UNDER THE MISTLETOE! TO THEIR CHEEKS THE WARM BLOOD
FLIES
AS INTO HER EYES LOOK HIS. DU T—THERE ARE OTHER EYES.
listmas ^
i Christmas In the country forty years
ago was a different affair from what
it is now. I never think of Christmas
in Ibose days without thinking of a
lovely winter day, bright with sun
shine, and snow everywhere: large
drifts, through which the horses floun
dered as they drew the stout sled, on
which was the wagon-bed filled with
hay, and covered with blankets and
buffalo-robes, where we cuddled down,
as we rode merrily away to spend
Christmas at grandpa's. We could
hardly wait till the horses stopped, so
eager were we to wish grandpa a mer
ry Christmas; but he was generally
ahead of us with his greeting' of
"Christmas gift.” That entitled him
to a present instead of us; but a kiss
ail around was usually the way we paid
off our indebtedness, while some strip
ed sticks of peppermint candy,, laid up
for the occasion, were given us. Our
aunts, uncles and cousins came next
for their share of good wishes and
merry Jokes.
A bright lire burned In the fireplace,
and there, suspended by a stout string
from the celling, was a great turkey
packed full of dressing, and sending
forth a most delicious odor as it turned
round and round, gradually browning
before the Are, the Juice dripping Into
a great pan on the brick hearth; and
from this pan grandma occasionally
dipped the Juice with a huge iron spoon
and poured it over the crisp sldos of
the turkey. Other preparations were
going on meanwhile in the kitchen,
where a cooking stove held the place
Of honor, as cooking-stoves were very
rare in those days. The neighbors had
come !*»lies to see it, and express their
fears as to the probability of its "blow
ing up." This cook-stove, however,
was not equal to cooking such a large
turkey In its small oven. A coffee
boiler sent out an odor of eoffee strong
f
| A BRIGHT FIRE BURNED,
and fragraut, while a long table cover
ed with enowy linen (the work of
grandma's own hands) Btood at the far
ther end of the long kitchen.
1 as soon as the turkey was pro
nounced done and the gravy made In
the dripping-pan, the chairs were plac
ed near the table and we were called
to dinner. No one wa3 left to wait,
and such a merry time! After grandpa
had asked a blessing on the food, ho
jearved the turkey and supplied our
■waiting plates bountifully with any
piece we wished, together with all
manner of good things In the way of
vegetables. A rice pudding with plen
ty of raisins, pumpkin pies and rosy
cheeked apples served for dessert, and
our pnly sorrow was that we could eat
eo little. After dinner we children
played games in the kitchen, around
the fireplace that was used when there
was no fire in the cook stove. Here
we popped corn, cracked nuts, told
fairy stories and played blind-man's
buff while the older ones “visited” in
the “keepln’-room” until the time MWf
|to return home.
BIzaley—“You must dislike Newcomb
Very much.” Grizzly—"I hate him as
■fiercely as a barber hates a bald headed
with a full beard.”—Truth,
The Childlike Mind.
Christmas is not only the mile mark
of another year moving us to thought
of self-examination, it is a season, from
all its associations, whether domestic
of religious, suggesting thoughts of
joy. A man dissatisfied with his en
deavors is a man tempted to sadness.
And in the midst of the winter, when
his life runs lowest and ho is remind
ed of the empty chairs of his beloved,
it is well he should be condemned to
this fashion of the smiling face. Noble
disappointment, noble self-denial are
not to be admired, not even to be par
doned, if they bring bitterness. It is
one thing to enter the Kingdom of
Heaven maim; another to maim your
self and stay without. And the King
dom of Heaven is like the child-like,
of those who are easy to please, who
love and who give pleasure. Mighty
men of their hands, the smiters and
the builders and the judges, have lived
long and done sternly, and yet pre
served this lovely character; and
among our carpet interests and two
penny concerns, the shame were in
delible if wo should lose it.—From a
Christmas Sermon by Robert Louis
Stevenson.
Prom every spire on Christmas eve,
The Christmas bells ring clearly out
Their message of good will and peace,
With many a call and silver shout.
For faithful hearts, the angels' song
Still echoes In the frosty air,
And by the altar low they bow
In adbratlon and in prayer.
A thousand blessed mem'rles throng,
The stars are holy signs to them.
And from the eyes of every child
Looks forth the Babe of Bethlehem.
But there are others, not like these.
Whose brows are sad, whose hopes
are crossed,
To whom the season brings no cheer,
And life's most gracious charm is
lost.
To whom that story, old and sweet.
Is but a fable at the best;
The Christmas music mocks their ears,
And life has naught of joy or rest.
Oh! for an angel’s voice to pierce
The clouds of grief that o’er them
rise,
The mists of doubt and unbelief
That veil the blue of Christmas skies.
That they, at last, may see the light
Which shines from Bethlehem and
unfolds *
For Christ the treasures of their hearts
Richer than splcery or gold.
Hope of the ages, draw Thou near,
Till all the earth shall own Thy sway,
And when Thou reign’st in every heart,
It will indeed be Christmas day.
—Eleanor A. Hunter.
The King Smiled.
King Rooster—"Uedcomb!”
Redcomb—"Yes, sire."
K. R.—“What is the cause of this un
usual excitement in the court?”
R.—“ 'Tis the preparations for the
usual Christmas feast, sire.”*
K. R.—“The annual feast?”
R.—“Yes. sire.”
K. R. (anxiously)—“Are wo In any
immediate danger?”
R.—"No, dire. It is only the females
and young males.”
K. R.—“And those 'up-to-date' hens
who have been the pest of the court
lately with their attempts to imitate
me, ate they included?"
IL—“All. sire.”
K. R.—"Excellent! Perhaps this
may serve to teach them that they only
deceive themselves by their egotism;
that no matter how loud they crow, the
world still regards them as hens.”—Q.
A. C.
Bailable Data About California.
An American geography printed 1l
1812 contains this interesting informa
tion: "California is a wfld and almost
unknown land, covered throughout the
year by dense fogs, as damp as they
are unhealthy. On the northern shores
live anthropophagi and in the interior
are active volcanoes and vast plains of
shifting ssow, which sometimes shoot
up columns to Inconceivable heights.”
The book adds that some of these
statements would seem Incredible were
they not so well authenticated by trust
worthy travelers.
OLD TIME CUSTOMS.
By Winona Butler.
There is no brighter fact in history
than Christmas. The golden thread of
its influence can be traced through
nearly nineteen centuries. On the first
Christmas morning the angels sang:
“Peace on earth, good will to men.”
The glad refrain has been repeated
each Christmas season in every Chris
tian land, though the character of the
music varies greatly.
Our ancestors were In the habit of
forming companies which went from
house to house, singing Christmas
carols in the streets. These beautiful
carols would break the stillness of the
winter night or.early Christmas morn
ing, making a most delightful begin
ning to the merry day.
But these holy jubilees had as rivals
the mingling Instruments of those
wandering spirits of harmony—the
“Waits.” One author writes: "Many
and many a time have we been
awakened by the melody of. the Waits,
and have lain and listened to their
wild music, its solemn swells and ‘dy
ing falls,’ kept musical by the distance
and made holy by the time, till we
could have fancied that the morning
stars were again singing as of old they
‘sang together for joy,’ and that the
sounds of their far anthem came float
ing to the earth.”
The German children probably be
lieve more firmly in ICriss Kringle, or
Santa Claus, than do the children of
any other nation. Germany is the birth
place of Kriss Kringle, and the won
derland of fable and poetry. German
children are taught to love the
Christ-child. In many parts of the
country It is the custom, on the morn
ing before Christmas, to let a figure
representing the Christ-child wave
past the window of the room where the
little ones sleep. Half awake only, in
the gray of the morning they see this
little child-figure flit dimly past, and
they go to sleep again in the blissful
consciousness that the Christ-child has
not forgotten them, and that they will
have an abundance of presents around
the tree in the evening.
A beautiful custom in Norway and
Sweden is the Christmas feeding of
birds. Bunches of oats are placed on
the roofs of houses, on fences and
I
It went cut, It was considered a sign of
ill-luck.
The Christinas dinner was the cen
Ci»al feature of all the gay festivities.
The table was literally loaded with
good cheer. The boar’s head held the,
place of honor and was a lordly affair,'
brought in by the butler, attended by!
a servant on either side with a large;
wax light. The head was carried on a;
silver dish, the tusks piercing bright-)
red apples, while between them an’
orange was laid, the whole graced with;
an abundance of sauce. When this,;
"the rarest dish in all the land,” was
placed at the head of the table, one ol!
tiie company sang a carol suited to the
great occasion.
The Christmas peacocks were also,
gorgeous, the bird being flayed, roast
ed and then sewed up again in all the
splendor of its brilliant feathers, a'
piece of cotton saturated with spirits:
being' placed within the gilded beak
to burn while the carver was at work.
Still more curious was the ancient
peacock pie, the bird being covered by
the crust, save that on one side appear
ed his plumed crest, while from tha
other side protruded the gorgeous,
spreading tail.
Mince pies were called Christmas or.
December pies, as the old rhyme
went—
“Treason’s in a December pie
And death within the pot.”
They date back to 1596. ^
The classical plum pudding niust be
added to the list of good things,
though, sad to relate, it was really
plum porridge, and not pudding, as
we have always believed.
An old poem says—
"And those that hardly all the year
Had bread to eat or clothes to wear,
Will have both clothes and dainty fare.
And all the day be merry.”
The leader of all the merry-making
was called the Lord of Misrule or Ab
bott of Unreason. The wardrobes at
halls and manor houses were often lafd
under contribution to furnish fantas
tic disguises.
Snap Dragon was one of the favorite
sports. Raisins were placed in a large
shallow dish and brandy poured over
the fruit and ignited. The lights in.
the room were extinguished, and in
the weird glare the players attempted
to pick the raisins out of the flaming
dish:
W¥a % Bell? Were Ringing
BY SHIRLEY WYNNE.
Alone, alone in the crowded street,
Alone on New Year’s night,
Barefoot and wet with the blind
ing sleet,
Pale ’neath the red lamplight,
A little match girl through the
crowd
Halses a feeble cry
While the New Year bells are
chiming loud,
"Matches! Oh, will you buy?”
Gay, bright-eyed, smiling children
pass;
They laugh and sing and dance
and run— •
They all have happy homes; alas!
But this heroine has none!
Alone, alone in the busy street
She cowers on a doorstep nigh
While the New Year bells are
chiming sweet,
Still pleading, “Will you buy?”
Hungry and ragged and blue with
o®ld—
The wind blows keen and loud—
Her frozen fingers can scarely hold
The matches to the crowd.
And still, as faster falls the sleet,
More piteous grows the cry
While the New Year bells are
chiming sweet,
"Oh, will you—will you buy?”
No more alone in the moonrise
gray,
With face so wan and white;
The little match girl has gone
away
To a happy home tonight;
For an angel came through the
crowded street,
Hushing the tempest wild,
While the'New Year bells chimed
loud and sweet.
And bore away the child!
trees. Cartloads ol sheaves are
brought Into town tor this purpose, and
both rich and poor buy and place them
everywhere. The sentiment is that a
man must be very poor indeed If he
cannot spare a farthing to feed the lit
tle birds on Christmas day. In many of
the valleys and mountain dales of the
countries watch is Kept during the
whole of the night, and all are merry;
candles are kept burning at the win
dows, and the people flock to church at
four o’clock In the morning, each car
rying a torch.
In somo districts. Immediately after
the service, everyone hurries from
church, either on foot or In sleighs, for
there Is an old saying that he who gct3
home first will have his crop first har
vested. At this holiday season the
peasants dance on straw, and the peas
ant girls throw straws at the timbered
roof of the hall, and for every one that
sticks In a crack a lover will come
courting during the year.
In old English times, at the close of
the church services It was customary
for the clerk in loud and emphatic
tones to wish all the congregation a
Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year. In those good old times an Eng
lish gentleman would throw open his
hall at daybreak to all his tenants and
neighbors. Beer, blackjacks, toast and
cheese were plentiful. The great sau
sage must be boiled by sunrise, or else
two young men must take the cook by
the arms and run her around the mar
ket place till she is ashamed of her
laziness.
The “Yule log” is a great log of
wood, sometimes the root of a tree,
brought into the house with great
ceremony on Christmas Eve, laid in
the fireplace and lighted with the brand
of last year’s log. While it lasted
there was great drinking, singing and
telling of tales. Sometimes it was ac
companied by Christmas candles, but
in the cottages the only light was from
the ruddy blaze of the great wood fire.
The Yule log was to burn all night; if
“Here he comes with flaming bowl—
Doesn’t he mean to take his toll?
Snip, snap dragon.
Take care* you don’t take too much,
Be not greedy in youi; clutch,
Snip, snap dragon."
But in 1652, the question of Christ
mas was brought up in parliament.
They decided it was not in harmony
with the scriptures; pronounced it
“anti-Christmasso” and abolished it.
So the jolly Lord of Misrule became an
outlaw, and the old picturesque Christ
mas faded away with the severity of
the Puritan atmosphere; but with the
nineteenth century came a revival.
The new Christmas was merry, but
quieter. What it lost In noise and
frolic, it made up in cheerfulness and
good will; and now, remembering the
message of that first Christmas morn
ing, we hail the merry Christmus day
with—
“Peace on earth.
Good will to men.”
Gift* for Women and Men,
“Women’s wants, if measured by
their belongings, would seem to be
almost innumerable, and of a kind
which require constant renewing and
replacing,” writes Frances E. Lanigan
telling of appropriate Christmas gifts
for women and for men. “Woman’s
interests and occupations require a
greater number of small things for
their equipment than do those of men,
and Christmas gifts for them are,
therefore, more easily prepared. Wo
men’s belongings have the further ad
vantage of being useful as well as
beautiful. Men are always pleased
with simple gifts, and are usually em
barrassed when presented with expen
sive articles of any sort. The value
to them of a gift is, as It should be
with all persons, in proportion to Its
simplicity and usefulness and out of
proportion to its cost.”
Life’s fi short summer; man a flower.
—Dr. Johnson.
(
HRISTMAS bells
are ringing,
Ringing glad and
gay.
Voices sweet are
singing
Songs of Christ
mas Day.
Heart, what joyous
music.
For thy part dost
bring?
— w t**^,i* uucu suu piacca
With love’s carolling?
Christinas hells are ringing.
Heart, what gift of thine
Marks the day’s sweet meaning
Purposes divine?
How dost tell the story
Of the heavenly birth
With its streaming glory
Filling all the earth?
Christmas bells are ringing.
Ringing joyfully, ,
Heart, a holy helper
Thou thyself must be;
Thou must follow, follow
Him who is the way—
, Be love’s advent angel
Bringing Christmas Day.
LEGEND OF THE MAGI
The legend of the Wise Men of the
East, or as they are styled in the ori
ginal Greek, “the three Magi,’’ became,
under monkish influence, one of the
most popular during the middle ages.
The Scripture nowhere informs us that
these Individuals were kings, or their
number restricted to three. The legend
converts the magi into kings,gives their
names and a minute account of their
stature and the nature of their
gifts. Melchior, we are thus told, was
king of Nubie, the smallest man of the
triad, and he gave the Savior a gift
,of gold. Balthazar was king of Chal
dea, and' he offered incense; he was a
man of ordinary stature. But the third,
Jasper, king of Tarshish, was of high
stature, “a black Ethiope,” and he gave
myrrh. All came with "many rich or*
naments belonging to king’s array, and
with a multitude of people to do hom
age to the Savior, then a little child 13
days old.”
The barbaric pomp involved, in this
legend made it a favorite with artists
during the middle ages. The picture of
“The Offering of the Magi,” which we
publish, is from a circular plate of sil
ver chased In high relief and partly
gilt, which is supposed to have formed
the center of a morse or large brooch,
used to fasten the decorated cope of an
ecclesiastic in the latter part of the
fourteenth century.
The Empress Helena, mother of Con
stantine the Great, found what she con
sidered the burial place "Of the three
kings, and their remains were removed
to Constantinople and interred in the
church of St. Sophia. Later they were
removed to the Cathedral of Milan, and
in the twelfth century to Cologne,where
they still lie, in a magnificent reliquary,
enriched with gems and enamels. These
relics are enveloped in velvet and dec
OFFERING OF THE MAGIS.'
orated with embroidery and jewels, so
that only the upper part of each skull la
seen.
THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT.
One of the greatest blessings that
Christmastide brings to us is the
Christmas spirit—the fulfilment to the
letter of the Christian law embodied
in the Golden Rule.
This is hot invariably the case, but
it is fortunately the rule in a great
number of cases. For a little while—
a month—during the Christmas season,
we are turned away from all spirit of
avarice and selfishness. From the tiny
toddler, who has for the first time be
gun to realize her responsibilities as a
member of the family, to the grand
mother in her snowy kerchief and cap,
we are all plotting and planning ior
others. Going to the greatest pains to
conceal all our doings in order that our
gifts may be genuine surprises.
If we are members of Christian
churches, we have the poor with us
at this season, as at no other. We think
out their needs. It has been the rule in
Christian churches of late years to de
vote the offerings of the Christmas fee
to the mission school. Loving bands of
King's Daughters go about and gather
all manner of gifts for those who are
less fortunate, for those to whom
Christmas otherwise brings only empty
larders and threadbare clothing. The
most sordid among us, like Old Scrooge,
is sure finally to have an awakening cf
his better nature, to find a drawing
at his heart strings more powerful than
the tight drawn strings of the money
bag*
In her “Abandoning an Adopted
Farm," Miss Kate Sanborn tells of her
annoyance at being besieged by agents,
reporters, and curiosity seekers. Sho
says: “I was so perpetually harrassc.l'' ,
that I dreaded to see a stranger ap-v
proach with an air of business. TheW
other day I was just starting out fcPft,
drive when I noticed the usual strang-^^
er hurrying on. Putting my head out of /
the carriage I said, in a petulant and
weary tone: <Do you want to see me?’
The young man stopped, smiled and
replied courteosuly: ‘It gives me pleas
ure to look at you, madam, but I was
going further on.’ ”
Iowa Patent Office Report.
Des Moines, Dec. 15, ’97.—Six (6) ap
plications prepared in our office and
filed and prosecuted by us in the U.
S. Patent Office at Washington, have
been allowed to Iowa inventions (but
not yet issued) as follows: To O. A.
Rogers, of West Union, for a duplex
stay for buck-saw. To R. G. Rider,
of Mt. Ayr, for a nut lock specially
adapted for railway rail joints, and for
bolts in bridges. A double elbow
shaped key is used and is concealed
and protected when its inner end en
gages and locks the nut. To J. R.
Braden, of Rowan, for a tree-protect
or, made of woven wire adapted to be
adjusted to trees varying in diameter
and detachably fastened and provided
with a top of bibulous material to be
saturated with tar or other adhesive
matter. To H. R. Gregory and R. H.
Ratton of Prescott for an adjustable
straw stacker and threshing machine
attachment adapted for elevating
straw to different heights and convey
ing it in different directions relative to .
the thresher. An undivided half is,. 1
assigned to C. H. Dicks of Des Moines, i
Thomas G. and J. Ralph Orwig, (
Solicitors of Patents.
The absence of meteors which as
tronomers deemed possible this year,
at about November 13 and 14. does
not appear to have been observed any
where in Europe or America, although
the weathef was unfavorable, and
there are still a few remote observa
tions to hear from. The failure, how
ever, affords no reason for supposing
that the great displays of 1899 and
1900, to which this would have been
merely a preliminary, will not occur
on schedule time.
Gurlou. Invention.
One of the most curious inventions
that has probably been issued out of
the United States Patent office, was
granted last week to a Scotchman.
The invention embodies a process of
obtaining useful products from sifk
worms. All those desiring free infor
mation as to the laws of patents jna*
obtain the same in addressing Sues &\
Co., registered patent lawyers, Bee7
Building, Omaha, Neb.
A smart Chicago operator advertised
that he had discovered a process by
which old and rancid butter could be
made over as good as new, but that he
could only handle large quantities.
Some dealers sent him samples to try
and in return received perfectly fresh
creamery butter. Then they sent
agents all over the state, bought heav
ily and sent the stuff to him. To their
consternation he declined to operate
on it, but offered to buy it at a small
figure, much less than they had paid
for it, and a3, in the open market it
would be graded as axle grease, they
were obliged to let him have it.
A Coot! Thill}?. *
The Royal Publishing Company, of
Richmond, Virginia, are offering ex
ceptionally favorable contracts to live
workers. They want men and women
of good character, and allow liberal
weekly salaries and expenses. A line
addressed to them may lay before you
a proposition that will be as surprising
as it is gratifying.
In Montenegro they say on •Christ
mas eve: “Tonight earth is blended
with paradise.”
Tbe Burlington Itouto — California Ex
cursions.
Cheap, Quick, Comfortable.
Leave Omaha 4:35 p. m„ Lincoln 0:10 p. m.
ami Hastings 8:50 p. m. every Thursday in
clean, modern, not crowded tourist sleepers.
No transfers! cars run right through to San
Francisco and Los Angeles over the Scenio
Koute—through Denver and Salt Lake City.
Cars are carpoted; upholstered In rattan;
have spring scats and hacks and are pro
vided with curtains, bedding, towels, soap,
etc. Uniformed porters and experienced ex
cursion conductors accompany each excur
sion. relieving passengers of all bother about
baggage, pointing out objects of interest and
In many other ways helping to make the
overland trip a delightful experience. Second
class tickets are honored. Berths S5.
For folder giving full Information, call at
nearest Burlington Koute ticket office, or
write to J. Francis, General Passenger Agent*
Omaha, Neb.
it Chinese children do not obey their
parents, and the latter whip them to
death, the law has no punishment for
them, as obedience to parents is the
cardinal virtue.
“Klondyke Bulletin”
Will be published by the Soo Linn Mondays,
containing all Tf.legbapaic News and up-to
date Information as to Best Houtks, Ser
vices, Steamship Sailings, and every facility
as sumo develop. Invaluable to Alaskan
prospectors and all their friends^To be placed
on mailing list, send six cents (8c) in stamps to
W. It.Callaway, G. P. A., Minneapolis, Minn
The hollies on Black Hill, near
Church-Stretton in Shropshire, are /
claimed to be 1,000 years old. Many of I
their trunks are fourteen feet in
ameter a foot above ground.
The primitive Anglo-Saxon name for
Christmas wes also Modra-nsh:—Moth
er’* Nfcht. , - ...
