Newspapers / The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.) / Dec. 25, 1914, edition 1 / Page 2
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T.TAKSHALIj. IiUKTU UJlliUlilHA. I II UIIWM'VVi TRUE SPiRIT OF IH cA Nautical .Christmas Talc A Christinas Carol Children and Old-FasWoned Toys Christmas Giving - Shouiu b HENRY WADSWORTH tONCrEUOW Prompted by the Heart, y "C IHILDREN are conservative beings, even old fashioned, whpn It comes to choosing toys. They, aren't up to aate uu . ...ii v- mnriorn snirlt of progress . i i IUU iu ' - . and invention as the toymakers be- lieve them to oe. Thus spoke one who is a sort of professional Santa Claus that is, he has played the part at so many Sun day school Christmas parties that he sometimes imagines he is growing cotr ton whiskers. "They display the same quaint, sim ple, old-fashioned taste as their grand fathers and grandmothers when they were children," he continued. "Most of them, do, anyhow. Every year the toy manufacturers break loose with a new crop of automatic racing cars, aeroplanes, submarines, fire engines und kicking donkeys. If the children were constructed on the same nervous clock-work plan, they would give old Santa Claus no rest unless he kept up with all the modern "inventions. In stead of toy soldiers they would de mand mortar batteries, and they would not be satisfied with mooley cows, but would demand that they havir pedi grees and give only certified milk? and cream. , "They would not accept a Noahs aV unload it. was a combination of the steamship Lusltania and a modern cement bungalow, with sleeping nroDellers, elec- trie searchlights, wireless apparatus, second chattel mortgage m iaui, " ... .mfnrti of fihis and home com plete. They would require Mr. Noah to carry a pilot's license as wen as a ii in natural history. All cuiicgo use'"1 , m the animals would have to be trained to do tricks, and poor Noah's, family i v o ftnA tim herding them WUU1U uo " - - while wearing wooden raincoats ana stove-pipe hats. "Fortunately children, real children, are not constructed that way. They . .,w nn th old-fashioned warn iueu - i i.t.v vnn lift off the roof and find Noah minus his head, and most of the animals trying to noDDie oa u.. legs TO KNOW FUTURE HUSBAND Many Old English Customs and Su perstitions Center Around Christmas. All down the ages girls have been eager to find out their future destiny whether they will be "old maids," or, as they are now called, "bachelor 'girls," or wives and mothers. Christ mas, as well as all the other festivals, has been allotted its customs and su perstitions through which the secret of the future may be learned. ' Tn find tti answer to the Impor tant question, wife or old maid,' a girl -,had to go alone on Christmas eve .'and Vnnrb nn the henhouse door. If a onric anawered her knock by CroW' Ing, she would be married, but If no - cock crowed in answer, then she would he an old maid. This under- (oirini, vnnid mnulra a cood deal of - l,a aM duVB nf BHBerBtl tlon, as on Christmas eve evil spirit were supposed to have Increased pow " er and ghosts were supposed to prowl . around. -' If . eirl wished "to know the name of her future husband she took four onions and named each one after a boy friend. She then placed one in onrh rnmcr of a room and the one that sprouted before January 6 bore h name of the man she wouia marry. ' ,' w , In some districts this was carried out rather differently. Several onions were delects and named and placed rlop toother, and the one ' that rr""'-tcJ f.rst five tie name that was i .i r -. ,.'e can imagine how cr " "y t' s warmc-1 l'"ce wouli.be ... . ...I Incr mtla .Tnhnnv to the circus "Automobiles in miuim-ui. . i i f . r f 9 r; oc:J crJon.- nnholstered seats and rubber tires may fascinate a small boy for a few hours, but you'd better place your faith in a good, old-pattern rocking horse, with saddle and stirrups, and a mnn and tall of real hair. The rout ing horse is not going out of fashion hv a. lone wavs. and I predict that in the horseless age, if that time ever comes, our children's children win oe inrvtnir thu mane of a wooden 'horsey' and whipping him on his painted flanks, and trying to feed him crack- em Also, they'll be falling on nis hnpk and bumping their little fore heads In the old-fashioned way, ana hnrsflv' will have to be thrashed ana locked up In the clothes closet for his hurt hfhavtor. 'Ami t9 for dolls, you ve got to give them real 'baby dolls' and not grand ladles in the latest tango gowns ana hot a. For the last 60 years or so doting parents who are well to do have been trying the experiment of present ing their little girls with waxen fash ion models only to find the precious nun rrvlne for the rag nany oi me laundress' daughter. Children ; show the real. mother instinct when they spurn the 'play-child' which Is "loo rlrooav and 1111 to date "I have one friend, the father of a larea and lively family. I make him large uuu uveij iauj. - happy every Christmas time by pre- i.Mn n.tii a Knnfih nf rnpjin. senLiiiK mis ikiua wibu t mwuwm w i o mechanical toys. - After about half an hour of wlndlnsr them up. the little nnns tire of the clicking wonders and return to their woolly dogs, rubber dolls and other simple favorites. That is when father's fun begins. He in sists on winding up the toys and run ning them all Christmas day, oaten- aihiv far the nleasure of his young sters. He does not cease winding until the tovs beidn to Ket out of order, and then he has the additional pleasure of trvlne- to renair them. - ' Sometimes I think that a manufac turer could make a fortune selling toys lust for grown-ups. Seeing a bunch of adults busy working me chanical tofa reminds me of the time when the whole family insists on taff "John," said the Loving Wife, 1 in tended tr cet tou a nice new necktie fnr rhristm&a hut I Am ashamed to acknowledge that in the rush of the EhotiDinzr I completely foreot It. "Thank you, nevertheless,". said the Happy Husband. i . .ANNUAL "HOLLER DAY. ' ' When chlldrea have their Christmas toys The houea will ring with laughter gay; And thua. In truth, by girls and boye. Is Chrlatmas made a "boiler" '. HE WAS THANKFUL. I HEAR along em tired Pom tht mlntlrd fSwrfJ Harkl Thtyplauioueetl. On thtlr hautboys, ChriilmaM tonfrf Lei u bit th fit Eott higher Sing them till tht night txptnl N December ring Event Jay the chime: . Loud the gleemen ting In the itreet their merry rhyme. . Let iu by the fire Eeer higher , . Sing them till the night expire! 5HEPHERDS at ht grange. Where the Babe ua bom. , . Sang with many a change Chrlstma carol until mom. 5 i Let u by the Jin Cum tuoher Sing them Ml the nlglU expire! rT'HESE gooi people tang 1 Song Jeeout and tvoettf WUlIm ikm wnflM Tana. There they ttood with Jreexing feet. ' Let ui by tot Jim ( x ' . , . fiw hlahet Sing them till the night expire! JUNStn frigid cell i V At thlt holy tide, For want oftomelhlng the, Chrlilma long at time have tried. Let u by the Jim Sing them till the night expire! IJfHO by tht fireside ttandt, WW Stamp hi feet and ting ; v Rul hm who bloio hi hand Not to gay a carol bring. , Let us by Ihejire r7n9 hloher Sing them till the night expire! Oriain of Custom Associated With Christmas Festivities. Plant la Surrounded With Many Su perstitions In European Countries 'Sign 0T ill umen in oum , Parts of Ireland. BE good old custom of hang ing mistletoe from the cell ing at the Christmas festivi ties is said to have its origin in the idea that since the Tilnnt did not have its roots in the ground no part of it should ever- be permltted to touch the earth. Am one the Saxons the fact that mis tletoe was suspended from the foot of a dwelling intimated to the way farer that the hospitality of the house was at his disposal, and beneath its branches friend and stranger, vassal - and lord, gathered in comradeship and cnnd cheer , The religious aspect of the mistle- tnn tradition, which had its origin in the Druidlcal rites and the gathering of it by the arcnaruia wiin nis gom n sickle, merged later into a purely uncial nvmbnl and the idea of simDlo hospitality developed into one or mer rymaklng and a somewhat riotous en tertainment " - .. - The kiss of the Scandinavian god dess eznanded into the custom of a klaa given for every berry that grew on the bough. Small wonder that, in spite of the mistletoe having origin ally MtiBted in the odor of the sanctu ary, the church came to regard it as an entirely pagan symbol and refused to allow it to participate witn tne lily and the evergreen In the Tnletide decorations. ' There la an ancient-belief that the miatletoa was the tree from which the holycross was hewn and that after this was made the plant withered ana aver afterward became a mere rjara- sitic growth, clinging for support to other and sturdier trees. ' Other stories, however. credit It with divine gifts in the healing of dis eases and the expulsion of evil spirits. . Ram, the high priest of the Celts, re ceived in a dream the intimation that by means of the plant he would De nahlnd save' hla neonle-frotn the plague which was decimating . them. To celebrate their delivery be insti tuted the feast of Noel (new health). a midwinter holiday, which has come to be considered coincident with the new year. ' , In many parts of the United King dom tne silver Dernes ana me gray prein loaves nf : the mistletoe arfl looked upon as anything but an em blem of good cheer; on the contrary, rhn n1nt la rea'arded with dread as be-' ing the bringer of ill luck and the sign oi ill omen. This superstition exists hnth ' In Ttavnnahlrn- find In Trcland. and, strange to say, in neither of these places does the plant flourish, owing, rnnnrt hnn lr to th fart that 'both incurred the displeasure of the Druids, and were In consequence cursed in such a way that their soft became in capable of nourishing the . sacred growth. --',-.... '::. . Tn thn al-rth hnnk Annptd lengthy description of the mistletoe is given by Virgil, who makes the Sybil describe to his hero the exact spot in hades where he will find it growing. There' is little doubt that the strange ethereal appearance of the little onaaue berry is largely re sponsible for th& mystic character it has enjoyed among the people cf el vers nations from the earliest LIst: leal times... HANGING MISTLETOE , . , ? i T 1 -W v 'Su- ' t! !? ! ' ...". . ' j kit " i V i i 1 A ship cams In from the Land of Nod, Its deck was whit as snow. It bor no tow'ring masts abova, No anchor chains below. - Its small, spring-bottomed mattress-hull Was laden high with wealth, Which strangely had been placed aboard En voyage hist I by stealth. " By J. A. WALDRON. DREAMED a dream on Christmas eve that no one, surely, will believe. All will discredit It because in It I was' with Santa Claus and witnessed many things so queer I hesitate to tell them here. Old Santa had Just filled his pack and made it ready for his back, it holds a million "things or more from Santa's rare and endless store, and like some basket magical, though tak en from 'tis always MIL : - Though I saw Santa plainly, he seemed not at air to notice me. . He sat in silence with a map spread out upon his ample lap to mark his course o'er, land and sea while waiting, tor his evening tea. ,-- 'M His cook he has no wife, you know came In and said she meant to go. She said her Job did not quite suit and he . must find ' a substitute. Cooks everywhere Just grump and gad, and with most folks they get in bad. Well, Santa's smile quick left his face and he ripped- up a dress of lace perhaps intended for this cook, who gave him then a wrathful look; ana when she put the teapot down I saw her slip from out her gown and drop into the teapot quick some sort of dons with movement slick, r Twould take much more than this, I think, to drive pld Santa Claus to drink: that is to say. to rum, per haps, though sometimes he may like his schnapps. Full many a cup of tea he quaffed. The more he drank tne more he laughed. Uncanny was his Jollity, and Lat first thought I should flee.- - 5 v'-zr He seiied his pack, and fufl of Joy piled me upon it like a toy, and rush ing, forth into the night began nis world-embracing flight. He used a sleigh, as we all know, but needed neither Ice or snow.- We sailed away o'er mount and plain, through many weathers, snow and rain through wind and sleet and zero air though all the time it seemed quite fair. , A dozen reinS.tnr r&a dheaJ. The bells were sor-" t as t' ry f 5, and all the JOEi!y Jrcey tfereJ c;--3 f - z lx il C:tm I d...c:-l - A ft CHRIS! MAS DREAM i . The skipper of this freighted craft Was quit a careless sort The cargo he did not espy, - . Tilt he hove into port And then upon the portside bow, . In raptures hs did kneeL For Santa Claus Is no mere dream, " And Christmas toys are REAL! . : OBNB MOROAH. . continent would loom and melt Into an ocean ere I felt a moment pass, and yet between a million Christmas homes were seen and gifts uncounted were bestowed from Santa's rich and boundless load. ;; . -' Though I upon the top reposed I was in no way discomposed, for maglo wonders multiplied that night upon our snowy ride. The greater wonders, though, to me might have been traced to Santa's tea, sophisticated by his I cook, and of which he so much par-1 took; for at the homes of wealth, sublime meaning of. Christmas! One where boys and girls had ' much, joes not need to be religious in the- he left few toys,, while poorer children's wishes found complete ful- niiment on MS round; ana to strange humors he gave vent as there we quickly went. here and Some men by others well esteemed got prison wear ths while they dreamed; and others, poor and fur- nished ill, of good things must have found-their fill; , and many men of I thought bad taste for a person of mod lean estate awoke to find their riches J eBt means to give presents of value great, eacn one aampnisnea tnai nis door should always open to the poor, Fantastic tricks,; too, Santa played on men and women, boy and maid. In one old spinster's stocking thin I saw him slip a manikin; in one old bach's dingy place a woman's form of 'won drous grace. - Twas wax, of course; but 'twas a hint that ought to stir a heart of flint ' A man with millions strangely made Old Santa left a. hoe and spade; to one I knew ill-hap had struck he left a : parcel labeled "Luck;" to pals of mine that For tune bars he gave next season's mo tor cars. This got my goat, and I to see Just what he purposed giving me quite foolishly the silence broke, and empty-handed I awoke I Judge. CHRISTMAS SUPERSTITIONS If you will go to the crossroads be- tween eleven and twelve on Christmas night you will hear what most con cerns you in the coming year. If on Christmas eve yon make a lit tie heap of salt on the table, and It melts over night, you will die. the next -year; if, in the morning, it re mains undiminished, you will live. If a - shirt be spun,' woven and sewed by a pure, chaste maiden on Christmas day It will be proof against let d or steel. If you are born at sermon time on Christmas morning you can see spir its. If yon burn elder on Christmas eve you will have revealed to you all the witches and the sorcerers of the neighborhood. - ' . I If you eat a raw egg on Christmas morning, fasting, you can carry heavy weights. It Is unfortunate to carry anything forth .from the house on Christmas morning until something has-: been brought Into It Vrf?::';' It the fire burns brightly oh Christ mas morning it betokens prosperity; it It smolders, adversity. ( j-- :-; A, Husky Fowl. Willie came in from the shed whera Uncle Rufus was picking a Christmas chicken for bis small city nephew's dinner. "Aunt Sue!" he cried as he entered. "what do you think? Uncle Rufus is out in the shed husking a hen! Bessie's Plea. ;' "Say. mamma, please don't make any fire in my bedroom grate," be: little Eessle.- '. , - ;", - -"Why, you"! freeze." ' '1 don't Eilad being cold, fcirt fa lor z s f.r.ti win ts aV.s t I A down tie c'-J-rsey aU t'. i." .. Religion In the Orthodox Sense Not : ... . I - A - . CIm. ' . Necessary to pproci - Qualities of Great Christian By PRUDENCE 8TANDISH. ' i NCE more the Christmastlde- ... a .xl... I .U. let " SOU ItB uoauuiu" o with the world. Again the . shepherdB, watching their. flocks by night, are . sore whlrh ahlnea about ' them. Clothed In blinding Jigni, w angel speaks; ths heavenly host that 1 crowds suddenly about blm sing, of glory in the highest and peace and s-nnd win. Tne. wise men u , seen nis Btar in w Duuc.. . . . , i il . IiubaI Ann spread weirBuia , , . i -, ia ami trtvrrn and frankineense . witnoui iiuonuuu- The miracle of 1,000 years ago i BtlU new and glad and ioveiy,,ioiv lo! In all Christendom bells peal and: ; sweet chotM sing the message filveu. by, the blinding angel and tho crowd- , Ing host: ' - ' "BVir behold I bring you .tia.ngs or; .... . i in V n (. 11 "nortnlrt great joy wnicn buuu ud v Qlory to God in the highest, and on. earth peace, good will toward men. . This is the message of the Christ- . m..im vat tha hicrer half of Chris- - tendom makes the period the pagan, festival it once was at the time of the winter solstice... we give gins,... for sake of the gods of custom and y merriment,, forgetting entirely , that., thev are for sakj of the great spiritual , Joy "which shall. be,to all people.'" The gold and myrrh and frankincense of the heart are . withheld we giv t gifts because we've got to, and keep--our hearts as much ; closed to the Christmas child as was the inn we- have our own selfish ends to gain, the.' rich patron to cater to, the friend to appease. We heap little children with dazzling toys, and light the starry inmna of their nr trees because it is the fashion, and we do our smau Christmas charities because it would. seem mean not to. do them. we have forgotten the Joyous and orthodox sense to appreciate the finer quality of this great festival, for what m vnnwn as Christian teeung naa coma to be a moral obligation at this- time a point of etiquette, in truth, .- tor the heart and mind. . ' In Point of mere etiquette wnai the social "world thinks on the sub-' leet f Christmas gift giving it i to others of wealth and influence, ror jm- 8avor8 too much like currying tc continued favor if the giver Is already under obligations. - But some knowl- edge of the helpful friend's existence is necessary, and this may take the , form of a pretty Christmas card with an nnnrnnriatn greeting: Or a knot Of flowers or winter berries may , be sent with a note expressing warm Christ mas wishes. " . That the servant who has given her bodily strength and heart's best inter est to the home must not be forgot ten, goes without saying: but it la certainly bad form to make the poor servitor's gift an inexpensive trifle when something better can be afford ed. 'C :t ST1-'': Then what a woeful want of taste it shows for us to defer buying a friend's or sister's present until we have found out what she means to give us, and so make the exchange a quid pro quo. The gift that goes to friend or relative is above all one for love, - and 4t 1b undoubtedly better ' taste for the recipient of the simpler girt- m tne exenange to -appear b pleased as if she had received some thing ten times its value. But, then, what matters the nature of the gift after all? : The spirit is the thing and does not this silly, pic ture or cushion, so unbecoming to the parlor, mean that the friend or sister, has thought, of 'us.T-i-'s V1.:" As for the little children, so ffijich are their feelings painfully ' strained at this time that I, would like to write a book on the subject. I beg every mother not to threaten the poor little- heart that misbehaves sometimes with the eternal word that "Santa Claus won't come If you do that any more." The dear kiddie who forgets to be good knows better after a year or two of this harrowing threat which makes you out a story teller. Meanwhile, theru Is thelittle heart staying awake at night with Its dreadful anxieties; there are the sudden storms of bitter tears, with all the glory of Christmas sunk in the bottomless pit of absolute surenesa that Santy dear, abused. good old fat gentleman won't cc.r.e. We remember the poor and drop a few pennies gladly for the blind chil dren... -.'. -.;-;-. - : : f,:. : But, why do 'e do it why? ; It in because a wide, sweet star has str' " over a statle In the far East, be the church 'choirs are Bin zx peace on earth and good will tor: men. .-, Eo let us never lose e'tt cf 1' fact with car t'.Zla, whether ci:r tender or rt;..f8 C?:a; Ur tl j i closed to t'a d.:-rr t- -- 3 ( Chr'-.tr-s r ? tr.'r, ' 3 I o
The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.)
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Dec. 25, 1914, edition 1
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