VOLUME LIV—NUMBER 10.; Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, December 2o, DIM ESTABLISHED 1899 Everyone Wants To See Just One 'Good Ole'Yule "How I would long to sec just one more ‘old-fashioned Christ mas.” These are familiar words at (his time of the year. Before the Yule tide season is over, some member of the family, grandfather or grandmother, probably, is certain to pass that remark, as they have done each Christmas of the past. And yet, if we search back into the records ... to the tui n of the century, say . . . we find that, even then, someone was wishing for "an old-fashioned Christmas." It is then that we realize that the celebration of the birth of Christ has not changed greatly with the passage cf centuries. Basically, Christmas is the same, year after year. II is only the world and the people who are not the same. He may not admit it, but when grandfather first began to gaisc a family, he overheard his elders musing over the changing Christ mas customs and heralding the approach to “complete commer cialism” of the Yuletide celebra tion. Even then they were worried. No one can deny that Christmas cVOBOOOflOOaCOOOM Plum Pudding Came Long Way Plum pudding—the ancier.t En glish delicacy traditionally served wall Christmas feasts—has come a long way since it entered the culinary lists hundreds of years ago as Yule -dough. \ ule-dough was composed of j chopped meat paste spices, to 1 symbol ire the gifts of the Magi, | and flour, regarded as embodying , the spirit immamont in the wheat. has been gidlitly “commercialized" since the days of early America. Yet. so has the entire nation. In the days of our ancestors there were none of the vast trading cen ters and commercial marts that we know today. Our very way of life has been greatly changed with ! modernization. Our holidays, and j Christmas is the principal one, have managed to keep abreast. I Still. without reservation, Christmas is basically unchanged in its true meaning as a celebra tion of the birth of the Christ | Child redeemer, come to save the | world. No matter how great or ] how small the presents piled bo j neath the tree, each Christian ; heart never ceases to remember ‘ that Christmas is Christ’s day. OOOOOSODOOSOOOOO^i treat we have is the Sgt. Alfred Monteilh l| Li. S. A. & I). 8. A. F. RECKl IMMi >ER\ H I Williamson ^wwwwwwwBaaooeooeoaaoft rHA! WHAT SHE KNOWS ^ ABOUT CAUS'D FIT ON A PIN POINT, SHE THINKS TO COOL A MOTOR YOU ) HAVE TO_STRIP THE GEARS. irresTJ r- WELL, SHE'S SMART e«0O6h VO TAKE HERCAR TO GRIFFIN MOTOR CO. AND FOR TROUBLE, THERE ISN'T A BETTER PLACE. TO TAKE w YOUR FOR - , CAR M TROUBLE? <3 «} GRIFFIN MOTOR COMPANY® D6 SOTO -PLYMOUTH \'® VUE PEPAlR ALL MAKES 403 WASHINGTON ST. ••<^2S40*‘WIUIAMVTON / FOR THEM THERE HAD BEEN NO ROOM J wsmm>. To tha casual observer, It Is Just another typical night in Bethlehem, sleepy town ol many generations. Excepting, of course, that the popu lation is more than double, for all the descendants of David have come to register as ordered by Herod. For many, there Is no room. And yet, there is more about this nightl And there are some whose faith and wisdom give them eyes to see. Near the hour of midnight, a darkened sky suddenly shimmers with a light of ethereal beauty, and angels appear to sing a great psalm: “CHory in the highest, And on earth, peace to men of good will." A new star fires itself to brilliance near the edge of town, bathing In its light the stable where a Galilean carpenter named Joseph has taken refuge with his bride, a queenly young girl named Mary. For them, there had been no room. The star rests above the humble shelter, sending down golden rays that illuminate the area in a strange, unearthly manner. In the distance appear a group of Magi, wise men of Persia. They have followed the now resting star and are heavily laden with gifts of gold—presents for a new-born king. Along the roads hear the shouts of the citizens, led by angels, who come to adore. There in the stable, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, the Christ-child awaits. ' Traditional Tree Came From Egypt The Christinas tree, now almost a universal symbol, probably came to America from Germany, although tradition has it that I Christmas trees originated in 1 Egypt, The piim tree i supposed i to put fo; Hi branch every month, | and a spray of this tree, with 12 shoots on it, was used in Egypt. German writers i.‘n.-.,t,uri the i tree as early as 1605. The German prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, introduced the Christ mas tree in England when he had a tree for his daughter. I YKAR-AROUNU GIFT I V_' Those who have had trouble shopping and would save the day att the last minute will find The F;ntcrp!’i$e;a suitable and acceptable gift for rela tives and friends. The publishers will forward immediately a gift card with the donor’s signature, and follow through all next year with the paper. Christmas Holiday Once Moved From Date To Date Christmas was once a movable feast. The eastern branches of the Christian ch'ird) usually celebrat ed it in April or Mav, Western Europe sometime in January. In 337 A. D, St. Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem, set out to make the date universal. With the permis sion of Pope Junius I, he appoint ed a commission to determine, if possible, the precise date of Christ’s nativity. The theologians of the Church finally agreed upon December 25, and since the year 354 tin.' date has been celebiated. Members of the Greek, Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox churches m the 20th century observed the date of January 7. Jesus' Birthplace In Old Bethlehem Still Worship Site The scene of the Redeemers birth at Bethlehem is the site of a full day's worship and prayer each Christmas Eve. The faithful come from all parts of the world to join their voices in adoration and to see the solemn reenactment of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Discontinued for six years dur ing World War II, the pontifieial mass and ceremony was renewed in As the stars on the hill side and the pale moon wrapped the town of Bethlehem in mi aura of holiness, the voices o! the hum bin echoed *in prayer from the little Church of St. Catherine, built on the hallowed rock of the most sacred spot of the Christian World. The mass was celebrated at 10 p. m., the voices of the choir boys | ringing out over the surrounding hills. At the stroke of 12 the great bells of thi' tower of tin nativity rang out, loud and cleat The vicar, holding an image of the Christ Child, joined a proces sion of priests, acolytes and choir boys. By flickering candlelight the procession filed over the stone steps leading to the giotto ol the nativity. The vicar plat ed the tiny representation of Christ on the sacred spot where, many years be fore, the Redeemer came. Christmas Carols Are Centuries Old -- For evntunrs Christmas Caro!.1 have hrraldrd 1. hr Yulrtidc season around Ihr Christian world. Many of thorn, slightly altrrcd by chan*' Santa's little helper rame down to os from Si andanavia. Many years before l.eif Erikson touched American shores, the children of the North believed that a little elf with long white whiskers Jul Tnmten saw that the earth was abundant with pood food and that the animals' and bit ds were taken eat e of. After the paean Vikings wee Christianised, little Jule became the giver of presents just as San ta today. It became a custom tot I children to leave a bow! of por j ridge on the kitchen table for the I little ell. who would leave pro i I ents in exchange. | T avelers picked up the lei,end ‘ of Jul Tnmten and carried it around the world. To ns, he ifc the j busy, jnllv, led litt le elf who works happily in Simla's wm k I shop. j me times and customs, have bt ■ o handed down 1: em one generat ion to another. A pleat number probably were lost because they were popular in generation: not adeiplatel.s cover ed I>v a written liistoi y. | Christmas Carols are of two main types religions and eonviv i d. The religion: offi : prni.s. to ' the newborn and celebrate the I birth of Christ The convivial I alt mirth and the traditional te is! ing. | The latter is almost an inveti I t ion of our modern n r ill at imi, and few “popular” Yuletidc one, , manage to return year alter year. “Jingle Bells' is one notable ex (■option. “Silent Night,” "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear' and “O emnr i A11 Ye Faithful ' seem di st med In last, forever. 3as?l:ca One Of OMe?t Churches . The Ilasiliea of the Nativity at Bethlehem is one of the oldest churches in Christendom, having been built 1,620 years ayo. As it stands today it represents the original buildiny as ereeted by die Kmperot Constantine and rcs 1or. tr 'is and additions made un dor .lusUni.it.. It is surrounded by three con vents of separate faiths, Greek. Latin and Armenian. All three have the privilege of Worshiping in the Grotto of the Nativity, and suprisingly enough, all three cele brate Christmas on separate occa sums. TRADE IN THAT OLD INEFFIC PENT * w. YOUR OLD HEATER IS WORTH UP TO $2509 ON A NEW OIL HEATER *64?5 LOW PAYMENTS EASY TERMS Jj man arfoid —»4ir odote» ml «Ui ••d mtwobW diicofiiloH W« will Im glad to •K*wtd yarn du» liWwl lr**d»-te teUw—»c« and at rang# term* #t«» win auk rc». Im h today •M* «w fdu aa anyM*. k may bo pn bw*— mb • arid# wlocttua »