I
"Le
D
oretagne
Leon's Christmas
Home Coming
By W. A. FRAZER
(Copyright, iJ ahurt Bury iubUbhilitf Co.)
It was two o'clock when Le Bre
tagne spread her white sails and crept
out toward tho eastern sky. It was
six when the gray wall of the sea rose
and blotted out the ship as though she
had gone to tho bottom. '
Then the dark figure which had
been outlined against the crimson of
the big, red set ting sun turned wearily
and crept over the sands towards
Arichat It was Marie, returning to
her newly widowed home.
"Leon said he would come at the
time of Christmas, so why should I
fear?" sho kept muttering, "and Leon
will keep hia word in life or death.
'Eren If I'm dead, Marie,' he said,
Joking me, 'I will come to thee at
Christmas.' "
On the farther Bide of L'Isle Madam
the sea was moaning as Marie reached
her cottage.
One month had gone one month of
the loveliest weather ideal weather
for the fishing, the old wives said, only
they used a stronger word than
"Ideal" to express their satisfaction.
It was just 34 days since the gray
wall of water had risen between Ma
rie and her Leon. There was no mis
taking the day, for she had Just drawn
a line through the date, the nineteenth
of October. Not for a moment had
Marie slumbered that night The sea
had gone to rest with a sigh, a sigh of
Utter weariness, as though tho wind
.bad called it to battle to the death;
only the sea heard the challenge, the
sea and Marie she knew.
The calm that rested over every
thing was awful; It was as though all
life had gone out of the world. And
o It was when the green sky that
"Yea, Yes; It's Le Bretagne," an Old
Man Was Saying.
was In the west changed to blood red
attll not a breath of air. Toward noon
the glassy water grew dark, where lit
tie puffs of wind ruffled Its surface.
By night the clouds had risen
like a wall, stretching from the south
to -the northeast, but still It was clear
overhead ; no clouds, only a murky,
yellow haze.
Fitful blasts of wind came tearing
through the quaint old fishing town of
Arichat, making signs and shutters
tremble and creak for an Instant, and
then silence that dreadful silence
that seemed to still the very beating
of one s heart.
That night Marie prayed as though
he were pleading for her soul: "O
Holy Mother, plead for me, even as
thou hadst a Son," and then the hot
flood of tears fell fast, blinding and
scorching, and choking the full heart.
In the morning the eastern .shore of
Lisle Madam was shrouded In seeth
lng spray. The breakers were thun-
derlng at her guarding rocks. By
night the world was spray covered
the world of L'Isle Madam. The sky
and the earth and the sea were one.
And still from the southeast the storm
drove, and all that night.
And in the morning of the second
day tho crash of breaking timbers
mingled with the boom of the mighty
waves as they dashed against the
granite walls.
People were hurrying towards the
urf-beaten shore. Her long hair toss
ing In the maddened breeze, Marie
rushed after them; In her heart the
cry that had been there for so many
hours, "Holy Mother, save my Leon
"Yes, yes; It's Le Bretagne," an old
man was saying, slowly lowering hi
.glass as Marie came up to the group
of people who were straining their
eyes seaward. "Her anchors are out,1
he continued, "but she cannot live in
such a gale under that strain, and If
he parts her cable she will go
pieces on the rocks."
His words were scarcely audible
above the shrieking of the wind; but
Marie heard, and there, among those
rough fishermen, she knelt and prayed
over and over agnln, out of the cnna
ing fullness of her heart, "Holy Mother,
save my Leon." Tho awful soltuunity
of the scene touched their rough
hearts, and hats were doffed, and
heads bowed, as the young wife prayed
to her God in that living gale.
And then, as if in mockery of all
things human, a mighty wave, might
ier than any of its fellows, and fol
lowing in the wake of two scarcely
less mighty, broke over the Bretagne,
and" burled her beneath its many tons
of foam-lashcd water. The vessel
swayed, trembled and disappeared he
fore their very eyes.
Two men were holding Marie now.
"I will go to him! He is calling me!"
sho shrieked. "O, God! will no one
save him?"
Ttie bronzed faces of the fisher-folk
were turned away each from the other.
The salt spray was on their beards,
but in their eyes was that of which
they were ashamed.
Then they led her hack to the house,
the little house that Leon had taken
her to only a few weeks ago. And
two of them watched into the gray of
the morning, for 'neath oil skins the
fishers' hearts are warm.
That was the third night, and still
she slept not. The storm was dyng
now, and moaning, together they
passed away the fury of grief and the
rage of the storm. And for that day,
and for many days the great grief had
broken her mind.
Storm and sunshine, day In and
day out, she sac down on the beach,
and questioned the passers as to how
many days to Christmas till her Leon
would come home; for had he not
said that he would come at Christ
mas, at the glad time of the year, and
was not his word as the law among
the fisher-folk, it was so true? And
did she not pray every night to the
Holy Mother to intercede for her, and
bring her Leon home? And the
masses that had been said for Leon,
were they not to bring him home,
too?
Poor little Marie, her mind, which
was like unto a child's, could not un
derstand that the mass ' which' Father
Dupre had said, had been to take him
to that other home; for the good fa
ther had said mass for the repose of
the souls of the men lying out there
in Le Bretagne.
And then a wonderful thing hap
pened. Many days after, at the time
of Christmas, again the cry df Le
Bretagne rang through the streets of
Arichat; and again was there much of
horror in the cry, for though the sea
was calm now, there was Le Bretane
slowly sailing into port; and was not
Le Bretagne at the bottom of the sea,
and all hands drowned?
Small wonder that the browned
faces were blanched now, as the
fisher-folk lined up on the sand, as
they had on that day two moons be
fore.
"What sorcery is this?" they asked
each other. It was La Bretagne. they
know her as they knew their own
houses. Spirit hands were sailing her,
for on her decks no one moved.
A solemn hifsh settled down upon
them; few spoke, and when they did
It was with bated breath. What evil
was this? for good it could not be.
'Twas Mari9 who had first seen the
ship. Had her prayers, worked this
magic?
Nearer and nearer the dread ship
came, until but a short way out from
the shore she stopped, and swung to
an anchor. Invisible hands had an
chored her, for there was the cable
right enough, running out from her
bow, as she lifted lazily to the long
ground swell.
"Take me to my Leon," Marie plead-
ed of the awe-struck fishermen, "he is
calling me. Do you not see that his
boats are washed away?"
Shamed by the presence of the wom
en, four stout fishermen brought up a
boat, and, taking Marie with them,
rowed off to the ship that was like a
phantom.
"Stay with us, ma petite amie," the
flsherwomen pleaded with Marie. As
well had they striven to check the
ways of the wind.
How silent the ship was as the boat
glided under her stern! . Not a sound,
not a voice; no movement, only the
lap, lap, lap of the waters against her
wooden sides.
The men crossed themselves as Du
mont, the bravest fisherman in all
Arichat, rose up, and, with blanched
cheeks, caught his boat hook in Le
Bretagne'a rail.
How low she was In the water; as
they stood up in their boat they could
see across her deck not across did
they see, for half way they Baw some-
thing which caused them to shudder,
and beg of little Marie to stop in the
boat.
But Marie had risen and seen, too,
and with a cry that rang in the ears
of thoBe four men until their dying
day, she sprang up the side of the
ship, and stood on the slippery, slimy
deck.
Her Leon was there, lashed to the
mast. ' She threw herself upon his
poor bloated form.
The four understood. Dumont
looked down an open batch: "Her
salt is gone!" be exclaimed.
That brief sentence explained it all.
She had gone to the fisheries loaded
with salt. When the water had
washed all the salt out of her hold,
being a wooden ship, she had floated,
dragging' her one remaining anchor
until it had caught in the good hold
ing ground near the shore.
Gently they lifted Marie away from
her dead lover.
Christmas had come to Marie. The
Holy Mother had heard her prayer,
and she was with Leon.
And every Christmas since, in
Arichat, a mass is said for the repose
of the soul of little Marie, and the
lover who rose from the sea to come
to her, even In death.
The tree shines with the candle glow,
The trinkets glitter jewel-wise,
And we would that our souls might know '
The joy told in the children's eyes.
Such sheer delight as this of theirs-
A wondrous happiness it is
And every word the message bears :
This is the children's day and His!
Let us come, as the Wise Men came
Those nineteen centuries agone,
Led by the Star's eternal flame
That bade them rise and hasten on.
They brought rare frankincense and
myrrh,
They brought rich gems and graven
gold,
They knelt, adoring, near to Her,
And all their marvelings they told.
Aye, as those Men of long ago,
To-day we, too, may see the Star,
May see its mystic heavenly gloiv
Flash out o'er Childland fair and
far;
And from our hands now fall the gifts
And we know why the Wise Men
smiled
With gratefulness; and each heart lifts
Its chant of worship of the Child.
Copyright by W. D. Neablt.
r
i i,
m
THE CHRISTMAS OF TODAY
HILE the ancient
traditions of
Christmas time
have been handed
down from genera
tion to generation
for hundreds o f
years the holiday
has been so mod
ernized and im
proved of late that
naught save Its an
cient lore and cus
toms remain. In
this . day the old
form of celebrating
the day is seldom seen. As the yule
log vanished with the advent of the
stove so the simple ways which
amused the youngsters of yesterday
have disappeared and in their stead
comes to-day an endless line of me
chanical devicf The dolls of to-day
open and cki.e their eyes and even
speak; the toy steam train runs by
real steam power; the miniature elec
tric car is driven by real electricity;
the toy animals and insects move
about like real life. Now Christmas
trees are purchased at the grocery
store and are illuminated at night
with tiny electric lights instead of
candles. Instead of popcorn balls and
cornucopias of candy the tree is dec
orated with gilt and tinsel ropes and
stars. More automobile horns are
heard now on Christmas day than
sleigh bells. Steam heat and elec
tric radiators take the place of open
fires and plenty of money makes the
day even more enjoyable than ever
before.
Much Due to Electricity.
Electricity, which has invaded every
nook and cranny of life to-day, has
assisted more than any one thing in
modernizing the Christmas celebra
tion. The electric cars hurry Christ
mas callers from house to house. On
Christmas eve the buildings and
Christmas Decorations.
Let the house be bright and cheer
ful at Christmas, with plenty of holly
and mistletoe distributed throughout.
If there is a chandelier in the dining
room have it hung with evergreens
and holly, and from that carry long
ropes of greens to each corner of the
room, thus forming a canopy for the
table. Fasten wreaths at all the win
dows. Red and green is most appro
priate for the Christmas table. In the
center place a bowl filled with red
carnations surrounded with holly, and
four single candles In sliver or glass
sticks with scarlet shades to further
carry out the bright and cheering
color scheme. At each place have a
miniature Christmas tree to which
place cards are tied with narrow, red
ribbon. If preferred the centerpiece
may also be a tree of a larger size.
Boxes representing Santa Claus and
filled with bonbons make appropriate
souvenirs, for the possession of a
"sweet tooth" is by no means confined
to the extreraely Juvenile.
V At'. -.M
streets are ablaze with countless elec
tric lights. Electric telephones and
telegraph are wishing every one many;
happy returns of the day. The wire
less carries "Merry Christmas" from
ship to ship and the electric cable
flashes the good will of governments
around the earth.
The new electric ovens sizzle with
the roasting turkey and the electric
stove is rushed- to prepare the many
appetizing viands for which the day
of feast calls. Electric door-bells are
jingling; electrical musical instru
ments furnish the music for the Christ
mas carols; the electric motors, which,
have worked so faithfully in prepar
ing the many valuable presents of a
thousand different varieties, are en-.
joying a day's rest after the hustling
days of the holiday trade.
Useful Christmas Presents.
Year by year it grows more the cus
torn to make Christmas presents just
as useful as possible. While expense
is not considered so material as iti
used to be it is important that the,
gifts should be useful as well as or
namental. This is as it should be,
Here again electricity finds a useful
field. The development of the electric,
heating and cooking devices has add-i
ed a host of valuable and useful things
which are always acceptable Christ
mas gifts. The electric chafing dish
electric shaving mug and electric cof
fee percolator will be numbered!
among the most conspicuous of use
ful Christmas presents. The elec
trical list also contains electric flat-l
irons, electric cookers, luminous radi
ators, massage machines, hair dryers,
curling iron heaters, water heaters,
tea kettles, baby milk warmer and a
number of other useful things, not to!
mention the electric toys.
This year will see less money wast
ed for useless trinkets than ever be
fore. Gifts from Wall Paper.
Get a sample book of wall paper
which can be had for the asking when.
the season is over. For a waste papery
basket cut a pattern six inches at the
top, tapering to four inches at the bot
tom, and 12 inches high, which is .- a;
good size for a lady's desk. Cut four
sections from cardboard and a square
4x4 inches for the bottom. Cover the
outside of each piece with a pretty de
sign of the wall paper, cutting the
pieces a little larger than cardboard.
pasting the edges on to the wrong
side, use a contrasting color for the in
side, plain paper is prettier and cut
just the size of the section. Punch
holes near the top and bottom of each
piece and two on each side of the bot
tom piece, near corner; tie the pieces
together with baby ribbon, it requiring
about three yards. One can make dif
ferent sizes, small ones for hair re
ceivers or with a little pad in bottom!
for jewelry, also glove and handker
chief boxes. Cover empty thread
boxes and fill with home-made candy.
CHRISTMAS
i i and i I
CIVELKATION
LL Chr Istendom
again celebrates the
nativity of the foun
der of the Christian
faith, and the inaug
uration of the new
year. The heart
yields to the pre
vailing spirit and
sentiment, despite
intellectual dissent.
Not to observe, In
some form, the
Christmas . festival
is felt to do vio
lence to the best
instincts of humanity. This holiday
eclipses all other birthdays, as the
sun makes the electric light to cast
a shadow. At . this season a large
majority find delight in giving. It
gives occasion for springs of human
kindness and good will to flow. It
challenges the charge that man is
innately and persistently selfish.
More than is ' believed practice the
truth that is more blessed to give
than to receive.
Christmas is the festival of children
and women. Christ's conception of
childhood and youth and his treat
ment of women made it possible for
them to commemorate his birthday
with joy and gladness. At the out
set of his career he foretold the reg-
nancy of the cradle and the glory, of
the woman. Christmas celebrates the
birth of a child to whom the world
owes the progress of 1,900 years, and
whose work will endure so long be
earth shall continue and Influence oth
er worlds.
m INETEEN centuries ago a peasant
Wm woman of Judea in a stable gave
uirm 10 a t.nua aestinea to ao
the greatest possible work to free all
women from bondage and all children
from slavery the evils which dis
graced past ges. ' Jesus' influence
upon humanity as a child, a man, a
teacher and as a Saviour, as one who
put the eternal right of man above all
established customs and precedents,
is' the greatest inheritance of the hu
man race. The king of the Jews has
become the king of the world. A He
brew mind with no racial bias is now
ruling the nations. The spirit of the
Christ most deeply moves modern life
and thought. His name has passed
over our institutions and his mind has
penetrated into our social and domes
tic existence. The inspiration of true
liberty and education,- the benediction
of the beautiful, "the elevation of let
ters, literature . and morals , are
ascribed to him.
H'
IS influence Upon the centuries is
as clearly marked as the cur
rents of- the' Gulf Stream bring
ing verdure and beauty to inhospitable
shores, light to those in darkness, and
making the wilderness to blossom as
the rose. Innumerable poems, dramas
and songs have been developed
through his teaching. Art taxes itself
fittingly to portray his life, architect
ure struggles to build temples suitable
for his worship. Universities, col
leges, schools, and all systems of edu
cation attempt to realize his esti
mate of the dignity and worth of child
hood. "Government itself," said Glad
stone, "is hut the translation of the
teachings of Jesus Christ into human
laws and institutions." His thoughts
and ideas toil like a giant for man's
progress. The single historic vine in
Santa Barbara carried to California by
a priest has changed all the Industries
of that land, so Christ's ideas carry
energies for civilizing worlds. "As the
sun "upon the horizlon rolls forward,
pouring forth warmth . out of its in
visible urns, so we perceive an atmos
phere of hope and joy has been
poured over the continent out of the
heart of Christ and those who loved
him." The world celebrates-at Christ
mas the advent of this wonderful be
ing. It looks reverently upon the face
of him, the feeble infant in the nan -
ger, and upon other children to whom
be gave so much.- - -
CHILDREN and Christmas are the
factors of civilization. Edmund
. Burke defined civilization ' as
"the ' spirit of a gentleman, and the
spirit of religion in a life lived In the
presence of man and God."
The beauty, purity, humility, faith,
helplessness and the promise of chil-
Jt, And laid Himself in the bretth ol
J&l ill vkC'r iw iR ' And the wrmih of hy,
' V nSwSwsKw JL And whispered to (he Sar w shine
- - - ' i "" ' r - '-!.'
dren educate the parents in affection,
and gentleness, and through them the,
community. The spring whence civ
ilization flows is the Babe of Mary
and the babe in every home. Thf
Christmas spirit, incarnated in deeds
of kindness, of self-forgetfulness, love,
mutual helpfulness, is the secret of
Christian civilization. ,
it win inoculate all the world wltn -
that purpose to db justice and deal
kindly with our fellows. Christianity
has been defined as "a beautiful civ-
ilization slowly journeying across' the
earth." It is the , only civilization
worthy to be named. It presents
ideals, with the power to realize them.!
THERE were individuals, who re-s
fleeted ideal virtues in other .
periods, but were unable to mul
tiply themselves, dying like Beatrice,
who took her beauty, as they carried
their' moral excellences away witbj
them. The first Christmas dawned on)
a world of . selfishness and sin, and
dark with folly and cruelty. There -;
was beauty for. the few, slavery, pov-j
erty and starvation for the many
death for the unwelcome child and
degradation for woman. There were
375,000 paupers in ' a population ' of
1,000,000 in Rome. It was a period ofj
intellectual chaos, moral and social
desolation, and individual hopeless-
ness. Into this gloom came the staj:
of Bethlehem, beaming light, hope andj
sympathy. The contrast between thej
manger birth and the Christmas morn'
that will dawn this-Week with Ita -carols,
songs, gifts, joy and gladness,
Is the most striking contrast earth's
history holds. ..
With that first Christmas childhood ,
became sweet and sacred, woman was
crowned "queen of the heart and home,
the slave made free, the ignorant, poon
and wretched found education, shelter .
and sympathy, and the joy of gener
osity became contagious. As the sun
rises earlier and lingers longer than
yesterday so the spirit of Christmas
will usher in the golden age of happl- .
ness and good will. In the great pic
ture of Coreggiq the light on the face
of the babe lends a" glow to shepherd .
and wise men. The Christmas spirit)
lends a glow to all the instruments,
and forces of society.
HILE humanity falls below the
w
Ideal, the .effort to practice it
is not wholly nugatory. The
"drift of, the world Is upward." The
people are climbing. Interest in chil
dren Is increasing. Woman is coming
to her own. Labor is entering the
reward of work. War is becoming
unpopular. , Racial prejudice- will hide .
in shame. The Christ spirit is vic
torious. God's good will becomes tri
umphant in home, .. street ..and legis
lative, hall. The triumphsof the past
dictate new struggles for the future.
When Pericles gave his oration over
the Athenian dead, pointing to the
graves, the great orator said: "Their,
silence is eloquent! These herpes ask
us to go and live for the city for which
they died." Thus past achievements
pledge us to fresh fidelity. Christ
mas asks us to lend the Impulse of a",
new love to home, school, street and
city; to be a friend of the friendless,
a' benefactor to some dumb beast or
deserted child, to . be voice for the
dumb, eyes for the blind, springs of
water for the thirsty, trees of shade
for the weary, food for the hungry,
refuge for the smitten. -
Be an angel of mercy, bringing-,
"peace on earth and good will toward'
men," and thus hasten - a Christmaa
which will not simply come to-morrow,
but will stay , all the' year:
Christmas Salad. '
For a Christmas salad select the
largest and brightest red apples, and
stiit a ftoan alffA fi-nm Pdrh a t frlifli
istem en(J gcoop Qul the pulp. drop;
both the covers and apples into cold;
water and leave them until needed.'
Cut crisp celery into small pieces with!'
one-third the quantity of English wal-1
nuts or pecans broken; mix with very!
stiff mayonnaise. Wipe and polish each;
apple and fill with the salad, fitting!
each cover carefully, and set on a bedi
of crisp lettuce leaves just before'
serving; Z ; .
