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The Commoner.
VOLUME 7V NUMBER 49
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The Land of the Christmas Tree
OVor a map with its leaves outspread,
A black anil a brown and a golden
head
Were bending, with three pairs ol
eyes, to see
Where grows the wonderful Christ
mas Tree.
And browurheaded Elsie first had her
say:
"I think it must grow in the land of
Norway,
Fpr I have heard tell that the cedar
and pine
In that far-off ' country are stately
and fine." .
But Tom, looking wise, said: "Some
one told me
The best Christmas Trees grow in old
Germany;
But I know the tallest and hand
somest trees
Grow just as well here as far .over
the seas!" .
Then golden-hair Winnie, with voice
like a bird,
And sweetest and softest of lips,
spole the third:
! s'pect itV D Santa Claus'. garden
it.-. grows,
For, Santa has gardens a-plenty, I
"knows!"
"But where is his garden? 'Tis not
.on the map,"
Said Elsie, now folding her hands in
f her Jap;
"We need not search longer you
see 't is in vain;
I've looked till I'm tired, and I won't
look again!"
' - .' . ,
And, Qh, how they wondered and.
Worried, those three,
To fi.nxT.out the land of the dear
VJuristmas Tree! -
But, children, oh, children, surely
fyou know
Just' Hvh ere and just how all the
iGJlirlstmas Trees grow:'
For&WtttiU the Christ-Child was
, ,3sbpvn5"long vago,
ld-eyeri the beautiful Christmas
Tree grow;
And now, through the wide world
as far as men roam,
Wherever .He comes is the Christmas
Tree-s home!
Little Folks.
"Christmas comes but once a year,
so let us drink and have good cheer."
Ho declares that one can see "Satan's
grin in Santa Claus' beard;" that
children worship Santa Claus too
much, and lose sight of the real sig
nificance of Christmas the birth of
the child, Christ Jesus, and advo
cates a Puritan enjoyment of the day
for the young people. If one' care
fully scans the columns of the daily
naners throughout the mid-winter
holidays, there will be found much
apparent reason for such a state
ment, and it would be well to give
earnest thought to the matter. The
real significance of the festival time
is lost sight of in the vrild hilarity
and carousal that marks the observ
ance of one of the most sacred sea
sons of the year. It is well to be
glad; to try to make others happy,
and to be happy ourselves"; the home
and social gatherings, the bringing
together of wide-parted friends and
relatives, and the relieving of the
burdens of the poor, are all good;
but to-be effective, to create, the right
atmosphere about the day, these
should be done "in His name." Do
ing good unto others will lead inco
none of the .wild extravagances and
carousals, the wasted strength and
crippled energies, and the too often
laying'of a foundation for a life-long
remorse through some wild craze of
the moment, entered into, no doubt,
in a moment of reckless ""fun'-V too
often but the outcome" p a drink
debaich, which no "goodJ will to
ward man" would seem able to control.
not only bountiful, but beautiful,
and it is needless to say that the
prettiest of everything in, the house,
in the way of linen and china or
glassware should grace the feast. A
green and white color scheme or a
green and scarlet, are both suitable,
but the colors should be in the
dishes and adornments, for only the
whitest of table linen will serve.
A Pretty Handkerchief Bag
A very easily made bag, which
may serve for many purposes, is
made by laying one handkerchief on
top of another, the corners of one-
falling over the sides of the other,
making eight points instead of four.
Before putting together, cut a circle
from the center of one, marking the
circle by a small saucer or sauce
plate, and to the edge of this open
ing, an embroidery hoop, covered
with "ribbon, is to be securely at
tached with fancy stitches. After
laying the handkerchiefs together,
mark a straight line from one angle
to another, across corners, giving
eight sides to the bag, and stitch, to
gether along this line, either by ma
chine, or by fancy stitching with fast
colored silk, linen or cotton thread.
Sew lengths of ribbons to match the
color of the stitching to the hoop,
finishing with a bow or bows at the
top, and hang up by the ribbon ties.
The thread should be fast colored,
but the ribbons. can be removed for
laundering. This is a dainty as well
as useful present.1 " . "
Woman's Relief Corps, address, with
stamped self-addressed envelope for
reply, Mrs. T. D. Kimball,. Kirkwood,
Missouri.
L. M. If you will send me your
address, I will give you, in a per
sonal letter, the information about
broad-making more completely than
I can do in the Home pages.' I am
glad to help you.
o. xvi. uuut torsive yuurseu, aim
try to see the lesson to be learned
by the mistake. Mistakes are tho
commonest things in this world. We
all make them, and we should re
member them only as they may help
us to do better in the future.
A. O. Physicians tell us that
there is no known way of, reducing
the enlarged knuckles. It is the bone
that is enlarged. If any one tells
you it can be done, convince yourself
of their skill before you part with
your money. r
L. H. There is no sure way of
permanently restoring faded and lus
terless hair except -by the improve
ment of health whether of the sys
tem, or the scalp. The hair is quick
ly affected by' ailments of the body.
You may have to take your trouble
to a specialist until the difficulty is
removed, or a family physician may
aid you.
"A Reader," and L. M. See. reci
pes for pigs' feet and cabbage m an
other,, column, Ask all the questions
you wish, and I will do my best to
';elp you. You are brave little girls,
and deserve success.
t'Merry Christmas" ,
The Home department wishes for
each and every one of its readers
a healthy, wholesome, joy-brinKm
unristmas season. Let us try to ob
serve the occasion in such a manner
Lthat its passing may leave no "bit
ter taste" of regret or remorse in
our .mouths; that we may look back
upon it in years to come with a feel
ing ttiat We commemorated the com
ing of the Christ-Child even as the
Saviour himself would have us to
do. May we "Do good unto others,"
and make some life brighter because
of our., having .touched it. A happy,
heattsome Christmas season to all.
Tho Abuse of Christmas
At a recent meeting in one of tho
largest Settlement houses in the
United States, the pastor is reported
as saying that "the devil is out and
exerting himself to a greater extent
during the Christinas holidays than
at any other period of the year," and
that unlimited drinking and carous
ing is done under the excuse that
Green. Vines and Red Berries
In all Christmas decorations, these
are the key-note. From Christmas
eve to' Twelfth Night, the' decora
tions should be allowed to 'remain.
It is the one season of the year when
the "whole world, feels .akin" be
cause of the '.'Peace on earth, good
will toward men." spirit which is
abroad from cottage to castle. So,
despite the fact that some would
have us believe that the hanging of
wreaths and stars in the windows
is old fashioned and out. of date, let
us hang out these cheerful little win
dow notices to tell the world of the
joy within.
The chandeliers, the pldture
frames, the picture moldings should
all be draped with evergreens made
into strings and wreaths with wire
ing, and at short intervals the bright
red berries should gleam out from
among the green leaves.
The decorations of the dining room
might be strings of liolly and mis
tletoe, with the white-and red ber
ries giving touches of color. Rib
bons, gay in their Christmas effects
of green and red Christmas em
blems, make lovely decorations
where the real greens can not be
had. The holly is beautiful in its
significance. Ever ', emblematic "of
Christmas day,, it is typical of bright
ness in dark places, of sunshine in
shady places, and of the beauty, love,
joy and peace blooming amid the
darkest trials of life, .and steadfast
ly lighting up the gloomiest circum
stances. If we would only live up
to the teachings of this bit of win
ter brightness, the "Peace' on earth,
good will to man," would no longer
be a tradition, but a blessed reality.
Some Easily-Made Presents
A very pretty frill for the front
of the waist is made of a strip of
wide lace, sheer embroidery, or fine
lawn. The strip should be twice the
length the frill is intended to be, and
if made of lawn, the outer edge
should have some pretty, narrow lace
sewed on. If on lace Or embroidery,
no edging is required. One edge of
the strip .must be knife-plaited, or
machine ruffled, and. the ends doubled
together, with the loop end fall over
the' top of the frill. The gathered
edge, -when double should be bound
with a little flat end of the binding
left at the tbp in which a button-hole
should be worked by which the frilj
is to be buttoned to the collar but
ton under a. little bow. The frill
opens out and makes a dainty addi
tion to the waist-front.
Very pretty collars may be made
of crochet, lace, or bias, strips of
lawn folded and fagotted together.
The Jawn strips should be basted
onto a stiff piece ,of paper shaped
for a collar, and the fagotting done
before removing them. A, strip of
beading may be set in the center,
and a bit of narrow velvet ribbon
rim through it, ending in a rosette in
the center-front.
Tucked, straight collars are easily
made with a narrow knife-plaited
ruffle along the top edge. A per
fectly straight strip of .the material
should be finely tucked, and the fin
ished collar be slightly shaped under
the chin by drawing the tucks a lit
tle closer together. . -The back should
bo 'fastened with tiny buttons and
button-holes.
Tho Christmas Tablo
Scarlet and white should be the
color scheme. The repast should be
Query Box
Montana Reader I think you will
get the information desired by ad
dressing "Chautauqua Literary and
Scientific Circle," Chautauqua, N. Y.
T. For - information regarding
Cooking Cabbage
Answering "A Reader" Prepare
the cabbage by removing any dam
aged or tough leaves, quarter, if
large; halve, if small, and drop into
cold water for an hour or two, ex
amining to see if any insects are hid
den in the leaves. If to be seasoned
with huttejc, pepper -and salty drop the
prepared cabbage into clear boiling
water enough to completely cover it,
adding one tablespoonful of salt to
one gallon of water. Keep boiling
briskly, leaving the kettle uncovered,
for half an hour, when ii should be
done; then -lift into a colander or
sieve to drain off all water, lifting
occasionally to let all water escape.
Then slice or chop fine. While the
cabbage is 'cooking, prepare in, an
other vessel a sauce of one teacup
ful of not very strong vinegar, but
ter the size of a large walnut, two
tablespbonfuls of sugar,, and bring to
a boil; set off, and stir into it im
mediately a, well-beaten egg. Have
the chopped cabbage in a dish and
pour over it the vinegar sauce, stir
by tossing with a fork, mixing it
thoroughly and serve. Pepper and
additional salt can be added at table.
For bacon and cabbage, one and
one quarter -pounds is enough for a
large qabbage head. If corned beef,
or other meat is to be eaten, the
meat should be cooked with the cab
bage, but cook the meat first, then
take up, and strain the meat water,
put into a kettle, and when boiling
hot, drop in the .ea.bbage,. cooking
until tender, but not until brown.
Another nice way to cook cabbage
is to chop or slice very fine a white,
solid head, swash in clear, cold wa
ter; have a kettle on the stove with
a tablespoonful of butter in it, quite
hot; take the ' cabbage up in the
hands, draining a little, and drop into
the kettle, covering at once, and stir
frequently by shaking the kettle, or
skillet in which it is cooking, keep
ing covered closely to prevent steam
from escaping. It should be well
done in half an hour, when it should
be taken up told seasoned with but
ter, pepper and'salt and served. It is
AN OLD AND .WELL TRIED REMEDY
Mn8. WiNStow's SooTinNO SYntff for children
teething1 should nlwnyff boused for children while
tceUilnsr. ItBoflens thte pumH; allays tho pain. curMJ
wind colic and ' is tho best remedy for diarrhoea
Twenty-five cent a bottle.
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