McMillan’s Mammoth
LINE HOLIDAY GOODS
A visit to McMillan's Pharmacy will solve the Christmas Purchasing Prob
lem. With our mammoth stock we have many new things to suggest
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Christinas Novelties
Combs, Brushes, Mirrors, in sets or separate;
Manicuring sets at various prices, Military Sets,
Traveling Bags and Cases, Collar and Cuff Boxes,
Jewel Boxes, Hirrors, Cigar Jars, Smokers’
Stands. New designs and unique patterns.
Great Variety of Books
A complete series of copyrighted“Juvenile Books,
from the 5 cent liner to the most classic publica
tion. Alger and Henty Books for boys, Hooks for
Girls. A large assortment of small Gift Books,
Teachers’ (lift Books for pupils.
See our line of Books
Ladies’ hand Bags
Be sure to see our line of stylish Hand Bags and
Purses, both for ladies and gentlemen.
We buy direct from the factory
WE BUY ONLY THE BEST GOODS.
Post Cards and Calendars
Post Cards in great quantity and variety. Xmas
Calendars, swell, new designs, Xmas Hottoes and
Letters, Xmas l ags, Seals and Empty Boxes in
great variety and elegance. All the ideas here
ready for your inspection. Try us first.
For the Smoker
If you want a box of Cigars or a Pipe in a fancy
case, visit our store. Our line of smoker’s re
quisites will suit the most particular smoker.
Box of cigars makes a nice present. We have
just what you want.
McMilIan’s Big New Cigar Case
Post Card Albums
We have a large line of new Post Card Albums.
New designs; any price from 5c to $3.50 Visit our
Post Card and Album Counter.
We solve the problem for you.
Fine Stationery
Crane’s Linen Lawn or Quartered Oak Box Stat
ionery from 25c to $2.50. You should see our line
of bargains in Stationery. Fine Box Stationery
makes an appropriate present.
Finn Stationery is Our Big Feature.
Toys of Every Description
We have 400 extra feet of shelving on which we
display our mammoth line of Toys. We have the
largest assortment of Toys and the right prices.
We are showing all that is new and unique in the
Toy line. It’s a rare treat to look them over.
A Fairyland of Toys.
The Dolly Family
Kid Body Dolls from 25c to $4.00; Doll Wigs, Doll
Heads, Doll Hats, Doll Beds and Cradles, Doll
Furniture. What would little sister do on Christ
mas without her doll. Our dolls guaranteed.
Have your selections laid aside until Christmas. Remember that all during the Holiday Week, between
Christmas and New Years our fine Candies and Cigars will be on great display, making fine New Years gifts.
We sincerely hope to have a good share of YOUR patronage, and assure you we will be only too glad to show
you our goods and convince you of our exceedingly low prices. Come in and inspect our line of goods.
McMillan's Pharmacy
Opposite Postoffice. SANTA CLAUS’ HEADQUARTERS Falls City Nebraska.
Origin of Christmas Customs
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There are a few tilings in exist-1
elit e toduv whleli huve net been I
ehangetl or molded In the hands of
progress. One by one legends and
customs have bet'll disproved and
overthrown, yet none lias dared at
tack the legends and the customs sac
red to Christmas-tide. Here and
there a servant lias tried to prove
that December 2.1th, does not mark
tlu> birthday of Christ. Men and
women read, smile and pass on.
The time of year corresponding to
our Christmas lias always been a
period of rejoicing. it marks tin*
winter solstice. The days begin to
lengthen, and the sun no longer Jour
neys away from earth, bu enters up
on liis return, it is a promise of re
newed strength and warmth, of the
approach of the summer days and
men hailed these signs with every
expression of gladness.
!n Horn" the ‘Setnrnniin or feast
of Saturn, fell at about the same time
as our Christmas, and it marked the
greatest festival of the Homan year.
The city abandoned itself to gaiety.
Universal mirth was the order of the
day; friends feasted friends. and
foes were reconciled. There were no
slaves, no masters;all social distinc
tions were laid aside. Work was
stopped throughout the city, and no
war was ever entered upon at this
time.
The tree, as the emblem of life,
also figured conspicuously in the
earlier religions. In Egypt. the
palin tree put fortli a new shoot each
month, and at the time of the winter
solstice it was the custom among
the Egyptians to decorate the house
with a branch of palm bearing twelve
shoots. In Rome the fir tree was
regarded with veneration, and dur
ing the Saturnaltan festivities the
halls and houses were hung with
evergreen boughs.
In England, in the davs of the
Druids, the houses were decked with
evergreens in order that the sylvan
spirits might appear to appropriate
their grateful shelter and remain pro
jected from the nipping frost and the
icy winter winds.
Farther to the North, the wild
Teuton tribes worshipped their god
in wooded places, and looked upon
the fir tree as his sacerd emblem
The period corresponding to the Ro
tuan Saturnalia was the festival of!
Thor. Among these people the fes '
tivltles wore known as Yuletide.
When Christianity spread abroad. I
men knew that in the story of
Christ's nativity was realized what
they in their blindness had striven
to typify. So they adapted the old
customs of their ancestors to (lit' new
order of things.
Among Northern European tribes
a great fir tree was set up in each
household at Christmas-tide. At its
base were placed representations of
Adam and Eve, In the branches coil
ed tli(> serpent, and on the topmost
hough gleaned a candle, symbolizing
that "Light of tin' World" through
Whom alone was victory over the
serpent possible.
The Christmas tree was introduc
ed into England by Prince Albert of
Saxo-Coburg-Got ha. consort of Queen
Victoria. Prom the palace the cus
I tom spread, until now the Christmas
tree is a necessary feature of an
English Christmas.
la Germany and other European
countries it was believed by the chil
dren that the tree glittering with can
[ dies and bright baubles was the work
1 of jolly old Saint Nicholas, This
kindly saint was no legendary char
j neter. lie lived about 1100 A. I». and
was a noted Bishop of Asia Minor.
He was looked upon as the patron
saint of generosity, because of his
liberality.
In certain parts of Germany it was
commonly* held that on Christmas
live the Christ Child or Kris Kring
le- visited earth, and as he passed
over the houses,dropped gifts through
tho roof for the deserving and the
good.
But aside from the customs which
relate to gifts and the spirit of giv
, ing at Christmas-tide, there are sev
I eral observances which are indisso
lubly linked with this time.
Christmas is never Christmas with
out the holy wreath and the mistle
! toe. Christmas venerated the holly,
or "Holy Tree,"because to them the
little thorny loaves and red berries
! made in a wreath typified the crown
of thorns and the bloody drops.
Doubtless they introduced this sol
emn reminder of the joyous festival
in order not to forget the sacredness
of the occasion in the general fes
tivities.
Almost as important as the gift
giving and gift-receiving on Christ
mas Day is the feast of dainties
spread on that festal occasion. Hut |
even tlte Christ tuns dinner lias its ,
origin in the dim distant past. Feasts
were always the accompaniment of
any festival. In I3gypt. every family
killed and at. a goose as a religious
observance.
in the hieroglyphic language of the1
Egyptian, tlte figure of a goose was j
tin- word "child." The people had ;
noticed that the goose was remark
able for the way in which it protect
ed its young, lienee it was looked
upon as the symbol of great low—
that love which is willing to sacri
fice itself for the object of its af
fection.
Wo preserve the custom of eating
fowl on tliis day, but the toothsome
turkey has more generally supplanted
tln> goose. Kvon the plum pudding
in the Christmas feast has its mean
ing. Tlte number and richness of its
ingredients represented tlte rich gifts
which the Kings laid tit the feet of
the Child Jesus,
The celebration of Christmas-tide
is is old as the human rate, and
many of the customs have lost their
origin in the hazy past. We preserve
and hand down these customs be
cause we respect their age. Hut pa
gan customs have survived in our
v iiristian festival, not so much be
cause of their age. its because it was
necessary to preserve them.
When Christianity was in its in
fancy, men who embraced it refus
ed to give up the old festivals, so in
view of the groat end to be obtained
the lenders of the early church al
lowed these customs and festivities
to stand, but sought to put into them
some Christian significance and
meaning.
The Dutch colonists were enthus
iastic in their observance of Christ
mas-tide, and. though far from home,
they celebrated the happy time in tlie
good, old-fashioned way. From the
Dutch colonists in America spread tHo
Christmas cheer, and the frowns and
resolutions of the staid Puritan and
Quaker colonists availed nothing
against the infectious spirit of Christ
mas cheer and good will which the
Dutch brought into tlte now country.
They scented to take tlte keynote of
their lives from that beautiful admon
ition in the Bible, which reads: "Re
joice, and again I say unto you. Re
joice! ”
Croup is most prevalent during tlte
dry cold weather of the early winter
months. Parents of young children
should bo prepared for it. All that
is needed is a bottle of Chamber
lain’s Cough Remedy. Many mothers
are never without it in their homes
and it has never disappointed them.
Sold by all druggists.
POOR NAME. BUT GOOD JOKE
Editorto Be Could Not Accept the
One, Although He Appreciated
the Other.
Th • In ro ol ibis sketch was about
starting a paper in a long-felt-want
uelglii.oi !:i,oil II' was a real hero,
too. for only tltosi o! heroic mold ever
undertake a thing jike that. He had
everything in pretty fair shape, ex
cept the name, and that he took home
with him to his wife. ' They had had
experience in naming several lapfuls
of babies, and he thought she might
render valuable assistance on ihis oc
casion. After supper was over and
the things cleared away, they got at
it, and in a very few minutes she came
up with what she thought was just
the thing in newspaper nomenclature.
•'I've got it,” she exclaimed, en
thusiastically.
"What is it?” he inquired.
” ‘The Item,, ” she told him, with
conscious pride in her effort. "That's
the very thing.”
"Pshaw,” said he, “that isn't any
kind of a name.”
“What’s the matter with it?" she
pouted.
"Well, to begin with, it is not gen
eral enough. It is to narrow, in other
words."
She resented the criticism.
"Oh, she sniffed at him, "you are
so stuck on editorial traditions that
‘The Item’ strikes you as narrow, does
it? What you want to call it is ’The
We-tem,’ I supose?"
B.;t he didn’t, and not only compli
mented her upon her brilliance in
repartee, but offered to give her a
quarter for it as a joke for his funny
column.
A Girl and Her Money.
The fact that a young woman, five
feet and one inch in height, was able
to frustrate and almost knock out a
six-foot robber, by hitting him over
the head with a purse containing her
week’s salary, is an interesting Illus
tration of the large improvement that
has taken place in recent years, both
In the force of woman’s muscle and in
Ihe size of woman’s salary.
It may also, to the wary, seem a
warning that some good things may
be carried too far. A woman with
money has been one of the legitimate
pursuits of aspiring but Impecunious
youth since the beginning of time, and
It will be sad evidence of the passing
of some of the customs of good old
days, should the combination, once so
attractive, become in the new civili
zation a thing to be avoided like the
hind leg of a mile.
Fellow-Feeling.
He Sufii: A bond of union is soon
formed between brethren in misfor
tune.
A Lavender Town,
One of tile minor harvests that
promise well is that of the lavender
fields. 1 have seen some flourishing
crops in tile liitchin neighborhood re
cently, says a writer in the London
Mail. Comparatively few know of
this quaint Hertfordshire town asan im
portant lavender-growing center, yet it
bas grown the sweet old herb (which
the Homans called lavendula when
they used it to scent their baths), has
distilled the flowers and sent their ex
tract Into all parts of the world for
more than a century. At cutting time
people come in from miles around to
Inhale the sweetness of the fields, and
when the distilling begins the fra
grance of lavender is borne on the
wind two miles or more from the town.
The flowers are put into the still with
(he fresh bloom of their maturity on
them, and from six pounds of such
Cowers about half an ounce of oil is
extracted.
How Could He Do It?
"Dear me,” gasped Mrs. Hollonutt,
"here’s a terrible item in the paper
My word, how the poor man must
have suffered!”
“Well, wuat is it?” asked the hus
Land.
"Why, one of those unfortunate Mar
athon runners over in New York swal
Icv. ed a sponge.”
"What? Let, me see." After care
fully rea-ing the paragraph Mr. Hollo
nutt fli.ng the paper down. "There
never was a woman yet who could
grasp a simple fact in print. This
doesn’t say the fellow swallowed a
sponge.”
"I know it doesn't in those exact
words," assented his wife; "but, then,
how on earth could the poor man
throw up the sponge if h<> didn't swal
low it?”
No Assistance Needed
Lucinda stood in the presence oi
two famous surgeons who had just as
cured Iter that her present coi ilinm
demanded an operation and that an
less it was performed within'a short
time she would in all probability die
Lucinda listened respectfully.
Till jes as much obliged to you
get .ms as 1 can he." she assured,
then, •’hut ef de deali Lord has done
made up liis min' to call me home, I
thinks lie kin translate me widout no
assistance.”—Life
Don’t Snub “Good Times.”
Give Good Times a clear road, but
don't let him pass you by. Tell him
he's been owing you a visit for the
longest—that all the folks have been
expecting him, and are mighty anx
ious to get good acquainted, and if he
hangs his hat up grab it when he Is
not looking and hide it! And when he
says: "It’s a fine country you have
here," whirl right in and sell him ten
miies of real estate!
CHEESE AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Many of Immense Size Have Been
Sent as Presents to Chief
Executives.
Every president receives numberless
presents during (tie course of a term,
notwithstanding it is given out that
gifts are not acceptable. In the old
days some of the presents sent were
of a very odd nature. President Jack
son once got a cheese four feet in di
ameter and two feet thick, weighing
1,400 pounds, from a New York
cheesemaker, who wanted to show
what he could do. This cheese gift
was an elephant on the president’s
hands, and in order to dispose of it he
held a special reception, to which the
public was invited, and every guest
not only had all the cheese he wanted
to eat on the spot, but received a hunk
to carry home. In two hours there
was nothing but the rind left to tell
the story.
President Jefferson was also the re
cipient of an historic cheese, brought
to him all the way from Massachusetts
by a six-horse team. On the wagon
was the legend: “The Greatest Cheese
in America, for the Greatest Man in
America.” Jefferson, however, was
noted for his “simplicity” and he
thought it was opposed to good govern
ment for a president to receive gifts
from anyone so he insisted on pay
ing the cost of the cheese, which was
about $200, and this cheese lasted all
w inter.
President Van Buren, too, had a
monster cheese given to him. He dis
trtbuted it at a reception and the
guests in their excitement spilt a lot
of crumbs on the carpet and then
trampled them in, causing so much
damage that unlimited cheese at the
White House functions was tabooed
from that time forth. The rule now is
that nothing in the eating line espe
cially will he received by the presi
dent from those unknown.—The I’ath
] finder.
For the Mother.
If a child be taught nothing else
about the use of its body it should at
least be taught poise in standing,
walking and sitting, and correct poise
is merely a matter of getting the
weight on the bails of the feet and
raising the chest Even young chil
dren throw their weight on the heels,
and that this eventually becomes a
habit may be seen by observing men
and women upon the streets.
Nature Is Truest Guide.
When Cicero consulted the oracle at
ltelphos concerning what course of
studies he should pursue the answer
was, “Follow nature.” A French wri
ter truly said: "We are never rendered
so ridiculous by qualities which we
have as by those which we aim at or
affect to have.”