Jj^Cfiristtnas
IStaknce
BY WILLIS BRXDOICS
(Copyright. HIT. Weatern Newspaper Union )
OUR village paper had Issued a very
creditable Christmas edition. I
was looking over the news lec
tion by the front window. My wife
■at near, absorbed In the story part.
"What'a that?" she asked, listening.
Bhe was always on the lookout for
mure eggs. What she heard certainly
did sound like a hen announcing the
arrival of one-twelfth of a doten.
"That," I answered, "Is Ezra Barn
stable In a state of amusement."
We looked through the window, and,
■ore enough, here he came down the
street, an expensive smile Illuminat
ing his moonlike face.
"What on earth can the man be
laughing so about all aloneV' my wife
wanted to know. She was that way—
never content to let a man be happy
unless she knew the reason why.
80 I went to the door and sang out
to Ezra, "Isn't It kind of stingy to en-
Joy It all by yourself?"
When he had unwound the wool tip
pet from his neck nnd taken the rock
ing chair which the missis had set be
lore the fireplace for him he leaned
back and cut gashes In the atmos
phere with another flourish of his
■harp cachlnnations. JJJ've heard o'
Santa Claus playln' tricks before now,"
■aid he, "but I don't guess he ain't
never played none no funnier than
thla.
"It was like this: Three, four days
ago my boy Chet come home with a
rabbit —one o' them big white critters
with the pink eyes—that he'd swapped
off one o' his mittens to the one armed
Mayhew boy fer. When he come In,
laggln' the thing In his arms, his ma
aat him whose It was, an' he said it
was hls'n an' Its name was Jlinmy an'
Bddie Mayhew give It to him.
•"Them Mayhew boys ain't glvin'
nothln' away fer nothin'," says she.
•Wbat'd you give him fer It?'
"Chet knowed he was cornered, so
he owned up that he'd give Kddle one
o' his wool mittens. 'I don't never
wear but one much anyhow,' says he,
*an\ besides. Eddie'B a poor, one armed
boy. an' his hand was cold, an' It was
romln' Chrls'mus.'
"I seen the look In his ma's eye, an*
I felt sorry fer Chet, so I says, 'Chet,'
aays I, severe-like, 'you come to the
bam along of me,' like I was goln' to
Uck him.
"That satisfied his ma. So Chet an'
me went to the barn an' made a box
to keep the rabbit In. I knowed the
thing 'd freeze to death If he kep' It
anywheres but In the house, an' I
knowed his ma wouldn't listen to his
doln' that, so I puts him up to glttln'
rid of It by Invitln' his Cousin Artie
over fer Chrls'mns an' glvin' It to him
fer a Chrls'mus present.
"Artie, you know," Ezra explained,
"Is my wife's brother's boy. You re
member my wife's brother, Dan Baker,
orer In Center township, the one that
died an' left a widder with eight chll
dernT
"Waal, when Chet told his ma what
he was goin' to do she said he could
keep the rabbit in the attic till Chrls'-
mns an' pot a minute longer. So he
writ to Artie, an' this mornln' bright
an' early here comes the hull family—
Mis' Baker an' the hull eight chlldern.
"Chet. he hadn't even got up yet, but
I rousted him out, an' when he come
down he tolt Artie about the Jimmy
rabbit he was goln* to give him. Then
lfls' Baker chips In an' says she never
lows one o' her children to accept
presents unless all the others glta the
■nine thing. 'lt makes the others Jeal
ous,' aays she, 'an' creates dissensions.'
"I seen trouble comln* to Chet In
flocks an' herds an' I says to myself
they'a Jest one way to settle this thing.
Ton know. If you give a rabbit a little
cuff on the hack of hislieck he never
knows what hit him. So I sneaks up
to the attic, but ole Santa Claus had
got there ahead o' me."
Ezra rocked back and let out a few
* more staccato notes of merriment.
"What had happened V my wife
f* naked.
"Walt till I tell you," said Ezra. "I
called Chet to come up quick, an' he
come a-runnln'. 'Look here,' says Ito
him. *you give the eight little ones to
tbe children an' the old one to Mis'
Baker. If you do It nice she can't
refuse 'em, 'specially when the little
rabbits needs the services of Jimmy
fer awhile ylt.' So Chet he lugged the
boll box o* rabbits downstairs an' made
sech a elokent presentln' speech that
the widder couldn't do nothln' but
ft—v him an' taks hail w« home
with her."
(> ~
Christmas Gifts
i»
f-jr7 HE joy that's born of Christmas
/ gifts is not wifftin themselves
Or you or I could pick our joys
from any merchant's thrives
And you could buy more costly things
Man ever I could give,
And though no friend should come
your way contented you could
live.
Yet some poor trinket rich becomes
and treasure to the end
Because it t« the symbol of a true and
loyal friend.
The thino is nothing as it lies upon a
merchant's shelf.
And scarce a thought you'd give to it
for what it is itself.
There may be thousands like it round
about you everywhere.
But let a friend bring it to you and
straightway it is rare.
For something of that friend into his
simple gift is wrought
And it becomes a precious f hi*g—a
token of a thought.
We are a sentimental clan, we fight
and strive for gold,
Yet treasures whith we closest guard
are never bought or sold;
The things we value moit are not the
gems our money buys.
But all those sweet and lovely things
that memory bids us prize.
The fadfd slippers of a babe not In
themselves are dear,
Hut n the thoughts they bring to us
of one no longer here.
And so it is with Christmrs gifts, 'tis
friends who make them rare,
The trifle that with love is rich has
worth beyond compare;
The moment that it passes from some
friendly hand to you
It has assumed a value that before it
never knew.
And what was common in Itself is now
beyond all price
Because it represents to you some good
friend's sacrifice.
The Christmas Rose.
IT was In Ireland I heard the beau
tiful legend of the Christina* roue,
says n writer irt the Philadelphia
Ledger. When the great night came
und the dark skies were maidenly ll
luntlnated with the lights of heaven
the shepherds, gathering together their
offering, went with haste to find him
who had come to he the I-lght of the
world. Orent rough men, full of sim
ple faith, they were, and each carried
a little lamb In his arms to lay at the
feet of the Good Shepherd. But among
them was one wee lad who had no
gift.
All his life long he had heard of the
Messiah who was to come. The earth
was full of rumors that the time was
near at hand, and lying out on the
hillside under the deep blue sky lie had
dreamed dreams of that day, picturing
himself close to him In many roles.
And now that the moment was come
he raced along, his tiny legs finding It
hard work to keep up with the swift,
strong stride of the men.
So full of excitement was he that no
thought of self entered Into his mind.
But as he came to the cave, saw tin*
bright star shining above and heard
the of the angels he noticed his
empty hands.
How could he go Into the presence
of the newborn King when he had
nothing to lay at his feet, he who
would so willingly lay down his vcy
life for him! He crept close to the
opening, nnd, kneeling down In the
cold white snow, he wept as though
his little heart would break.
And, 10, the warm tears melted away
the hard snow, and from beneath there
sprang up the first Christmas rose, the
fruit of a .little boy's love for the
Christ Child I
The Good Old Customs.
By all means, so long as they will
endure, let us cling to the old cus
toms. Up with the holly, the box and
the bay, set the plum pudding ablaze,
light the Christmas tree, scatter greet
ings broadcast through the land, ring
out wild bells to the wide sky and give
encouragement to the carol singers.
Christmas comes but once a year, and
when It comes It makes us all kin and
more or less kind. It Is a truly happy
festival, the time when we best under
stand what home means, the children's
feast, when the old grow young again.
A happy Christmas, then, to all.
Christmas Carols at Nantucket
The custom of singing Christmas
carols In the streets still obtains at
Nantucket. Every Christmas eve the
school children march through the old
cobbled streets of the town and sing
their songs.
All the ancient houses are Illuminat
ed with candles In the windows, and
the children always stop and serenade
their favorites. It Is very pretty to
hear them, and they never forget to
sing for what they call the "shut ins"
—the folks who are 111 and unable to
get oat and Join the festivities. ~
THE ENTERPRISE, WILLIAMSTON, NORTH CAROLINA
/ M LA. v' v H
1( V I
VI | I
fa
'' >w '
Chriatmas Greena.
A quaint old writer thus spiritualizes
the practice of Christmas decorations.
"So our churches nnd houses, decked
with bays and rosemary, holly and Ivy
and other plants which nre always
green, winter and summer, signify und
put us In mind of his Deity—that the
child that now is born was God and
man, who should spring up like a ten
der plant, should always be green and
flourishing und should live forever
more."
1
FUN
Logical. ,j Good Old Soul.
"BoyT' - i "Why haven't you gone," they
"Mumt" s asked him,
"Stop that noise with your 'To your snowy mountain
Christmas druml Do you want to P ranges T"
deafen ust" V^=4) "I' m waiting," said Santa Claus,
"Yes'm; then you won't mind J "to make
the noise." —Life. 7 regular exchanges."
.■ ~ A t •
, „ . 5 Christmas Anticipation.
/ d like to give my wife fifty / U tl/ ffc , hof
d ° l !.Z\ 0T ? hri,t ™'' Christmas brings you a single joy
r, ',. W V out anticipation," said the sweet
"I ain t certain that I could coax >0)
it away from her again. -Louis- K j- cfcf „ d (he g
tMe Courier-Journal. bachelor. "Listen to my secret.
A Sign of Age. T,lat youngster on the third floor
"Just when does a woman grow « * ure Oet a tin trumpet lor a
oldf r A r?*?"';,"
"When she ceases to regard the "Yes."
hanging of the mistletoe as an "Then he will get careless and
event." —Buffalo Express. leave it on the hall floor. And
then I shall step on it with both
All He Remembered. feet. Don't you call that a joyous
The Preacher —And did you re- anticipationf"
member the poor on Christmast
Little Albert —No. I didn't re- , A Long List.
member nothin' much, except Parke —llave you decided what
about pa catchin' me with my to give your wife for ChristmasT
hand in the box where ma had the Lane —Not yet. There are so
raisins hid. many things I can't afford. —
Up-to Data Xmaa Maxima. Judge.
Never look a Christmas gift in 7
the price tag. 5 ML The Canny Scot at Yule.
There « nothing so rare as,a commercial traveler had
present you wanted. taken 0 lar ° e order in HcotlanU
A ton of coal is rather to be 1 W 0 consignment of hardware
chosen than gaudy jewels. —-tV and endeavored to press upon the
Beware of mistletoe; it grows canny Scottish manager who had
on the border of matrimonial -fas* V iven the order a Christmas gift
jungles. • j a box °' llavana cl oars.
Better broken toy drums than \f]tc "Naw," he replied, "Don't try to
broken eardrums. /vVL bribe 0 man ' 1 eudna tak them '
Christmas spirit seldom intoxi- and I am a member of the kirk."
cates, but it generally bankrupts. frXX "But will you not accept them
Christmas belles manage to a • « Christmas presentt"
ring in Quite a few gifts. cudna," said the Scot.
Just now the most popular book "Well, then," said the traveler,
stems to be the pocketbook. "suppose I sell you the cigars for
Never put a gift cigar in the *7C a merely nominal sum-say, six
mouth. P encef "
Christmas gifts are somewhat "Weel, in that case," replied the
like babies —you can't always get H* o *, "since you press me, and,
what you want, but wisely be con- not UMng toe refuse an offer weel
tented with what came.—New XStf meant, I think I'll be taking two
York American. >?*• boxes." *
Chrlatmas Moans Love.
We cannot picture it without seeing
the spangled Christ nas-tree girt with
the faces of gleefvtl youngsters, glad
parents and hup|y bodies returned
home from town or far metropolis. It
sounds like belli and crackling logs
and shouts of ch'./dren. And even our
old, round shouldered, sorrow ridden
planet, with hit eye knocked out on
his cheek, pauses to smile from sea
to sea, and love Is everywhere rejuven
uted. —James Whitcomb lllley.
' The Spirit f
. Of Giving
1 > u
yf T Christmastide, O be thou ten
der, true;
Thy friends make glad and all
thy foes forgive;
With its sweet light begin to live
anew,
Ungrudgingly give, and giving, much
receive.
Make thy glad life grow large, thy soul
expand;
Let there be one full day within the
year
WJken love shall open wide thy waiting
hand
To lessen want and dry some bitter
tear.
Souls are there many, heavy laden,
sore,
And eyes that.weep and hearts that
often bleed.
And squalor knocking, tattered, at thy
• door,
And cold and hunger crying In their
need.
Give wisely, freely, of thy bounty give.
And. moat of all, do not forget, give
love;
Since giving is the truest way to lire,
And rii hest treasure laying up above.
Make glad thy home, let sunshine
reign within;
Bless every hearthstone with thy
largess fair;
Share with pale want thine overflow
ing bin.
By kindness save some brother from
despair.
Be saviors, O mv brothers, every one!
Let the true Christ in your own soul
be born ;
Thus thou canst be Clod's well beloved
son
And make each dawn a Joyous
Christmas worn/
—Minneapo.lis Journal.
Test Your Gifts.
CHRISTMAS gifts should be free
from frippery, mere temporary
worth, the solely worldly or ma
terial value. This la the first test
genuineness.
The second, a Christmas gift should
bit In keeping with one's purse—unos
tentatlon.
A Christmas gift should display good
taste —carefulness.
A Christmas gift should confer n real
benefit —thought fulness.
A Christmas gift should produce un
feigned pleasure —Interest.
A Chrlstrnns gift should be some
thing you would wish associated with
thoughts of yourself—friendship.
A Christmas gift should, If possible,
lie something that can be shared with
nt hers—kindliness.
A Christmas gift should, as long as
It lasts, give as much delight ns on
"hrlstrnns morning—quality.
A Chrlstrnns gift should be some
thing you yourself would he glnd to
possess—sincerity.
A Christmas gift should be some
thing you have selected, not something
picked up by chance —heartiness.
A Christmas gift should be some
thing you take pleasure In thinking of
afterward as having been ylven by you
to your friend—satisfaction. —Chris-
tian Herald.
All the Year Round.
Christinas comes all the year. Chrlst
rnns Is giving. xV
Christmas Is losing one's life and
finding It again In the heart of another.
Wherever we find good will, humani
ty, fellow feeling, there we find a heart
celebrating Christmas. The most deli
cate pleasures of Christmas spring from
the gifts we make to others, from
the happiness we enn Impart to others,
from the abandonment of ourselves to
another's Joy.
The more utterly we lose ourselves
In the lives of others the inTtre we are
keeping Christmas. The losing of our
own life, to find It In another, Is for
ever the Christmas token. It was of
tills the herald angels sang.
It was this the good shepherds wor
shiped.
And this l« the best way of spending
Christmas.
Origin of the Carol.
Glory to God In the highest and on
earth peace, good will toward men.—Luke
2:14.
Such was the first enrol, sung by the
holy angels amid the thrilling scene
so vividly described by the evangelist.
This song is happily used in the com
munion service ns the opening of
"Gloria In Excelsis Deo." The word
enrol seems to he derived from the
Italian verb carolare —to sing—lmply
ing u joy song, an outburst of exuber
ance. In the time of Chaucer, who
died In 1400, this word usually meant
simultaneous dancing and singing.
Or-tituelly Its seculur origin was be
clouded, and nowadays a carol general
ly means n Christmas song of thanks
giving, though there were formerly not
only Easter carols, but also winter and
even summer carols. —Living Church.
Really Truly
BY CHARLES S PEASE
(Copyright, Hl7, Wnli rn Newip«per Union. )
OF course you want to know nt one#
how u Christmas tree can he uny
more mil than the one you had
Inst year, HO I shall explain that the
tree Ralph and ithoda had t>y accident
one winter was rooted In the ground
In the Lake Superior wood*. v
First you must he told that the town
children up there had the good tlmwi
In both summer and winter, but the
miners' hoys and girls had the hard
times all the year around, and that's
the reason why mother said to Italph
and Ithoda the day before Christmas*.
"I don't see how you two are going to
have a happy holiday when the chil
dren up at the mines do not expect to
have ajiy tree at all. How would you
like to go up the mountain and take
them a lot of presents and things?
You can get back before dark. I will
telephone the mine captain that you
are coming.*'!
"Just the i-ery thing," said the chll
dron. And Sway they went soon after
with a sled waded with everything you
can think ofTSjir a Jolly Christ mas. Just
lots of gifts and royal trimmings for a
tree.
They were making good time alonx
the mountain side when Ithoda stum
hied over a root.
When she tried to stand up again her
ankle would not work.
Of course Ithoda would not hear ol
leaving., the miners' children's "Christ
mas" In the snow and coasting hack
home. So Ralph went back to the
Halfway store for some help, but the
place was locked and barred. Before
they decided on what to do next a flock
of the mine children came racing down
the road. It seemed as though the tele
phone message had emptied the settle
ment of youngsters.
"We've come to help take the 'Christ
mas' up the mountain. It's a hard pull
fnrther along," they explained.
When they found that Ithoda was
hurt they wanted to take her home,
but she wouldn't listen to a werd of It.
"I'm going right up to see that tree
properly trimmed and h'ini; with these
things,"- announced thot young lady
and, being of the sturdy ai d determin
ed kind, tried to forget the pain.
So the swiftest runners of the inlne
boys started back to get a sled to car
ry Ithoda to the summit.
(TJofore the ambulance corps could re
turn, down came one of those howling
blizzards so dreaded In the rough
northern country, and then was noth
ing for It but to retreat and take refuge
In the Halfway store. Ti is old log
house proved a hard nut to crack, but
Ralph finally managed I > get In
through a rear wlpdow and ;oon had a
ronrlng fire going In the big stove. The
plucky lads got back from the moun
tain, and everybody thanked his lucky
stars to he safe and warm. Out
side the storm roared and the trees
bent low In the gale. All the evening
Ithoda stood the ache bravely and said
It was nothing, but Mary Martha Mur
phy knew better. When all was quiet
she brought a pall of water so ho' that
Ithoda squealed when her nurse put
the swollen ankle Into It, and these
two girl'., one who ha 1 a lovely home
and rich furs and runny other tine
things and the little i«>or girl with a
warm Irish heart, sat u,> till "all hours."
During the night the storm turned to
rain and then It been lie. cold, so very
cold that the forest was covered with
an Icy coat. In the morning the bliz
zard drifts were many .feet deep.
So the only thing to he done was
to wait till a rescue party came out
for them with shovels and horses and
snowplows. And then a great thought
occurred to Ithoda.
A giant hemlock trie stood right In
front of the store,- In a place swept
clear by the wind—that Is, It had been
a hemlock before It became one great,,
dazzling emerald wltb pearly Icicles
hanging all over it'.
When night caine, ciear and perfect
ly still and Inky black the rescu* par
ty found a celebration going on the
like of which had ne*vr been known.
The children had taken hundreds of
miners' candles from the store and
had wired them all o\er the hemlock.
All the presents and tie gilt ropes and
the other ornaments hail been hung
about the branches, tnd the candles
lighted.
Ithoda, half smothered In furs and
tucked up on a .high seat, was mistress
of while a ring of singing,
dancing children circled around the
tree, and, In the background, all about
the dense forest, shot back millions ot
sparks of light