CHRISTMAS CRACKERS.
Do "plants" for rnnltlng pretty gifts
Brow up to ChrlBtmno trees?
And aro "tlio sea-sons' greetings"
sent by salt sons of the seas?
Aro Yule logs cut from snow drlit
wood by Yuletldo washed nshoro?
And would you stub a mlstlctoo
ngalnst a parlor door?
If Evo had tried from holly twigs a
party gown to weavo
Do you suppoeo that Adam would
havo called her "Christmas Kvo?"
St. Nicholas In nutoslolgh defies po-
llco and laws.
Do regulations as to speed contain
a Santa clause?
Llpplncott's Magazine.
CHRISTMAS DUSK.
Come, llttlo boy, to mother's knee,
Tho Christmas twilight trembles down
With roso tints for tho wondrous treo
And roso glow for tho snow clad town,
And all Is marvelous but you
Most marvelous of all to me,
For I may hold you as I do,
As Mary held him on her knee.
And ho was sweet and ho was fair,
As aro all mothers' little boys;
Ills Hps, his smile, his eyes, his hair.
To Mary were her chlefcst Joyu.
And slio would sing to him as I
Sing whllo tho sun dies In tho west;
I hear your weary, sleepy sigh
As Mary heard his on her breast.
And In tho after years, I think,
When ho was treading sorrow's way
And held the bitter cup to drink
Sho brootled on tho happy day
When ho ran singing through tho room
And found a hundred thingfl to do
To drlvo away all chance of gloom
And was a llttlo boy llko you.
So drop your toys and let us sing
Tho songs that heart and homo havo
blest.
For love 13 moro than anything
And llfo Is work and play and rest.
And Mary's was the mother heart,
A heart of lovo all fair and fine,
That Into tender throbs could start
For Just a llttlo boy like mine.
Across tho years I reach to her
And touch her whlto and empty hands,
Down all tho agca seems to stir
A message that bIio understands;
Tho subtle rapturo that I keep
Shrined In tho ver,y soul of me,
When I may hold you hero, asleep,
As Mary held him on her knee.
Wilbur D. Nosblt In Harper's Weekly.
Before tho birth of Christ
the ancient Romans indulged
at tho midwinter season -in a
festival from which it is sup
posed that many of the pres.
ent day traditions sprung.
Presents "were given and re
ceived. An expression of mu
tual brotherhood was shown
in the custom of tho masters
and their staves exchanging
places and the former waiting
upon tho latter.
Dixie's Noisy Christmas.
In lower latitudes, whero tho weath
er bureau makes oven no pretense at
supplying snow, says tho Now York
Sun, tho celebration of Christmas takes
on a different manifestation. South of
Washington Christmas has always been
tho day of groat noise, tho day set
apart for tho clangor of bells, tho
shrilling of trumpets, above all else tho
firecracker.
Iu the Social conditions of the-south
before tho revolution tho day of noiso
and crash of gunpowder was tho oth
of November, on which day all loyal
subjects were adjured to "remember,
remember tho gunpowder treason and
plot" Tho celebration of this noisy
execration of Guy Fawkcs by tho loyal
cavalier families of tho south cstab
llshed a Avinter holiday of which noise
was tho predominant characteristic,
After the southern colonies had joined
equal hands with the northern In the
long war, gunpowder treason was no
longer tho theme for celebration. Rut
snrna celebration thero must bo to
provide for tho noise which had be
como n habit in tho early winter. In
tho earlier times Christmas had been
n day of sobriety out of doors, of lavish
hospitality within.
What moro natural, then, than to
tiostnono tho racket of gunpowder day
until tho next holiday in courso and to
clve Christmas an outdoor clement
which it had never possessed?
Different Sorts of ChrlBtmaS,
liach stage in our progress from tho
Cracllo to tho grave has its different
Christumsi Old ago forgets Itself, tho
ghosts Which haunt its memories, and
enter Into the young creatine's hap
piness with a relish second only to tho
child's. Tho grandmother no longer
wishes sleds or hoops or gingerbread
monkeys for herself, but sho looks
with love and wonder upon tho llttlo
beings who respond so radiantly to
tlioso objects of domestic manufacture.
Between these generations stand the
parents, with their own lives of bustle
and responsibility and ucsiro, men
own uames and gewgaws to pursue,
but yet with a beginning of tho change
from living for themselves to living In
their young. Norman Hapgood in U)i
ller's.
It was lu New York, or,
33 rather, New Amsterdam, that
Z$ Santa Claus mado his llrat
3.5 American appearance in somo
2V thing llko the garb and man
M ncr-iiow fumlllar to all of us.
From the Netherlands tho
3.2 Knickerbockers brou&ht with
them tho Chrhtmns of lovo
M and sympathy In rfellglon, of
2$ comradeship amojig neigh
33 bors and of festivity In tho
2$ family.
MERRY
C
IIHIST'S coming lnuugurnlod
among men n new era of good
will, ami as a eonsequeueo
thrones aro totteriutr. chains
aro loosening, prison doors aro opening
and practical Christian brnelleenee Is
flooding tho world with sunshine and
Alls It with songs of gladness. Hcv.
Dr. P. S. Ilonson.
HI
ERE Is that "glad tidings," that
gospel of "great joy" of which
the angel spako to tho wonder
ing shenhords this announce
ment of God's lovo for man and mail's
sonshlp to God. And these "glad tid
ings" are for "nil people," so tho angel
said. There Is not a single soul to
whom tho tidings of Christmas come
that la not assured of the lovo of the
almighty and Infinite Father.
EFORM ye, then so Bounds the
voice of tho Eternal Spirit, tho
power hack of evolution re
form ye, for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand! So wo may gird
ourselves to every task of reform with
now hope and fresh enthusiasm and
ring our Christmas bells again. Rev.
Dr. It. Heber Newton.
T may bo that In every gift with
which rtt this blessed Christmas
tide wo gladden our children's
hearts we aro tho Magi again of
fering treasure to tho Holy Child. We
may make It so. Rut richer gifts than
these will bo required. Our endurance
shall be our gift to him who gave him
self. Is there toll for us, that we
may honor him? Is there self denial?
Aro there holy consecration and humble
service, that shall make tho world at
last a spotless sacrifice to him who
purchased it?
0 wo keep Christmas because of
its good tidings of great Joy.
Tho seuson of its occurrence is
our ripest time. The north
wind and the snow in that wind havo
made us what wo aro. It drove us to
the hearth, to tho sacred Ures of tho
Inner circle, to the building of the key
stone In the arch of our civilization,
tho home of the Christian man. Hcv.
Dr. S. P. Cadmau.
T
ODAY all Institutions aro be
ginning to imitate tho wise
men from tho cast, who
brought to tho Divine Child
their gold and aromatic spices, their
frankincense and treasure. Christ's
estimate of tho value of childhood has
conquered tho world. His thought of
childhood is the very heart and genius
of Christian civilization. Rev. Dr.
Newell Dwlght Ilillis.
ORNING, noon and night, for
breakfast, dinner and sup
per, tho first thing on awak
ing aim1 tho last thing on go-
iiig to sleep, every hour of every day
of every week of every month of the
year wo want the spirit of Christmas,
for It Is tho spirit of ministration, of
giving, of service, of doing for others.
Rev. Dr. Francis E. Clark.
ND did you ever think what a
peculiarly blessed sound in the
ears of those watching shep
herds of tho valley of Rethlc-
hem nvas tho announcement of the
angels, "Christ has come?" Ever since
the gate of paradise was shut against
our first parents his advent had been
looked forward to as the hope of a lost
world.
TILL thero Is call for strenuous
endeavor and constant fight
against evils without and with
in, as though God would re
mind us that this is not our rest, that
tho true holiday (holy day, as It used
to be written) Is above at his right
hand. Rev. Dr. P. S. Ilcnson.
(Vw
The best protest against tho
f abbreviation "Xinas" Is the
suggestion that it should bo
changed to "$mas." Or, to
r most children, tho day Is
a "?mas" and "!mas," and to the
$Sl irrownuns it Is "Ce&fifmas."
W
S'S
Tho First Christmas Tree.
"Tho Chrlstmos treo was introduced
into England and thenco Into America
bv tho Germans." said a dealer in toys.
I am colng to sell Christmas trees tun
year, and receutiy l uavo uemi trying
to find out who the mun was wno urst
oxnlolted tho treo outside of Its Ger
man motherland. I Want to use tuis in
formation in an advertisement, but I
havo not completed my researches
yet I have got as far back as the
time of Henry VIII. 1 havo copied in
my notebook an account of a Christmas
Irco that was trimmed anu set up ue
fore that king." Tho dealer then read
aloud tho following paragraph, point
ing out, as he proceeded, tho quulnt
li.'.ss mid charm of tho old spelling:
'Airavtisto the XII daye, or tho dayo
of tho Eplphanie, at nlglito before tho
banket in the ITall of Rlchemonde, was
a nageaunt devised llko a mountuyne
cllstorluce by night, as tiuy it uau ueno
all of goldo and set with stones; on tno
top of which mountayno wus a treo or
troldo. the braunches and bowes frysed
with goldo, sprcdyngo on every siuo
over tho mountayno with roses and
nomegornettes. The wiclie mountayno
was with vices (screws) brought up
towards the kynge; and out of tho
same camo a ladyo apparelled in cloth
of coldo. and the eliyldren of honor
called the henchmen, which were fresh
disguised, and danced a morlco before
tho Kyngo: and that done, ro-entered
tho mountayne; and then It was uraw
nn hnoko. tho wassail or banket
hrmiL'ht In. and so brake up Chris
mas."
A
JBll
5$ There nro many beautiful
5V stories associated with tho
Stf origin of tile first Christmas
tree. Ouo legend says that on
2$f tho holy night all nature, even
tSx tho animals and tho trees,
?5I was rejoicing and that the
3 cedars, histoid of pointing
ivl their brunches upward as
jj pointed, Blender trees, spread
vSf their branches wldo to pro-
t tcct the mother and her new
born child.
The Sentries'
Christmas Dinner
Raymond P. Sanford, n robust and
healthy undergraduate of Cornell, lived
for scientific purposes on 83 cents a
week, his food including buttermilk,
lentils, peanuts, raisins, cabbage, pep
pers, oatmeal and apples.
"I thrive on this fare," Mr. Sanford
said. "I admit, however, that to stick
to it takes will power. I havo to gov
ern my sybaritic propensities. I must
not imitate the young sentries.
"Thero wbb once n Christmas
masquerade ball In a European palace,
you know, and n squad of young sen
tries stood guard out in tho snow.
"Well, as tho ball progressed tho con
duct of a certain guest disguised as a
Santa Clans astonished and perplexed
everybody. This Santa Claus would
dance with the prettiest women for
fifteen or twenty minutes, and then,
hurrying to the buffet, ho would drink
a bottle of champagne and eat lobster
salad, Ices, caviar sandwiches, truffled
turkey everything In sight.
"Tho host, after sovcral hours of
such gluttonous and intemperate con
duct on tho part of tho Santa Claus
guest, conferred with his butler and
to his amazement learned that tho of
fender had by actual computation de
voured forty sandwiches, sixty ices and
eight quarts of lobster salad, whllo he
had drunk tldrty-one bottles of cham
pagne and ninety glasses of punch.
"It seemed incredible! Yet thero ho
was, ns rigorous and fresh and sober
as over, now whispering compliments
In n pretty matron's ear, now rushing
to the buffet for more wine and more
lobster.
"Puzzled ami vexed, tho host took
Santa Claus by the arm ahd led him
Into u recess.
" 'Show mo your invitation card,' he
said.
"Rut Santa Claus, alas, had none.
" 'Then unmask!
"Dolefully tho spurious guest obeyed.
" 'Why, you're one of the sentries!'
" 'Yes, sir.'
"lie was indeed one of tho sentries-
one of tho squad of sentries stationed
outside in tho snow.
"These young men had hired n cheap
Santa Claus makeup and, donning It
one by one, had each enjoyed a brief
but delightful share of tho Christmas
festivities tho dancing and lobster and
champagne in tho ballroom." Wash
Ington Star.
. -5
In llolinuu out always on
I Dec. 0 instead of the 25th-
the llltlo boys and girls put
their wooden shoes In front of
the hearths instead of hang-
ing up their stockings, and the
good old patron of children
comes and fills them, and
thero is general gift giving.
The Cruller Lambs.
Our kitchen's ntco round Christmas time
I can't se in th' great bis pot;
It's whero th' crullcrs-they cum turn
An' wnar
An" what's tnsldo Is drelllo hot!
i,musn't st
'Cause- "
dress.
stand too near th stovo
spatters" might Bet on my
My mother thinks that things round thero
Would burn her llttlo gin, i guess.
An' ko I stav real closo to her
When she nuts aprons round ner woisi
And rolls th' rings out on a boaru.
Sometimes sho lets mo havo a "tasto."
An' then, you see, I'm hclpln' too,
I help ljcr 'membor sho mus' mono
A lot of llttlo cruller lambs
I Hico that kind of Christmas cake!
TU' lamb when ho goes In th' pot
He's yellow, an' ho looks an uat,
Uut when they lift him out of It,
W'y, ho's all brown an' rounu nn- iau
I havo to wult till he's "cooiou on
Poro I can liavo my lamb to eat;
An' mother, she puts "wool" on him
V.'lf sugar that's what moues mm sweei.
An' after when my father comes,
I get a lamb for him to see,
My mother laughs at how ho docs;
Sho says ho's "big a cmiu as me.
Sho don't llko lambs In bed, I guess,
But father says to lot mo Keep
It squeezed all tight up In my hands-
An' that'H tli' way l worn 10 Bieepi
Marie Louise Tompkins In Harper's
Weekly.
Fasting at Christmas.
When Cromwell ruled England ho is
sued an edict against all festivities at
Christmas. The festivnl was altogether
abolished, and tho display of holly and
mlHtlutoo and other emblems of the
happy tlmo held to bo seditious.
In KMl tho Long parliament com
manded that Christmas day should bo
observed as a strict fast, when nil pco-
plo should think over nnd deplore tho
creat sin of which they and tneir rore
fathers had been guilty In making
merrv at that season.
This act so provoked tho people tuac
on tho following natal day tho law was
violently resisted In many places,
Though these scenes were disgraceful
they nerved their purpose and put an
end lo an unjust order.
Whon Charios II. regained tho throne
tho populace once moro made .Christ
mas a tlmo of rdolclntr..
THE LOTUS
"ROOMS"
Steam Heat, Running Hot and
Cold Water in all the rooms.
rices Reasonable.
Corner 6th and Locust St.
MRS. C. F. JOHNSTON, Prop.
T. II. 1VATHEN,
Auctioneer
General Fnrm Sales n Specialty
Satisfaction Guaranteed
For dates wrlto at
North I'lattc, Nebraska
DMUlYKEltllY & rOIlBES,
Licensed Embaliucrs
Undertakers and Funeral Directors
Day Phono 234.
Night Phono Ulack C88.
OJtlUXAXCK NO. 78.
An ordlnnnco of the City of North
l'lntto, Nobrnskn, providing for nnd
ordering tho construction of paving
and curbing In paving district No.
1 in said city to-wlt: Tho pnvinff
mul curbing of that part of Locust
street lyin g between tho south sido
of Ninth street and tho north sido
of Third street; All that portion of
Wcwcy street lying between tho
- north sido of Front street
and .tho .north .sido .of ..Third
street All that portion of Pino
street lying between tho north sido
of Front street nnd tho south sido of
Sixth street; All that portion of
Front street lying between tho enst
line of Vino street and tho west
lino of Chestnut street; All that por.
lion of Sixth street lying between
tho enst lino of Vino street nnd tho
east side of Pino street; All that
portion of Fiftli street lying between
tho cast lino of Yrno street nnd tho
west line of Pino street; AH that
portion of Fourth street lying be
tween tho west lino of Locust street
and the west lino of Pino street. And
establishing tho width of tho several
roadways to be paved and curbed,
and providing for tho determining
of the material to bo used for said
paving and curbing nnd for plans
and specifications for said paving
and curbing and providing for let
Ing the contract for said paving nnd
curbing nnd designating the proper
ty to bo assessed for tho cost of said
paving and curbing Improvement,
DE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAY
OR AND COUNCIL ,OF THE CITY OF
NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA:
Scfction 1. That all that part of
Locust street lying between tho south
sido of Ninth street nnd tho north sido
of Third street; all that portion of
Dowoy street lying between tho North
sido of Front street and tho Nortli sido
of Third strcot; nil that portion of
Pino Btreot lying between tho "north
side of Front street and tho south sido
of Sixth street; all that portion o
Front street lying between tho cast
lino of Vino street and tho west lino
Chestnut street; all that portion of
Sixth street lying between tho cast
lino of Vino street and tho cast side
of Pine street; nil that portion
Fifth street lying between the cast lino
of Vino strcot and tho west lino of Pino
street; all that portion of Fourth
street lying hetwoch tho west lino of
Locust street and tho west lino of Pino
street, tho samo being paving district
No. 1 of said City, o and tho samo la
hereby ordered paved and curbed to
tho established grade.
Section 2. That the width of tho
several road ways to bo paved as n
foresaid shall be G4 feet being 27 foot
on each sido of a lino running through
tho contor of said roadways, with tho
oxcoptlon of Front street, which said
roadway of said Front street shall bo
47 foot In widtli from tho cast sido of
Chestnut street to tho west sido of
Locust street, and tho paving shall bo
3 feet on each sido of tho lino cn-
tondod 30Ms feet from tho soutli lino of
said street, samo bolng tho property
lino thereof, nnd tho width of said
Front strcot from tho wost sido of
Locust strcot to tho west sido of Vino
strcot shall ho 32 feet and shall bo
paved 1G feet on each sido of tho lino
oxtended 20 feet from tho south lino
of said street, Bamo being tho property
lino thereof; and said curbing shall
bo constructed on each sido of, parallol
with and distant 27 feet from said con
tor lino of all streets in said district
with tho oxcoptlon of Front street,
which Bald curbing shall 23 feet from
tho cast sido of Chestnut street to tho
west sido of Locust street in Bald
Front street, and shall bo 10 foot from
said extended lino on said portion of
Front Btreot from tho wost sido of Lo
cust streot to tho west sido of Vino
street, and all said curbing shall abut
said paved roadway.
Section 3. That tho material to
UBCd in tho construction of said pav
ing district shall ho such as a majority
of tho owners of lots, parts of lots and
pieces of lands in said paving district
mny detormino upon, if such owners
shall notify tho city council in writ
ing of such determination within thirty
'days after tho passage, approval and
publication of this ordinance. If ouch
owners in said paving district shall
fail to dcslgnato tho material thoy de
slro used for such paving In said pav
ing district, in tho manner and within
tho tlmo abovo provided, tho mayor
and council shall dctormlno upon tho
material to bo used in said paving
district
Section 4. That said paving and
urbing shall bo dono In accordance
with plans and specification therefor
to bo mado by tho city onglncer and
approved by tho mayor and council.
That said paving ahal bo dono by con
tract and said contract shall bo let to
tho lowest rosponslblo bidder aftor ad-
ortlslng for bids therefor for a porlod
of at least ton days In sonio nowspa-
por of general circulation, published
Our Christmas Greeting
To each membor of UiIb community
wo extend tho old, old wish that Is
over now:
A Happy Christmas,
and
A Prosperous Now Venn
Tho nations of tho Old World aro
war torn; tho hacrts of tholr people
aro sad with a sadness Indescribable.
But for us thero is Peace.
Lot us thoroforo, ralnglo with our
Joy a Prayer of Thanksgiving that wo"
of tho United States havo Pcaco al
tho hopo that boforo anothor Christ
mas all tho countries of tho earth can
celebrate
Pence on Earth nnd Good Wll
Toward Men.
Platte Valley State Bank,
North Platte, Nebraska.
HEALTH
In case of poisoning. First send for a physician; second in
duce vomiting by tickling throat with leather' or finger; drink
lots of water, or strong mustard and water; swallow sweet oil
or white of egg. Acids are antidotes for alkalies and vice versa
0
Is
ASK FOR TRADING STAMPS
The Nurse Brown Memorial Hospital
1008 WEST 5th ST.
NORTH PLATTE, NEB.
PHONE 110.
Ethical. Moral. Efficient.
This hospital is open for the reception and treat
ment ol Medical, Surgical, and Obstetrical casesv
This institution is modern, sanitary and well situated
away from the noises and discomfort which arc attendant on
the city's center.
MRS. MARGARET HALL, Supt.
J. S. TWINEM, Physician and Surgeon.
Money to Loan
ON FARMS AND RANCHES
Lowest Rates and Best Terms.
Plenty o! Money on hand to Close
Loans Promptly.
Buchanan & Patterson
bo
In said city,
Section 5. That tho cost of said
paving In said district, exclusive of
Btrect intersections and spaces oppo
site alleys, shall bo assessed against
tho lots, parts of lots and pieces of
lands In said paving district especially
benefited thereby in proportion to such
boncflts, to bo determined by tho may
or and council, not exceeding cost of
said paving nnd curbing lmprovo
mont. Section d. Thia ordlnanco shall
tako effect nnd bo in forco from and
nftor its passage, approval and pub
lication as required by law.
Passed and approved this 21st day
of Dccombor, 1915.
Attest: E. II. EVANS,
C. F. TEMPLE, Mayor.
(SEAL City Clerk.
HINTS
NEW REMEDIES
are discovered every
Day. We keep abreast
with the Progress of Sci
ence and our Stock contains
some of the very newest
Drugs and Sundries. Besides
we put Brains into our work,
Honesty into our Material
and keep Faith with our
"If ?l'a n Flninf
... 1 U '11 .!.,. it-
J. H. STONE