THE CHRISTMAS TREE.
(According to Tommy.)
The trees In our orchard nnd down by the
well
In summer time give us our cider nnd
Jell;
Tliu apples nnd penches, the quinces nnd
nenrs,
The plums I enn pick from :ny window up
stairs, All grow In tho summer; nnd oil! It's n
trent
To have all tlio nice Juicy fruit you enn
ent,
Hut none of the summer stuff satisfies mo
Like thnt which wo pick from the Christ
tuns tree!
The fnilt of the summer Is good 'In Its
plnce
With stone-lirulHy feet nnd with tnn on
your face
It's nno to climb up where the rohhlns
Iiiito found
A nloo yellow npplc nil mellow nnd round.
And tnke It nwny from the rohber ho hold
While he nnd his mute- lly nrouud you and
scold.
It's fun nt the time, hut It never could ho
Ah nice na tlio fun of the Christmas tree.
One tmc I remember my bnd cousin .Tim
Dared Chnrley and mo to climb out on a
limb
No hipster than one of my thumbs; nnd I
did
'Cause Jimmy wns calling mo "Sissy-boy
kid."
The limb well, you're certain what hap
pened, 1 guess,
And Jim got a whipping; 'cause big sister
ItesH
Told Jim's pa and sua what happened to
nit
1 never fell out of a Christmas tree.
The Christmas tree prows In a night, and
It bears
Things lots and lots nicer than apples and
pears
I've seen on Its branches doll-hnhlcs and
drums
And steam-cars and soldiers and big sugar
plums; 1'vo gathered now mittens and picture
books, too,
Right off from the bent-over twig where
they grew,
And candles grow lighted there, so you can
see
'Foro daylight tlio things on the Christmas
tree I
Bomot lines In the parlor, sometimes In the
hall,
Hoinetlmcs In the dining-room best place
of all
The Christmas-tree grows with Its wonder
ful fruit,
And sometimes It has a pine-box for a
root!
The funny thing Is that I oftentimes find
Itlght there what for weeks I had had on
my mind,
And nlwnys, on Christmas, who wnnts to
see mo
Had better look under the Christmas-tree.
-Strickland W. Olilllan, In Leslie's Week
ly. The Message
of the Bells M
UN clouds scudded gustily across
& tlio sky, hiding the peaceful fnce
I of tlio moon, whoso radiance
J touched the edges of her somber
veil with a fringe of silver. The
great grny tower lifted Its head far
nloft in the midnight stillness, and the
wind moaned around its rough-hewn cor
ners n requiem for the dying year. With
in the tower sat the old bell-ringer, ynlt
Insj for the stroke of twelvo from the
clock, nnd, as he waited, his thought
drifted bnck to the years long buried
in the dimness of the past the years
when his floating white hair had been
crisp nnd black, when his long, slender
lingers were strong nnd supple, and
'struck from the midnight chimes music
of entrancing beauty.
Oil, happy memory! Oh, long ngo! It
wits on another night like that thai Ru
precht was born; nnd tlio joy which
beamed from the pale young mother's
face wns reflected in his own. ns he loft
her with her baby on "her 'bosom and
rushed to the bell-tower to make of his
chimes n pean of praise to the Father
who had filled his life with blessing.
How they loved him that baby their
only one tiieir all! How ho and Els-
petit had watched ench new develop
went how proudly guided the first tot
tering step; how carefully repeated the
first lisping word.
Tho boy studied improving every op
portuulty with untiring zeal, until nt
last tho great organ -in the Cathedral
below thundered its glorious music re
eponslve to the touch of the boyish fin
gcrs. People thronged to hear, ltu
precht's services wero demanded else
whero brilliant prospects opened be
foro him, nnd tho Inevitable separation
drew near.
New Year's Eve! How many nnnl
. versarles this shadowy hour .held! The
boy bado them good-by while Elspeth
clung to him and sobbed, nnd her litis
bnnd, rushed nway to toll tho chimes his
agony ns be had poured into them his
joy. As he sat waiting, even as now,
n step camo up the stair, nnd some ono
entered tho belfry chamber, and'the voice
he loved said tenderly ",Meln Vater, let
roc piny, tho chimes to-night. I will leave
, vith them a message to comfort you
when .you nro sn.d n message for you
and the mother, too. When I henr It In
the'fn'r-off Innd It will be my mother's
voice thnt sing's to me, nnd when you
play It, 'mcin yrttcr, it will sny to you,
'Kuprccht ltves mo.' Then you will
prny 'God watch over my boy nnd keen
hi in safe for me,' nnd tho All-Father
will henr,"
When Rupreoht struck the ninsslvo
keys It wns the simple old Pleyel's hymn
lie played, but he lent his beautiful voice
to the clnngor of the bells nnd sang his
mothers favorite words:
Children of the Heavenly King
As ye Journey sweetly sing,
Sing your Buvlour's worthy prnlso
Glorious In his works and ways.
A moment later ho wns gone. Tho
years had beon mnny nnd long slnco
then, but no tidings ever ctunc, nnd Els
ntli'H hnlr crow white beforo'tho look of
expectancy in her dear oj'cs' changed to
the cnltnness of resignntlon. lie was
dnd, of course. They had heard of tho
wrecked ship. They had moved to n new
lome. They were only -waiting now
10 nnd Elspeth for the summons which
should call them to the happy reunion
whero there would be no sad good-bys
and hearts forget how to ncho.
The first stroke of midnight sounded
nnd an instant later the bulls pealed
forth, while the old mnn sang with trem
bling lips and voice that no ono heard
but God as he had sung every New
Year since that one:
Children of the Heavenly King
As ye Journey sweetly sing,
Hlng your Saviour's worthy prnlse
Glorious In his works nnd ways.
Then, ns the last reluctant echo died
nwny, he stumbled down the nnrrow
stairs toward home nnd Elspeth.
Not far from tho tower stood n man
sion, whero n great throng hnd nsscm
blcd to watch the old year out nnd the
new year In. Silken draperies rustled.
jewels gleamed, music rippled on the
perfumed nir, and happy voices rang
sweet nnd high. Hut every sound was
silenced, and bright eyes grew dim in
the flood of melody which suddenly
poured nbont the gny throng. They
crowded toward the music room, trying
to catch a glimpse of the plnyor. Those
who wore near snw nt slender man, witli
fair curling hair brushed back from n
brow ns pure ns n woman's. Quietly he
sat before tho grand piano, playing with
out tho slightest effort such masterful
music as had hushed the listeners to
nwe-fitruck silence.
"Who is hcV" was the nuestion'nnssed
from ono to another.
"Ho Is n friend of father's," the
lostcss told them. "Father mot him
abroad some years ago, nnd by helping
him In n search for some missing friends,
won his heart. Father invited hint hero
for the holidays this year, but he de
clined the Invitation, then this evening
suddenly and unexpectedly appeared.
These grcnt musicians arc always eccen
tric, you know. I heard him tell father
that this Is an nnnlvcrsary he does not
like to spend alone.
At eleven o'clock the hostess seated
her guests in n circle, saying, "Now wo
will turn down the lights and tell ghost
stories till midnight." Tho young people
fell in with the spirit of fun, and ghosts
walked, hobgobblins shrieked and ghouls
moaned, till tho more timid begged for
mercy.
It was nlmost twelvo o'clock when n
new voice suddenly broke Into n moment
ary pause. Everyone looked up to see
tho musician standing In tho door.
"My friends," ho said, "my story is
not of tlio spirits of the unseen world
It is of n lad who once, on a night like
this, left homo and friends and went
out into the wide world, with Music as
the priestess who presided at the altar,
where burned tho fires of his ambition.
Shipwreck, a weary sickness and deliv
erance, a miscarried letter returned to
Its writer long afterward all these came
to tlte lad, and when at last, overcome
by the deadly 'helmweh,' he turned to
ward his homo, he found It empty the
loved ones gone. Tho years have passed
and the lad is a man, but tho father and
tho mother he has not found, nor does
he expect to greet them ngaln until the
New Year of heaven dawns for him, as
he believes It hns already dawned for
them. So, when the midnight comes I
play each New Year's Evo as I as the
lad played on that last night long ago
my messago to jny dear ones."
The clock on tho mantel warned for
twelve, nnd tho musician turned to the
piano and played again simply and lov
ingly Floyd's hymn, singing ns In the
long ngo tho benutlful words his mother
loved. '
As tho last note died nwny In the quiet
room the tower clock began to strike,
but wns drowned by the music of tlio
chimes. A thrill ran through tho hushed
circle as they recognized the strain they
had just heard, but the musician arose
with n mighty' cry, "Mein Yhter!" hhd
ran out Into the night, guided by the
music of the bells.
When the old bell-ringer shut the door
he c6uld not see, for tho tears thnt blind
ed him, tho hurrying figure o.n, tlo pnvo-
mcnt. A moment Intor ho. was gathered
closo to the heart thnt yearned for him,
nnd together, in the opening of the glad
Now Year, they went out from tl
shadow of the old "bell tower, homo to
Elspeth, whose mother-honrt came near
to bursting, with the joy of n sou's home
comlug. The Housekeeper.
CHRISTMAS tide has come ngnln
nnd nil the little children nre
thinking about Santa Glaus, nnd
some nre wondering If he will
como to their house this time.
There is hardly any reason for nny child
to believe that ho will not come. A
good many things chango in this world,
but on Christmas Eve merry old Santa
Clans Is nlwnys heard of his hair as
white, his nose as red, as ever; his bag
of toys just ns full; his cry down tho
chimney of "Any good children here?"
just ns loud.
Kris Krlnglo is nnothcr nnmo for
Santa Clans, nnd n very good nnme,
too; nnd stockings nro not the only things
thnt hold toys. Little Germnn peasant
children often set their wooden' shoes
on the hearth on Christmas eve, pretty
sure of n enke nnd n toy; for children,
however poor their pnrents mny be, nre
mndo much of in Germany. And in some
places In Europe n curious thing hap
pens. The mother, tho father and the
rest of tho family sit about the lire to
gctlicr on Christinas eve.
All the room is tidy. The children,
half hopeful, half terrified, draw close
to mother, father, or grnndmothers, ns
A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY IN COLONIAL DAYS.
they henr n sound of trumpets or horns
outside. Then the mother says: "What
can tliis beV" and opens the door. As
she does so, n number of very strnnge
looking figures como in nmongst them
one person dressed in white, with wings,
and n great basket in his baud, and an
other in black, with n hunch of rods.
"God bless you nil," says the figure
In white. "Are there any good children
here?"
"Are there nny bad children hero?"
asks the black figure.
"My children nre nil pretty good,"
the mother nnswers.
"I nm glnd to henr It," says tho white
visitor. "I hnvo gifts here for good chil
dren." "Stop!" the blnck figure cries; "they
are not g)d. Hnns struck his brother
yesterdny. Gretchen does not know her
catechism, nnd Petrn broke n pieco from
tho Sunday enke as it sat to cool ou the
window sill. I Ul leave rods to whip
them with."
Tho children begin to cry. Tho white
figuro spreads out his hands nnd says:
"Tho little ones will bo better next
year." Then ho takes ono of tho rods
from tho blnck visitor and drives him
out. The visitors play on tho instru
ments they have brought, nnd the whole
family sing Christmas hymns. The nn
gelie visitor then empties his basket on
the table, and leaves thero a grent num
ber of iced enkes, gilded nuts, ginger
broad horses, nnd wooden toys, and then
departs. The mother tells tho children
to be good nil the yenr, lest the rod
should really be left for them on the
next Christinas, nnd all have supper and
go to bed.
Christmas day is n hnppy ono for
most children nil over tho Christian
world, nnd I hope thnt because this Is
so they will remember that this day is
kept, because eighteen hundred nnd elgh
tyon'o yenrs ngo Jesus, who snld "Suffer
littlo children, nnd forbid them not, to
como unto me, for of such is the king
dom of heaven," wns first n babe In his
mother's amis. Mary Kylo Dallas in
tho Now York Ledger.
Individuality in Gilts.
Tho personality of tho giver expressed
in the wrappings nbout tho Christmas
gift nflds value to tho simplest offering.
After all, it is tho spirit of tho giver
rnther than tho gift Itself which gives
tho greatest pleasure. Tho favorite rib
bon, the slip of mistletoe, tho color of
tho tissue pnper covering, the card which
bears tho ChriHtmnB greeting, nil express
love and well-wishing.
MAKING CHRISTMAS TOYS.
Thriving Industry lit Germany, France
nnd Switzerland.
In pnrts of Germany, France nnd
Switzerland every humble householder
tnkes more Interest in Christmns than
the nvernge American boy. This seems
like n strong statement, for Christmns is
pretty thoroughly npprcclnted by the
young of America. Hut, gront ns the
fcstlvnl is to them, It Is not essential to
their existence. They could get along
without Christmas, but the toymakers
in Switzerland, tho Tyrol nnd south Ger
mnny would stnrvo without tills midwin
ter holiday which makes n market for
their goods. There are wood carvers,
doll dressers and toymakers in every
linmlet nnd homo of tho Tyrol. They
depend upon the smnll wnges they mnke
from these toys to put brend nnd butter
in their mouths.
All through tho winter season every
boy nnd mnn enrves out wood nnlmnls
and toys for tho fnctorles. Everything
Is hnndmnde. A Noah's nrk of twenty
or thirty wooden nnlmnls thnt retnils
for n qunrtcr In this country does not
pay the carver more than n few pennies.
The boys are taught to handle the
knife early, and they learn to cut out
wooden ducks, hens, horses, cows nnd
other toys before they have readied their
teens. Working all through tho early
winter days and nights in their little
homes, they mnke the wooden tors that
delight so many children throughout tho
world. New York Mail and Express.
Christmas Ghost HuntVni:.
Tho custom of chasing spooks on tho
night beforo Christmas comes front Ire
lnnd. One dililculty with making tho
thing go In America is that our houses
nro scarcely old enough to make good
ghost repositories. A real haunted house
should bo sufllciently old to be something
of a ghost itself. Like violins and whis
ky, n spooky atmosphere improves witli
ngo.
A ghost hunt should he cnrrled on nt
midnight, of course. If no specter bo
found, nn nctivo Imnginntion should have
no dililculty in conjuring up one of Its
own. The only way to account for tho
fact that ghosts abound more nt Christ
mns than nt other times is that tho
Christmas season is n very attractive ono
on eartli and the spooks come bnck to
enjoy Its good cheer.
Devonshire Yule Lior.
In Devonshire the Yule log is known
as the Ashton fagot. Tho fagot is com
posed of n bundle of ash sticks bound
with nino bands of tho same wood.
DON TS
DRESS UP IN COTTON
WHEN YOU PLAY SANTA
CLAUS.
57,365 PEOPLE HAVE
BEEN BURNED TO DEATH
BY THE COMBINATION OF
COTTON AND CHRISTMAS
CANDLES.
THE UP-TO-DATE SANTA CLAUS.
Once more It was Christmas and old Santa
Clans,
With his white whiskers dangling around
his fat Jaws,
Gnvc his engine a start, nnd then, laden
with zeal
And with gifts, started off In his automo
bile. He flitted past corners and whizzed up tho
In nes,
He ran over dogs nnd he smashed Into
trains;
He enme with n zlpp and he passed like a
flash;
He seared people's teams and knocked bug
gies to smash;
He ran over culcKeiis nnd knocked chim
neys down,
And spread consternation nil over the town.
The odor of gasoline floated behind
Where he hurried ns If on the wings of ,
the wind;
lie crippled old people and stayed not to Sfj
sec
How badly they fared or learn whom they
might be.
The children who watched for his coming t
ho crushed
Itcncnth his broad tires, ns onward ho
rushed 1
He scattered his gifts while ho sped
through the night,
Content to penult them to fall where they
might.
The wrecks and tho sorrow nnd suffering
showed
The course thnt ho took with his glittering
load,
And, having gone home with his glad du
ties done,
Ho murmured: "I guess I've the records
all won;
When they see where I've passed I don't
think that they'll wait
Very long to admit thnt I'm right up-to-
dntel"
L. 13. Klscr, In Chlcngo Hecord-IIernJd.
CHRISTMA8 EVE IN BETHLEHEM.
Obscrvniiccn in the Christian Town Set
in the Heart of Mohammedanism.
Bethlehem, tho central spot of interest
In tho Holy Lnnd nt Christmnstidc, is a
Christian town set In the heart of Mo
hammedanism, where once n year tho
Greek church grants the use of tho grot
to of the Nativity to the Latin church,
says London Sphere. The ceremonies be
gin on Dec. 24 by the Itnngc of tho
youthful Christ being carried from tho
basilica of St. Helena to the sacred
grotto of tlio Nntivity, where the tradi
tional spot of Christ's birth is marked by
a silver stnr set in the rocky pavement.
The service begins at 10 o'clock In tho
evening. It opens with tho chanting of.
psalms without nny musical accompani
ment. The patriarch of Jerusalem usu-j
ally ofllciutcs in the grotto, but on this'
occasion he is represented by the Latin
bishop. The interior of the church is
most picturesque, for thero nro only a
few chnlrs provided for foreign visitors,
while the bulk of tho congregation is
made up of the Bothlemite women in
their blue dresses with red frontlets,,
wearing peaked caps when married nnd
flat caps covered by white veils when
single.
As they enter tho church they at first
kneel down nnd then sit upon the groundl
in true oriental fashion. "In the dimly
lighted church," says one who has seen,
the service, "theso squatting varicolored'
figures, with their beautiful fnces lit up
by fits nttd stnrts by ilnshes of the can
dles, intent on devotion, seem like so Jr
many modern Madonnas come to celc-A1
brnto the glory of the first Mndonnn."
Precisely nt midnight the nontiflcal1
high mass is celebrated, the figure of
Christ is brought in n basket nnd depos
ited upon the high nltur, nnd the proces
sion forms to accompany it to tho crypt.
As the long, chanting procession winds
through the dimly lighted church thero
is something weirdly solemn nbout tho
ceremony, nnd ns tho sncrcd imngo
passes various nets of worship aro per
formed by the devout attendants. On
the procession moves through the rougli
hewn, dimly lit passages from tho Latin
church to the grotto of the Nntivity.
When tho procession of richly robed
ecclesinstics reaches the silver stnr set
in the pavement the priests pause nnd
stand in n group nbout tho basket, which
is deposited upon the stnr. Around this
star is the inscription, "Hie de virgino
natus est" ("Here lie was born n
virgin"), for this Is tho spot upon which
tradition places tho actual birth of Je
sus. There the impressive narrntivo of
the birth of Jesus ns found in tho gospels!
is slowly recited, nnd when tho pas
sngo (Luke ii., 7), "And she broogb'
forth her firstborn Son nnd wrappo ,
him in swnddling clothes nnd laid him lr
n mnnger, becnuse there wns no root.'
for them in tho inn," is rend tho figurrf
is reverently picked up from tho stnr nna
carried over to tho opposite side of t. o
grotto, whero It Is put Into n rock cu
mnnger. This concludes the service.
Christmas Hints.
A simple nnd tnstcful home-mndo pic
ture frame mny bo constructed from
common gns pipe cut into sultablo lengft
nnd tied together nt the corners wih
shoo strings. A neat pnper weight mnj
be made by wrapping half n brick ir
pnper such ns butchers uso nnd tyln, h.
with red tape. A dnlnty towel rnc;
mny bo fabricated from n baseball bal
and two cigar boxes. Shellac the boxer
and sandpaper the bat. An ordinnr;
cobblestone bnnd pnlnted with lnmpbln j
nnd household nmmonia makes nn excel
lent door weight. A novel pipe rnck foi
fastidious smokers mny bo mnde from
email strip of one-inch plank. Bore hole
in It for the stems of tho pipes to pas'
through. A dried muskmelon shell mnke.... '
nn nttrnctlvo tobacco jar. w"'
Now Yoar's in Prance. k
New Year's In Franco Is n grenter . '
day for exchnnging gifts than Christmns.
Tho custom of New Year's calls, onco
so popular in this country, but now fallen
nlmost into disuse, is still supremo in
Pnrls. Gront fnmfly dinners, In which
the ornngo figures most prominently, ndd
to the gnyoty of tho dny. So crowded'
nro the pnvements on tho bottlovnrdsi
thnt pedestrians sometimes have to tnko
tho middle of tho street.
An Adnuiloss live.
Borne things about the holidays
Are quite unfair to mtiduiu,
For Instance, there's n Christmas eve,
.IJut wherc'B her Christmas Adam?