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-HB CITT OF BETHLEHEM.
M a Small aaa. Caattraetfve tSttr
at the Preseat Tisa.
I Is a llttl i city, and It does not take
.ny people to crowd It; but, besides
lag the birthplace of Jesus, it is the
Irthplace of Israel's great warriur
Jng, David.
Bethlehem to-day has barely 8,000
inhabitants, and in appearance is not
attractive. The streets are too narrow
. for vehicles; in fct, there is but one
- street In the town wide enough for mr-
-. riages, and it is so very narrow that
they cannot pass each other in it The
streets were made for foot-travelers,
donkeys and camels.
Hethlehem is abjut five miles south
of Jerusalem. Leaving the larger :ity
by the Jaffa gate, we take a carriage
ad ride rapidly over the fine road
'-. jullt but few years ago. The carriage
we are In and those we meet are
wretched affairs. The horses are to be
pitied, first, because they are not well
cared for, and second because their
drivers are regular Jehus who drive
,- them "furiously" up hill and down. Tu
less thnn half an hour we are, in the
. " marketplace of Bethlehem, in front of
the Church of the Nativity.
Let us suppose we have arrived on
Christmas eve in time to wander about
'Sand become acquainted with the little
- city. ..- ' .'
Of course it has changed in appear
ance since th6 tlw; of Christ It is
' larger, and better built. , Now, as theu,
' the houses are of stone, and. as cities
. and customs cbauga but little in the
"' East, we raay saMy infer that mod
ern Bethlehem houses are much like
those of 1900 yars ago. Perhaps
' some of the old buildings that w ere in
existence so long ago may still be stand
I lug., Of course, the great Church of
the Nativity was not then erected, nor
t were any,of the larger religious bullcl
i Ings we see. These are the memorials
"" of a later date, built in honor of Him
whose earthly life began here. One
would have to be unmindful of his sur
roundings and very unimaginative not
to wonder what the place was like on
! that night the anniversary of which
we are celebrating.
we know that then, ns on this De
cember 24. It was filled with Deonle.
But those neonle had come for a differ-1
em purpose. Augustus uaesar, ; tue
master of the, then known world, hau
Issued an Imperial decree ordering a
general registration of all his subiects.
This was for the purpose o revising or
" completing the tax lists. According to
Roman !aw, people were to register in
their own cities that Is, In the city In
which they lived, or to which the vil
lage or town was attached. Accord
ing to Jewish methods they would be
' registered by trlbw, families and the
houses of their - fathers. Joseph and
Mary were Jews, and conformed to the
Jewish custom. It was well known
that he and Mary were of the tribe of
Judah and family of David, and that
Bethlehem was their ancestral home.
Accordingly, they left the Nazareth
home, in the territory of Zebulun, and
came to David's "own city,? In the ter
ritory of Judah. S .
T3iey came down the east bank of
the Jordan, crossed the river at Jericho,
and came up among the Judean hills
and valleys until they reached Bethle--hem.
It was a long journey and a
wearislme one, and on arriving a
place of rest was the first thing sought
Evidently they had no friends living in
the place; or, if they had, their houses
I were already nlled. It was necessary
. that shelter be had, and immediately,
v In the khan, or inn, there was no
occupy part of the space provided for
cattle. It was not an unusual thing to
do and is often done to-day in those
Eastern villages. In fact they were
about as comportable there as In the
khan. At a khan one may procure a
up of coffee and a place to lie down
on the floor; but each guest provides
tiia im fwul and mvfrinc. Thin was
Vlall Joseph and Mary could have ob-
' I 1 I Xl... tMa tlAll MWh MA A M
lailH'u III IIMS iUU, UQU UIITl IWIU
for them. And he :e In Bethlehem, In a
stable, or a cave use.! for stabling ani
mals, Jesus ' was born, and Mary
wrapped him in swaddling clothes,
and laid him in a manger." "Christ
mas In Bethlehem," by Edwin S. Wal
lace, in December St Nicholas. :
Looking Through a Cola.
P'A little toy bearing the high-sounding
name of "X-Ray Machine Wonder
of the Age" has been Invented, by
! ' means of which you can, to all appear
ances, look straight through a silver
dollar or a hardwood stick. The Sci
entific American prints a picture of it
and shows how cunningly the trick Is
i done. As you will see from the cut,
1 ..- am 4rav nfrHnflnrfii mfldR to look
i mere 0.17
K - like coils of wire. When the eye Is ap
plied to the end or one or tnese cyim-
- ders, objects may be ciearly seen
through them, and when a coin is
slipped between the ends of the cylin
ders, as shown in the cut, It offers no
, obstruction to the light Objects can
apparently be seen through the coin.
But the small diagram shows where
4he trick comes in. The hole in each
cylinder has a bit of mirror-glass at
the end, arranged at an angle of 45 de
mM A hrtln extends downward from
the central hole of each cylinder, so
that light entering at one end of the
machine is reflected downward at right
Bnjrs by the flrt Vnioor, thence for
ward by the second Mirror to the third,
which throws It u; to the fourth mir
ror, by which it is reflected to the eye.
It will thus be seen that the light never
passes entirely through the cylinders,
and the observer does not Bee through
but around the coin.
The old device which preceded this
was on a much larger scale, and was
generally used in connection with a
brick, which could be seen through, of
course, quite as well as a coin.
Any clever boy can make an X-raj
machine of this sort with some wooden
or pasteboard tubes and some bits of
looking-glass. And to one who doe
not understand the trick it Is a verj
wonderful device.
A Hora Inside of a Tree.
Not long ago a huge oak tree was
cut down in a Michigan forest As
the woodman split it up his ax struck
something hard, which he thought at
first was a knot But when it nicked
the edge of the steel blade he made up
his mind that it must be something
very much harder than a knot. So he
cut around it carefully, chipping and
splitting until he laid the object bare.
It was a huge deer hsrn, buried in the
very heart of the big oak. How it
came there is a mystery. Perhaps some
pioneer hunter or some Indian of a
hundred years ago had shot a deer,
and ,to keep it from the wolves had
"A Deer Hora la a Tree.
hung it by the horns in the limbs of a
young oak, expecting to come back
soon and claim It But either be for
got where he left It or else some acci
dent, happened which prevented ate re
mained In the tree year after year,
until the wood grew entirely around
them. ;,.
The part of the tree containing the
horns was sent to the museum of the
Michigan- Agricultural college, where
It now is.
An Indian Baby-Jumper. .'
; When the Ostjak baby' grows large
enough to sit up his father builds for
him" a baby-jumper. The Ostjak pec
pie live in cold Siberia where there are
a great many spruce trees. The father
goes out and cuts a limber young tree,
which be fastens to the wall and cell
ing of his home, as shown In the pic
ture. At the end he hangs a neat Jiam-mock-like
cradle, made of sacking and
1 Fua for the Baby.
hung by the foiir corners. In this the
Ostjak baby is placed, and he soon
learns to sway his unique cradle back
and forth, and bounce it up and down.
As you will see, the Ostjak baby
Jumper is. very simple In construction,
and theqe is no reason why some of
our ingenious boys who have baby
brothers and sisters should not make
just such a cradle.
An Actor of Shakespeare's Day.
He had trim, straight legs, this
stranger, and a slender, lithe body in a
tawny ' silken Jerkin. Square-shouldered,
too, was he, and over one shoul
der bung a plum-colored cloak ' bor
dered with gold braid. His long hose
were the color of ' his cloak, and his
shoes were russet leather, with rosettes
of plum, and such hi heels as Nick
had never seen before. '1 bonnet was
of tawny velvet, with k . in twisted
around it, fastened by 4 jewelled
brooch, through which was thrust a
curly cock-feather. A fine, white Hol
land-linen shirt peeped through his jer
kin at the throat, with a broad lace col
lar; and his short hair curled crisply
all over bis head. He had a little,
pointed beard, and the ends of his
moustache were twisted so- that they
stood out fiercely on either side of his
sharp nose. At his side was a long
Italian poinard, in a sheath of russet
leather and silver filagree, and he had
a reckless, high and mighty fling about
his stride that strangely took the eye.
"Master Skylark," a new serial, by
John Bennett, in December St Nicho
las. . Mr. Chip's mm Poekets.
Av chipmunk, unlike a boy, has his
pockets in his mouth. And they are
good, big pockets, too. Not long ago a
Vermont man thought be would see
just how many kernels of corn little
Mf. Chipmunk could carry home to his
family ail at once. So he laid thirty
kernels on a board near the barn and
thea Lid behind a shed to watch. Pres
ently Mr. Chip appeared, bobbing his
tall and looking a little suspicious.
When he felt sure that everything was
safe up he scampered and picked up
every one of the thirty kernels and
stored them away In bis pockets until
bis face looked as if he had just come
down with a bad case of the mumps.
Next time forty -Ave kernels were
placed on the board and Mr. Chip suc
ceeded hi getting every one of them
into his pockets, although it made his
eyes bulge a little. For the third trial
seventy kernels were placed, on the
board. This time Mr. Chip was beat
en. Although be tried as hard as he
could his pockets would hold only fifty-
eight of the kernels, and he bad to
leave the rest. But that la pNtty
good showing for a little reuow.
- M i ff
'PIS
When Bugle Blow.
mien bogles blow, let no man slenp,
Mor his oommereial measures teap,
But let him rise with heart aglow,
And rush to meet his country's foe,
Ind foremost to the danger leap.
flThat though at the home the maidens weep,
ind wives fail down in sorrow deep?
Where honor calls the man will go,
. Whenbugies blow.
Ot cowards shun the biasing steep;
Che fields ot glory heroes reap,
And if they fall sad no word shdw,
Where they do lie, 'tis better so
Chat freedom all her splendors keeps.
When bugles blow,
.' : Jerls Ton Linden.
Don't Fret.
' Don't fret,
Regret
And worry do not pay.
By far the better way
To look, what e'er betide,
, Upon the brightest side.
Don't fret,
Nor let
Despair your heart :toal In,
Its riot to begin. '
'Tis best, without a shirk,
To nobly do your work.
Don't fret,
Forget,
If possible, mistake,
And eiraest effort make .
To build, with hopa's light bars,
A ladder to the stars.
Eavanagb, in New Orleans Picayune.
A Sons of Hops.
Bask of the gloom r " ,
The bloom!
Back of the strife r
8 west life.
lnd flowinor meadows that glow and gleam
There the winds sing Joy and the daisies
dream, ""
Lnd the sunbeams color the quiokenlng clod,
Lnd faith In the future, and trust la God.
. Baok of the gloom ,
The bloom t f
Fronting the nlght-
The light 1
Under the snows , '
The roset
lnd the vales slmr iov to the mlstv hills.
Lnd the wild winds ripple it down the rlllsi
Lnd the far stars answer the song that swells
With all the musio of all the belisl
Fronting the night
The ltirht!
-Frank L, Btanton, in Atlanta. Constitution.
' tost Light-
1 cannot make her smile again,. ,
That sunshine on her face
Chat used to make this worn artb seem.
At times so gay a place..
Che same dear eyes look out at mej.
The features are the same;
tut, O, the smile is out of them, , i
Ana x must Deto Diame.. ,
iomelimes I see it still: I went . i v
With her the other day
Co meet a long-missed friend, and while
We still were on the way,
Ber oonfldenoe in waiting )ove '
Brought back to me to see
Che old-time love light to her eyes r
xnat wiu not snme ior me.
Fhey tell me money watts tor mef
They say I mleht have fame. i
like those gewgaws quite as well
As others like the same..
Bat I care not for what I have
Nor lust for what I lack. '
Doe tithe as much as my heart longs.
xo oau mat iqsc iignc uaoic..
Dome back, dear banished smile, some bad,
And into exile drive.
Ul thoughts and aims and jealous hopes
That in tby stead would tarive.
Who wants the earth- wltnout lt sun,
And what has life for me
Chat's worth a thought, if as its price,
It leaves me roDDed ot tneef
Edward S, Martin, in Soribner.
The Coming Man.
A pair ot very ohubby legs,
Incased in scarlet boae;
A pair of little stubby boots, -
With rathe; doubtful toes;
. A little kilt, a little eoat,
Cut as a mother can
And lo! before ns stand in stats
The future's "coming man."
Bis eyes', perohance. will read the stars,
And searoh their unknown ways;
Perchance the hsmaa heart snd soul
WiH open to their gate;
Perohanoe their keen and flashing glaaoe
WIU be a Nation's light
Those eyas that now are wistful bent
On some "big fellow's" kite.
Those hands those little busy hands
80 sticky, small and brown;
Those hands whose only omission seems
To pull all order down;
Who knows what hidden strength may be
Hidden in their clasp,
Though now 'tis but a taffy stick
i In sturdy hold they grasp? .
Aft, blessings on those little bands,
Whose work Is yet undone,
And blessings on those little feet,
Whose race is yet unran!
And blessings on the little brain .
That has not learned to plant
Whate'er the future holds in store,
God bless the "coming man."
Somerrllle Journal
Home at Last
Child, do not fear; r
We shall reach our home to-night,
For the Bky is clear.
And the waters bright;
And the breezes have scarcely strength
To unfold that little oloud,
That like a shroud
Spreads out its floeoy length)
Then have no fear.
As we cleave our silver way
Through the waters dear. , (
Fear not, my child! - '
Though the waves are white ana sign,
and the storm blows wild
Through the gloomy sky;
On the edge of the Western Sea,
See! that line of golden light.
Is the haven bright
Where home Is awalttng thee;
Where, this peril past,
We shall rest from our stormy voyage,
In peace at last
Be not afraid;
But give me thy hand, and see
How the waves have made
A cradle for thee.
Hlght is some, dear, and we shall rest;
So turn from the angry skies
And close thine eyes,
And lay thine head on my breast;
Child, do not weep;
lathe calm, oold, purple depths
There w shall sleep.
Adelaide A Proofs
The same opportunities make) a hero
ox one man and an ass 01 anoiaar.
WHO KNOWS.
Just little oloud with hue
Catting shadows o'er the blue
Where tney stood; .
"It will rain," he whispered, "dear,
Let us find a shelter hers
lathe wood." , 4
Then the silver drops same down, -;r
Smote the swaying, emerald crown
Of the tree; ;
But the snugly she.tered paii
Watched the heavy downpour then
Lovingly.
And he held her tiny hand.
Why True lovers understand.
This I know:
When the sun peeped from the sky,
Pretty, maiden seemed so shy
Loath to go!
Here the twain were lingering,
After birds begau to sing,
For an hour.
And she whispered tenderly;
"Who knows, darling? There may bs
Another shower."
Brooklyn Life,
PITH AND POINT.
He "Just tbink of it ! They say
man descended J rom a monkey."
She "A come down, indeed r'De
troit Tribune.
TeaoherMNow, if I take your slats
pencil what oaa I do with it?" Lhtla
Boy "Yon tan tur your baix."-
tlarper's oazar.
The man whose nature 'tis to sigh .
Can always flud a rensont
'Mid frost he says that coal's too high,
While warmtb Is out of season.
Washington Star.
She Is it not true that two peo
ple oan lire as cheaply as one?" Ha
"Yes, if they' are married. Not if
they are engaged." Paok.
"Diner "Isn't that a pretty small
steak ?" Attandant "Tes ; but you'll
find it will. take yon a good while to
eat it" Boston Transoripi.
Mra Blande "They say that Mag
lin married for money." Mrs. Swarve
"Anybody could see that who ever
saw his wife." Button Transcript.
Long we have sought Its other name.
And now at last 'tis kuowot
This thing they call "the trump ot fame",
Is but a megaphone, .
; Indianapolis Journal.
First Wheelman (a beginner)
"strange how a fellow will run into
things when he first begins to ride."
Second Wheelman "Yes, I ran into
debt to get ny wheel, "Boston Traas
onpt
Mr. Elwell "Isn't it strange, bat
true, nevertheless, that the biggest
fools always marry the prettiest
girls?" Mrs. Elwell "Ob, now, go
on, you flatterer." Philadelphia Inr
qnirer.
Where Her Troubles Began : "I an
dentandthat Mr. and Mxa Bridie are
not so happy as they expected to be.'
"No, they are not xoa see, sne is
afraid to stay alone , at night.-
Brooklyn'Life.
Of One Mind : '"Ohtunpler, Vt
made up my mind I was orazy when I
lent you that $50. "Strange t for I
am equally certain that A was not re
sponsible whea I borrowed it." Da
troit Free Press.
TLadv "Thank yon, sir;, boa I
don't like to deprive too. of your
comfortable seat." Hibernian "Be
th powers, leddy, it was oomfoitabla
no longer when Oi saw yon standing
Harlem Life. .
Caller "I understand that youx
husband distinguished himself at the
banquet last evening." Mra Rntnly
"Possibly ; but it was more than ha
conld do when ha reached home."
Detroit Free Press.
"I hear von had a financial dis
cussion with Dead wood Pete. Did
you find him open to conviction t
"No, bnt when I left him. the dootor
had to take fourteen stitches in him.
Detroit Tribune.
Hnsband "There's one thintr I can
say for myself, anyway 1 1 have risen
by my own efforts." Wife "Never
in the morning, John. I notice that
it takes two alarm clocks and np the
members of the household to get yon
np tnen. coston uowner. ..?,-.
tioo Watch for a Dollar.
A watch thct will record the passing
hoars with fair accuracy can be bought
nowadays at retail for the priee'of a
table d'hote dinner,. A watchmaker
and jeweler on upper Broadway dis
plays a tray fall of niokle ease watohea
for one dollar each. They are not
toys, but real watches that "go," and
while they are not to be depended up
on to oatob railroad trains, they serve
all the purposes of a dilatory man in
keeping appointments.
"That dollar watch," said the dealer,
"sold for ten dollars ten years ago,
bnt the improvement in the maohinery
for making the parts has been snob
within the last two years that a factory
equipped for manufacturing the cheap
artiole oan turn them ont almost as
last as olothes pins are made, No,
they are not furnished with jewel
bearings, although some people expect
the pins and shafts to be set in dia
mond sockets, ana even then think a
dollar gives me too much profit'
Mail and Express.
Deepening Waterways.
After sinking millions of dollars in
the hopeless task of deepening the
channel of the Mississippi River, a
young inventor has worked ont a plan
for an hydranlio dredge that will make
the andertakingjjof deepening water-
ways comparatively easy, lie baa re
cently built a machine that will go
through a sandbar at a speed at eight
or ten feet per minute, cutting out a
clear ohannel forty feet wide ana
twenty feet deep. It costs ten thou
sand dollars per month each to ran
these immense dredges, bat they work
so rapidly that the expenditure Is not
great when one oonsiaen tfce tCfrraa-
tages to be gained.
Mo Get
Li
When you take Hood's nils. Thibfj.old-fath-loted,
sugar-coated pills, which tear you all to
plews, are not tit It with Hood's. aytotaks
.'.clFo
and caiv to otwrsti.. la farm
of Hood's Pills, which are JTn,
np to date In every respect. I '1 1 1 .
Safe, certain and sure. All U U ULy
druggtsU. 2Co. C. L Hood & Co., Lowell, ICaas.
The only Plus to take with Hood's Sarsawurina.
LINCOLn
OPTICAL
COLLEGE.
X.
Uaeata Battel CeUsse.)
Onttelaa's dlotoaias araataoV six woks' snsiss
taoroagli, practical; barioMs nsisswrattv,
Halted. Open toasy aasltloae aiaaerwnaMM
who wishes to pecan what evsry tow awas
aaltpsrt OptMaa. Fees low. EdoIom stamp
tor pnxpMtaa to
PROF. M. D. KSTCHUr P.D.
OeslsjtawSAevtA,
sioMaaoa sieoav . ;
Tho Lincoln (!oi:S
Populist Ilocdqunncra
First class in every rssDset. Cats
reduoed.
75 rooms (3 per day. 85 vooips
ta.60 per dny, 25 rooms, with bath, t J
and $8. 50 per day. All meals 50a
Xpeelal Eentkly Ext:t to E-erf
of tie Le.i.iixre;
AtJSTIK nurPII-ZT.EanTJT.
VID. VIGOR. VITALITY
REGTORED
Ifl CO DAYS
Good Effbcts at Okcb. . "
Caton'o Vitalizcr
CirrcH Gpiieral or Special Ability, Waie
fulueH. Spermatorrhoaa, Emissions, Ira
pot eney. Paresis, etc. Corrects Func
tional DiKorders, caused by errors os ex
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where former weakness prevailed. Con
venient package, simple, effectual, and
lecitiinnte.
CURE IS QUICK AND THOROUGH.
Don't he deceived by imitations; insist
on CANON'S ViTAMZKiw. Sent sealed if
your- ruggist does not have it. Price
$1 p pkge.. 6 for $5, with written guar
auto of complete cure. Information,
refui ice, etc., free and confidential. Send
use tetnent of case and 25 cts.fora
wee s trial treatment. One only sent
to ch peison.
CrtTOV MED. CO.; BOSTON, MAS3.
IQ)p.3Soynoldo
Will visit any part of the
state to perform opera
tions or in consultation
with your family pkysi-.
. - cian.
PHONES CSS AND 656.
orncB boohs
17,18,19, E:rr Eli., lhzh,l
FREE!
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emes Book, girtna
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to aay maa er wo
bmm aslictsa wits
aay torsi at private
' Af HMuiauiiit,
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1 Phrricieaa sad Sp
1 , statists ettbls Coaa-
M. HiTHAWAT t-O., 70 Daarbors stmt, Cat
OUaBS aUANANTBB.
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FOB CATALOGUE AMD
X-otst ZEPrices
On Hitfli Grade Pianos and Or
gauH. 100.00 new Organs,
$18; $400.00 new pianos,
9185. Beliabla Goods,
Easy Terms, from
the only whole
. sate musio
bouse
NEBRASKA.
AGENTS WANTED. Address
Gen'I Ag't A IIOSPIGJr.
1818 Douglas St., Omaha, Nobr.
II III 111 T
0 w
yt v't t f
nr.:.:.:-:.
Kwslatst" all earn ol f
ptcaiiarta yoar mm C:. U
tbaaaur etsrkta4 T" " '
r. v r
... 1 1. L i
rrwi a4tr i"
WUttTtT t
Bold at the price of daafwoa I
S (I for $); Wo. X. ft, XklA I
lad. It, St Uoala, tf. .
T"-
IW W ara SW.-rn ,wa'a, 4
I.
;,v ,::,v-.v:V;,j -
T ct tit r:":3 :
TTits a aCtr tzjt t z fcA
tlU outazlcT'JIi t) z
tlst-rtsiltit 1 .
tls dut Kzs t 1 - .
rhihl:. ;
CosjhnI tor KrSwA S.1 i
XL d. m
T t, ms r- - -
Vvib w)vi w ' -
rslayawael'. r "
'Csrrort". "J
All Poix: is 1
With Bpsslal attsattaa teti
Bavsral ttato ftromgar Oaa ssa watf.
Bbanmatlsm. Bkla, Biel sad
asas, Uw aad Klduar TrosMss aw
Ulmaata are trsated sasossarally.
awr fee snlor td at all ssasans la ear V
IWlHMIlia POOU staUt few, ta
wates W) aaUera Maasratan or M t
Drs. II. EL 6 J. O. Ct:
CAPITAL CITY
coacEnci.iL. f.?'
HALTEK BLC.
. CUR. lSita APT
liiNcoiur:, ...
a ix GitiFiii, :
SBOBTHAKD. TTFKWXl
PENMANSH1P. BOOKKXrr
TElEORAPHT, EZ3.
Full shorthand and bnsia::i c
Special aetention given to
work for high school and uni
Before decidinir what school t
write for full information cr
Academy, Take elevator at L
entrance.
FOR SALE
I HAVE THE BEST LOT C
POLAND CHINA I .
THAT I EVER RklZ
WHICH I WILL SELL A
HARD TIMES PRICi-J : :
They are Composed or alr
r Leaiiinq SffBArr3
WILKE'S. FREE TRAD3 A
Address, L. H. EHTE2, 1.'
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