _ v.: ? i.ur ij,!'-. T* ... Ox Tear Mffct Mont*. Mix ItiUi .. Fo?r Month. . ?.M| 1.0 .76 I .M Foreign Advert i ?tTiB Representative THE AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION entered at the Pout Office at Louls *arg, N. C., ai second class matter. Following usual custom we will not publish an Issue of the FRANK LIN TIMES next week, In order that the force may have some little time to observe the holidays and get a little deserved rest; We are glad it Is ours once more to greet our readers with a bright and merry Christmas. It seems but yes terday that we sent a like message to you, and yet a year has flown by. May your homes be bright, the dear child ren of your household happy and the great wish and hope of your hearts in abundant measure be realize^ this Christmas tide. The Business Men's Association has taken up the work of getting better mail facilities for Loulsburg and are prosecuting a plan whereby It is pos sible that an early moraine mall will arrive in Loulsburg about 7 o'clock dally, thereby getting the dally papers In time to be taken out on the routes and delivered on same day of publi cation. Other matters will also be taken up that will add to the accom modation of the public. The word Christmas Is a most Sa cred and beautiful one. It stands (or love and for charity, for hope and for joy at the fruition of that long made promise of the prophet of the coming of one who should bring peace and good will to earth. It Is too full of meaning, too full of lore and friend ship to be abbreviated, Yet many of our people, without a thought of tak ing from It Is beauty use as a sub stitute Xmsa completely disassociat ing Christ, the great savior of the world 'and whose coming made possi ble this, the dearest and most wel comed season, from the expression. The abbreviation Is out of place and falls to convey the true thought of the real Christmas that Is Intended. We hope, gentle reader, in the future you will make use of the full word and that Xmas will become extinct. CHRISTMAS GIFTS Once more the happy season pf the year is at hand, when we begin to prep-i' 1 b ;ts of love for Christina.'. It Is indue:: a pleasing Indication cf the rapid spread of feelings of kind ness Hud good will throughout the ?world that the preparation of bea'iii ful articles for Christmas gifts affects the imltis'i :ts of all civilized nation1;. The choice of articles for Christmas gilts is t. perplexing pleasure. Ac cording to Emerson, articles of beau ty rather than of use are appropriate for gifts. In giving we have to avoid, on the one hand, the Imposing of a sense of obligation, and, on the other, of making the occasion for assuming to ourselves the role of benefactor. The donation party given at Christ mas to the faithful pastor whos? past due salary Is unpaid Is only an un fair method of making him appear the recipient of a favor, while his juBt claims are disregarded. Nor can we refrain from suggesting to the hus band and father: Do not make a Christmas gift to your wife of a new carpet or a pair of shoes or a cooking stove, for she needs and has a right to these things anyway. Your little boy needs a new schooibook for the next session of school, but ho would prob ably experience a sense of wrong which it would be difficult for him to explain If he should find It in his stocking on Christmas morning. And ws may suggest ns an Idea wholly for eign to Emerson that If the husband ana tamer nan rrom negligence or penurlousnnsa failed to provide his wife with a good supply of dry, well cut wood or fuel for the kitchen Rtove. or the needed quantity of winter flan nel*. it would be equally Inappropri ate for htm to present her with a pair of b1| pink glass flower vases or some similar articles, the price of which might have added vastly to her com fort had the money been placed for spemiBnc In ber own hande. Gifts for children depend bnt little on tbelr value bnt tor the pleaaare they shall glv% A houseful of children cea be ?>4e entirely happy by a quarter's worth e? mixed ccndy plac ed In their "rtodktnc*. esch piece of candy betake wrpfped In a separate paper, thoa multiplying the number of gifts. It la Y?ry Important, how ever. that the gifts be put In their "slocfctngGT Tlifswecf* iTl naiotT a83 S" a m li'Biess value' li; veriest trifles.? And so we feel like spying to our selves and to our readers: Let us pr?pare for a merry, happy ChriBt nits; let us forget for c. little while all the environments of our lives that are sad and depressing; let us think of the treasures we possess that "man did not make and cannot mar;" let us give tokens of love to our friendB, though it should bo only a geranium leaf or a rosy checked apple. Let us Mebrate Christmas. The yoke loos ened and laid aside tor a little will give rest and strength to the shoul ders; the affections of the heart call ed into play and indulged will give strength to our soul; and both will fit us for a better performs nee of the du ties and work appointed for us In the coming New Year. BEWARE OF THE CHRISTXAS CAJiDLE! "How far that little candle throws his beams!" Had Shakespeare pen ned that line today, candor might have prompted him perhaps to add, "And nowhere does Its light rest with a more baleful flicker than on the coun try's fire loss record."' In America, of late years, there has been an unhappy attempt to return the candle to vogue, and Christmas is probably the one occasion upon which many people seem to feel that they cannot get along without this regres sive form of Illumination. Luckily, the danger of lighting a decorated tree with these little, exposed flames Is plain enough to the vast majority of sensible people, who are abandon ing candles In favor of the much safer ? when properly made and Installed ? and altogether more affective colored electric lamp sets. Illuminating trees attractively by means of focused spot lights also Is safe and this method Is growing in popularity. It Is not always recognized, however that a risk equally great Is run by folk who' place burning^candlea, fitted us ually into unstable holders, at win dows. where a draft from without or the slightest movement of air within tbe house, may bring into contact with the flames light draperies, dry holly WTeathB and other readily lgnltlble decorations. To display a light where it may be seen by passers-by is, of course, a pretty piece of symbolism but It has, alas, often been converted Into a bea con to guide the fire department, and from a token of Christmas cheer haB become a signal of distress. Symbol Ism achieved at the cost of human life, and of property destruction amount ing annually to thousands of dollar*, is bought at too steep a price to be de sirable. As for the general employment of candles about the house at this and other seasons. It would be more than a little amusing to hear the outcry that would follow an Interruption of the local supply of electricity and gas, making the candle a matter not of choice but of unrpmantlc necessity. According to the statistical records ' of The National Board of Fire Under writers, the use of so-called open lights results In nearly three million dollars' worth of property destruction in this country every year, while to them are due, as well, many of the 15,000 yearly deaths by fire; and one of the commonest forms of open light Is the candle. Of course the candle Is not the only Yuletlde hazard, but since it Ib an Important one, why should It be tolerated unnecessarily? Surely no one can wish to do anything that might cast the shadow of tragedy across the celebration of ChrlBtmaa. cosnruNiTT meetings Community meeting In Franklin County hold In the several districts, have been reported to Supt. E. L. Beat as follows: Alert, N. C? R. 1, Dec. 10, 1923. Mr. E. L. Best. Dear Sir: F*riday night, Dec. 7th, we had our second community meeting at Schloss school house. Almost every family In our district was represented besides a small number of visitors. Mr. Craw ford, Rev. Harper, Mrs. Williams and Miss Lily Harper were the main fea tures of the evening. Mr. Crawford told our folks about what We are In vesting In education In North Carolina and the returns on this Investment. Mrs. Williams read a fcaper on Educa tion and Consolidation. Mr. Harper made a strong plea for the children. Our next meeting will be Dec. 21st. We will have Christmas exercises by the school and a community Christmas tree. Wishing you a happy Christmas. MRS. J. K. BREWER. m ? ? I'runen, Dried Apples, Evaporated Peaches, Cranberries, Dried Beans, Dried Pears and Potatoes 12-Jl-lt at L P. HICKS .MISS WILLIAMS -ENTERTAINED | Louisburg a bride v?ho was more unl- ; versally loved by all the people or one : who will be more greatly missed than Miss Sallle Thomas Williams. This general lov& and esteem has found ex- 1 presslon during the weeks proceeding the date of the wedding in a number of showers and entertainments given in her honor. One of the most attractive of these entertainments was the miscellaneous shower given Monday afternoon, at the residence of Mrs. Wlngate Under bill, .by the Woman's Missionary So ciety of the Loulsburg Baptist church The decorations were of holly in terspersed with garlands of bright red and other tokens of the Christmas spirit appropriate to the season of the year. On entering the guests were served by the hostess with delicious fruit punch. A program appropriate to the occas ion superceded the usual devotional service and order of the day for the Missionary meetings. When the last guest had arrived the buzz of conver sation was stilled to catch the sweet tones of "Mignonette" played as a so lo bv Helen Lei eh Fleming. Anna Gray Watson gave an amusing read ing expressing a little boy's opinion of "My Sister's Best Beau." Two vocal solos added Interest and enjoyment to the program, " At Dawn ing" by Mrs. Luther Whltaker, and "With You" by Mrs. Mclver. Mlsil Onnle Tucker read In a pleasing man ner James Whltcombe Rellley's poem, 'An Old Sweetheart of Mine." As Mm Whitaker, seated at the piano, began the well known and always thrilling notes of Lohengrin's Wed rf'ng March the dining room door opened and In came the dearest little bridal party Imaginable. Little Miss Athlea Boone in white satin and veil made a charming bride, while Master Thomas Wheless in tiny "swallom.. tall" coat, long trousers, white rest and standing collar was a perfect gic^m in m^natmr. Tfcls little couple almost staggered under the welsh* of a large basket, dalnf ly covered in white and laven Uar, vhlch fiey lire between them. Slowly they manh*I?Y CREEK ITEMS I guess everybody would like to hear from Sandy Creek as It has been a long time since you all have heard from us. There will be Christmas exercises followed by a tree at the school house Friday night, Dec. 21. Everybody come and lets have a good time. Mr. W. M. Green and family visited Mrs. C. O. Kennedy Sunday afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. C W. Gupton visited Mrs. O. D. Joyner Sunday afternoon. Mr. W. H. Parrlsh, of Raleigh, vis ited his mother, Mrs. S. M. Parrlsh Saturday afternoon. Miss Lonnle Nelms, of Henderson, visited her father. Mr. D. N. Nelms, last week. There waB much work done on our school ground Saturday afternoon, by the community which we certainly ap preciated. At the same time we wish to thank Mr. C. E. Gilliam for the nice load of dry wood presented to the school. i Miss Addle Bordeaux visited our school yesterday. 8upt. E. L. Best was a pleasant vis itor In our school last Wednesday. Miss Maddle Mason, of Middlesex, Is visiting Miss Lola Williams this week. We miss Mr. ^od Mrs. Dick Collins who have Just moved from Sandy Creek. Mrs. D. C. Gupton is visiting her daughter, Mrs. S. N. Nelms. Messrs. D. E. Aycocke, O. B. West Edwin and Forest Harper motored to Norfolk Monday. "BLUB EYES " the franklin Ton tl.M Par Tsar in lilmm WE WANT YOU TO For Christmas For Saturday and Monday: One Thousand Pounds of Cundy. Three Thousand Pounds of Sugar will be sold as cheap as you can buy it wholesale. TOYLAND The Hudson Store Co. LOUTSBTJRG, N. C. J. R. BILLER & CO. OPPOSITE U. S. POST OFFICE Where You Buy The Same For Less NEXT TO BECK'S GARAGE . Shoes Endicott and Herman Makes $4.49-$4.95 bear Friends & Customers ? We desire our EMPLOYEES, Mr. Colllir and Mr. Gantt to en Joy a JSdKRRY CHRISTMAS and we are helping them do bo by allowing them an EXTRA 2 per cent on all their SALES during week of Dec. 17. They will highly appreciate your patronage. O'coats With Lasting Quality at $15.50 Christmas Suggestions Necktie* 60c Scarfs, All Wool $1.85 811k Socks, all colors 4#c Heather Socks 2Kc r Bedroom Slippers 89c With XMAS GREETINGS Sheep Skin Moe?asI?s ; $1.60 Bath Towels, large ?Ue 49e Leather Handbags, 18 in. $4j>0 Steamer Trunks $5.98 Suitcases, 8 In. wide $BJ>9 Russian Corded Madras Shirts Silk Strip? and Heavy Repp Material Especially Reduced to $1 69 the thing ? $1 95 2 OFR -3.20 FOB A XHA8 GIFT 2 FOR ?8.76 WHERE HUNDREDS SAVE $ HEGUI.ATIWO THE AUTOMOBILE The time la coming when munlcl palltlei will b? forced to consider ser ioualy the problem of taking care of the eyer-lncreaslng numbers of auto mobiles. Already the traffic Is ao denae In tbe larger cltlei as to be an acknowledged menace, and this In aplte of tbe efforta of traffic officer! and regulations made and provided. At certain perloda and at congested corners tbe streets are already hard ly able to accommodate the demands made upon them. Tbe time Is here now when an an tomoblle Is considered almost a neces slty In every family. The number of cars In use is Increasing amazingly. It Is going to be a necessity after a while to provide adequate parking spaces for them ? off the streets. It Is not Improbable also that lanes of travel will have to be provided nortn and south and east and west; that |?, that designated thoroughfares only may be used by cars going In a desig nated direction In Incorporated towns This, it seems to us. would go a long ways toward lessening the danger of accidents. The danger from automobiles Is not always due to the speed at which tha car Is traveling. The dancer to pa (iVitrlani la at crossings, where cars are moving from tour directions at onto; and this In (Vce of the fact that an officer Is on the Job directing the movement. To the old and Infirm the hazard Is Especially great. Perhaps It would be 111 advised to restrict car* altogether from. the retail shopping district, so that women and chlldraa might go about their dally business without fear and without hasard.? Charlotte Observer. Htibscrlb. to Ths Frsnkll* Times