North Carolina Newspapers

Advertising Brings Success.. That it. pays to advertise, in the (ioi.i 4t I.kak, i.-i nho'.vn bv it !! As an Advertising Medium The Gold Leaf stands at the head of Q newspajH'rs in this portion yir of the famou nin'u ao ven isnicoiuiDii.i SENSIBLE BUSINESS MEN On iit eoiitinuo tospei-i ioxi money where no "V BRIGHT TOBACCO DISTRICT j R The most wide-aw ake ami eucoful buf iue88 nen use its columns with the highest Hpjirec-isiUV returiiK are neeri. That is Proof that it Pays Them. i o jit Satisfaction and Profit to Themself6s. TflAD R. MANNING, Publisher. " 0r.oxi3st-a., Oaroltjnta, I3jBrE3sr,s Blessings -A-tteistid See,." SUBSCE1PTI0I $1.60 Cash . VOL. XYIL HENDERSON, N. C., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1897. y'-7 NO 3 Do YouUse It? It's the Lest thing for the hair under all circumstances. Just as no man by taking thought can add an inch to ! his statuie, so no preparation can make hair. The utmost , that can be done is to pro- ; mote conditions favorable to growth. l nis is none Dy Ayer's Hair Vigor. It re moves dandruff, cleanses the scalp, nourishes the soil in which the hair grows, and, ; just as a desert wilf blossom j under rain, so bald heads grow j hair, when the roots are nour ished. P.ut the roots must be there. If you wish your hair to retain its normal color, or if you wish to restore the lost tint of gray or faded hair use Ayer's Hair Vigor. Perfect Healths Is Man's Greatest Blessing. I n have e led health it is neces miv tlr.it the UIimmI tie jure, the Sy-tMii tree !ri,i poisonous germs tu hen-ditaiy taints. Asa perfect BLOOD PURIFIER 1 tills rveiy requirement. It is the Kiei'ites-t Fleaiwr of the system and pin itier of the blood extant. Scrofula, , Old Sores, Rheumatism, Eczema, Tetter, ami ; Skill iill ilie;ises of tl;e lIood ami iva lily yielil to its treatment r disappoints. It has cured Nev. othei will s it will cine you. A trial convince. Write for testimo II i.i 1 s Kin ol Postoflice anil Laboratory itKi.i.. N. C. d in Henderson by the Dorsey Drug Co., Phil H. Thomas, and W W. F'arker. 5. flcCOIN, ATTORNEY AT LAW, HIINDiiRSON, - - - N. C. Otlice upstairs in Harris' law building near Court House. FRANCIS A. MACON, SurQeon Dentist, I IKNDERSON, NORTH CAROLINA All work in operative and mechanical deiii-try. No charjie for examination. ihce: Dr. l'.oyd's old rooms, over ' iiuper t Mitchell's store. J. II. mcnfGKits, AI'TOUNKY AT LAW, ti h;j i n; !, i. :v. tice: In. Harris' " la w: ji.uildini? neai f'l'.irt house. ... .. ..: .: j 1 1 . f. s ,.' 1 1 a I? i i I s ,. DENTIST. UKND'KRS'OX; N. C :"():lice over K. . Davis' store. Main streie. Ian. 1-8. are a source of co-aifort.-They are a source vi care;- aiso. If you care for ypur, child's health, send for illustrated book on the disorders to which children are . subject, and which Frcy's Vermifuge has cured for 5a years. Pu bottle by luail for.?5 eeutl. E. - S.. KII E Y, Italtlraort, JId, ENNYROYAL PSLLS .Orlgmal Mil nlj licnulnft. PARKER'S HAIR BALSAM l'tumotea lnxur:nl frrowth. Never Pil to Beitore Qrmj Hir to its Youthful Color. Cure r;p d:M hair (au. gV.nl 1 1) tIrugi HOLD FAST CLOTHES LINE HANGER. A new and useful device which every family will luy, is sold only throusli lo cal agents. Simple and strong; can be put u; anywhere; securely holds rope or wire ; i n-ti nt adjustment ami removal of line; !i props needed. Sells on sight. Popular l-i ice. Agents wanted everywhere. Ex clusive territory. Attractive terms. Pre niiunms and profit-sharing. Anyone may become agent. Sample pair, by mail, 25c. K.elso Novelty Co., 528 Locust St., Philadelphia. r?ii j 'Kip p I Ju -n ptxici'B tT "particular. ( itiiB. uu; mi. t W KeUtf Tor Ijh.k-." ! rctttrn OIL ON THE WATEKS. A TALE OF TWO CHKISTM ASE1 "Well, this has been what I call a ChristmaB, " eaid Ben Ilabberton, with ; a great sigh of content as he threw him- j self into an easy chair in the great guest ; r-Yi 0 ... I ... 4 V. n f r- I. 1.1. A 4.1 1 ! iTi mail naa ills luj. iuu lllllo ctiiU etretched his feet out toward the cheery log fire. "Now, I imaginft," he went on, talk ing to himnelf in a light hearted way, "that a few days of this kind of life "OH, MY BOX! HOW COULD YOU DO 1T" wonld tempt even mo to give up knock ing about the world and settle down, as they all want mo to. By George, I have n notion to do it. Mother says that granddad wants somebody to look after the estate, and if he could only trust me he would bo glad to have mo do it. "Confound it all, that's what sticks in my crop. Nobody ever trusted mo so far as I know, and I never would ex plain anything, no matter how suspi cious the circumstances might bo. So 1 always got blamed for everything. Hanged if I don't think that even moth er used to think I took all the cream that any of tho cats stolo. "Foolish, of course, to run away and go to sea, but what could a fellow do when he is always getting into scrapes and is too proud to deny anything even when ho isn't guilty? Well, I've seen half a dozen years of life and had a good fling out of it, but I don't remember that I ever did anything to be ashamed of. Hello! Who's there? Come in, the door isn't locked. Why, mother, is it you? Crying? What on earth is the mat ter?" Springing to his feet, he took the poor little lady in his arms and placed her carefully in tho big chair. Then pulling a stool forward ho sat on it at her feet, and laying his head in her lap said: There, mother. Do you remember, this is the way I used to sit when I was a little fellow? Now tell me all about it. What has happened?" But she only sobbed tho harder for a time, and at length when she could command her voico she cried out pas sionately, "Oh, my son, my son, how could you do it?' ' Tho curly head was lifted instantly, and tho handsome, boyish face grew sul len and hard. Recklessness and pride were Ilabberton family traits, and Ben, though a younger son, was a true Hab berton. So ho said nothing, knowing that he would hear more presently, and ho did, for soon his mother talked on weakly and, if she had only known it, foolish ly: "You know your grandfather air ways .suspected you of being wild, and after you went tq sea, Jib always said you'd coitfe to spine bad end, and I had hard work to get him to ask you here for Christmas, but after you came he liked you ever so much. Ho would not have asked you to sit with him this afternoon if he hadn't, and even when he dropped asleep and you left tho room he wasn't angry. lie said of course yon wanted to be with tho young folks. But how could you take that money? You ought to havo asked mo if you needed any. I know you said you had come back as poor as you went away, but I did not think you needed it right away. I can return it to your grandfather, of courso, but he is so angry that he says ho will have you arrested in the morn ing, and I do believe, Ben, that ho would have made yon his heir. How could you do it, Ben?" Ben had grown very white, and his fists were clinched tightly when his mother paused, but he said quietly: "So you and granddad have discovered that I am a thief, have you? How did yo:u find, it put:?'-'- ' . ' ; .. . Whyj he had iii .bills.- in his writing desk. It seems, ho sdyp-'it ther just before yon went to his room, and there was no one else there up- to the time ho missed it. " ';-'. "So he says I stolo it, does he?" "Don't . use such words, Ben. Of courso you didn't mean it for stealing, but I am afraid he will havo you arrest ed and think of tho disgrace! Why didn't you ask mo for money, Ben?" It was something like, ah imprecation that tho young sailor muttered under "he is GOXE." his breath as ho rose to his feet and walked up and down tho room for a f ev moments. But no word more of any kind could his mother get from him un til she had exhausted herself with weep ing and pleading Then he led her to X lliiv -XtJ" JM-M.XS A V V V JL : Experience in her room, and, kissing her tenderly, bade her good night Going back to his own room, he re sumed his reverie. ' ' Well, ' ' he thought, "I had a merry Christmas, for it's alt er 12 o'clock. And now for the old life. Cowardly, folks would call it, I sup pose, to run away with a charge like that over my head, but I don't think it is. If I stay, the old man will surely make a row in the morning and there will be a great scandal. If I go, he will be too proud to make the scandal for nothing. He will call $500 a cheap price to get rid of good for nothing me, and that will be the end of it Poor mother thinks I'm guilty, too, but they won't tell anybody else for shame's sake, and if they can't trust me let them think what they wilL "Five hundred dollars, " he muttered, with a nasty sort of laugh, under his breath. "That's rather a small sum to turn thief for, but I wish I had a hundredth part of it just to get grub till I strike another job. I could get it frcm mother easily enough, but I'd rather go hungry than take it from her, thinking what she doea "But it's best for me to go. I would not care so much about if it it weren't for Alice. Perhaps that's best too. I don't know whether she would care. Probably I never will know now, so here goes. " And opening his window carefully and noiselessly he swung himself out on a hugo vine that clung to the side of the house, and, lowering himself hand over band, he was soon on the ground. It was only five miles to town, and he was there long before daybreak. Now Alice was a certain wide eyed, clear wittcd, young second cousin of this headstrong youth. They had never met till three days before, but great things are done in three days when Cu pid lurks around old fashioned country houses where the mistletoe is used among the decorations, and Ben was very much mistaken in thinking she wouldn't care. She would and she did. Being quick witted, Alice was also impulsive, and sometimes it was well that she was so. On the morning after Christmas she passed old Mr. Habber ton's door very early on her way down stairs and was greatly surprised to hear angry words inside. As the door was open she entered. "I tell you he stole tho money, and I shall send for the police," stormed the old man, and Ben's mother, who had been pleading for mercy, gave up the j struggle. "I would have sent las; night if it hadn't been Christmas. " "Why, who has been stealing, Uncle Ralph?" asked Alice. Even in his anger the old man paused. It seemed a cruel thing to accuse one of "fT'LL-' BE. A . MERRY CHRISTMAS, AFTER ALL.!'' JIB' EXCLAIMED. '-..; his own- kin, biii. 'the .case was too clear. "That young rascal, Ben!" he exclaim ed and told tho story of the money. : Then Alice had occasion if never be fore, to be thankful for her quicknesa "I don't think Ben looks like a thief," ghc said, "but, uncle, you say you saw the money in your desk just before he came in. " "I certainly did," said Mr. Habber ton. "But are you sure you left it there?" asked the girl. The old man looked at her in surpriso Then one emotion chased another across his rugged features until presently ho sank back in his chair with an expres sion of great disgust at himself. "I'm surely getting old," he exclaim ed. "I put it in the safe and forgot that I had done so. Uim't h?t anybody tell Ben thaj J siispected- him. " Bjot.i tald Mi ist -night, " eaid his ui.eit.rier. -. . "Then' $p tiflickiy aiid; tell him to ..ceiMU.'heEe .till I ai;61wgi:?"e, Yeu haye all of yeii' beVii' too'. risij-ly i. accuse that boy all ;his. life,-'-':. .v ' This .-seenre'd '-father- 'hard, to Alice, who had - certainly -never; afccjis, X -Ben of anything, biit that wise. young VVQm aii he ld her tongue while. Mrs. H'ablber to:i hurried out of the room. . In a few moments she returned", ex elaiming, "He is gonel" . '. .. Lighthouse 34 was situated about half a mile from tho mainland on the point of a reef that lay irregularly parallel to the shore, leaving plenty of clear, watey between. The coast was; rocky, and the light was maintained as a warning, for a vessel that should approach top near was liable to be dashed to pieces on hid den rocks anywhere within a mile or two. The lighthouse keeper had a helper, so that usually there were two men on guard at o4, but leave of absence for one of them was obtainable at times, and it happeutd a vear after Ben Habberton had left his grandfather's house that the keeper had gone to spend a few days with his family at Christmas time, and Ben, who was .the. helper, was alone bri the reef. Long after midnight Christmas morn ing that impetuous youth sat up in the. lighthouse tower, gazing, out at the fur rious storm that raged and meditating by no means pleasantly on the events of the year: : : ' " ' -'.; :; --. .... : ; "I shall go melancholy mad if I .stay here long, '' ;h"e thp for . a young man.' and- I jvish mother VUVUrjl4UllUU till V tlU W J the Warehouse business. . AN IMPOSING RITUAL CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION AMONG THE FRENCH CANADIANS. Where the Day Is More of Holy Day Than a Holiday and Where Gifts to the Little Folk Are Not Credited to Santa Claus. Jean Eaptiste Leblanc of lower Cana da has this advantage over his cousins in the rest of the Dominion, that his Christmas celebrations are not confined to one day, but are divided between that great holiday and New Year's. Then agaiu he has the further advan tage of an early start, for while the Eng lish folk are still sleeping snugly in their warm beds he is out attending mass at church or cathedral. Indeed it may be said with truth that Christmas among tho French Canadians is more of a holy day than a holiday, as it consti tutes one of the four great church festi vals of the year. The celebration of the day begins at midnight on Christmas eve, when, sum moned by the chimes of the bells, all good Catholics who can manage it crowd to the sacred edifices, which are appropriately adorned for the occasion, and there take part in an elaborate serv ice lasting nearly two hours. The splen dor of this service, of course, varies ac cording to the equipment and facilities of the establishment, being compara tively simple in the remote country churches, while in the large edifices it becomes a superb religious function.. : The midnight mass in Notre Dame church or St James' cathedral, Mont' real, celebrated as it is before congre gations of many thousand people, is perhaps the most imposing and awe in spiring religious ritual to be witnessed upon this continent. The musical fea tures of these services always receive eareful attention, with the result that the whole proceeding is made so inter esting as to attract large numbers of Protestants who are willing to forego the comforts of sleep in order that they NOTRE DAM K CATHEDRAL, MONTREAL, . may be spectators of the proceeding, To what extent this is the case may be judged from the fact that for the mid night mass in the Jesuits' church of Montreal, where the musio is always of an exceptionally high order: Those not having the right to a seat in the church may obtain one by payment of a fee, and these seats may be reserved in advance, just as they may be for the theater or the opera. Nor is this the only important re ligious function of the day. In many places there is also an evening service, where again the proceedings are very elaborate and ornate and the music very beautiful. Since the advent of electrici ty and its wonderful adaptation to pur poses of ornament there has been added to this vesper service in Notre Dame church a novel and striking feature in the sudden illumination of the great altar. Just when darkness has enshroud ed the vast edifice by means of innumer able electric bulbs cunningly concealed in the intricate and florid carvings the whole altar front is instantaneously il luminated, producing an effect which cannot be adequately described in words.. In the rural districts the midnight hadn't asked me not to go to sea again. I was a fool to make her even that half promise not to. Well, she knows where I am by this time, and if she doesn't write and let me off from what I said I must leave here and look for something on shore. This is neither land nor sea. "I wonder what granddad thinks and how he came to make such a mistake. Confound him! He ought to know that a Habberton couldn't be a thief. It was just like him, though, to jump at the conclusion that I had done something wrong. Every one in the family is hasty except me. Hello 1 What's that?" He had seen a faint gleam out at sea, and watching as only a sailor can watch he soon saw another. "It is certainly a rocket," he exclaim ed, talking to himself as his habit was when ho was excited. "Some vessel is in distress God help her and all aboard if they can't keep her offshore, and if she is disabled in any way that'll be hard work against this gala If she's one of these coasting steamers and her machinery's broken down it's all day with her, for there's uo anchorage out side the reef, and there's not a chance in 5,000 of her driving in behind with out striking. " It was a coaster, and she was certain ly beyond the control of those on board, for as he looked rocket after rocket went up in vain appeal, as it seemed. There was no life saving station within 15 miles, and Ben's eye was the only one that saw. - Nearer and nearer she came, driven by the awful power of the worst storm Ben had ever seen. Fascinated by the sight, he sat as if frozen, watching for the tragedy that seemed inevitable.:- He thought of the little boat below," but it was a hopeless thought Twenty men could not have launched her from the rocks in the breakers that were dashing up, and no one mail cm." have rowed her a rod if she had been afloat. All he could do was to sit and watch He could see the hip now from time to time as she rose and fell on the waves, bnt every time she sank from sight he thought must surely be the last. He knew the cruel rocks that lay below the surface. No earthly pilot cold have guided her among those rocks to the lee of the reef on which the lighthouse stood, but it was not written that she should be wrecked that Christmas day Lying helpless in the trough of the sea, she drifted past rock after rock till Ben saw with amazement that she was float ing in behind the reef, and still he watched with straining eyes. Suddenly he sprang to his feet with a shout like a crazy man, and, rushing down the stairway four steps at a time, he seized an ax and a big pannikin in the room below and ran out . into the storm. A thought had come to him of one chance in a 'million, and he was after that chance;- A single, blow smashed in the head of a hogshead, and in another instant he was scooping out the oil it held with the pannikin and scattering it like mad as far as he could in every direction The wind carried it all toward the ves sel, and the great wonder of the sea was wrought almost in a minute, for as the oil fell the waves abated, so that the ship was immediately in smooth water. Overboard went her anchors as quickly as the captain could give the order, and she was safe. ... For the rest of the night Ben watch ed, throwing a little more oil from time to time, and in the morning, the storm having abated, he rowed out in his small boat to the ship's side. As he stepped on her deck the captain greeted him with such thanks and praise as could only be given by one who had just been saved from destruc tion. Then as the passeugers crowded up to have their say Ben saw, to his amazement, his grandfather, his mother and Alice- "We came after you, my boy," said the old man, "as soon as your letter to your mother came. . You must come home again, this time to Btay. " : Ben looked at his mother and then at Alice. In both their facts he saw what he looked for, and then he answered: V "It'll be a merry Christmas after all, granddad," he exclaimed with a happy laugh. And it was. ' David A. Curtis. . We terviec, if not so sumptuous in its ap pointments, is indubitably more pictur esque, for there, as the hour approaches, one sees the great Etone church that dominates the parish lit like a vast lan tern, and stretching from it on either hand the homes of the habitants, each one doing its little best in loyal imita tion. Hardly havo the big bells in the tower begun to ring out their clear call upon the crisp, cold air than the little bells on the horses' necks send back tinkling responses as one after another the carioles appear upon the road and speed swiftly toward the church. The houses are .awake and ablaze all night, for when the long service at last comes to an end the congregation does not go quietly home, but breaks up into little groups, usually consisting of fam ily circles, that with chattering and laughter hasten indoor to enjoy the bountiful supper which is the reward of their piety and at which by immemorial custom doughnuts and potted head form the pieces de resistance. These family gatherings are perhaps the cheeriest of all the year. The strangeness of the hour, the sense of satisfaction at hiving done their duty as good Catholics, the inspiration, no doubt, gathered from the service they have just attended and the fact that the day already broken in to is to be given up to pleasuring to the full extent of their ability, all these in fluences not only combine to put every body into the best of humor, but to pro duce an exultation of spirits that drives all care and worry into temporary obliv ion. For those who are very piously dis posed this midnight mass by no means completes the religious programme of the day, for if they so choose they may again attend high mass at lO'clock, vespers at 2 o'clock and benediction at 7 o'clock, thus practically upending the day in the church. Not many, however, are so devout as all this, and the majority of tho men go in for a good time, according to their taste, whether it be to gather at the tavern and play cards and checkers, or to regale one another with well worn stories garnished with tobacco and eau de vie, or to engage in horse racing, shooting matches and similar b ports. As I have already stated, Jean Bap tiste divides his Christmas. By this I mean that two important features of the festival as celebrated by English people on the 25th day of December are j reserved by the French for the 1st day of January namely, the giving of pres- I ents and indulgence in especially good j fare. With regard to the giving of pres ents, in which the French take just as much delight as the English, it is in- 1 teresting to note that these etrennes, as they are called, are by the little folk credited not to Santa Claus, but to le petit Jesu and are perhaps all the more enjoyed on that account. As to the culinary characteristics of the day, my readers may perhaps be in terested in a list of dishes, some or all of which may be found upon every French Canadian dinner table on this occasion. They are: Pain dore (toast with egg), pate aux patates (potato pie), poulet sauce blanche (chicken with white sauce), tourtieres (meat pie), graisso de roti (fresh pork grease), co chon au lait (sucking pig), paleron (roast of fresh pork shoulder) and tarto anx snelles ( pie made of haws). J. Macdonald Osxey. '. The Boar's Bead. Aside from its religious observance and signification Christmas has always been a time of feasting and jollification. This temperament has descended to ns from the days of the old Germanic and Scandinavian' nations, when the time was set aside for rejoicing and pleasure prior to the Christian era, but even as late as the seventeenth century in Eng land and throughout continental Europe the delights of tho table were para mount. With our forefathers a soused boar's head was borne to the principal table in the hall with great state and solemnity as the first dish on Christmas ' day. In the book of "Christmasse Car- ' . olles," printed by Wynkyn de Worde in 1521, are the words sung at this aus- ; picious moment : j The bore's hood in hande bring I i With garlandes gay and rosemary. I pray you all synge inerrely ' Qui eat is in convivio. i The bore's head I understande Is the chefe servyce in this lands, Lok wherever it bo fando. 1 Servite cum cantico. Chaucer alludes to this custom in the following passage of the "Franklein's Tale:" James sitteth by the fire with double, berd. And he drinketh of his bugle horne tho wine. Before him standeth the brauno of the tuuked swine. The Same Old Christmas. A description two centuries ago of the festivities of Christmas shows little variation from present customs : "Families take it by turns to enter tain their frienda They meet early, the beef and pudding are noble, the mince pies peculiar, the nuts half playthings and half eatables, the oranges as cold and acid as they ought to be, furnish ing us with a superfluity which we can afford to laugh at, the cakes indestruc tible,' the r wassail bowls generous, old English, hoge, demanding ladles, threat ening everflow as they como in, solid I with roasted apples when set down, j Toward, bedtime you hear of elder wine I and not seldom of punch. . Girls, though I they be ladies, are kissed under the mis- i- CbrUtmas Greens. 1 In olden times holly was used only to ; deck the. inside of. houses at Christmas, i while ivy was used hot only as a vint- ner's sign, but also among the ever : greens at funerals. For formerly ' the rooms were embowered. with holly, ivy, : cypress, bays, laurel and mistletoe. " , ' There are. thousands of quaint old verses that. could be quoted in. praise of the rosemary, laurel and mistletoe. A love of nature, her fruits and flowers, her roses and vines with their mystio significance seems to have been a pre dominant trait among those who gath ered at the Yuletide. w-m mst mm begin the new year determined by hard work to serve our patrons better than ever. A CHRISTMAS SERMOtf LESSONS TAUGHT BY THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. The Duty of Charity and the KobUlty of Self Sacrifice How Art Has Paid Its Tribute to the Nativity. It was the distinctive glory of Christ's evangel not that it introduced a new code cf morals or of social ethics, but rather that it emphasized the force and broadened the scope of those existing and gave them higher sanctions and in finitely greater importance from being exemplified in the perfect life of Christ himself. There were people Who had been just, true and (rod fearing before Moses brought down the tables of the law from Mount Sinai, and men acted the role of tho good Samaritan, ani mated by tho purest benevolence, thou sands of years before Christ taught by precept and example the duty of chari ty and the nobility of self sacrifice. Even the sermon on the mount only presented in concrete form rules of con duct which regulated tho lives of many in all ages, not with tho force of law, of which there might lie none, but as a result of self originated conviction and feeling. Love in Christ's code of ethics was both the soul and body, the animating principle, as well as the performing agent It was no longer be true, kind and pure becauso it is a duty so to be, but be all that becauso you lovo to be so. No mere formal acquiescence or compliance will meet the require ments of this new presentation of the moral law. It demands absolute obedi ence, but as the outcome of love, not as the result of authority or the claims of duty. Has the Christian church (assigning to this term its widest and most com prehensive meaning) ever come within measurable distance of realizing the ex alted Christ ideal? Yes, possibly, in tho apostolic age and for a short time sub sequent, but it would be absurd to claim that the Christian churches of to day, great as is their influence for good, are animated bv the snirit of tho earlv Christians or inspired by that divine enthusiasm which made each one of them a center of light and largely trans formed society throughout the known world within a century after the birth of Christ. We are now liko Moses on Mount Nebo we see the promised land, but it is still in the dim distance, and we are apparently getting no nearer to its haven of rest but how soon would the prospect change were the gospel of love and humanity, preached and lived by Christ, to become a distinctive feature of our civilization instead of the material istic and selfish motives which largely sway modern life and determine con duct! The Saviour was born under the hum blest possible circumstances, as if to show how low in the estimation of God are all the pomp and magnificence of that wealth and power which men prizo so highly. His Virgin mother was poor, his foster father was a mechanic, and he himself dignified labor by earn ing his bread by tho sweat of his brow. Christ was emphatically the Saviour of tho poor, and those who bear his name best show the sincerity of their professions by imitating him in his lov ing kindness and benevolence. Charity is a duty incumbent upon Christians at all times, but even the most humane will feel prompted to be kinder and more sympathetic while celebrating the advent of one who displayed during his whole lifetime upon earth a divine com passion and pity for tho poor and the suffering. Not the least of the lessons taught us by the birth of Christ is not to despise the humblest or be hopeless of the most depraved of that species so honored by Deity that ho came and took its form and assumed its nature with all its im perfections. However low in the scale of being persons may be, there is a spark of the divine in them still, a trace of that promethean fire breathed into man by the source- of all life and all con sciousness which constituted him a liv ing soul. The story of the advent and of its climax that amazing act of self sacri fice has been the solace of the weary and heavy laden in all the intervening centuries. The song of the angel chor isters chanted over the lowly place of his birth, conveying heaven's message of deliverance for man, has sounded throughout the centuries, like an under tone of hope, above the discords of lifo and the mutterings of despair. Philip James Bailey in "Festus" writes: We live in deeds, not years; In thoughts, not breaths; In feelings, not in figures on a dial. We should count time by heart throbs. He most Uvea Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best. The stupendous mystery of the advent and the perfect life that followed it made it possible for mankind to attain the high state of perfection ho beautiful ly illustrated by the poet. Precepts were not wanting before, but henceforth there was a perfect life as a-model for all axes ... . .-. .'' '' .'. .Doubtless all events, however impos- ' i- tible it may be to perceivo their trend. . contribute to - .. .. - Tl.it lart.2 n vino event;. : . TuwiU-d wb ch the whole creation moves. i . The p-ets have feung Of that day, phi i lohopl. m huvt; Written ? of it from the j eut lii-.-t thuis and optimists think they . see it- -iiis' r approach, but it must be j eoi.ft Fsc'i t u .t the'Mfciw of its coming ai . iiot. : . jr. .'S1.1& UGCcation ana cui-t.i-,. -1 rf-jiee. while they may ; : ;s:7 t: jrny :- it, aro at beht only ar; T': '' .lay v.-ill never (lawn :-. :f: is -au ' sty -.1 periii-a!l by p ., t" V- .i:. lr ll.siiU'-.S.: v ..v;i ir;:e .iei t e if 0 'Ju '-t ,""!! M.t Scrorala Is a decp-scated blood disease which all the mineral mixtures in the world can-jet cure., S.S.S. (guarantied purely vci !ab!e ) is a real blood remedy for blood diseases and has no equal. Mis. Y. T. Ruck, ot 1 c-laney. Ark., had Scrofula for twenty. five years and most of the time was under the care of the doctors who could not relieve her. A specialist said he could cure her, but he filled her with arsenic and potah which almost ruined her constitution. She then took nearly everv po-c.illcd blood medicine ami drank them bv the wholesale. .M'lit thev did not reach her trouble. Some one advised her to try S.S.S. and she verv soon found that she had a real blood remody at ! 1 :. i'.k;- says: "After tak ing cue 1..A .1 book's '01 S.S.S. I am perfectly will, my skin is clear and heallhy :s:id 1 would not be in niv foni'.s-r c. ii'iitloa for two thousaud dollars. Ii:s!: .i.l .f 'u injj upthcpoisoii in my sy ? 11- the potash and arsenic. S.:-.S. (i:mc the disease out through the i-Lin, .Til l I was perma nently 1 id of V." A Real Elood Remedy S.S.S. iiev x l.ii'.s to cme Scrofula, Ecenia, Kiu eniatirin Cnt.'i.ious Mood Toisou, or i1:m.tiU-i of the blood. lo notiviy !-;o:i .1 siiMpie tonic to cure a deep-seated hiood disease, but take a real blood rc-nivdv. Our books free upon appli cation. Swift Specific Co., Atlanta, Ga. P A o I Airncana i WillcureRIHAS.VlATlSM. f Africana W ill cure SCKOl I I.A l Africana i WiH cure OLD 50KH5 Atfflicaima Will cure SYPHILIS. t Afrncaoa WillcureCONSTlPATION j ( Affricania 4 Will tuic HXZP.MA, CA- TARKM1 and all HI.(K)I) f and SKIN DISHASHS. i iMivr.K l Aiio. i It is the true Remedy for all j) BLOOD DISEASES. $ t ln.".otd by o.ir IU:t (;C1ST. COCELIN TKADS-VA :K. Nature's Nguihc ?nJ Rapid Restoia '- An niitailim: cure for Di-. i'es f the Digestive; Nervous him! .-rative Sys tem. A tonic of rare elVic-tcv for the bl jtoil yoiine anil of marked m on for tSlu-leiit-. Teachers, and all h engaged in Uralii work or close occu;.. .;nis. CURES: Depression, Tired Ptxiinas, Nervousness, Muscular Weakness, Restlessness, Loss o. Appetite, Hysteria, Palpitation ol Heart, Excesses, General Discomfort, Alcoholism, Nerve Weakness, niiil that almost innumerable wrb-H of dif fuse and complication resulting from V derangement of th.' Nervous sytde:n. In valuable for weak women and nervous clii Idrin. Ms-kIii Nf.rvKS. I Braced System, ,NV,, Cocclln lsi.no Ncivb Tonic. 1 bound nest, Good Work. 1 CONTAINS NO OPIATES OR DANCHIHOLS Fifty Cents per Mottle. If i hottles hi- ordered at one time, a copy r Oriole (,'ook U'H.k will be in cluded fire. AT I)Ilt;Kf;iTS AMI IiKU-KHS on iut( r ok rs ox icKctii-r ok rim k. .VH-KNTrt. Winkelmann & Brown Drug Co., Ot.E I'ROI'llIETOr.f, IJALTiriORU, AID., U. S. A. J. J. THOMAS. J. J. Thomas & Go, Store and Warehouse, 313, 315, 317 WilminfjlOH Stmt, Raleigh, N. C. Cotton Factors. Commission Merchants, and Dealers in Farmers' Supplies, Offer their" services to Merchants nd Friiei for the sile of I heir col ton. Th Mills of this hlate are practically out of CUon. this in connection with buyers here for "iiiest ic as well as fore'sn use, make mr Market second to none, and belnjc ez clo,tve bUM.Klih of cottmi enables us to grU you at HI times, the lest prices to l h4. We expect our Market to open with eond pi ices which will likely ield to Isrcre receipt. '1 lie htionc ftutistical tk- I Mtion of cotton warrants hiisher prices later We are prepared to make you litieral charges for ntoiaL'e of your cotton, and when desiied will make you the nsual advance ia es-h ufxin the receipt of bill of ladi.ig or cotton either for immedi ate sale or to I held for higher prices. We Ve;pon hand a good supply of Bag fcintr. Ties aud Cotton Mieetinir. Correspondence solicited from those i ti le retted. J. J. Thomas & Co., Cotton Sellers, &c, Kaicigh, N. C. JLcaI bargains in Shoe and llatit at II. THOMASO.VS. i.:wv;