a
i V .. ' . jrtTin mfirnrrtiHttiir" - --
Cfoiskas
ance
BY WILLIS BR.OOK.S
(Copyright, 1917, Western Newspaper Union. )
"UR village paper had Issued a very
V creditable Christmas edition. I
was looking over the news sec
tion by the front window. My wife
Bat near, absorbed In the story part.
"What's that?" she asked, listening.
She was always on the lookout for
more eggs. What she heard certainly
did sound like a hen announcing the
arrival of one-twelfth of a dozen.
"That." I answered, "Is Ezra Barn
stable In a state of amusement."
We looked through the window, and,
sure enough, here he came down the
street, an expansive smile illuminat
ing his moonlike face.
"What on earth can the man be
laughing so about all alone?" my wife
wanted to know. She was that way
never content to let a man be happy
unless she knew the reason why.
So 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
yet from his neck and taken the rock
ing chair which the missis had set be
fore the fireplace for him he leaned
back and out gashes In the atmos
phere with another flourish of his
sharp cachlnnations. "I've heard o'
Santa Clans playiu' tricks before now,"
said he, "but I don't guess he ain't
never played none no funnier than
this.
"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,
luggin' the thing In his arms, his ma
ast him whose it was, an' he said it
was hls'n an' its name was Jimmy an'
Eddie Mayhew give it to him.
"'Them Mayhew boys ain't glvin'
nothin' away fer nothin'," says she.
'What'd you give him fer it?'
"Chet knowed he was cornered, so
he owned up that he'd give Eddie one
o' his wool mittens. I don't never
wear but one much anyhow,' says he.
'an, besides. Eddie's a poor, one armed
boy, nn' his hand was cold, an' It was
comln' Chris'mus.'
"I seen the look In his ma's eye, nn'
I felt sorry fer Chet, so I says, 'Chet.
says I, severe-like, 'you come to the
barn along of me,' like I was goin' to
lick him.
"That satisfied his ma. So Chet an'
me went to the barn an' made a box
to keep the rabbit In. I knowed iho
thing 'd freeze to death If he kep" it
anywheres but In the house, an' I
knowed his ma wouldn't listen to his
doin' that, so I puts him up to gittin
rid of It by invitin his Cousin Artie
over fer Chris'mus an' givin' It to him
fer a Chris'mus present.
"Artie, you know," Ezra explained,
"Is my wife's brother's boy. You re
member my wife's brother, Dan Baker,
over In Center township, the one that
died nn' left a widder with eight chil
dern? "Waal, when Chet told his ma what
he was goin' to do she said he could
keep the rabbit in the attic till Chris'
mus an' not a minute longer. So he
writ to Artie, an this mornin' bright
an early here comes the hull family
Mis' Baker an' the hull eight childern.
"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 goin' to give him. Then
Mis' Baker chips In an' says she never
'lows one o' her children to accept
presents unless all the others gits the
same th!i?g. 'It makes the others jeal
ous,' says she, 'an' creates dissensions.
"I sen trouble comin' to Chet in
fiocks an' herds an' I says to mysolf
they's jest one way to settle this thins.
You know, if you jVP a rnhbit a little
cuff on the back of his neck 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 lot out a few
more staccato notes of merriment.
"What had happened V my wife
sked.
"Walt 'till I tell you," said Ezra. "I
called Chet to come up quick, an' he
come a-runnin'. 'Look here,' says I to
him, 'you give the eight little ones to
the 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 jit.' So Chet he lugged the
hull box o' rabbits downstairs an' made
Been a elokent presentln' speech that
the widder couldn't do nothin' but
thank him an' take tb bull s home
with her."
IfRidd
L
Christmas Gifts
fTf HE joy that's born of Christmas
gifts is not within themselves
Or you or I could pick our joys
from any merchant's shelves
And you could buy more costly things
than 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 is the symbol of a true and
loyal friend.
The thing 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 precioug hing a
token of a thought.
We are a sentimental clan, we fight
and strive for gold,
Yet treasures which we closest guard
are never bought or sold;
The things we value most are not the
gems our money buys.
But all those sweet and lovely things
that memory bids us prize.
The faded slippers of a babe not in
themselves are dear,
But in the thoughts they bring to us
of one no longer here.
And so it is with Christmas 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 noxo
beyond all price
Because it represents to you some good
friend's sacrifice.
The Christmas Rose.
JT was In Ireland I heard the beau
tiful legend of the Christmas rose,
says a writer in the Philadelphia
Ledger. When the great night came
and the dark skies were suddenly il
luminated with the lights of heaven
the shepherds, gathering together their
offering, went with haste to find him
who had come to be the Light of the
world. Great rough men, full of sim
ple faith, they were, and each carried
a little lamb in his arras 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 he 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 the
bright star shining above and heard
the soes 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 vt-y
life for him! He crept close to the
opening, and, kneeling down in the
cold white snow, he wept as though
his little heart would break.
And, lo, 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!
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
nut wild bells to the wide sky and give
encouragement to the carol singers.
Christinas 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 nil.
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 lus"
the folks who are 111 and unable to
get out and Join the festivities.
i i ill ill i inpv
1 y &
Christmas Greens.
A quaint old writer thus spiritualizes
the practice of Christmas decorations.
"So our churches and houses, decked
with bays and rosemary, holly and Ivy
and other plants which are always
green, winter and summer, signify and
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 and should live forever
more." Logical.
"Boy"
"ilfWOTf"
"Stop that noise 'with your
Christmas drum! Do you want to
deafen usT"
"Yes'm; then you won't mind
the noise." Life.
Risky.
"I'd like to give my wife fifty
Collars for Christmas."
"Well, why not?"
"I ain't certain that I could coax
it away from her again." Louis
ville Courier -Journal.
A Sign of Age.
"Just when does a woman grow
oldi"
"When she ceases to regard the
hanging of the mistletoe as an
event." Buffalo Express.
AM He Remembered.
The Preacher And did you re
member the poor on Christmas?
Little Albert No. I didn't re
member nothin' much, except
cbout pa catchin' me with my
hand in the box where ma had the
raisins hid.
b'p-to-Dato Xrr.as Maxims.
Never look a Christmas gift in
the price tag.
There is nothing so rare as a
present you wanted.
A ton of coal is rather to be
chosen than gaudy jewels.
Beware of mistletoe; it grows
on the border of matrimonial
jungles.
Better broken toy drums than
broken eardrums.
Christmas spirit seldom intoxi
cates, but it generally bankrupts.
Christmas belles manage to
ring in quite a few gifts.
Just now the most popular book
seems to be the pocketbook.
Never put a gift cigar in the
mouth.
Christmas gifts are somewhat
like babies you can't always get
what you want, but wisely be con
tented with what came. New
York American.
is
01
Christmas Mnans Love.
We cannot picture It without seeing
the spangled Christnas tree girt with
the faces of gleeful youngsters, glad
parents and happy bodies returned
home from town or far metropolis. It
sounds like bells- and crackling logs
and shouts of ch'Mren. And even our
old, round shouldered, sorrow ridden
planet, with hi eye knocked out on
his cheek, pauses to smile from sea
to sea, and love Is everywhere rejuven
ated. James Whltcoinb Riley.
Good Old Soul.
"Why haven't you gone,'
they
asked him,
'To your snowy mountain
ranges t"
"I'm v:aiting," said Santa Claus,
"to make
The regular exchanges."
Christmas Anticipation.
don't believe the approach of
Christ 7na8 brings you a single joy
ous anticipation," said the sweet
young thing.
"Don't ehf" replied the savage
bachelor. "Listen to my secret.
That youngster on the third floor
is sure to get a tin trumpet for a
present."
"Yes."
"Then he will get careless and
leave it on the hall floor. And
then I shall step on it with both
feet. Don't you call that a joyous
anticipatio7if"
A Long List.
Parke Have you decided what
to give your wife for Christmant
Lane Not yet. There are so
many things I can't afford.
Judge.
The Canny Scot at Yule.
A commercial traveler had
taken a large order in Scotland
for a consignment of hardware
and endeavored to press upon the
canny Scottish manager who had
given the order a Christmas gift
of a box of Havana cigars.
"Naw," he replied, "Don't try to
bribe a man. I cudna tak them,
and I am a member of the kirk."
"But will you not accept them
as a Christmas present?"
"I cudna," said the Scot.
"Well, then," said the traveler,
"suppose I sell you the cigars for
a merely 7iominal sum say, six
pence?" "Weel, in that case," replied the
Scot, "since you press me, and,
not liking tae refuse an offer weel
meant, I think I'll be taking two
boxes."
The Spirit
Of Giving
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
When love shall open wide thy waiting
hand
To lessen want and dry some bitter
tear.
Souls are there ma7iy, 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, most of all, do not forget, give
love;
Since giving is the truest way to live.
And richest 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, 0 my brothers, every one!
Let the true Christ in your own soul
be born;
Thus thoji canst be God's well beloved
son
And make each dawn a joyous
' Christmas mom!
Minneapo.lis Journal.
Test Your Gifts.
IIBISTMAS gifts should be free
from frippery, mere temporary
worth, the solely worldly or ma
terial value. This Is the first test
genuineness.
The second, a Christmas gift should
be in keeping with one's purse unos
tentation. A Christmas gift should display good
taste carefulness.
A Christmas gift should confer a real
benefit thoughtfulness.
A Christmas gift should produce un
feigned pleasure Interest.
A Christmas gift should be some
thing you would wish associated with
thoughts of yourself friendship.
A Christmas gift should, If possible.
be something that can be shared with
others kindliness.
A Christmas gift should, as long as
It lasts, give as much delight as on
Christmas morning quality.
A Christmas gift should be some
thing you yourself would be glad to
possess slnceri ty.
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 given by you
to your friend satisfaction. Chris
tian Herald.
All the Year Round.
Christmas comes all the year. Christ
mas Is giving.
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 dell-
ate pleasures of Christmas spring from
the gifts we make to others, from
he happiness we can impart to others,
from the abandonment of ourselves to
another's Joy.
The more utterly we lose ourselves
In the lives of others the more we are
keeping Christmas. The losing of our
own life, to find it in another, Is for
ever the Christmas token. It was of
this the herald angels sang.
It was this the good shepherds wor
shiped. And this is 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 carol, 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 as the opening of
"Gloria In Excelsis Deo." The word
carol seems to be derived from the
Italian verb carolare to sing imply
ing a joy song, an outburst of exuber
ance. In the time of Chaucer, who
died in 1-100, this word usually meant
simultaneous dancing and singing.
GryduHly its secular origin was be
clouded, and nowadays a carol general
ly means a Christmas song of thanks
giving, though there were formerly not
only Easter carols, but also winter and
even summer carols. Living Church.
Keafltj liiilg
BY CHARLES
S. PEASE
(Copyright, 1917, Western Newspaper Union.)
OF course you want to know at once
how a Christmas tree can be any
more real than the one you had
last year, so I shall explain that the
tree Kalph and Ithoda had by accident
one winter was rooted in the ground
in the Lake Superior woods.
First you must be told that the town,
children up there had the good times
in both summer and wiuter, but the
miners' boys and girls had the hard
times all the year around, and that's
the reason why mother said to Ralph
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 any 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 wilt
telephone the mine captain that you
are coming."
"Just the very thing," said the chil
dren. And away they went soon after
m Ihristmas,
can think of for a jolly Christmas, Just ?
lots of gifts and royal trimmings for a
tree.
They were making good time alongr
the mountain side when Khoda stum
bled over a root.
When she tried to stand up again her
ankle would not work.
Of course Xlhodn would not hear of
leaving the miners' children's "Christ
mas" in the snow and coasting back
home. So Ralph went back to the
Halfway store for some help, hut the
place was locked and barred. Before'
they decided on what to do next a flock
of the mine children came racing dowa
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
farther along," they explained.
When they found that Rhoda was
hurt they wanted to take her home,
but she wouldn't listen to a word of It. K
"I'm going right up to see that tree
properly trimmed and hung with these
things," announced thst young lady
and, being of the sturdy and determin
ed kind, tried to forget the pain.
So the swiftest runners of the mine
boys started back to get a sled to car
ry Rhoda to the summit.
Before the ambulance corps could re
turn, down came one of those howling
blizzards so dreaded in the rough
northern country, and there was noth
ing for it but to retreat and take refuge
in the Halfway store. This old log-
house proved a hard nut to crack, but
Ralph finally managed to get In
through a rear window and soon had a
roaring fire going in the big stove. The
plucky lads got back from the moun
tain, and everybody thanked his lucky
stars to be safe and warm. Out
side the storm roared and the trees
bent low in the gale. All the evening
Rhoda 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 hof that
Rhoda squealed when her nurse put
the swollen ankle into it, and these
two girls, one who ha l a lovely home
and rich furs and mnny other fine
things and the little ioor girl with a
warm Irish heart, sat up till "till hours."1
During the night the storm turned to-
rain and then It became 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 be 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 Rhoda.
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 onegreat,
dazzling emerald wltS pearly Icicles;
hanging all over it.
When night came, clear and perfect
ly still and Inky black the rescue par
ty found a celebratioa going on the
like of which had neier been known.
The children had taken hundreds of
miners' candles from the store and
had wired them all over the. hemlock.
All the presents and tl.e gilt ropes and
the other ornaments had been hung:
nbout the branches, nd the candles
lighted.
Rhoda, half smothe.red in furs and
tucked up on a high seat, was mistress
of ceremonies, while a ring of singing,
dancing children circled around the
tree, and In the background, all about
the dense forest, shot back millions of
sparks of light
1