North Carolina Newspapers

-THE- ! - i i Gbastham & Pittman, Propriety. PROVE ALL THINGS AND HOLD FAST TO nTIIAT WHICH IS GOOD." $1.00 Per Ypnr T Advrcei VOL. V. DUNN, N. C, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1895 NO. 49. 1 I Now the Christmas time is near, Ani the stores are bright, but dear Li' lie voices may we hear Lisping sweet At our feet "Santa Clans." And the cherubs are not dumb, With their with: "I want a drum, Tell us, won't you, when he'll come? Dear mama , Good rapa Fanta Claus." "I want a dolly!"' princess cries; "One that opens and shuts it3 eyes." Another cherub, still, but wise, Mutters. "Bricks, JjOts of tricks Santa C'.aus." Chorus still of cherub joys: "Ma, tell him to briu us boys' Knives, and skates, and lots of toys." Babysins: "Me want 'ing1? Kanta Ctaus." So they chatter as lhjpy play, Curly heads both grave and Ray. Uring them pleasure while you may; Youth will fly, HOpc will die Santa Claus. MISS ENID'S PRESENT. BY AUGUSTA IIAXCOCK. k SS ENID tt the fire in the oak parlor, and frezed into the hrijrht flarnes as i she saw there Korno very lovely picture of the past. "Pretty Miss Enid" they sometimes called her in the parish, and well armlied. the adjective was -"Fweet was bf r smile, and so tender and gentle v.era the eoft tone3 of her voice. And he was not really old, nothing like the conventional old maid of t'torv-book fame. She was fcimply "Miss Enid" no longer very young-, Lut with a past that had brought to her gladness and then sor row, and that had taught her a life long lesson of the tenderest, purest fympathy in and with the eniiles and the tears of others. No one came to Mibs Enid for help and went away comfortless ;-no one ever told her tome heartfelt story of grief and cariness, and did not leceive sweet consolation iu return. Miss Enid's treat heart was ever open, ever ready to condole with tho bereaved, to smile hopefully upon the young and the j.rueDt toiler, to bring a message of patience to the 6ick and the sorrowing is fact, to minister to each and every one as they needed her sweet helpfulness. And yet and yet Miss L nid had known sorrow, the greatest nml the deepest sorrow that can come iAo a woman's life and blot out for- b iverlhe sunshine from the pathway! And she ' was tainting cf the past . t-v-niht, this Christmas time, when tvt ry one was happy in the society of their dear ones, and when love and i 'y were the theme of every hymn and his them that was sung in the great church yonder, the church she had so recently left. She had been twining btautilul wreaths for pillar and pulpit wreaths of holly and ivy and box, and the vicarage children had helped her, pricking their small fingers with the sharp holly leaves, and tying her string into innumerable tangled knots. Yi.t she loved them so much, the darlings, that she was only too happy to have them near her, to hear their little bright voices, to see their rosy faces, 'and to feel the soft touch of their 6oft hands as they hung about ht-r trying so hard to help "dear Miss Enid." "We love you so much, you know," graj-ejed Angela had said, "that we "want to do all we can, and it isn't very much, but we does our best." And Bobby had broken in with an Recount of the Christmas card that he meant to send Miss Enid a very gor geous production from the village frhop, in the purchase of .rhich and similar treasures the childrenVmoru ig had been happily spent. And Miss Enid thanked him before and, stooping down to kiss the bonny lit tle face, and . assuring him that she would like it very much, and would keep it always in memory of him. 'That's right," the little boy said, heartily. "'lis quite the proper thing to say, isn't it, Marjorie?" And Marjorie and Angela nodded assent as the nurse came to carry them & home to the vicarage tea. Miss Enid bad declined their en- tcu.-iastic invitation to accompany tilt m something had sent her thoughts back to the past with a- sud kn rush of memory, and the scene wound seemed strangely dreamlike tad unreal. She i'astened up the long niU of her wreath and put on her c'oaii, and then, Defore her fiignt was Noticed, she slipped away, out into the uarkness and tho stillness of the inter's evening. She wanted to be "tone, to think- she had not had much tae to think, lately, there was always to much to do ; and then she had been K ai oi it before, for tho memories of htisimas time were genernlly ead f teu Ut uow sIie lonSed for quietude, or the sympathy of ner own thoughts 4 ot the dreams of that bitter sweet I J, the p&st that had so strangely fected ail her life. Ami And once in her cosy oak parlor, in ber own chair by the bright fireside, she lay back with half closed eves and gave herself up, for a brief time nt any rate, to tho memory of the past. It was not a very eventful past, n ter all, ihat the children's talk of Christ mas had brought back to her. She was younar then, that wa3 all.5 and life -was rose-tinted with health and happiness and should she con fess it, eveu to herself? love! Yes, she believed that love had come to her, as it comes once, and only once in a lifetime, to every one. And yet no voice had ever whispered to her that a true heart wa-s hers fcr always:, no lip3 had ever pressed her own in the glad rapture of a lover's kiss no sweet, strong arms had enfolded her and held" her captive ah, me, no! And yet, and yet! There were half spoken' words imprinted in her mem ory ; there were tender glances, and wonderful smiles, such as love, and love only, couhl awaken ; there was a What "We hung up our sldckinqs oa Christmas Eve On the kaobs at the foot of the bad. "We shall fludtaern crammad with beautiful things When we wake ia the rnarain," we said. Wo tried very hard!to keap awake To see Santa Claus when he came. Bat I dropped asleep very quickly indeed, And Eveline did ths same. face a beautiful, brave face that dwelt safely shrined forever in the depths of Miss Enid's heart the face of one who haij suraly, surely loved her once, in the long ago ! And she fancied sometimes that he meant to tell her so, that the words had trembled oh his lips, the words that would have! changed her life and his so greatly ! jShe had read part of his story in his eyes clear, grave eyes that were truth and honesty it self and yet he had never uttered what his heart surely knew well, and she had never listened to the sweetest words that the human ear can hear. For the old, o!d reason. He was poor and proud, so much, to win and he wanted, oh! honor and fame for had gone on, mean- his love and he ing perhaps to tell her if tunitv offered before the tho oppor end. And suddenly their parting had come, and sue had known that ho must go away from her. He had told her so him self, walking home from the old church at Christmas tiuie, under tho stars. "Wish me God-speed, will you not?" he had asked her, and her gentle voiec had bidden himj farewell quietly and evenly, so that he never knew how deep was the pain in the loving heart, or how near the tears were to the pretty eyes thatj strove so bravely to smile on him tor, the last time. And now, he thought to himself, how he would tell her everything 1 He would ask her to wait for him, to be his wife when he came back again with fame and fortune to lay at her feet. And the stars shone down on. them as they went up the quiet lane, as if to bless his plan. But Bomb one had joined them as they went an unwholesome third. Enid's little thoughtless cousin,' who little guessed, poor child, the sorrow that her presence brought. And there had only besn time for "Good-by" ak the gate, for he would not come in, he said only "Good-by" and a trem ulous hand shake- and he was gone. And Mis3 Enid's lova story had never really begun it had only been a dream, perhaps, who was to know? So the long yeara had passed, tak ing one by one of her loved ones away, as the autumn takes the flowers that are wearied with the long, long summertime, until she was left alone alone in the pretty old house where the swallows built under the eaves in the spring, and where the garden was ablaze with roses and syringa and clematis all through the summer. And the children of tho village were her friends, and the vicarage babies came and'grew up like flowers around her, weaving themselves into her calm, sweet life, so she had something to love, and no one ever knew how some times she longed and yearned until her heart felt almost breaking for what? Ah, dear hearts, ! cannot tell you. Kris Kringlb Eat when the morning began to break I sa idenly woke up quite, And looked to S83 if dear Santa Claus Hal thought of us iatb.9 night. When, oh! how jri.sj'atenel I wab! I heard A noise by the foot of th 3 bod. I whispered, "It must be Santa Claus." "Yes, it must be," Evollm said. You must picture for yourselves a lonely woman one who could love deeply, truly, passionately, one to whom little children turned 'as to a mother's protecting cire, to slumber peacefully on her tender bosom or to smile up into the sweet face above them. Picture that to yourselves, and then tell me for what it was that my dear Mis3 Enid longed so much some times. - She was very good and sweet and patient, but she was very human, after all but a woman at heart and every woman yearns at some time or other of her life for love. Christmas Day broke white ' and calm and beautiful, for snow had fallen in tho night an 1 the whole world was shining. And Miss Enid, a3 she sat at her solitary breakfast table, hearing a number of voices, without, smiled expectantly. Were not the children coming to give her Christmai presents, and would they not ba de lighted with tho purchases that she had made for them? And she glanced towards a pile of neatly wrapped par cels with some pleasure they, were just the things that she knew they wanted. As the door burst open, the four children crashed in, in even wilder spirit than Christmas Day usually called forth. "Merry Kis'mas, Merry Kis'mas," shouted Bobby, holding up his rosy mouth for a kiss. "We've got a big present for you, 6ucha beauty ; mother said you would like him." "Hush, Bobby," the little girls said hastily; "Miss Enid, dear, don't mind what he" savs. Mother's love and all of ours, and oh I" forgetting all their de mureness and dinging two pairs of arms around her neck at once, "we'll bring it this minute. Promise that you'll be pleasedV' But Miss Enid's promise was never made, for at that instant the door opened again, ana some one, tired of waiting outside, came in ! There was a shout from the children, and a cry, a pdacl, startled, tender cry, from Miss Enid and then everything else was forgotten, and the astonished bairne3 saw their friend's slender form clasped closely in -the arms of the "present," who was usuallv called by them "Uncle Edward." "Darling, darling," they heard him say, and just then Angela, with wonder f nl tact, discovered the pile of parcebj addressed to each of them, and sug gested that ttwy should carry them into the kitchen to show to old Jennie, which the children were nothing loth to do, leaving the lovers alone to their wonderful new-found bliss ! "And I've forarettedto give her my Kis'mas card, after all, and bootiful money-box that I brought on pur pose," said Bobby just as he was going to be I oa Christmas night, very much aggrieved. "Give her the card to-morrow," Sent. We waited to S33 what his face would be, And my heart wont pit-a-pat-pat ! (And Eveline said hers di i the same), -Till we hoard the miau of a cat. There were two little kitties. A lovely pres ent For Christmas, I thin!:, don't you? And father says, "Well, it was Santa Claus," And Eveline says so too. suggested Bonald, and Marjorie said, "And the money-box would do for a wedding present, you know, Bobby. Mother says 'tis to be soon." And then she added, what every one said that happy day when they heard of the wanderer's return, "Daar Miss Enid." Christmas in Sweden. At Christmas the royal family of Sweden assemble, a3 many as are in Stockholm at the time, exchanging presents on Christmas Eve, according to the Swedish custom. The Kins: and Queen give sums of money for chari ties, which are remembered every year. , The grand New Year's ball given in the beautiful "White Halt" in the royal palace is the uextj great public occa sion. The absence of the Q ieen and Crown Princes from the court assem blies detracts much from its former -brilliancy and life. The young Princes are much courted and are invited to innumerable balls durin? the season. Being fond of sports they have a royal ice ekating club, which takes the lead among clubs of that kinl. - Every Monday, beginning in Janu ary, the court is seen gliding on ice under the glare of lanterns, and danc ing on skates to the tones of an orches tra. ' Sleighing parties, balls and the opera occupy gay society in Stockholm dur ng the winter season. "I might say that I feel drawn to you," as the turkey remarked to the man who had won him in a raffle.' Buffalo Courier. Cobble "Well, I suppose I'll have to eat my Christmas turkey in a board ing house this year." Stone "That's tough." Life, CHBIsTHAS eyergreexs. How They "Were Kirst Used In Oiden Times, Among the votaries of the early Druids there was a superstition that the houses should be decorated with evergreens in December, in order that the sylvan spirits might enter them and thus be kept free from the blast of the cold North wind and the frost, until a milder season renew the foliage of their usual haunts. The Christmas tree is really from Egypt, where the palm tree puts forth h branch every month, and where a spray of this tree', with twelve 6hoots on it, was used iu Egypt at the time of the winter solstice, as a symbol of the year completed. Who does not know the poem begin ning The mistletoe bun? In the castle hall. The holly branch shone on the old oa'i wall. Years ago over every man's door in England hunsr a sprisr of mistletoe at this season. There still hovers a mys tic charm about the mistletoe, and many a girl now, with a thril of ex pectancy, places a branch of it under the chandelier or over the door. Ac cording tl a former belief, when a girl is caught and kissed under the mistletoe a berry must be picked off with each kiss, and when the berries have all been plucked the privilege ceases. Among the ancient Britons the mis tletoe that grows on the oak tree was the kind held in favor. Because of its. heathen origin it is not often used in church lecoration?, a fact which is referred to by Washington Irving in his "Bracebridge Hall," where he has the learned parson rebuke the un learned clerk for this very thing. In Germany and Scandinavia the holly or holly tree is called Christ's thorn, because it puts forth its berries at Christmas time, and therefore is es pecially fitted for church decorations. With its glossy, dark leaves and bright, red berries, it is an attractive decora tion for the house. The Jews used to decorate at their Feast of Tabernacles with evergreens and flowers. The laurel was used .at the earliest times of the Bomans as a decoration for all joyful occasions, and is signifi cant of peace and victory. In some places it is customary to throw branches of laurel on the Christ mas fire and watch for omens while the leaves curl and crackle in the heat and flame. The evei green tree is a symbol used as the Revival of Nature, which astro nomically signifies the return of the sun. Hung with lights and offerings, tne tree has for centuries been one of the principal characteristics of Christ -mastide. Assyrians Walchinjr the Mornin? Star. The Assyrian Christians, who live almost isolated from the Western world and the eastern regions of Asiatic Turkey, have a lovely custom on the early morning of Christmas. They all repair from their dwellings to the open air and wait for the morn ing star to rise, hailing its advent with deep devotion. In that land of cloud less skies the heavens present a spec tacle difficult to imagine in the foggy North, and the scene, as these simple and faithful believers stand or kneel outside their homes, looking toward the blue, star-spangled vault above, is well fitted to inspire devotion. It is only of late years that these poor As syrians have had any freedom in their religious rites, but tiow they enjoy comparative liberty. Christmas, among tnese people, is the great day for match-making. It is the only day in the year when the various " families mingle in common festivity, and the young folks, of both sexes, have an opportunity to meet each other. The daughter of marriageable age looks forward with longing for Christmas, when she may clasp the hand of the youth whose good looks and winning ways have won her heart; and none the less ardently does the boy lover long for the sacred morning to dawn, when he can freely avow his feelings to the choice of his affections. Hence Christmas among the . Assyrians is a day of rejoicings, apart from its holy character. Soon after Christmas the engagements are announced ; but wed dings usually do not take place until after Easter. Owing to the barbarity of the Turks, Christmas has not in frequently been a day of mourning among the Eastern Christians, com pelled to see their daughters borne into hopeless captivity ; but, except in Armenia, affairs are improving, and the Christian population enjoys com parative immunity. The Bird o! Dawning. A popular snperstition is that on the eve of Christmas the bird of dawning singeth all night long to frighten off any evil thin j. It was from this belief that Shake speare wrote : "Some say that ever 'gainst that season conies. Wherein our Saviour's birth is eelebrateJ, The bird of dawning sinsjeth all night long; And then, they say, no spirit dare3 stir abroad: The nights are wholesome, then no planets strike, No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm. So hallowed and bo graioms is the time." JOKERS' CHRISTMAS BOX. AlcSwatters "What are you going to hang up for Christmas?" McSwit ters "My watch, probably." Syra cuse Post. Jobson "Bill Ricketts took his new girl out sleighing on Christmas Eve." Hixon "What! that one armed feller? How in the world did he manage it?" Jobson "She drove." Puck. Hobbles "My wife's got me a box of cigars for a Christmas present. But I'll get even with her." Pomas "What will you do?" Hobbles I m going to select her next hat my Sejf." Chicago Record, " HOLLY Uf DECORATIONS. Its Red Berries a Beautiful Feature In Cfar'stmas Adornment. A picturesque shrub especially use ful at this time of the year in the holly, with its tough and shining spinous leaves and its pretty little fall, round berries. It is the only plant appro priate to this happy period that re lieves the deal green and monotonous white of the non-flowering plants and vines supposed to belong to Christmas and the days that follow Epiphany. Like the mistletoe, most of. the holly exposed for sale in American marts comes from Great Britain, j although some speceies of the plant grow in the Southern States. j The commercial holly, however, is out in Scotland and sent here in bags. It is most valuable to work up in com bination with laurel, ivy and mistletoe, intc wreaths, anchors, stars, crowns and other ecclesiastical designs, while for running decorations, that is long festoons and great sweeps of green, a few of the bright red berries wound in at regular intervals heightens the ef fect and relieves the eye. The favorite manner of arranging holly for sale is to. make it up into some one of the numerous designs ap- prooriate to tne clay and tne season. and thus most of the plant this year is fashioned. Holy sp expensive as the mistletoe more hardy and j lasting. It offered is not and is has no tradition connected with itj however, and thus loses its sentimental value. Bat to the decorator, the 'artist, the florist and the dealer it is one of tne best, most ornate, and ;suggestive plants for use at home or in public places that can be selected at this sea son, j Christmas in Pern. A Christmas celebration in Peru h"s peculiar features. Ia the cities, and more especially in Lima, there are be wildering scenes of activity on Christ mas Eve. The streets and square are crowded with a gayly dressed people. Droves of asses are to be seen in every direction, laden with fruits, boughs from the mountains, liquors and other merchandise. Ice stalls,' provided with chairs and benches, are crowded by the perspiring pleasure seekers, who find ico necessary on sultry Christmas. As night approaches the streets are packed with a noisy people, and joke and jest and merry prank become the rule. These are participated in mostly by strangely attired persons in mask. Musis of guitars, clattering castanets and pebbles rattling in gonrd3 nil the air with mingled discordant sounds. No door is closed. ' There is music and dancing and the distribution of gifts in every house. All are welcome to enter. Strangers are ; sure of a hearty welcome, and to be a foreigner is to have a double claim on hospital ity and to receive a double welcome. All ceremony and restraint are absent. In many houses the love of the Christ mas drama is shown by theatrical rep resentations of the Nativity, with the same characters as are seen the world over. Suddenlv the scene changes. The curtain falls on the play, .the musio and dancing cease, and the people go .... m ' 1 from tneir nomes. Tne mianignt oeu at the cathedral has summoned all to mass. The houses and streets are nearly deserted, while the churches, with their decorations and blazing tapers, are thronged. Worshipers are kneeling before the many shrines that line their walls, and wherever they can find a place where one bf the many waxen images of the saints are dis played. With the organ's peal, and the entering of the richly vested priests and plainly attired monks, jbegins the celebration of the mass. j Again, on Christmas morning, the streets are crowded and the markets are j thronged, but at 9 o'clock the churches are again filled. ) After the services come the feast and the games and the sports. When night comes there is a grand procession headed by the priests and monks, who are fol lowed by the soldiers and people. All are gayly dressed, and many in fan tastic costumes and masks.' Banners, flag?, streaming ribbons,! and green' boughs are carried, and musio fills the air. In tho midst of the j procession there ia held aloft the figure of the Madonna bearing in her arms the holy child. After a long -march tne procession returns to the; cathedral, there disbands, nd the Christmas Day celebration is at an end. j -I suppose they will roast me and then pull my leg for a dinner" re marked the turkey aa the -oven door hid him from view. Philadelphia Rec ord. -JO ' MMJa.. A MISTLETOE BAIiLOOX. LATEST HEWS IN BRIEF G LEANING b FK03I MANY POINTS Important Happenings, - Both Home and Foreign, Briefly Told. Newsy Soutnern Notes. Wednesday was the great day of the Charleston, S. 0., festival. The parage was witnessed by fully 30,000 people1. Two freight trains on the Air Line collided at Thickerty. S. C, on Thurs day night, and engineer Curlee was killed. . A premature explosion of powder and dynamite at La Folette, Campbell bounty, Tehn., Thurfiday afternoon, killed four men, and four others miy Lflie by the explosion. While attempting to step from a oving street car on Fourteenth street foi front of Peachtree Inn, Atlanta, M!r. H. L. Hart, of Palatka, Fla,, wks thrown backward, his head striking She pavemedt, producing injuries from which he died a few hours later. The towri of Titusville, Tex.,'w) r n nearly wiped out by lire Friday morn ing. Mr. O'Brien was burned to death while trying to get $18 left in his room. The loss is $100,000. Ham berg & Garner, merchants, are sus pected of incendiarism and are in juil and in danger of lynching. A. K. Ward, the forger whx was captured and brought back toc Me m- iphis, Teun., aft3r a sojourn in Hondu ras, nas been indicted nlty-nve times for forging as many notes. The amount of forged notes is over $80.- 000. Ward has emploved good Jaw vers and will! make a fight on the h ne of a general denial. I Northern News Notes. Hon. ' Allen G. Thurman. the Old Romat," died at his home in Colum bus, Ohio, onj Thursday. The physicians of Wyoming coun Pa., are greatly puzzled over the case of Mies Pearl Borton, who has bejen sleeping uninterruptedly since Novetn ber 27th. A San Francisco dispatch says Mica Millie ViolaJ annex-actress and aero naut, says she has come from Australia to go over the Niagara Falls in a barrel. To make the feat more difficult, ihe sajs she willjhave the barrel dropped from wTraiiOQh. Three corpses of women stolen from the cemeteries were discovered in the dissecting rooms of the Kansas Med ical College at Topeka, and the govjer- nor had to call out a military company to protect the college from mob at tack. The Exposition. Thursday was Tennessee Day at he Atlanta Exposition. Chattanooga Day was celebrated in fine style day. at the exposition Wednes- One of the .first fruits of the Atlahta Exposition, from a commercial (stand point, appears in the effort now being made to organize .a direct connection between tho Atlanta chamber-.' ot com meree and the commercial bodies Costa Rica. I Guatemala and Mexico. The idea is to establish a commercial museum in Atlahta with a permanent exhibition of the products of those countries, and also to establish in Costa Rica a eimular exhibit of the Uni States. ;ed At Dublin, Ireland, water burst into a colliery at' Cong, county Mayo, flood ed the shaft a depth ol lou leei drowned six men. and It ia announced that the Spanish cabinet has decided to resign owing to the recent against the popular demonstration ministers of finance, justice and public works, who supported he municipal authorities Great Britain is making issue with the United (States for the woundinri of Purser James H. Bane, of the British The lalffct ico-operative establishment ported is the big agricultural implement re- fac- tory to-te put up at Springfield, III., Patrons of Husbandry of twenty-two Stc It Is understood that tho concern will capitalized at t lOO.nOO. and that this c 09 be .ipi- taiisation will be doable 1 aarp eankquake shocks were felt at Ath eiis, Greece, nnd also at Chalchis, Livadle Thebis and Corinth. ' IT 13 ABSOLUTELY The Best SEWING! MACHINE SAVE MONEY -1 MADE nrw An Ann vwar.vrna mn all I tou machines cheaper Hi an yoaean get elsewhere. Tlic KEW HOME U oar best, bat-eve makecliesperklndi, neb as tbe CI.I7IAX, IOEAL and other Illsb Arm Full Nlefcel Plated Sewlnz Blacl2ne Tor $15.00 and tap. Call on our a;entxr write ua. o Trant your trade. if rrlcce- ttvcia teuJ xiumre aeau'ng will win, we xsill bare it. Wo challenge tbe world to produce a BirrXEIi $50.00 Sowtn?: jriaehlne for $SO.OO, or a better $20. SewlneCTachlnefor $20.00 tbaa fou can bur from u, or our Agent. , THR KEW HOME SEW1M EAdllSB W. PJLP W fl f - - FOR CALE DY GAINET & JOKUAN Burn, tf. p. .