THE CHRISTMAS TREK ,
( According to Tommy. )
The trees In our orchard and down by the
well
In summer time clve us our cider and
jell ;
The apples nnd peaches , the quinces and
puars ,
The plums I can pick from my window up
stairs ,
All grow In the summer ; and oh ! It's a
treat
To have all tho nice Juicy frnlt you can
eat.
nut none of the summer stuff satisfies me
Like that which wo pick from the Christ
mas tree I
The fruit of the summer Is cood In Its
place
With Btone-brulsy feet and with tan on
your face
It a flue to climb up where the robblns
have found
A nice yellow apple nil mellow and round.
And lake It away from the robber BO bold
While he and hla mate fly around you and
scold.
It's fun at the time , but It never could be
As nice as the fun of the Christmas tree.
One time I remember my bad cousin Jim
Dared Charley and rne to climb out on a
limb
No blgcer than one of my thumbs ; and I
did
* Cnuse Jimmy was calling me "Sissy-boy
kid. "
The limb well , you're certain what hap
pened , I guess ,
And Jim got a whipping ; 'cause big sister
Bess
Told Jim's pa and ma what happened to
me
\ I never fell out of a Christmas tree.
The Chrlstmns tree grows In a night , and
It bears
Things lota and lots nicer than apples and
pears
I've peon on Its branches doll-babies and
drums
And steam-cars and soldiers and. big sugar
plums ;
I've gathered new mittens and picture-
books , too ,
Right off from the bent-over twig where
they grew ,
And candles grow lighted there , so you can
see
'Fore daylight tho things on the Christmas-
tree !
Sometimes In the parlor , sometimes In the
hall ,
Sometimes In the dining-room best place
of all
The Chrlsfinas-tree grows with Its wonder
ful fruit.
And sometimes It has a pine-box for a
root !
The funny thing Is that I oftentimes find
Hlght there what for weeks I had had on
my mind ,
And always , on Christmas , who wants to
see me
Hnd better look under the Christmas-tree.
Strickland W. Gillllan , in. Leslie's Week
ly.
VT v fy a. , ,4
The Message
of the Be Sis F
UN clouds scudded gustily across
the sky , hiding the peaceful face
I of the moon , whose radiance
touched the edges of her somber
veil with a fringe of silver. The
great gray tower lifted its head far
aloft in the midnight stillness , and the
wind moaned around its rough-hewn cor
ners a requiem for the dying year. With
in the tower sat the old bell-ringer , wait
ing for the stroke of twelve from tho
clock , and , as he waited , his thoughts
drifted back to the years long buried
in the * dimness of the past the years
when his floating white hair had been
crisp and black , when his long , slender
fingers were strong and supple , and
struck from the midnight chimes music
of entrancing beauty.
Oh , happy memory ! Oh , long ago ! It
was on another night like that that Ru-
precht was born ; and tho joy which
beamed from tho pale young mother's
face was reflected in his own , as he left
her with her baby on her bosom and
rushed to the bell-tower to make of his
chimes a pean of praise to tho Father
who had filled his life with blessing.
How they loved him that baby their
only one their all ! How ho and Els-
peth had watched each new develop
ment how proudly guided the first tot
tering step ; how carefully repeated the
first lisping word.
The boy studied improving every op
portunity with untiring zeal , until at
last the great organ in the Cathedral
below thundered its glorious music re
sponsive to the touch of the boyish fin
gers. People thronged to hear. Ru-
prechfs services were demanded else
where brilliant prospects opened be
fore him , and the inevitable separation
drew near.
New Year's Eve ! How many anni
versaries this shadowy hour held ! The
boy bade them good-by while Elspeth
clung to him and sobbed , and her hus
band rushed away to tell the chimes his
agony as he had poured into them his
joy. As he sat waiting , even as now ,
a step came up the stair , and some one
entered the belfry chamber , and the voice
he loved said tenderly " , Mein Vater , let
mo play the chimes to-night. I will leave
with them a message to comfort you
when you are sad a message for you
end the mother , too. When I hear it in
the far-joff land it will be my mother's
voice that sings to me , and when you
play it.fmein vater , it will say to you ,
'Ruprecnt loves me. ' Then you will
pray 'God watch over my boy and keep
iilm safe for me , ' and the All-Father
will hear. "
When Ruprecht struck the massive
keys it was the simple old Pleyel's hymn
he played , but he lent his beautiful voice
to the clangor of the bells and sang his
andther's favorite words :
Children of the Heavenly King
As ye journey sweetly sing.
Sing your Saviour's worthy praise
Glorious In his works and ways.
A. moment later he was gone. The
years had been many and long since
thecr but no tidings ever came , and Els-
peth's hair grew white before tho look of
expectancy in her dear eyes changed to
the calmness of resignation. He was
dead , of course. They had heard of the
ivrecked ship.They had moved to a new
home. They were only waiting now
he and Elspeth for tho summons which
hould call them to the happy reunion
where there would be no sad good-bys
and hearts" forget liow to ache.
The first stroke of midnight sounded
and an instant later the bells pealed
forth , while the old man sang with trem
blinglips and voice that no one heard
but God as he had susg every New [
Sear since that one :
Children of the Heavenly King
As ye Journey sweetly elng.
Sing your Saviour's worthy praise
Glorious In his works and ways.
as the last reluctant echo died
, * i
,4" ;
away , he stumbled down the narrow
stairs toward home and Elspeth.
Not far from the tower stood a man
sion , where a great throng had assem
bled to watch the old year out and the
new year in. Silken draperies rustled ,
jewels gleamed , music rippled on the
perfumed air , and happy voices rang
Kwcet and high. But every sound was
silenced , and bright eyes grew dim iu
the flood of melody which suddeuly
poured about the gay throng. They
crowded toward the music room , trying
to catch a glimpse of the player. Those
who were near saw o.slender man , with
fair curling hair brushed back from a
brow as pure as a woman's. Quietly he
sat before the grand piano , playing with
out tho slightest effort such "masterful
music as had hushed tho listeners to
awe-struck silence.
"Who is he ? " was the question passed
from one to another.
"He is a friend of father's , " the
hostess told them. "Father met him
abroad some years ago , and by helping
him in a search for some missing friends ,
won his heart. Father invited him here
for the holidays this year , but he de
clined the invitation , then this evening
suddenly and unexpectedly appeared.
These great musicians are always eccen
tric , you know. I heard him tell father
that this is an anniversary he does not
like to spend alone.
At eleven o'clock tho hostess seated
her guests in a circle , saying , "Now we
will turn down the lights and tell ghost
stories till midnight. " The young people
fell in with the spirit of fun , and ghosts
walked , hobgobblins shrieked and ghouls
moaned , till tho more timid begged for
mercy.
It was almost twelve o'clock when a
new voice suddenly broke into a moment
ary pause. Everyone looked up to see
the musician standing inthe , door.
"My friends , " ho said , "my story is
not of the spirits of the unseen world
it is of a lad who once , on a night like
this , left home and friends and went
out into the wide world , with Music as
the priestess who presided at the altar ,
where burned the fires of his ambition.
2.te S :8&J :
tide has come again
and all the little children are
CHRISTMAS Santa Cla'J * , and
some are wondering if he will
come to their house this time.
There is hardly any reason for any child
to believe that he will not come. A
good many things change in this world ,
but on Christmas Eve merry old Santa
Claus is always heard of his hair as
white , his nose as red , as ever ; his bag
of toys just as full ; his cry down the
chimney of "Any good children here ? "
just as loud.
Kris Kringle Is another name for
Santa Glaus , and a very good name ,
too ; and stockings are not the only things
that hold toys. Little German peasant
children often set their wooden shoes
on the hearth on Christmas eve , pretty
sure of a cake and a toy ; for children ,
however poor their parents may be , are
made much of in Germany. And in some
places in Europe a curious thing hap
pens. The mother , the father and the
rest of the family sit about the fire to
gether on Christmas eve.
All the room is tidy. The children ,
half hopeful , half terrified , draw close
to mother , father , or grandmothers , as
they hear a sound of trumpets or horns
outside. Then the mother says : "What
can this be ? " and opens the door. As
she does so , a number of very strange
looking figures come in amongst them
one person dressed in white , with wings ,
and a great basket in his hand , and an-
figure spreads out his hands and says :
"The little ones will be better next
year. " Then he takes one of the rods
from the black visitor and drives him
out. The visitors play on the instru
ments they have brought , and the whole
family sing Christmas hymns. The an
gelic visitor then empties his basket on
the table , and leaves there a great num
ber of iced cakes , gilded nuts , ginger
bread horses , and wooden toys , and then
departs. The mother tells the children
to be good all the year , lest the rod
shouldtreally be left for them on the
next Christmas , and all have supper and
go to bed.
Christmas day is a happy one for
most children all over the Christian
world , and I hope that because this is
so they will remember that this day is
kept because eighteen hundred and eigh
ty-one years ago Jesus , who said "Suffer
little children , and forbid them not , to
come unto me , for of such is the king
dom of heaven , " was first a babe in his
mother's arms. Mary Kyle Dallas in
the New York Ledger.
Christmas Hints.
A simple and tasteful home-made pic
ture frame may be constructed from
common gas pipe cut into suitable length
and tied together at the corners with
shoe strings. A neat paper weight may
be made by wTapping half a brick in
paper such as butchers use and tying it
with red tape. A dainty towel rack
A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY IN COLONIAL DAYS.
"VYrrlr Afnil nml
Shipwreck , a weary sickness and deliv-
erarice , a miscarried letter returned to
its writer long afterward all these came
to the lad , and when at last , overcome
by the deadly 'heiniweh , ' he turned to
ward his home , he found it empty the
loved ones gone. The years have passed
and the lad is a man , but the father and
the mother he has not found , nor does
he expect to greet them again until the
New Year of heaven dawns for him , as
he believes it has already dawned for
them. So , when the midnight comes I
play each New Year's Eve as I as the
lad played on that last night long ago
my message to my dear ones. "
The clock on the mantel warned for
twelve , and the musician turned to the
piano and played again simply and lov
ingly Pleyel's hymn , singing as in the
long ago the beautiful words his mother
loved.
As the last note died away in the quiet
room the tower clock began to strike ,
but was drowned by the music of the
chimes. A thrill ran through the hushed
circle as they recognized the strain they
had just heard , but the musician arose
with a mighjfy cry , "Mem Vater ! " and
ran out info the night , guided by the
music of the bells.
When the old bell-ringer shut the door
he could not see , for the tears that blind
ed him , the hurrying figure on the pave
ment. A moment later he was gathered
close to the heart that yearned for him ,
and together , in the opening of the glad
New Year , they went out from tl/
shadow of the old bell tower , home to
Elspeth , whose mother-heart came near
to bursting , with the joy of a son's home
coming. The Housekeeper.
New "Xear's In France.
New Year's in France is a greater
flay for exchanging gifts than Christmas.
The custom of New Year's calls , once
so popular in this country , but now fallen
almost into disuse , is still supreme in
Paris. Great family dinners , in which
the orange figures most prominently , add
to the gayety of tho day. So crowded
are the pavements on the boulevards
that pedestrians sometimes have to take
the middle of the street.
Individuality in Gifts.
The personality of the giver expressed
in the wrappings about the Christmas
sift adds value to the simplest offering.
A-fter all , it is the spirit of the giver
rather than the gift itself which gives
the greatest pleasure. The favorite rib-
ton , the slip of mistletoe , the color of
the tissue paper covering , the card which
bears the Christmas greeting , all express
ovc and well-wishing.
Devonshire's Yule Lo r.
In Devonshire the Yule log is known
as the Ashton fagot. The fagot is com-/
posed of a bundle of ash sticks bound
with nine bands of the same wood.
other in black , with a bunch of rods.
"God bless you all , " says the figure
in white. "Are there any good children
here ? "
"Are there any bad children here ? ' '
asks the black figure.
"My children are all pretty good , "
the mother answers.
"I am glad to hear it , " says the white
visitor. "I have gifts here for good chil
dren. "
"Stop ! " the black figure cries ; "they
are not good. Hans struck his brother
yesterday. Gretcheii does not know her
catechism , and Petra broke a piece from
the Sunday cako as it sat to cool on the
window sill. I will leave rods to whip
them with. "
The children begin to cry. The white
may be fabricated from a baseball bat
and two cigar boxes. Shellac the boxes
and sandpaper , tho bat. An ordinary
cobblestone hand painted with lampblack
and household ammonia makes an excel
lent door weight. A novel pipe rack for
fastidious smokers may bo made from a
small strip of one-inch plank. Bore holes
in it for the stems of the pipes to pass
through. A dried muskmelon shell makes
an attractive tobacco jar.
Christmas a lincky Birthday.
There is an old superstition that to be
born on Christmas day is to bo lucky
all one's life , and in Silesia there is a
belief that a boy born on Christmas
day must be brought up a lawyer or he
will become a thief.
NEW YEAR , 3003.
the trouble down there another volcano broke loose ? "
"Mo ; just celebrating the cottpietioa of the Panama Canal"
THE UP-TO-DATE SANTA CLAU&
Once more It was Christinas nnd old Santa
Claus ,
With his white whiskers dangling around
his fat Jaws ,
Gave his engine a start , and then , laden
with zeal
And with gifts , started oft ia his automo
bile.
He flitted past corners and whizzed up tlie
Junes ,
He ran over dogs and he smashed Into
trains ;
He came with a zlpp and he passed like a
Hash ;
He scared people's teams and knocked bug
gies to smash ;
He ran over chickens and knocked chim
ney ? down.
And spread consternation all over the town.
The odor of gasoline floated behind
Where he hurried as If on the wings of
the wind ;
He crippled * old people and stayed not to
see
How badly they fared or learn whom they
might be.
The children who watched for his coming
he crushed
Beneath his broad tires , as onward he
rushed !
He scattered his gifts while he sped
through the night ,
Content to permit them , to fall where they
might.
The wrecks nnd the sorrow and Buffering
showed '
The course that he toot with his glittering
load ,
And , having gone home with his glad du
ties done ,
He murmured : "I guess I've the records
all won ;
When they see where I've passed I don't
think thnt they'll wait
Very long to admit that I'm right up-to-
date ! "
L. E. Klser , In Chicago Record-Herald.
i Uncle Jack's Gift
By Helen Watscn Beck.
Te&Q ? ' ,
REAKFAST was usually a very
peaceful meal in the Irwin house
hold , but on Christmas morning
tho children chattered together so
hard that poor Mrs. Irwfti was
finally obliged to call them to order.
"But it's Christmas , mother , " they all
objected , turning toward her three faces
shining with happiness and excitement ,
"and we're all so happy ! Oh , mother ,
do you think Uncle Jack will come to
day ? "
"Let us look and see whether his ship
has been sighted yet , " returned Mrs.
Irwin , as she turned to the newspaper.
"He said he would try to be here for
Christmas , but you kuow he could not
promise iu such stormy weather as this. "
The children crowded around her ; even
little Alice climbed down with infinite
difficulty from her high chair , and poked
her curly head under her mother's arm
as it held the newspaper , pretending , sly
little tot , that she , too , was looking for
the arrival of the ship.
Uncle Jack was a great person in the
estimation of the children. He had the
charm that lies in the mysterious , for
they seldom saw him.
Mrs. Irwin knew that Captain Dornan
had expected to reach.Philadelphia be
fore Christmas , but the stormy weather
had delayed him. His ship was now
four days overdueand every onejwas
becoming anxious. Mrs. Irwin exclaim
ed with joy when she saw that it had
come safely into port the night before.
"Oh , children , how thankful we should
be that Uncle Jack has come safely
home again , " she said to them. "We
must watch for him all day , for I think
he will be here to dinner. "
Christmas Day slipped by and Cap
tain Dornan did not come. Gradually
tho children deserted their post at the
parlor windows , and turn d their atten
tion to other things. When the beauti
ful winter twilight finally enveloped the
city , Mrs. Irwin was the only one who
saw the captain come up the street.
The Christmas dinner nearly shared
the fate of the breakfast ; the children
were too excited to eat it. They chat
tered merrily with their sailor undo ,
whoso bronzed face and kindly eyes at
tracted them strongly.
"Well , children , let's see what I
brought you from the East , " he said
after dinner , opening a bag which the
children had only refrained from touch
ing by the exercise of great self-control.
"Here , Jack , is the kind of book that
little Chinese boys use in learning to
read , " and he put into his nephew's hand
a small roll of clothlike paper , printed
with strange characters. "Here are
some little shells for Ethel ; they seemed
to mo to be very pretty , so I bought
them from an Indian boy on the wharf. "
Jack thanked his uncle as politely as
lie could , remembering just in time that
boys never cry. Ethel also put a brave
face upon her disappointment , though
she had to bite her lips to keep them from
quivering , as she assured her uncle that
the shells were quite as pretty as he had
thought them. But little Alice , seeing
lerself apparently forgotten , was too
young for such politeness ; sitting upon
: he floor , sho lifted up her voice and
wept.
wept.Mrs.
Mrs. Irwin watched the brave courtesy
with which her children shouldered the \
disappointment that had come to them ,
with pride and with some little amuse
ment , for she had noted a secret twinkle
in Uncle Jack's eyes. i
"Why , how surprising , " said the Cap
tain suddenly , looking into the depths of |
: he bag , "here is a package for Ethel.
How did that come here ; the sea fairies j
must have sent it to a dear little girl i
in Philadelphia , I think. " i
Ethel's hands trembled as she untied i
the strings. The sea fairies certainly <
understood how to tie sailor knots of a
curiously nautical character.
"Jack , you go out in the hall and see
if you cannot find something sharp to
aelp your sister in cutting those knots , "
commanded his uncle , his eyes twinkling
more merrily than ever. In the hall was
a long package. He tore the paper that
covered his gift. It was a saber of
shining steel , the edge safely dulled for
Lhe present. It was jnst what he need
ed for his gymnasium work with the
broadsword. Along the finely tempered
blade he saw an engraved motto. On
one side he read :
"Never draw me without cause , "
and on the other ,
"Never sheathe mo without honor. "
When he reached the parlor again he
found his sister hugging Uncle Jack en
thusiastically , while little Alree danced
up and down before the mirror attired
in a soft gown of embroidered silk that
bad been made for her "very self" away
off in China. She looked like a verit
able "sea fairy , " with her * Bobbing curls
and her brilliant flower decked fowa.
"Sec , Jock , what uncle brought me , "
cried Ethel , holding out for his inspec
tion a beautiful necklace of delicate pink
coral carved with wonderful skill by
some artist of the distant Orient. Tho
chain was formod by stringing together
pieces of coral as big as Ethel's thumb
nail. Each piece was carved in the like
ness of beautiful classic face * , half of
which were laughing and the "other half
crying. These two faces were so like
the sensations the children had endured
during the last hour that Ethel noticed
it , and when she held up the chain and
explained the resemblance Uncle Jack
laughed inoro heartily than any one else.
Philadelphia Public Ledger.
CHRISTMAS EVE IN BETHLEHEM.
Observances in llie Christian Town Set
in the Heart of Mohammedanism.
Bethlehem , the central spot of interest
in the Holy Land at Chrisfmastide , is *
Christian town set in the heart of Mo
hammedanism , where once a year tho
Greek church grants the use of tho grot
to of the Nativity to tlio Latin church ,
says London Sphere. The ceremonies be
gin on Dec. 2-i by the image of tha
youthful Christ being carried from tho
basilica o St. Helena to tho sacred
grqtto of the Nativity , whc-ro the tradi
tional spot of Christ's birth is marked by
a silver star set iu the rocky pavement.
The service begins at 10 o'clock In the
evening. It opens Avith the chanting of
psalms without any musical accompani
ment. The patriarch of Jerusalem usu
ally officiates in the grotto , but on this
occasion he is represented by tho Latin
bishop. The interior of the church is
most picturesque , for there arc only a
few chairs provided for foreign visitors ,
while the bulk of the congregation Is
made up of the Bethlemite women ia
their blue dresses with red frontlets ,
wearing peaked caps when married and
flat caps covered by white veils when
single.
As they enter the church they at first
kneel down and then sit upon the ground
in true oriental fashion. "In the dimly
lighted church , " says one who has seen
the service , "these squatting varicolored
figures , with their beautiful faces lit up
by fits and starts by Hashes of the can
dles , intent on devotion , seem like so
many modern Madonnas come to cele
brate the glory of the first Madonna. "
Precisely at midnight the pontifical
high mass is celebrated , the figure of
Christ is brought in a basket and depos
ited upon the high altar , and the proces
sion forms to accompany it to the crypt-
As the long , chanting procession winds
through the dimly lighted church thero
is something weirdly solemn about the
ceremony , and as the sacred image
passes various acts of worship are per
formed by the devout attendants. On
the procession moves through the rough
hewn , dimly lit passages from the Latia
church to the grotto of the Nativity.
When the procession of richly robed
ecclesiastics reaches the silver star set
in the pavement the priests pause and
stand in a group about the basket , which ,
is deposited upon the star. Around this
star is the inscription , "Hie de virgine
uatus est" ( "Here he was born of a
virgin" ) , for this is the spot upon which
tradition places the actnal birth of Je
sus. There the impressive narrative of
the birth of Jesus as found in the gosp'els
is slowly recited , and when the pas
sage ( Luke ii. , 7) ) , "And she brought
forth her firstborn Son and wrapped
him in swaddling clothes and laid him ia
a manger , because there was no room
for them in the inn , " is read the figure
is reverently picked up from the star and
carried over to the opposite side of the
grotto , where it is put into a rock cut
manger. This concludes the service.
MAKING CHRISTMAS TOYS.
Thriving Industry in Germany , Franca
and Switzerland.
In parts of Germany , France and
Switzerland every 'huiublo householder
takes more interest in Christmas than
the average American boy. This seem3
like a strong statement , for Christmas is
pretty thoroughly appreciated by the
young of America. But , great as the
festival is to them , it is not essential to
their existence. They could get along
without Christmas , but the toymakera
in Switzerland , the Tyrol and south Ger
many would starve without this midwin
ter holiday which makes a market for.
their goods. There are wood carvers ,
doll dressers and toymakers in every
iamlet and home of the Tyrol. They
depend upon the small wages they make
"roro these toys to put bread and butter
in their mouths.
All through the winter season every
soy and man carves out wood animals
and toys for the factories. Everything
is handmade. A Noah's ark of twenty
or thirty wooden animals that retails
: or a quarter in this country does not
pay the carver more than a few pennies.
Tho boys are taught to handle the
knife early , and they learn to cut out
wooden ducks , hens , horses , cows and
other toys before they have reached their
teens. Working all through the early
winter days and nights in their little
tomes , they make the wooden , toys tliat
delight so many children throughout th
world. New York Mail and Express.
A Yonthfnl Schemer.
Little Emerson You don't believe la
any such ridiculous myth as Santa
Clans ?
Tough Jimmy Naw ! I'm next to
dat game. All de same , it's a good
graft to let on you believe In him an'
; it all dat's comin' to you.
DQNT !
DBiSS UP IH COTF8H
WHEN 03 FLAY SANTA
GLAUS.
57,365 PEOPLE HAVE
BUN BURKED TO DEATH
BY THE COMBINATION OF
COTTON AND CHRISTMAS
CANDLES.