The farmers' alliance. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1889-1892, December 27, 1890, Image 1
Si BSaah Mm w . M is r J VOL. II. Notice to Subscribers. EXPIRATIOSS. a the easiest and cheapest meant of ootl ftrcir subscribers of the date of their expira tions we 1U mark this notice with a blue or jed pencil.on the date at which their subscrip tion expires. W will send the paper two weeks after expiration. If not renewed by that time it will be discontinued. Jay Gould and His Trust . Lincoln, Neb., Dec. 20, 1890. Editor Alliance. Jay Gould has made so bold as to threaten the people of this and other states, in terms not to be misunderstood, and the rates both east and west will be advanced accord ingly. The farmers of this state and when I say the farmers that means the whole population of Nebraska are at his mercy unless steps are at once taken to checkmate him. He has virtually organized a trust of all the railroads centering eastward in Chicago, and so far as we are concerned this is fatal. Alone, the people of this state can do nothing that will prove effective, unless by force, and this is riot to be resorted to until all peaceable and legal means have failed. But if the peop e of Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska unite together and organize a trust against Jay Gould and his crowd I dare say that the great railroad octo pus will find his suckers worthless. The legislatures of Kansas, Nebraska and Illinois will soon meet; the time is propitious and by Providential kindness all these legislatures are controlled by a majority of farmers. Iowa has no ses sion this year, but Gov. Boise, the farm er's friend, will not hesitate to call an extra session if necessary; and the four states can agree upon a system of legis lation that will save the people from utter ruin. For that reason I suggest that steps be at once taken by your organization of farmers for the purpose of consultation with like organizations in an inter state convention to be held at the very earliest possible date. The wisdom and patriot ism of the delegates will devise ways and means for the salvation of the farm ers from servitude to Jay Gould, as the wisdom and patriotism of delegates at another convention saved the colonies from British tyranny. ; Publio carriers, like money, are in tended for the use of the people, not for their oppression. Regulations for the control of either are amenable to the law, and when money and public carriers combine as they have in direct violation of law, it is time for the farm ers to rise and crush the combination gently, but nevertheless most firmly and enectuaiiy. victor vifuain. CREAM OF THE LATEST NEWS The Rnck Island directors have de clared the regular quarterly dividend of one per cent, The wells argo ex press Company declared a semi-annual dividend of four percent. The bribery charges against Kansas . ...Mi v. l : J Jlty councumen win ue cApiaiucu w the grand jury on Monday Dy a Know ing witness. The weekly bank statement from New York shows a marked improve ment in the financial condition, o ,.jThe next election of a pope i3 report ed from Paris to be an early probability r There was great excitement at the land offices at Wausau and Eau Claire, Wis., on Saturday, among the claimants for reserve lands. Parnell says his opponents have noth ing to stand on but filth, and the pure - waters of public opinion would wash them and their hith away The skeleton of a young brother of Jesse James has been found in a cave in Minnesota, where the outlaws made their headquarters. Two young ladies named Melcher were drowned while skating at Aurora, 111. A male heir to Emperor William was born Wednesday evening. Prof. Snow of the Kansas state uni versity has discovered a method to an nihilate the chinch bug. r The distress in South Dakota is re ported very sorrowful. Mrs. Fedora Dimble, aged 81, was burned to death at Batavia, N. Y., in attempting to fill a kerosene lamp on a stove hearth. Governor Toole of Montana refused the request of a large petition signed mostly by women, to respite the four Indian murderers who were hanged at Missoula last Friday. An old couple who are living in Min nesota have been married eighty years. K. C. Kerr, a prominent business man of Salina, Kas., was drowned Sunday night. At a meeting of wealthy citizens held in New York in the Arabian quarter, it was decided to form a fruitgrowing and silk raising syndicate in this country, which will . give employment to all Arabian immigrants arriving at this port. A sixteen million dollar mortgage has been filed for record at Fremont, Neb., by the U. t railroad company. The absconding postmaster at Deca tur, Ala., is supposed to have gotten away with $5,000 in money and stamps. A new anti-partisan magazine is to be started in Washington, to be a high class literary monthly. A woman committed suicide by jump ing into the sea from the steamship Trave. The agricultural department has re ported on a new process of making sugar from sorShum, and pronounces it a success. -' A young woman at Atlantic City, N. J., has been indicted for forgery. The farmers and business men of Terre Haute, Ind., are moving against the dressed beef men. A New York business man discovered his bookkeeper drinking champagne at a restaurant. - An examination of his accounts followed, showing a shortage , of $3,000. The bookkeeper suicided. An imperial decree has been issued in China by which it is provided that for eign ministers shall be admitted to au diences with he emperor once a year. John Dillon visited Cardinal Gibbons Thursday, and had a half hour's con versation with him. Both expressed their anxiety : over Ireland's future. Cardinal Gibbons is in -full sympathy .., with Mr. Dillon's position. : According to reports made by As signee Jacobs of the Kean Banking com- Sany at Chicago, the assets, exclusive of lean's personal estate, was over $5,000, -000, and the liabilities $1,000,000. , THE LEGEND OF GOLDBERG. Std and ghastly In the moonlight Lay the German village brown. But apieared no human figure, For the plague was in the town. There had corpses laid unburied. And whom death bad chanced to spare Were all hidden in the houses . From the pestilential air So In terror had they hidden. Dreading night, afraid of day, Praying, waiting, scarcely hoping. For the dread to par away Came the snow, then morning sunshine, Came the Christmas as of old, . . ' But no form moved in the village; It lay silent, white and cold. Rose that morn the singer, Caspar, From the bed where he had lain (He alone of all the stricken In his home would rise again). - "I alone," he thought, "'am living; I alone" his eves grew dim "I alone of all the village May repeat the Christmas hymn. . What though death may be awaiting What is death the day is bright; I will sing the Christ child story Sing it looking on the light!" Open then he threw the shutter. And upon the silent eSVeet 0 From his lips rang out the anthem. Strong and hopeful, clear and sweet! Through the frosty air of morning The old Christmas anthem rang What was that? Another shutter Opened wide as Caspar sang! ' And another! and another 1 There was limit to the slain God be thanked ! A score of voices Joined with Caspar in thestrainl - And they knew no more were dying, That the hand wjth power to stay Had been reached out to deliver ; This they knew on Christmas day. -Stanley Waterloo in Chicago News. A CHRISTMAS STORY. "It was Christmas night. 184," con tinued Plunkett, "when I first seed Peter Simpson, though it had been norated erround for some time that there was er stranger in the settlement, and that he was erkin to old Billy Brooks, and was ergwyne to settle ermong us if he could find er place to suit him." Brown drew his chair up closer to the old man and remarked: Them war the days when you played the fiddle, and 1 hain't much to brag on myself nor on my kin, but 1 never seed no music that come up to 'Sugar in the Gourd' when 1 was er handling the straws and you was er pulling of the bow." 'Tve seed the day I could fairly make er fiddle talk," nodded Plunkett, and then continued: "On the Christmas night of 184 thar was a party at old man Jimmy Law rence's, and we'd all gathered and the young folks had played er game er two of sich as Thimble,' and Timothy Tub erbutin,' and 'Snap Out,' till at last they gathered partners and begin to walk erround and erround, and Peter he was there a stranger and he didn't have no partner and wasn't er having nothing to do with the walking erround. So Lucy Coats, as good er girl as ever lived in Georgia, wanted to make him feel at home, and so she axed him to be the middle fellow. . "That's the way the play is. They all have partners but one. The odd one gets in the middle as , they all walk erround and sing, and when they git to the part in the song where it sajrs 'Right here I'll find her' they all change part ners and the middle man has the right to jump beside some of, the girls if he is quick enough and then that fellow that loses his girl gets in the middle, and so it goes." "Oh, I know that old play," spoke Brown, at the ', same time drawing his chair a little nearer to the old man. "Well." continued Plunkett, "Peter he got in the middle, and the youngsters walked erround and erround er singing so as you could er heerd 'em er mile: 'It rains and it hails, and it's cold stormy weather. Along conies the farmer drinking all the cider; I'll reap the oats and who'll be the binder? I lost my true love and right here 111 find her. "And then the change come and Peter he throwed himself erround and got by the side of Lucy, and he has told me rince that he loved her from that very minit." Old man Brown was unable to contain himself longer and he remarked: "And Lucy made him as good er wife as ever er man had." Plunkett frowned at being disturbed, but soon continued: ' "The young folks went on with their playing first one thing and then an other till pretty soon they got partners and went walking erround and erround ergin, singing: "Very well done, said Johnnie Brown, This is the way to London town; Stand you still, stand you by, Till you hear the watchman cry. "On this carpet you must kneel. Kiss your true love in the field. Kiss the one that you love best Just before she goes to rest. "Pretty soon," continued Plunkett, "they cried out, 'Seat your partners,' and Peter and Lucy was right close to me and Lucy she turned and 'lowed: " 'Mr. Plunkett, let me make you ao quainted with Mr. Simpson." j "Then Peter he shook hands erlong with me and took er seat by me, and it warn't no time till me and him was just like eld friends, and he lived by me er long time and I never had er truer friend or better neighbor, and Christmas makes me think erbout these old times and these old neighbors that have passed away forever. "Well," continued Plunkett, "Peter and Lucy married during of the year 184 , and that's what I want to tell you about. "In that old hewed log house that you passed on tne roaa-wnere tne moss is er cmvri n sr on the roof lives r nisrcfoftnaTi by the name of old Tom that was the first nigger that ever Peter and Lucy had. Tom was some eighteen years old ! when Peter's dada give him to them, and old Tom and Peter had been brought up together, and Peter done just as much work as he required Tom to do, and they made good crops and in two or three years Peter had er right smart money layed up, and so he bought some more LINCOLN, land, after that he bought another nigger or two and ' they helped him, and soon ! paid for themselves and Tom and Lucy i got ambitious to be rich and they went in debt, thinking they could work and pay out, . and so things were ' moving 1 erlong when old Tom, over yonder on the road, went to his young master and mistress and told 'em he wanted to marry one of old Squire Crawford's nigger gals. Tom's master was willing for him to marry the girl that he loved, but the old squire he fixed up and before anybody thought erbout it he'd sold out his plan tation and put out for Texas. Folks were crazy on Texas . them days, and it didn't take er fellow long to git off for them parts when the " fever once struck em. , "After Squire Crawford went off to Texas old Tom never was the same f el- ow. He didn't sing and dance erround ike he always had and he'd set erround by himself and wouldn't have much to do with anylx " . and Peter and Lucy noticed it and tried to git him to forget the girl that went off to Texas, but they couldn't, and, old Tom he begin to talk erround ermong the other niggers that slavery was wrong and that he'd rather be dead than submit to it. Things went erlong this way till Tom he got worse and worse, till at last one night when the niggers had' gathered out in their yard and were playing and er singing under a big oak on the grass Tom he jest set out on er horse block" and whit tled with his knife and looked down at the ground till he hered the niggers sing the old song: "Old massa give me holler day He said he'd give me more, And I thanked him very kindly. And I shoved my boat from shore. It's oh, my dearest May ! You're lovely as the day. Your eyes so bright They shine at night, When the moon has gone away. "And from across the branch came the plaintive sound of negro voices from Freeman's quarter, and as Tom listened his heart seemed to go out in sympathy to the singers, for as they progressed he slowly raised his head and leaned for ward, as if to catch the, sound, and his ips moved in unison as the words "I took her hand within my own, A tear was in ber eye, I asked her if she would be mine, Her answer was a sigh. Oh, Emma, dear, dear Emma, From the Mississippi vale, . In all this wide world over There is none like Emma Dale, swelled upon the freezes, and at the fin ish he arose from his seat and walked toward the woods. "When the jiggers got through with their frolic Tom was gone, and the next morning when the other niggers went to work thar wan't no Tom there, , and it was soon known that Tom was a run away. "Peter and Lucy wouldn't hear to put ting hounds after Tom, and so he was not heard from any more, and they had quit talking about him on the place. Thus it went for a year". The crops were sorry and Peter failed to pay anything on his thousand dollar note to old man Smith, but had to renew and borrow a little more. Peter was confident and Lucy was cheerful, and so they pitched another crop and resolved to economize and work hard, never thinking that luck had turned ergin 'em. 'Erlong in June, though," continued Plunkett, "the niggers that Peter had bought got the smallpox ermong them, all three of them died and the crop was lost, but Peter rolled up his sleeves and worked the harder and Lucy she was jist the same good little woman, and they made er pretty good crop and got it housedi and I don't think ary one of 'em ever thought erbout , luck being ergin em. "But," continued the old man, "on the 3d day of December on the night of that day I never would forget it if -1 were to live er thousand years, Peter's barn ketched er fire and burned up his whole crop and all three of his horses, and the very next morning old Smith was over there er pressing him for the twelve hundred dollars and said he had to have it or he'd take possession of the farm. The money would be due on the 25th day of December, and old Smith wanted his money or possession on that day. The prospects for a happy Christ mas was mighty gloomy for Peter, but Lucy said: " 'Well, Peter, you've got me and the children yet.' " 'Yes,' said Peter, 'and you've never herd me complain, but I do hate to give up the home.' "That was erbout as much to do as there was erbout it, until at last Christ mas eve night rolled around and the lit tle children hung up their stockings and talked themselves to sleep about old Santa Claus, and Peter and Lucy listen ed with hidden tears, and all tlirough the long night they sat until the hands on the clock pointed to the hour of three, and then Peter raised his head and 'lowed: " 'Lucy, we will have to give up our home to binith. "Before Lucy could answer a soft, cat like tread was heard upon the porch and the latch string was pulled, and as the door opened there was revealed to the sight of the astonished pair: "Old Tom, the runaway. "Tse worth $2,000 of any man's money, and that will pay off old Smith's mortgage,' said old Tom as he unslung a clean pillow case from his shoulder that was filled with goodies for the little ones, and that soon swelled . the little stockings that hung on the mantel. "With the return of old Tom came prosperity to Peter and Lucy, for when old Smith found that Tom had returned and if put up for sale would pay the mortgage he made terms that enabled Peter and old Tom to go to work upon the farm and not only get out of debt, but yet rich, and Tom was set free long 'fore any Yankees knowed him, and Pe ter he went out to Texas and found old Squire Crawford and bought the woman what Tom loved and brought her back to Georgia on Christmas day, 1S4-, and give her to Tom for his Christmas pres ent, and they live at yonder moss cover ed log house, and I wish them a merry, merry Christmas. Atlanta Constitu toon. NEB., SATURDAY, ME SIAV CHRISTMAS. HOW THE HOLIDAY IS KEPT IN V SOUTHERN AUSTRIA. Superstition Among tbe Common People About Animals They Are Believed to Talk at Certain Times Strange Stories to Account for tha Phenomenon. It has been said that the Slavs of Carniola had , no Christmas, and this is true in the sense in which we understand the word. Qf course there, as in all Catholic countries, Dec. 25 is a church festival, and the 24th a fast, the only joyous fast of the year. The supper is unusually good and, plentiful, but no meat ia served at it unless it be wild duck or otter, both of which are regarded by the ecclesiastical authorities as fish; The foreign visitor will probably receive half a dozen invitations; the proper thing to do is to accept the one that comes from the landlord, in whosehouse one usually dines, and the fulfillment of this social duty is generally its -own reward. The dishes are strange but agreeable, and after the Christmas ; tree in Carinthia, which is chiefly German, has been prop erly admired, and in all cases the neces? sary presents have been given to the children, and they have gone to bed, a tone of quiet satisfaction becomes the eading note of the evening. Every sub ject that could lead to contention is avoided, and so one sits together till the time for the first mass, which is read at or shortly after midnight, and which one may attend or not, just as one likes. r" IMPRESSIVE SERVICES. The three morning masses when heard in a village church in Austria are among the most impressive services of the church, though they are, of course, en tirely wanting in pomp. The choir sing songs about the nativity in the national language and in such a way that both the words and the music correspond to the service at the altar. The stranger who has learned to look upon the mass, in spite of its entirely classical Latin, as one of the greatest poems of the Chrisr tian period is at first inclined to resent the introduction of modern hymns and languages, but the fervor of the singers and the . way in Which they are joined by the congregation, similar to that which many readers may have remarked in the churches of Scotland, clearly show that the usage is dear to the heart of the people, though to us it may seem almosi as offensive as if the divine comedy were publicly read with the accompani ment of music selected from Offenbach. Popular verse and music are always in teresting and sometimes extremely good; but they cannot quite supply the place of the Gloria and Agnus Dei, especially for foreign admirers of the church who do not beloner to its communion. Still - the midnight mass in an Alpine village is a thing to see. The long Valk through the snow and darkness; the friendly light from the windows of .most houses; the groups of furcoated worshipers whom one overtakes or who overtake one, with their hearty Christmas greetings; ' the blaze of light on the altar, which con- trasts equally wi$h the night outside and he other, unlighted parts of the church within, are all impressive. . AM INTERESTING PROCESSION. This Christmas in a Slav village has a purely religious character, th6ugh, as it obliges one to sit up late or to rise early, it may serve as an excuse for a longer chat than usual and an extra glass. But Advent is not, as in German or Protes tant countries, concentrated c into the single festival. In many villages on the first evening a kind of homely procession is formed, and the images of the Holy virgin ana sc. oosepn are camea to tne first house in the place, the inhabitants of which know exactly what is going to happen; then, where they sing, as they generally do in Carniola, a duet or double chorus follows. The attendants of the saints ask for a night's lodging, those within ask who the travelers are, and so gradually the whole history of the nativity is told ; in Old World verse and music. Then the doors are thrown wide open; all who are within kneel, the images are borne to the altar that has been prepared for them, the two choruses join in a hymn of praise, . and evening prayer begins in their presence. On the following afternoon the two saints are carried to the next house, and the scene is repeated. It may seem to the reader that the whole ceremony must be child ishly .. sque; this is not the impres sion u juiakes on the non-Catholic but unprejudiced stranger. These peasants are evidently sincerely worshiping the true. God after their own fashion. In convents where children are educated the same usage is practiced, but there the sacred guests are carried from cell to cell instead of from house to house. DEVOTION OF THE KINGS. This custom is purely Christian, an at tempt to bring the sacred story home to the imagination of the people; the cere monies performed ' on the day set apart for devotion to the three holy kings the wise men of the east (our twelfth uiui are plightly different. They bear the trace, not of heathenism so much as of a struggle against heathenism. The three appear in full costume the, out? with his face' conscientiously blacked with holy water and censers filled with burning incense.. They bless every roiuin in the house, and still more carefully the stalls and stables, and upon every door they make three crosses; in order to keep out Fra Perch ta, who is the un hallowed and unhonored shade of the great goddess whom heroes once N wor shiped as Freya. That twelfth night, the last of the twelve days of the great winter festival, - which was celebrated alike by the Slavs and the Germans, should be chosen for these strange cere monies is noteworthy; though one can not help feeling a certain sympathy for the goddess who is thus shut out of hu man habitations' on the very-day when her presence was formerly invoked. It may be added that the crosses are treated with the greatest respect; what would happen to any one who willfully rubbed them oat no one knows.. A cow maid who by chance obliterated two had to dance for a whole night over rough stones with a young man. whom she DEO. 27, 1890. supposed to be the devil, and fell into a ever afterward. Particularly devout . m A. a. 1 persons often enaeavor vo conneci tne crosses so that they form one of the names or symbols of our Saviour. If they succeed it is a favorable omen. . BELIEFS OF THX SEASON. The stories that are told about Chritt- . a j - mm m mas, particularly in tne u-au inai, m valley in Carinthia inhabited almost ex clusively by Slavs, are most remarkable, and seem to have been hardly even colored by Christianity. The belief that horses and cattle talk in human language with each other on the night between the 24th and 25th of December is universal there. Whether the roes and chamois enjoy the same privilege or are subject to the same penalty seemed to be an open question. as few persons care to wade through the snow, to climb mountain, or even to take up their abode in a wood, in order to listen to their discourses. Even with re spect to domestic animals everything has not hitherto been rendered as clear as we should like it to be. r For example, a village priest was kind enough to furnish us with the following story, which was written down at .once, as much as pos sible in his own words. - It ,is a sin to listen to what the animals say, and it always brings ill luck. A farm servant from a distance did not believe the story a sin which, it may be feared, Was shared both by the present writer and his informant. Still he retained such a half belief as induced him to hide him self in the stable. The two horses which it contained talked to each other as fol lows: "We shall have hard work to do this day week." "Yes, the servant is heavy. "And the way to the church yard is long and steep. The man took to his bed and died. He was buried that day week. . Here we have at least, the Christian idea of a sin that is punished a little too heavily, one is inclined to think but what are we to say to the following story, which was told in the Slav dialect of Carniola by a traveling workman, at once translated . into Ger man and noted down. The story was read aloud in rough German, which was translated almost sentence by sentence to the narrator, who . firmly believed in the truth of the tale, and corrected by him in one or two ' small points, which were directly altered. It is evidently a, far older, or at least more authentic, ver sion than the last: HOW TO HEAR THE ANIMALS TALK, No one can hear the animals talk un less he has boots with nine soles and fern leaves in them. There was a farm servant (knecht) in' the Gail Thai who had a pair of very strong shoes made. which were afterward , frequently re paired, so that they had the requisite number of f soles, though: he - did not know it. He lived in a loft above a stall where two oxen were kept, and between the loft and stall there was a trap door, which he often left open. One Christ mas eve he went to visit a girl with whom he was in love in a village about a mile and a half away. The path led through a wood, in which there were a ereat number of ferns. He staid too long, and hastened back in such a hurry that he did not stop to fasten his boots, the laces of which had become loose. It is to be supposed that this was the rea son why some fern leaves got into them. As soon as he had reached the loft he heard a' great lamentation below, and called through the traphole to ask what was tne matter. As no answer was given , he put out his lantern, but . re mained standing. "What are you com plaining about?" asked a voice below. "Why should I not complain," answered a second voice, "when in six 'months J am to be slaughtered?" "That is qu true, but I have a better reason to lament, for I shall be slaughtered in two days for a funeral feast, and you in six months for a marriage, which is better, "Who will die, then?" "Our mistress.1 "How?" "You know she has a cat that always sits beside her at meals and eats out of her plate. To-morrow , there will be a great dinner, and the cat will come as usual, but she will be angry and push it roughly away. It will spring to the top of the stove; there it will stay for a time, but when the soup is brought in it will jump down ' upon the table, and from thence over the tureen and its mis tress Head, in doing tins it will let a hair fall, and that hair will choke her." Here the conversation ended. Next morning the servant looked gloomy among his jovial fellows, and his mas ter asked him what was the matter. For a long time he refused to reply, but at last he entreated his master to have the cat killed at once. It was no use telling a story that nobody would be lieve, ne said, out ms wnoie manner made such an impression on the propri etor that he consented to his request. The wife, however, said she was fond of the cat; it had been long in the house, and if it were killed for a mere fancy she herself would go away. Everything, or course, happened exactly as tne oxen had foretold. In six months the master married again, and, said: "1 don't like to see that ox; it used to draw, with one that was slaughtered at my first wife's funeral. Have it killed for dinner. One does not quite envy the wedding guests their beef. , This was not, how ever, the moral the narrator drew from the" story. He said: "One can see how much more cattle know .:-. c3 think if the servant had not happened to hav fern leaves in his boots they, would have spoken just as they did, and nobody would have known anything about it. We fcr our part can only leave the story to those who are interested in such mat ters, in tne nope tnat it will not prove as indigestible as the beef was likely to be. London Saturday Review. A New Christmas Game. For the benefit of those who may have become tired of the old fashioned games usually played at Christmas we suggest the following: , Gather a party on Christmas eve, or early Christmas morning, and then hunt up a lot of poor people who have no Christmas dinner and give them one. The game can be played by any num ber of persons and is warranted to make more real enjoyment and merriment for -ill who take part 5a it than any other game. New York Press. CONCERNING TH MISTLETOE. ji Kxotie Shrub Whih Bm hot ly Been Introdaee4 tm America. The mistletoe hung cm the omIU wll, And the holly branch Bhoa la tbe old oak hafl. And the baron's retainer! vera blithe aad (ay. ' Keeping their Christmas hoadaj. At this season of the year the mistletoe is -welcome addition to the stock of our florists, being intimately associated, as it is, with Christmas ports. It is new, however, to this country, and it is not much more than a decade since the first venture was ever brought here. The shrub is mostly tropical and parasitical, and authorities on the subject tell us that there are over four hundred known species of the order. There is only one species known to Great Britain, the com mon mistletoe the viscmn album, as it is botanically known and it is with that particular species that we have to deaL It is popularly supposed that the mis tletoe grows exclusively on the oak tree, bat this is a mistake, as it is found on the oak in very rare instances, while it grows with great profusion on the apple, the pear, the hawthorn, and also on syca mores, limes, poplars, locust trees and firs. In some portions of the south of England it is very abundant, and its evergreen leaves give a peculiar appear ance to the orchards in winter, when the trashes of mistletoe are very conspicuous among the naked branches of the trees. There is a superstition connected with the mistletoe that it is unlucky to fell an oak on which it grows, and the author of "Magna Britannia" describes a great wood belonging to the archbishops of he Hundred of Croyland, said to have consisted wholly of oaks, and among them was one that bore mistletoe, which some persons , were so hardy as to cut down for the gain of selling it to the apothecaries of London, leaving a branch of it to sprout out, but they proved un fortunate after it, for one of them fell lame and others lost an eye. At length, in the year 1678, a certain man, notwith standing he was warned against it, upon account of what the others had suf fered, adventured to cut the tree down, and he soon after broke his leg. To fell oaks had long been considered fatal, and such as believe it produce the instance of the Earl of Winchelsea, who, having felled a curious grove of oaks, soon after found his countess dead in her bed sud denly, and his eldest son, Lord Maid stone, was presently killed by a cannon ball. New York Press. . A Very. Little Christmas Tale. A party of gentlemen were discussing Kris Kringle and the day's events at the Auditorium dispensary. All or nearly all were relating the experiences of the right before or that morning with the little folks. "Boys said one of the party, a big furniture man on Wabash avenue, "I want to tell you what my little young ster said when he saw the Christmas tree. He is the baby of the house and has taken a most absorbing rancy to ms papa. 1 seem to be to his babyish fancy the be-all and end-all of humanity. My wife and I fixed up the tree last night, and this morning we opened ner up just a little after daylight. Three pairs of eyes were all ablaze, but the fourth little pair seemed to be missing something. The little one of course understood that Santa Claus brought everything, and as Santa Claus had been very liberal older heads marveled somewhat at the indifference of the baby boy to his gifts. Pretty soon the little fellow laid his toys away with a kind of bored expression, and climbing on my knee he lisped, 'Papa, did Thanta Claus bring dose sings? said, Yes, dear,' repeating the conven tional he. The little chap put his mouth to my ear and whispered, 'Papa, I don't care for Thanta Claus what is oo doin' to diz me? Boys, maybe 1 didn't go off and buy that baby something, and give it to him 'out of mf own hand. Some times I think the Santa Clans fable ought to be relegated to the top shelf. That little boy cared nothing for Santa Claus or for his gifts. He did love his papa and wanted him to remember him. "Chicago Herald. - - World's Fair Padding. The composer of the following recipe for World's fair plum pudding has chosen a name for it that should make it famous: One pound each of currants, raisins, suet chopped fine, and brown sugar; one and a half large loaves of baker's bread grated fine, without crust; ten eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately: three nutmegs, half a pint of brandy, one wineglass of wine. Mix suet, bread. raisins, currants, a pinch of salt, nut megs and brandy over night. In the morning moisten with a little milk. Just before putting on to boil add sugar, eggs and wine; work well together, put in a floured cloth, leaving room to swell; drop in boiling water and boil steadily for four hours. New York Herald. Maryland Padding-. A Maryland plum pudding, warranted to keep a year, is made from six pounds of seeded raisins, six pounds of brown sugar, four pounds of currants, six pounds of stale oated bread, six pounds of suet chopped very fine, six pounds of eggs, two pounds of citron, six table- "oonfuls of flour, half a pint of wine, uur Taut or oranay, tnree Uu-c: and a little mace and salt. Mix all well, let it stand over night and divide into twelve parts; tie each in a coarse cloth. plunge into boiling water, and boil four hours: expose then to the sun for two or three days with the cloths on and when dry hang in a cold room. They will keep a year. When wanted for use put into boiling water with the same cloth on and boil for one and a half hours. New York Herald. Delicious Peanut Candy. , ; Shell your peanuts and chop them fine measure them in a cup and take just the same quantity of granulated sugar yon have peanuts. Put the sugar in skillet or spider oh the fire, and keep moving the skillet around until the sugar is dissolved; then put in the peanuts and poor into buttered tins. This is deli cion. and so anickly made. Philadel phia Ledger. NO. 28. FAtr THAT "THEY MAY EAT. The Pious Greek's CfcrUtmas Table ah ( slow He Prepares for IU For a month before Christmas everr pious Greek has observed a rigid fast, says a traveler, consequently the "table," which on that day is spread in every house, produces something akin to fes tivity. My friends of the evening before begged me to sit down and partake ef the meal that they had prepared. It was somewhat of a stmggle to me, I most own, for I expected it would not be served in very magnificent style Still, I was npt prepared for what actu ally happened. On a small round table was placed a perfect mountain of macaroni and cheese not such cheese as we are accustomed to put with ours, but coarse sheep's milk cheese, which stung my mouth like mustard, and left a pungent taste therein which tarried there for days. Then there were no plates, no forks, no spoons. The master of the house had a knife with which he attacked the dish, and the one which on ordinary occasions fell to the mistress was now kindly placed at my disposal. As for the rest of the family, they were an example of the adage that fingers were made before forks, and these fingers grew perceptibly cleaner as the meal progressed. What a meal it was, indeed; as if it were a contest in gastronomic activity. Yet it was pleasant to see the appetite with which great and small entered in)o the contest and filled their mouths to overflowing with the savory mass. I was left behind in the contest, and had, I fearr to tell many untruths concerning my appetite and the excellence of the dish, and great was my relief when it was removed and dried, fruits and nuts took its place. ' To drink we had resirated wine that is to say, wine which had been stored in a keg covered with resin inside, which, gives the flavor so much relished by the Greeks, but which is almost as unpalata ble to an Englishman as beer must be to those who drink it for the first time. The wine, however, had the effect of loosening the tongues of my friends, who had been too busy as yet to talk, and they told me many interesting Christ mas tales. Exchange. A Christmas with Edwin Booth. "I remember a Christmas I spent in Mr. Booth's company many years ago, said a young theatrical manager in the foyer. "He had bought a summer resi dence at Cos Cob, Conn., the previous summer, and invited me np to play Santa Claus and do the chimney act. His property was a fair sized little promontory of land, bounded on one side by the Connecticut river, on the other side by Long Island Sound, and the New York anu New Haven tracks formed the base line. If there is any one road affected by tramps it is that, same New Haven road, and when 1 arrived, two or three days before Christmas, there Was a line of them waiting their turn at the gate that reminded me of a highly successful advance sale, one tramp near the gate even offering to sell his advanced position for ten cents. Booth was much worried about the dan gerous looking fellows, and it struck me that a dog would bo highly appropriate as a gift. "I wired to a friend in New York, and the day before Christmas the biggest Siberian hound I ever saw was waiting at the little station for me. Booth was tickled to death, and we managed to chain that dog just inside the main gate near the lodge, and then we shook hands. It was an awful big dog, bigger than a little donkey that arrived on the next train with a go-cart as a present to his little daughter Edwina. Well, we fixed up the presents that night. I dressed up in fur rugs and traps as Santa Claus, and had arranged to drive the donkey into the reception room and distribute the gifts from the well laden go-cart. Tbe dog was to remain in the little shed we had extemporized for him, but he didn't. He was there on business, and he attend ed to it promptly. The chain broke like a piece of twine and I broke for the bal cony, which I just managed to reach from the cart. Of course there was a racket, and I got into the window, and by the time we had armed ourselves with antique swords and a revolutionary mus ket the noise had subsided sufficiently for ns to venture forth. The dog was just seen in the moonlight disappearing over the stone wall, thousands of dollars worth of presents were scattered in the deep snow, and donkey meat and fur were lying an inch deep over the three acres of the Booth premises. The Sibe rian bloodhound had torn the donkey to atoms." Chicago Tribune. Not All Over. ' Frost Well, it's all over. Snow What's all over? Frost Christmas. I say it only comes once a year, and it's all oyer until next time. Snow Not by a jugful. The bills are not in yet for half the stuff my wile bought and charged to me! Selected. ii-i A Terrible Strain. Employer (anxipusly) Does Mr. De Goode drink?. Confidential Clerk Not a drop. "He has been two hours late for three mornings,-and he looks as if he had been on a terrible spree." "It's all right. - On Christmas he gave his boy a drum." Exchange. It Wasn't Necessary. First Sweet Girl Did you have a mis tletoe bough in your house? Second Sweet Girl No, I had one ready, but forgot to put it up. "Of all things! Forgot itT "Yes; you see, George and I somehow or other became engaged the day be fore." Floating. A Fair Exchange. About $500 will buy your wife as fine a sealskin palstot as you could desire to surprise her with for a New Year's gift And it would only be a fair exchange for that $1.85 smoking set which he laced in your stocking and told Burgess charge to ; your account. Fall River Advance. ... 7 f r. 7f O