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CHILDHOOD OF THE SAVIOR
Oertiin Legends Oonaidared by the Dean of
Oantorbnry.
THEY PRESENT A DISTORTED VIEW
'J he AIMIUI-J iiluil CfiNlirlH of ( In * In-
fntic * > nml llu * SliiKiiliir liu'lili'itlM
'I'lli-5 ll.'lntr I'niii'H ) of
Authentic 1'iiftH.
( CnprlKht , ISO * , by H S McClurr , Limited. )
I ) Is a matter of rzal astonishment tbat
outride the circle of the canonical gospels so
few reminiscences nre preserved of the Pcr-
fect Man , who , though ho was the Son of
GoJ , yet lived as a living man among living
men. There are multitudes ot historical
celebrities1 respecting ths Incidents of whose
lives endless tales nnd nnecdctcs hnve been
recorded and preserved. It Is little short of
nmnzlng thnt nslther history nor tradition
sbbiild have embalmed for us ono ceitaln or
precious salng or circumstance In the life
of tha Savior of mankind , except the com
paratively few events recorded In four very
brief biographies. St. Paul has preserved for
u the cno deep word of the Lord Jesus , bow
He said , "It Is more bhssed to give than to
receive ; " and It Is Just possible that the rule
"Approve yourselves trustworthy money
moneychangers , " quoted by sevsral of the
fathers , which , aftsr all , Is little more than
- "fill epitome of the parable of the talents nnd
the pounds , may bo a trim recollection of His
words. Many of tr-o "unrecordeJ sayings"
of Christ ( the agYnpha dogmata ) are pro
found and forcible , and It Is far from
Improbable that some of them may be a true
echo of what He saldi but there Is not one
of them which adds a new thought or n nsw
lesson to those contained In the authsnt'c
discourses and parables. It Is quite certain
that neither from the apocryphal gospels ,
nor from any other source , do we derive one
anecdote or even ono hint upon which we can
> rely ns expressing n slnglo new feature of
Hit ! exanple , or n slnglo additional particular
ot His mortal life.
WHAT WAS CHRIST'S APPEARANCE ?
Wo could not have a more signal proof
this total failure of tradition than the as
tounding fact that , not only at this day , but
even In the enrly centuries , there was not
even n dim remembrance as to the physical
appearance of the king of glory. Was Ho
of beautiful features nnd commanding aspect ,
or was ho ot marred visage and mean ap-
pcarancj ? We might surely have anticipated
that so much nt leas"1 might have boon re-
mcmbsrod. Out It was not. The descrip
tions of Christ , which for centuries haunted
and dominated the numberless endeavors of
art to represent Him during and since the
middle ages , were late forgeries , not earlier
nt the earliest than the seventh nnd eighth
centuries. A enrly as the fourth and fifth
centuries'It was disputed whether Ho wns
"the chief among 10,000 , nnd altogether
lovely , " "fnlrer than the children of men , "
and "endowed with the oil of gladness above
Ills follows ; " or whether He was smitten , and
strlck'n , and ugly , nnd dwarfish and per-
hat-s eyen a leper ( "Nos putavlmus eum
quasi leprostim , " Isaiah 111. ) . The earlier
view that he was exceptionally unbeautlful
In appearancu prevailed mainly In consequence
quence cf the false conception of life , and
the revolting glorification of dirt and un
natural asceticism , which Invaded Chris
tianity from Paganism nnd the east , and up
held bforo ChrU'tlans the Ideal of yogis and
fakir * . The belief that there must have
been "something starrv" In the look of Christ ,
and that ono who was repsllant In aspect
could never have won th ? passionate adora
tion of multitudes , commended Itself to the
opinion of the grsot fourth century fathers ,
xvho fuither rigidly argued that His outward
form could not have b on translucent with
the dlvlno moral and spliltual beauty within.
But the remarkable thing Is that neither
party of those who treated the subject from
opposite points of view wns nblo to claim
the bllghtcst niitborlty of tradition for their
opinion on n oubjcct so full of Interest. They
nrgued exclusively a priori , from what they
11 ft yarded as moat fitting , or a poster'orl fron
Ihelr interpretation of passages In Itntah am
, he Psalms. Nor did the earliest efforts o
Christian art nfford them the smallest ns
J/lstnnce / , Tor nearly five ctnturlfs It vui
generally regarded ns profane , among th
greatest wilters nnd thlnkera In tbo church
ta ntlcmpt nny naturalistic r5prsentatlon o
Cl-rlst at all. The sweet and pmplo nrtlst
of the catacombs , with no exception before
the fourth century , and with but few cxcep
f tlons for two or three centuries later , onlj
idenlliced Him as a radliut boy ; nnd men HKe
Euaoblus , Eplphanlus and Astcilus , vvpre evci
shocked and ivandallred by any wish or at
teirpt to pnlnt thi' human Chrlr.t In any tint
xirallstlc method , or otherwise tlun by way
of ( symbol.
Now If tradition could not even tell the
Christian Inquirer of bixtcon or seventeei
Jmndrcd years ago whether the mortal llne-
amcnt * of Jesus were beautiful or Ill-favored
It is Btipiemely unlikely that It should have
preserved any other particulars , In point oi
fact the apochryphal gospels do not reprctcu
tradition at all , They are for the most par ;
poor , valueless , Ill-guided , nnd to a great
extent heretical figments.
Happily their authors , some of whom wrote
a > Into as the seventh and eighth centuries
hud not Uie audacity to pretend that the )
tculd reproduce any of Christ's essential
k teaching. They occupied themselves e\clu-
filvely with the Invention of Imaginary details
about His Infancy , or about Ills cross , His
\ - jiasilon and His visit to the unseen world ,
I * may then bo asked , "What can we. pos-
/ elbly gain from reading these Jejune nnd often
* yvui objectionable fictions ? "
r VALUE OF APOCRYPHAL ACCOUNTS ,
' Several answers may be given apart from
tbo fact that It Is always Interesting to watch
the tendency of human speculations about
eacred tiling-1. First of all , they furnish a
melancholy proof of the sort of way In which
many Christians had begun , as time went on ,
to form most distorted and erroneous
opinions about the person and charac
ter ot Christ , Secondly , they furnish us
\\IMi a striking gauge of the unapproachable
nml Immeasurable superiority of the canon
ical gospels. Thirdly , they show us that
such was the unjque divinity of Christ that
ho stood Infinite ! ) above all the capabilities
op humm Invention. Whenever men ven-
A\irc to give the reins to their Imagination
respecting Him , oven with the Intention to
exalt and magnify , they do but Instantly
dwarf and degrade Ills slulessnesg and His
' supreme majesty ,
We are at present only concerned with the
pocryphal gospels of the Infancy , They
are blx In number. The Protevnngellum. or
Gospel of St. James ; the Gospel of Pseudo-
Matthew ; the Gcspel of the Nativity of
Mary ; the Gospel of the Carpenter ; the Gos
pel of Thomas ( extant In three recensions ) ,
und the Arabic Gospel of the Infancy.
Two passages only have ever struck me
In the Apocrypha ,
' 'One U the eighteenth chapter of the Gospel
of Junes' ' , It preserves the tradition which
ue derive from other sources also , and which
Jj Intrinsically probsble , tbat the natlvll )
took placj In a cavern at Bethlehem , and
then , stumbling Into accidental sublimity , It
describes ( he co-lr.ttantnnoous pause of
hushed amizement which Is supposed to
occurred at the awful moment ot
Christ's mortal blith. "And 1 , Joseph ,
walked , nnd I vtalked not ; and I looked up
Into tha nlr , anl caw the air viol ntly agi
tated ; I looked up at , the pole of heaven anl
f.aw It stationary , and tbo fowls of heaven
still ; and I looked at the earth and saw a
vessel tyltiif , and workmen reclining by It ,
mid tlH'lr hands in the vessel , and those
who handled did not handle It , and those
who took did not lift , and thcso who pre
sented It to their mouth did not present It ,
but the faces of all were looking up ; nnd
I taw the pheop Fcattcred and the sheep
stood , and the shepherd lifted up his hand
to strike them , hla hard remained up ; and
I looked at the rtrenm of the river , and I
saw that the mouths of the kids were down ,
and not drinking ; a nd evctthing which was
being Impelled forward was Intercepted In
Its cource. "
The second Is a harmless nnd prntty anec
dote In tie ! forty-first chapter of the Arabic
Goifol cf the Infancy , which would make
an exquisite subject for n picture , though I
have en but one very fcllcht sketch which
iv or attempted to represent it. It Is :
"Now In the month of Adar , Jems nssem-
bled the bays as It He were their king.
They strewtd their garments on the ground
and He sat upon them. Then they put on
Ills head a crovn , wreathed of flo.vers , nnd ,
Ilko attendants waiting on n king , they
flood in order en His right hand and on His
left. And whoever passed that way. the
boys look him liy fores , ea ) Ing , 'Come
hither , and adore the king , then proceed
on thy vay ' "
I might , perhaps , have added a fourth
reason why It Is worth while to read the
apocryphal gospels It Is that these stories
from them acquired a wide vogue throughout
Christendom and produced n deep Impression
on the belief , superstition and art of the
middle nges. The names of Joachim and
Anna , ( he supposed parents of tlftj Virgin ,
nnd thalories about them which occupied
the penc Is of n host ot artlsU and among
them such men ns Giotto , Fra Angellco ,
Leonardo , Raphael and TItnn nre derived
exclusively from these forgeries.
Passing over these nnd the many hgends
of the Virgin which , however , are not jot
due to Marlclatry , but to tae desire to
glorify Jesua tluough hci we come to the
pretended anecdotes about Jesus when a
boy.
STORIES OF THE HOYHOOD OP CHRISf.
1. Many of them are mere translations
Into hard pros ? of the metaphors.of the
prophet * and Psalmists. Thus , since we read
In the I'jalms , "Pral e the Lord upoifearth
ye dragons and all de ° ps , " we nre told that
when Je ° is was a child drngcnb out of
a cave and worshiped him. If we read In
the Canticles , "I will go up to the palm
tree , I v.Ill take hold of Its boughs , " we have
the story that during the flight Into Egpi
Mnry longed to refiesh herself with ilpo
dates , and Jesua commanded the palm
branches to bow down to her ,
lewardlng their obedience by ssnd-
Ing a palm branch to heaven by the
hands of angels , nnd making It the s gn
of victory ; a scene which ° uggested pictures
of supieme loveliness to Raphael nnd tu
Corrcgglo. If the prophet says , "The Idols cf
Egjpt shall be moved nt His presence , " the
prophecy Is transformed Into the tale that
us the holy family entered the city of Her-
mopclls the 305 Idols , of Its temple all fell
with their faces to the earth , In consequence
cf which the priests and all the people were
at once conveitsd.
If we icnd In Isaiah , "Tho ox knoweth
his owner and the nss it's master's crib , "
and In another verse , "In the midst of the
years Ehalt thou be known" with the mls-
trr.nslatlon of the Sep'uaglnt "In the midst
of two animals shall thou be recognized"
we aie fu-nlshed with the tale , reproducoJ
In so many thousand p'ctures , and even In
the catacombs , that , as Jesus lay In the
manger , the o\ and the ass worshiped Him.
- . Another largo cicss of the apocryphal
ftorles of the Infancy consists in a multipli
cation of extravagant and meaningless mira
cles There la not a single miracle of the
Bospsls which does not teach us deep lemons ;
there Is not a single miracle Invented In
these flctloni , which docs. In the gcspels , the
evangelist's every miracle Is a revelation ;
dum narrant facta , prcslunt mysterla ; but th :
apocryphal mlracl'u cf the Infancy are mere
ataitlliiK tbaumaturgy. The boy Jesua drops-
all kinds of robes Into a slnglo dyer's vat
and when the dyer is vexed , ho pulls them
nil out ded with the different colors re
quired ; ho "profanes" the Sabbsth by making
sparrows of clay , and when he Is reproved b )
the scribes ho claps his hands and make ?
them fly. Breaking a pltclisr he brings back
water to his mother In his robe. While work
ing In the earpjnter's shop he sees Joseph
vexed because the two beams for a couch
are of unequal length , and Jesus pulls the
shorted one to the requisite sj/e. Ho Is ac
cused of having pushed a boy from tn houje-
top , and killed him. Ho therefore leaps
down from the roof , ralsss the1 boy to life ,
and makes him acknowledge that It was an
other lad who had given him the push. He
chailgtM Into kids some boys who'had hidden
themselves from him when ho wanted them
to play with him ; and then , at the entreaty
of their mothers , retransformo them into
boA It is needless to touch further on this
prodigality of suprfluous and unmeaning
portents.
THEY PRESENT A FALSE PICTURE.
3 , Hut , worss than this , the Apocryphal
gospels , from the ignorance , and probably. In
most Instances , from the heretical opinions
of their writers , mnko the boy Jesus poy.-
tlvely repulsive In character. He Is Im
placably i avengeful and cruelly remorseless.
He becomes the terror of the neighborhood
In which ho lives , so that , because of him ,
hla paienta live In perpetual disquietude
and alarm , He Is pert , petulant and Intolerable -
tolerable to his teachers , nnd Ini'tead of
listening to their Instructions , lectures them
on "phslcs and metaphslcs , hperphslcs
and hypophhslcs. " Let ono or two Instances
suillce.
I , "When the Lord Jesus was returning
home with Joseph In the evening he met a
boy who ran to thrust him eo violently that
h& fell down. The Lord Jesus said unto him
'As thou bast thrown me down , so shall
thou tall and not rise. ' And the same hour
the boy fell down , and breathed bis last. "
II. Again Jesus had been making som ?
pools and channels of water , and "the on of
Annas , the bcrlbe , was standing there with
Joseph , ana took a branch of willow and
spilled the water which Jesus had collected.
And-when Jesus saw what was done , h ? was
angry and aald to him , 'Wicked , Impious and
foolish cno , wherein have the pooli wronged
thee ? lleholJ now , thou ehalt also wither
as a trie , ' And suddenly the * boy withered
altogether. " When the parents complained ,
Ills mother came and entreated him to be leas
wrathful. "Hut lie said , 'He was worthy of
death because , he destrojcd tbo works which
I had wrought. ' Therefore his mother be
sought him saying , 'Do not , my Lord , because
they all rise against us.1 And he , not willing
lhat hla mother should be grieved , spurne-J
th ? body of the dead vvltti his right foot , and
said to him , 'Arise O son of Iniquity , for thou
art not woithy to enter Into the rest of thy
'uther. ' Then he who was dead arose and
lepartod. "
HI. Again , wiben he U cent to a teacher
to learn his lettsrs , the master begins Im-
lerlcusiy to leach him , saying , "Say Aleph , "
Hut Jesuu tald to him , "First tell me what
leih U. " The master , being ang-y , btruck
itm with a rod of storax wood ; and soon
after ho rmoto him he died. And Jesus re-
unml horns to ills , mother. Out Joteph , be-
ng afulJ. called Mary to him and said ,
'Know truly that my toul Is sad unto death
on uccjunt of that boy , "
THE AUTHENTIC ACCOUNTS ENOUGH.
It Is , then , abundantly clear that the
purlous James and Matthew , und the oth-
rs , have not only nothing genuine to teach
s about Christ , but tbo picture ot him which
w
they represent Is utterly debased. Th
genuine gospels were written for our learn
Ing , not for our amusement ; to promote ou
nalV'Ulon , not to gratify our curiosity. Thel
very silence is eloquent with truth. Wha
do they tell us of the Infant and the jouth
ful Christ ? They give us the narrative c
hla Incarnation ; they present us with th
picture of the sweet , submissive yeara span
In the shop of the carpenter at Nazareth , ba
from his early return from Egypt to Galilee
up to the commencement of his ministry
when ho "began to be about 30 yeara old , '
they pre-Mrve bu' one anecdote anJ one word
The one anecdote is the story of that visl
to Jerusalem , which was probably connectei
with what vvo call his confirmation ; am
this to show us how In his earliest . \eai h
loved his Father's hou e of pra > er. The one
word is the "carpenter , " In the dlsdnlnfu
question of the vulgar and tha Ignorant
who thought that they had abollshel his
claims when they asked : "Is not this the
carpsnter ? " That ono word tells us all that
Is to bo tcld of more than twenty years
during which he grew "in wisdom am
stature , and favor with God nnd man. " A
scanty record ? Not scanty for i.s purpos ?
for In that ono word It revealed to nil man
kind nothing less than the dignity of labor
and the blessed truth that the true grandeur
nnd meaning of human life depends neither
on rank nor fame , neliher on the glare ol
publ'clty , nor on the entourage of power , nor
on the multitude of things which a man pos-
tessetb , but on bis creation after God's
image , and on the sign of his redemption
marked visibly upon bis forehead.
F. F. FARRAU , D. D .
Dean of canterbury.
TIIIM1II.NO TI1I3 TliKK.
One of tin * Moxt Important of ChrlNt- ,
IIIIIN Diiilrx.
. The decoration of the Christmas trea Is u
esrlous affair. For , of coureo , there- must
bo a tree. What matter If It dries quick ! )
In the furnace-heated air and the needles
from It bestrew the carpet ? It wjll be a de
light to the children to see and to remember.
As long as they live the "spicy blasts from
cedar alleys blown" bring back to them the
quivering delight of the moment when the )
Inhaled the res'nous odor of the evergreen
branches ns they entered the room where
'Santa Claus had done his magic work be
tween B.InwL and dawn.
The first sght and smell cf the Christmas
trees , piled on wagons or stacked at the mar
ket or grocer's , will recall the old dellroue
'thrill that ls popularly descr.bed as "feeling
Christmas In the bones ; . "
The tree need not be large unlesj ths cjs-
tom is practlc d cf hanging certain gifts on
It. This is teldom satisfactory , 88 the \ > eight
of the parcels Impairs the symmetry of the
tree by displacing1 the branches , A email
tree tbat Is for de-co-atlve purposes cnly Is
fully as satisfactory to the children , who are ,
after all , th ? ones whom It is most essential
to please. There is no difficulty In finding a
variety In the tiinkets to b ? urcd In the work
of adornment. As the holiday approaches the
smallest and the largest of toy shops arc gay
with ornaments for Christmas tres. The
decorations are ot all sorts and elzjs , from
the strings of colored glass or glided balls
that bound the amblUon of the poor children
who have coaxed their parents into promising
them a tree , to the great sliver gilt glob ; ,
the wax figures and the smiling Image of the
Dutch patron saint that will adorn the big
trees that are dressed for the delight of Sun
day schools. Hetwe n the two there U a
large variety from which to choose.
The gay glass ball * of various slies are al
ways Justly popular , tor nothing IH more ef
fective than they In decking the Christmas
tree. As they sway among the dark branches
they bilng to one's mind the old child beloved
otory ot the wonderful Jaweled fruits Aladdin
found In the cave , and for a moment it seems
possible tbat the dream may have been true
Thejo fruits are ot a variety ot tliapeo
Largo spheres and small egg-shaped bills and
many splkeJ ornaments tint catch and relied
the light ore among tlie gay conceits the sea
son brings. Little trumpets and other muttl-
cal Instruments come In this tame fragile
stuff , and there Is no reason why with their
aid the tree should not look on Christmas ,
momlng as though the fairies had vls.tcd it
over night.
For those who do not wish to spend their
money In adornments that "are so easily
broken come no less pretty ornaments In gilt
and silver paper. Here are tiny ships with
sails full spread , and hero are little unlim-
bcrcd guns and diunis and helmets to please
Email boys of a soldiering turn of mind
Her ? , also , are marvelous gold and silver
fish and turtles , sedan chairs , diminutive
watering pots , baskets of fruit , banjos , violins
lins , mandolin ! ! , horns , rings , bells , llllputlan
pianos and n myriad of ether quaint and
dainty devices
And If one attempts to go In for bonbon-
n'cres ' to hang on the trie he Is at a loss
vviut to choose from among so many. Stars
to crown the tree ar * not wanting , and here
also Is the winged figure of the Christ Child
to suspend from a blanch cr from the cell
ing. Beat of all , perhaps , are the figures
of the dear old Santa Claus , powdered with
snow and bowed under the weight of the
laden Christmas trco he bears upon his
shoulder. Stockings , peculiarly fitted to
hold the gifts he will brlnt ; , are decorated
at toe , heel and top with tiny gold and silver
bells.
bells.With
With all these beautiful things it would ba
strange , Indeed , If the children of the well-
to-do could not have a brilliant spe-ctacle in
their Christmas trae , with jts many wax
lights doubling the brightness , of the fpark-
llns ornaments. But peopl of moderate
means often hesitate before recklessly cx-
rerdtrif , n good round sum In the perishable
adornments of the Christmas tree , and they
are glad to know that with very Jlttle money
they can dress a tree that will delight any
but nn ultra fastidious or blase taste ,
The old fashion of hanglrg a tre > with
ctrlngs of popcorn and rosy lady apples may
still glvo pleasure , and when to those arc
added a few papers of the tinsel that may bo
bought from toy shops or street vendors ns
pretty. If not as dazzling , an effect IB pro
duced as the more expensive ornaments cre
ate. The addition of a few colored glass
balls may be made at trifling co"t , while
cornucopias and net candy bags complete
the decoration.
H Is hard to say too much of the value of
tinsel as a decorative agent. Cheap , effec
tive , easily arranged. It commends Itself to
every one. Occasional short ribbon streamers
or pennon-shaped strips of gay bill ; or even
of cambric are excellent for brightening the
tree.
tree.Candles
Candles are a sine qua non , ( nitlhelr plac
ing and lighting must bo lnlruste.il to some
steady-headed , grown pcreomht > can bs
relied upon to secure them vvhern'there will
bo no danger of their setting fife | o the easily
Ignited branches. The tapomrfhould bo
lighted Jubt before the genera , ! .public is
admitted to view ths sight , nnu ; Jt.js prudent
to have tbo Illumination ofltirl ) f duration.
The nervous elders of the iwrty , 111 breathe
mare freely when the lights are extinguished
and there Is no further risk ? f the children
setting fire to themselves . , , | | trea In
their transport of delight flr , their new
acquisitions.
TIIIJ CIIIIISTMAS hkN\iii.
111 tl' ' )
, \ ( IiiNtronoinlc Hour froiiili'6 Anc'cllc-
Mr * . Itdr.-i-:1 : I nr '
An Important part of our' lir tmas program -
gram Is the dinner , tajs Mrj , , lorer In De
cember Household Newt , /The'turkey / ! , th !
sweats , the plum pudding still iTJnce attend
ance on old Christmas. For this greatest
feast of the year man semis to bo supplied
with extra gaslronomlcal capacities and bis
power of dlgebtlon extended. Ho needs It
for cuch combinations as are usually set
before him oysUrp , soup , an olive or cel
ery , then a fish , follow eJ b ) turkey and
vegetables , a punch to cod his stomach and
prick up tils satisfied appetite , then game
with accompaniments , then a salad , after
which an Iceto drive away the blood which
has been called to help out his overtaxed
stomach und nerves ; after which he re-heats
It with a hot plum pudding well preserved
In brandy , which ttayn with him for hcurs ,
and as a last "digester , " a cup of colfee and
a bit of cneese. Fortunately , this comes
after prayers , tor certainly prayers could
not come after such a feast. We. are
Christians only wh-n our stomachs are at
ease. However , It is Christmas and to
feast Is part of our pleasure. Even the
dyspeptic who during the whole year dluta
on Graham bread and tea , nt the risk of his
life , feasts today.
nrooMjn I.lfc
I am a bell , a
ChrislimiH bell ,
nnd when that
day is heie ,
with Joy do I begin to
swell ; my voice gets loud nnd
clear. I can't keep still be
cause I frel that Christmas feel ,
you know , anil to with laughter
do I peal , and thrill fioni top
to toe. 1 vibrate with pulsa
tions keen from early morn
till night , and not n thought
that's low or mean can
wing Its crooked flight
through nil that's penetrated
by the sounds of my rich volte.
And that Is Just onu tenron why
on Christmas ) ou jejolco nnd
feel so good toward every one ;
because , \ou tee Just when your
petty troubles hpve begun to pletco
youi mortal ken , my voice comes
ringing tluough your eais. "Holgho !
It's Christmas time , " joti say. "Away
all doubts and fears ! " I keen your
hearts In chime. And sa let Christmas
relen o'er all , and with > our hearts
quito free come , gather near my sll-
vsi call and have n chlmo with me !
TWO ciiniSTM.is > oirrsi.
'fiincField' * Llio TnrUc-j ami Con-
tltM TroiiNCI'H.
The following Is the last article which Mr.
Field wrote for publication ;
During1 the entire period of my connection
with the Chicago News it was the benevo
lent cubtom of the proprietors of tbat paper
to give a turkey to all their married em
ployes at Christmas time. When the
Chrietmas season came one ) oar , I found that
turkeys had palled upon me , and I thought
I would rather have n pair of pants. I
therefore- sent a polite llttlo note to Hdltor-
Imchlef Stone , saying that If it was all the
same to him I would take a pair of pants
Instead of a turkey for a Christmas gift ,
as my soul felt no long'ng ' for turkey , but
sighed for pants.
Now Editor Stone was a bit of a Joker
in Ills way and liking the modest tone of
my petition , tit obtained from the warden
of the penitentiary at Jollet a pair of striped
parts , such ae are worn by the convicts of
that Institution. On Christmas eve the
package containing them was sent to mo
with the brst Christmas wishes of the con-
cein , just as the turkey had always been.
Editor Stone and the entire writing and busi
ness force , whom he had taken Into his con
fidence , thought they had played a splendid
Joke , I turned the laugh on them , how
ever , by donning the pants the next morn
ing and wearing them constantly every day
for a week , expressing my gratitude for them ,
and telling everybody about the office that I
never had a pair of pants I liked tso well
and that thenceforward I should wear no
otler kind.
When the next Christmas came I again
addressed a polite little note to Editor Stone ,
stating that I did not earn for the mere
corpse of a turkey , but would much prefer
ta have- one animated by a soul , or In other
vvorda a live one , In aider that I might ko'p
it In my y id for a pet. On Christmas eve
I was sitting at my desk when suddenly I
heard what tbo classics call "a strong nolso"
above my head , and down came a bouncing
big turkey over the partition dividing the
editorial roons. The bird gave abundant
evidence that he was strongly endowed with
life , and there cou'd ' be no question that
my desires had been gratified and that I
was at last the proud posscuior of a llvo
turkey. I did not want him In my room
Just tht > n , so with great presence of mind
I Uap.d upon my desk and "thooed" the bird
out of my room , Ho went flapping , Jumping
mil gobbling all through tha reportorlal
rooms , knocking down Ink bottles , scattering
and destrolng copy , overturning and break-
I ill ? the shades on the diop lights and doing
many dollars' worth of damage. At length ,
iiftcr a long and exciting chase , the- entire
editorial and reportorlal force , with the sin
gle exception of myself , succeeded In cap
turing the bird. Thus I once mor * secured
theliugh on my atuoclates , and after that
no further attention was paid to my petitions
at Christmas time ,
It ings Geode Cheere
*
YE OLDE TIME YULET1DES
Tracing the Day Wo Oolobrato Through the
Corridois of Ages ,
FROM PAGAN TO MODERN TIMES
'I'lie IVstlvnl Stniiiiicilllli It HIM- mid
national t'linrnt'tri iNlU-K UIMV 1 (
IN OliNcr % oil In ViirliiitN
ClIllllll'll'H.
Th ° hallov ed and gracious scabon of Clirltt-
inaa arouses In hearts nnd homes n spirit
distinct from all other festivals. Nations nml
racss observe nnd coinmomoratc events em-
bodvItiR som phase of natlonnl life or char
acteristic , religious or polltcnl , lint the ob-
scrvnnce Is p.irol ) local The Christmas tea-
tlvil Ins no bounds. The spit It of rlieer and
good will nnd of merrymaking , the distinctly ?
features of the children's festl\ , Inc ns2s the
civilized globe and penetrates all hearts.
The manners of celebinttng the da ) are now
as varied as they were In olden times. Mod
ern Innovations nre minj , > et they are bu'
mu iinullon cf customs In vogu * . c nturlc3
ag1 It was probably foreordained that the
birth of Christ , which was to be for time Im-
nmiorlal a festival cf Joy and gladness ,
should occur at n period when the pagan
world was celebrating Its grente't season of
rcinlrlnir The Saxcns and a number of
northern mtlons celebrated ths 25th of De
cember In honor cf Thor. The festival was
al o called Mother N ght , Midwinter , Gule ,
Gwyl , Yule , and \urlous names of similar
character , whose exact derivation has bean n
subject of dispute among antiquaries ; pome
maintaining the words were significant of the
resolution of a wheel , while others equally
tn'lnent Interpreted t'hcm as moaning a fes-
thnl , or holy day.
The Romans celebrated the birth of Mith
ras commemcrn'lvo ' of the return of the
sun. on December 25. But by far the most
Important pagan festival that occurred at ,
f'ls tlmo of the jear was that of Siturnnlla.
The exact origin of this feist cannot bo
Ir.-ccd , but the festival IK known to hn\o
exlEtel b fcre the foundation of Home , and
to ha\e referred to ths golden age of Saturn.
Doubtlpss the character of thess celebra-
tlons was marked by the ribaldry , revelry
a" 1 dissipation of which the word "satur
nalia" Is at the present thus Eynonjmou1-- .
TKo custom nf glv'ng and receiving presents
was a feature of the season then that has
been handed down through successive nene-
latlons to the present tlmo. The festival
of Saturnalia lusted a week , and during
that time masters and slaves were on an
equal footing As this celebration drew tea
a closea king or ruler was elected , from
v hlch custom , probably , originate ! the Lord
of Misrule , or Twelfth Night King , who
forms such a feature of 'the festivities In
England.
The Greeks , Mexicans. Persians and other
nnc'ent nations all held festivals of great
magnificence at this psason of the year.
Th early Christians of the eastern and
western churches made a difference In the
celebration o' the day , the one keeping It
on the Epiphany , January C. nnd the other
always on December 2"i. This dissimilarity
continued until the fourth century , when
the eastern church made the change , nnd
henceforth commemorated the birth of Chi 1st
or Docenbcr 25
During the lelgn of the commonwealth
numbers of the I'urltlan party made efforts
to rrovo that our Savior was not born at this
season of the year. Their arguments only
proved the fallacy of their reasoning , and
Parliament found that , although It could
control many things. It could not change the
day of nativity. *
HOLLY AND IVY.
The custom of using gr ns In decoration
also dates to the ancient days of paganism ,
and was a svmbol of Joy and festivity as It
Is at present When the holly vvre-aths np-
pcir In the windows It ID n signal that the
holiday season has come , and the dawn of
Christmas finds the churches abloom with
greens and flowers. Though Ivv and holly
are both mentioned In the earlier Christmas
carols , the supremacy IB alwajs given to
the holly , the Ivy being eom < dprcd more
suitable for solemn occasions. Ths Ivy was
how over , In later days extensively used as n
suitable decoration. The mistletoe Is also
closely Interwoven with the associations o
the esason , and figures prominently In his
tory. The- pagans held It In veneration , be
lieving that It wan the golden branch' men
tioned by .Virgil when he made his descent
to Sheol. The Druids also regarded It with
reverence , as did the Celtic nations , who bs-
lleved that It possessed peculiar medlclnu
qualities. The Drulda celebrated a festival Ir
Its honor about the tlms the Christian world
now celebrates Christmas. They held that It
possessed n charm against wltchei' . The tra
ditional mistletoe of today Is fraught with
a new and miter Innovation , and Instead of
dispelling the witch , It assumes to draw
the fair sorceress to the swain who IB lucky
enough to catch her under the mlftletoo
bough , The branch should , however , bo full
of berries , as only as many kisses are legal-
bed as there arc- berries on the bough ; and
one must bo pliickol and presented every
tlmo the lad Is lucky enough to catch his
lassie on the favored spot.
It cannot bo proved that the apostlca cele
brated the day , though there Is little doubt
but that they did , It Is , however , authentic
that Clemens Romanu , about the year 70 ,
ordered that thn feast of the * Nativity be
celebrated on December 25 , and at that tlmo
some of the apostles were utlll living.
DRAMATIC REPRESENTATIONS.
As the church In the- early middle ages
Instituted dramatic representations of dlvlno
legends , at a time when reading and writing
were monopolized by religious orders and all
Imprerelcns on a people's fancy had to bo
made through the eye and ears , one of the
most popular mysteries , as these early stage
plays were called , was the Christmas story
the birth of Christ ,
These representations of the Christ aradlo ,
as they were cilled In France and Germany ,
are still exhibited In churches. Catholic and
Lutheran , all over Europe , From the early
hymns sung by the peasants as well as by
Hi ? monks at these mysteries , came the
Christina : ) carols , or nods , aa they ore called
In French.
Some of these "mangers" are produced
with care and elaboration , and though they
do not glvo the dialogues and conversations
of the old tlmos , they give the holy repre
sentation In places with movable figures , who
nod and kneel , and on the entry of the three
klnga or wise men of the cast , offer their
pres-ents with uplifted arms.
In all these groups there has been from
time Immemorial a tree. It may bo wen
rutsldo the traditional mangers In the pro-
Kaphaellto Italian school. In this tree or
near It are eecn * angels In flowing robes singIng -
Ing out cf a scroll of Illumined paper the
"Peace on earth and peed will toward men , "
or "Glory , glory , hallelujah. "
The correct German Christmas tree always
has an angel or a Chrlistklnd on the top
most branch , with a tinsel star at ( be end
of a staff like any pantomime fairy , and If
the tree hilongu to a very orthodox family
there Is usually at Iti foot a rnnall toy group
lepreiontlng the Savior's birth In the stable
at IJctblehem , The tree represented , though
grown from a heathen root , Is no doubt ttlll
the tannebaum vvlilch from Ucrmany has be
come naturalised In America , Franco and
England ,
The extreme Puritans , originating with the
Prosbtcrlan ef Scotland , have nlwajs net
their facei against Christinas observances ,
and Indeed the Puritan Parliament of the
PrnlsUol Hatcboncs per'od nb llshed Christmas -
mas altogether nnd nutlo It n heinous cilmo
ot le e-nntlontllty to exhibit holly nnd Ivy
on their walls.
BEAUTIFUL OBSERVANCES.
The midnight mars , ns It Is celebrated In
Most Catholic countries In Europe , is 0119
ot the mes-l beautiful and touching of sol
emnities. In thegtcat cities , like Paris and
Brussels and Vienna , It Is accompanied by
the most splendid music nnd by rich dera
tions of the chapels and nltnrs In the
churches.
At St. Koch , In Paris , n chapel Is fitted up
In Imitation of the manger In Rsthlohem , and
Is visited by hundreds of thousands.
The carols arc- sung by princes nml prln-
coisei of the op.'ratlc t'tagc ; the midnight
cermon Is prcnchcd by one of the most cele
brated of preachers. The singing IK so fine
that | i oplo-often wait man ) hours , standing
crowded In the aisles , ratlrr than miss It.
At the Madeleine' all the tplc-ndors of the
church treasury arc br&ught out , and the
altanj nro agleam with doling wealth , ac
cumulated tluough centurlei
In the humble and ploua Briton villages ,
also , the midnight mass Is attended b ) the
faithful. The peasants como trudging over
the snow ) roads , and clatter In tholr wooden
shoes Into the porch ot the blackened nnd
dilapidated old church Eac'i ' leaves his lan
terns and his v.raps with the old crone nt
ths psrtal , then imt > hoi forward to the nave ,
whcro ho leaves bin sabots nnd betakes hlm-
slf to pi.ajor. A few old fashioned carols
are sung , a Kvcly allocution Is delivered by
the cauntr ) cure , and by nnd bj , In the gray
of the morning , the groups of men and wo
men , In their broad hats nnd long blade
coats , go strnlng home together.
In the middle ages In Frince It wns ths
custom for the buighers of onj town to go-
In procession on the eve before Christmas
to visit the neighbors In some mljacent burg ,
and to prc'ent before them a rude mvstery
play of the Nativity.
They went In procession , plajlng upon
rebeck , viol , tabor and flute , and xometlmea
dlsplivcd much pomp In those pirades , all
of which were In honor , ns their old enrols
siy , of "Jesus , the ( lower of life. "
It would sorely puzrls the aveuige child ot
the United States If It had to spend Christ-
mis In far-off Australia. Insteid of snow , Ice
nnd chilly blasts , the Australians hnvo
weather much like vvo hnvo on the Fourth of
July.
Chrlstnns there means a great open-air
picnic , celebrated In groves tf eucalyptus
Ire's nnd surrounded by blo-somlng flowers.
As'do from the neither , Chrlstmastldo is
observed by the Australians the anne ns In
ill4 mother country , topped off by a flno
dinner cf fat goo < 42 nnd plum pudding.
JUST 'Fonn'riiitivrti is.
A uK nc c.
Father culls me William , slslei culls me
Will ,
Mother calls mo Willie , but the felleis cnll
me Hill !
Mighty t'lnd I nln't n girl mtlior be a boy.
Without them s.isht" , cuiU , un' things
thnt's worn by Fnunlleroy !
Love to ohnvvnk gieen iippltB nil" KO Bvvlm-
mln' In the Like
Hnte to tnko the castoi-llc they give for
hcllvnchc !
' .Most nil the time , the whole > eni round ,
tlier ain't no lllos on me.
Hut jes' 'fore Cbilstmus I'm as good ns I
kin be !
Got n jailer dog named Sport , hick him on
the cat ;
rii it thingnhe knows flic doesn't know
where sh's at !
Got n clipper sled , an' when us kids goes
out to s-lldc ,
'LinK conies the grocciy c'irt , in' vvo nil
hoc ! ' a ildc !
Hut HometlmcH when the moce-yrnan Is
vurrltcd nn' cross ,
Ho readies at us with bin whip , an' larrups
uji tils hobs.
An' tl en I l.iff an' holler , "Oh , > c neve"
teched me ! "
Hut JCH' 'foiu Christmas I'm as .rood as 1
kin be !
Gran'ma hajs she hope * that when I git to
be a man ,
I'll bo a mlsslonarer like her oldest brother.
Dun ,
An was et up by the lannlbuU thin lives In
Ceylon'B Ible ,
VVborc every prospeck plensfH , an' only man
Is vile !
But gran'ma she has nevei been to nee a
Wild West Hhow ,
Noi read the life of Daniel Hoono , or else I
KUess Hhe'd Know
That Huff In Hill an' cow boss IH coo < l
enough for me !
Uxccp' W 'foro Clirlstma-4 , when I'm good
as I kin be !
An' then old Sport bo hangs around , no
tolcnin-lllcc an still ,
His eyes they seem au > In" ; "What's the
matter , little mil ? "
The old cnt sneaks down off her notch an'
vvomlorn what's become
Of them two enemies of liern that used to
make things hum !
Out f am BO pcrllto an' tund HO earnestly to
That 'mother says to father : "How Im
proved our wlllle If ! "
Hut father , bavin' been a boy blsself , sus
picions me ,
When , Jes' 'fore ChilstmaH , I'm ns good ns
I kin be ! .
For Clirl tmaH , with Its lotf nn' lots of cun-
dlen , takes an' tojs ,
Wa made , they wiy , for pioper hide , nn1
not for nnmjhty bovs ;
So wash yer fuce an' brcsli > er hnlr , un'
mind yer p s and o'c ,
An' don't buist out yer pantaloons , and
don t vvtnr out yor BIIOOH ;
Say "jcHsum" to the bulk's , nn' "vepuli" to
the men ,
An' when they'H cpmpuny , don't pu t jer
p'ate for pie again ;
Hut. tblnkln' of the thlngo yoiM lllai to ceo
upon that tree ,
JCH' Tore Christmas be IIH good an > er kin
be !
CIIIIISTMAS CIIAIMTY IV IIIIIT'IM.M * .
Women IVIio Clullii-r ul ( | i *
CliriK-li Diior Klnilly HiMiicinlif rnl.
In Hrlttany , In France , a curious custom
In almsgiving Is of very old origin. When
the country folk go to the midnight mass ,
the opening mars of Christmas day , they all
carry lanterns to light them on their way.
Upon their arrival at the church they glvo
their lanterns over to the poor old women
of the pariah , who are gatheied In a crowd
ouUIdo the church awaiting them.
The worshipers enter tlis cacred building
and then attend to tlio devotions , which the
church teaches chould ba of especial fervor
at this holy season. Hut when the mans Is
ended and they are dUmlmd with the bene
diction , they come forth to llnd the patient
old women awaiting them outside the church
bearing the lanterns. The lanterns are
given back to their owners , and as each takei
his own he exchanges1 for it a piece of money.
The value of the piece varies , but the alma
Is always conilderable , and It stands as an
exponent of that charily which the church
teaches to Its children. The old women go
homo In happiness , their hearts lightened by
: lie weight of silver that lies above them ,
jut the given go homo yet rnoro happy , In
lie conaclomticgs of well doing ,
A CIIIUSTMAH"
Ilniriot Ilrev.fr Rlcrllng In Ht.
'f Santa Claus should stumble.
AH he cllmbu the chimney tall
With all thli Ice upon It.
I'm afraid he'd get a full
And Hinuoh himself to pieces
To nay nothing of tiltto } si
Dear me , what sorrow thut vvoulJ brine
To all the girls and IIOJH !
Bo I am Koltig to wilte a no to
And pin It In the utite-
'II write It I.U'KO , HO hn can me ,
No matter If It'u late ,
And bay. "Dear Hanlu Clnu , don't try
To climb Ihn roof tonight ,
Hut walk right In , the iloor'n unlocltcJ ,
The nurber > 'u on the rlthtl"
