That Havana lottery will evacuate
with the Spaniards. Uncle Sam will
protect the Cubana against them
selves.
Adventurers have thus far spent
$30,000,000 ingoing to and from the
Klondike, and have brought back
$<1,000,000. But, then, think of the
fun I
A Philadelphia paper in its story of
the jubilee crowd said it was "nip and
tuck between the pickpockets and the
police." It would be interesting to
learn which tiually got the most.
Mr. Joe Leiter is said to have taken
to literature. If he can bulge the
poetry market in the same way that
he did the wheat market he will be
regarded as a benefactor by a very
numerous constituency.
The enterprising young fellow
whose means of livelihood is the
marrying of widows with money is in
the wrong state and lives in the wrong
time. He should have lived in Utah
four years ago. Then his peculiarity
would not have excited comment.
Dewey is said to be coining home.
It will be such a home-coming as no
American ever had. For his own
comfort we advise that he be put un
der strong guard in Fort Warren,
where his family and friends might
visit him with passes signed by him
self.
11l the conflict which resulted in the
resignation of the Brisson ministry in
France, the grave underlying ques
tion was the supremacy of civil or
military law in that republic. As
long as militarism prevails in France
it can be a republic but in name. The
promotion of the rights of the people,
the establishment of personal free
dom, and all of the elements which
enter into republican government are
at war with the idea of military su
premacy. As long as the man in ep
aulets is the hero of the populace,and
his will supplants that of the states
man, true republican government is
impossible.
Agitation for the repair of Time's
ravages on Faneuil hall has been re
newed in Boston, and this time tlio
local papers hope work will follow the
agitation. Ample money to n.ake
the long-needed repairs is said to be
available, and its use maybe hastened
by the reiterated warnings of experts
that the Cradle of Liberty is actually
in danger. In this case there is no
such question as was raised in connec
tion with the restoration of the Bui
finch front and the dome of the state
house. No one is jiroposing to rebuild
Faneuil hall. It is entirely a work
of strengthening and repairing, and
tliis, the Boston Advertiser says,
"must be done very geutly. It must
be done with loving intelligence and
patient revereTice. We do not want
Faneuil hall to become a ruin, venera
ble and pathetic as that ruin would be
We want it for use as well as for an
object of patriotic enthusiasm on ac
count of its sacred memories. We
Vant it to continue to be the people's
forum, as truly now as in John
Adams's time.
The curious relations of personal
vanity with the worst forms of crimi
nality ai*e plainly shown in the case of
Vttcher, the notorious "Jack the Rip
per" of Paris, who has been con
demned to the guillotine. Although
evidently a mental pervert, with the
usual accompanying mania for homi
cide, he was willing to give the full
details of his crimes, previously con
fessed, only on the conditions that
they should be published in all the
leading papers, and that he should
have a separate trial for each murder
in the place of its commitment, thus
obviously adding to the morbid noto
riety of his doings. The desire to
create a startling sensation by limit
ing his acts to the murder and subse
quent brutal mutilation of young
shepherdesses was paramount to all
other motives, although he inciden
tally refers to his fancy for shedding
blood. As is not uunsual in such
instances of gross depravity, he plied
his dreadful work long euough to give
it the air of great mystery, and when
unable to keep the secret beyond a
certain time he was compelled to
openly jeopardize his safety by
exploding a revolting confession.
Criminologists are quite uniform in
their statements regarding the preva
lence of this weakness among thieves
and murderers. The detectives un
derstand so well this propensity on
the part of wrongdoers that it is an
ever ready avenue to secrets which
otherwise would perhaps never be
discovered. It is the plainest of all
exemplifications of a fact that "murder
will out." The crime and its punish
ment grow from the same root.
The time seems to be not far dis
tant when . English will be the lan
guage of the people inhabiting the en
tire valley of the Nile.
Commissioner General Peek is like
wise indulging a propensity for ex
pansion. He has secured 22,000
square feet more for American exhib
itors at the Paris Exposition.
The government of the state of
Xuevo Leon, Mexico, has directed
that the pupils in all the official schools
shall be taught to write and perform
all manual tasks as well with one
hand as with the other.
It was a Chicago man, who, having
purchased a kaleidoscope, brought it
back the next day and indignantly ex
plained he had tried to play on the
blamed thing for an hour, and had
not been able to get a tune out of it.
A normal school in Wisconsin has
been equipped with an electric pro
gram clock system. Clocks are oper
ated automatically from a central
j>oint, announcing the exact time for
various studies and recitations, and
indicating in which room they will be
carried on. The superintendent has
a telephone and switchboard that en
ables him to communicate with any
teacher in the building without leav
ing his chair.
A Swiss anthropologist, on his re
turn from Patagonia, brought home
with him a complete collection of
Patagonian skulls, and when the cus
tom-house proposed to tax them on
the basis of animals' bones imported
as manure, lie protested that this was
an iusult to humanity. To his sur
prise his objection was listened to,
and he received a receipt for the duty
charged upon a higher scale, with the
skulls entered as "returned emi
grants' worn effects."
The act requiring the navy deport
ment to build four more monitors was
passed before the lessons of the war
had shown the defects of this clnss,
says the Xew Yoi k Commercial Adver
tiser. Since the craft must be built
it is well that they be the best of their
kind, Thus it is gratifying that the
plans are to be changed, and the new
monitors made much larger and
better than the old. They are valua
ble only for harbor defense, but they
can' goto sea at a pinch, and can
make- a long voyage if they do not
have to encounter rough weather
ships on the way. However, the
country is not likely to build auv
more, as we are not likely to have any
more scares about attacks oil the
coust. The Spanish war has shown
that the place to defend our coasts is
out at sea, wherever an enemy's lleet
can be found.
The development of mines of ore
anil sulphur in Sicily lias always been
the cause of many strikes, ou account
of the low prices paid to the laborers.
The government of Koine obtained re
cently from the Chambers a law guar
anteeing financial support to sick or
wounded and lame miners. The pro
prietors of the mines announced that
they would decrease the wages
of the workmen iu a sufficient propor
tion to meet the extra expenses ira.
posed upon them by the operation of
the new law taxing property for the
support of invalid laborers. The
miners in the Province of Girgenti to
the number of about a thousand have
sti nek work, and, at last reports, the
strike was still in progress; fortu
nately this time it was not accom
panied by the violence aud bloodshed
which too often marked the labor
troubles of Sicily.
The history of the last few year*
shows a succession of hostilities
against England from all sides and in
all quarters, none the less aggressive,
none the less dangerous, than if they
had been conducted in actual warfare,
says the Sydney (New South Wales)
Bulletin. Look at the intrigues of
France in Egypt, in Siam, in Niagara,
in Madagascar, or the Nile; look at
the encroachments of Russia in Per
sia Afghanistan, the Pamirs; look
at the characteristically prudent
and cautious, but none the less
real hostility of Germany in the
Transvaal, in Zanzibar, in Samoa;
look today at the unanimous exulta
tion of the continent at the blows
which are being struck at the prestige
and commercial interests of England
in the East. Everything seems to
show that England must either make
ignoble submission to a European ag
gressiveness which seeks to bleed her
by fair means or foul, or take the risk
of financial ruin,. of possible efface
ment as a first-class power, in a des
perate contest with the monster
armies of her neighbors, to whom she
appears as the one great obstacle to
their designs.
The Lob They Cut.
This is the yule of the long ago,
The log they out In the woods, ho! ho!
Tho yule log old thftt gave Its glow
At the Christmas hearth in the olden time
When the bells rang mad with their golden
chime.
DOOOOOOOOOO9OOOOOOOOOOOOOQ
SIN HOLDH WOOD]
O now Old Father Christmas Was Q
9 Horn—'The German Legend O
g of Kris* Kringle. 2
O HV ESTHER SINGLETON. Q
60303000000000000000000000
. HRISTOPHEB
was greatly dissat
with his
N home. He was an
t/Bsf! C» imaginative lad,
IbSl.Vi- entirely out of tune
f ijS| with his surround
\»l ings. He lived in
I*wV_j£las*Jw4v a ''ttle wooden
__ cottage, curiously
carved, thnt gave
_V/>A**r-r-»-* him some delight
when the shadows
of night deepened and drew dark
forms and shapes under the long roof
which sloped nearly to the ground.
It was net pleasant to return from a
land of dreams to the hard facts of
life and to the plait and weave the
long, green willow wands into baskets
at his uncle's command and to hear
the scolding tongue of his aunt busy
with her household duties.
Finally he determined that he would
run away and seek a life for himself;
but the day never came until he
completed his fifteenth birthday,'
which was uncelebrated. It was upon
a Christmas Eve that he decided to
break away. His aunt had been un
usually ill-tempered aud as his mind
was sure tho proper time had arrived
for his step into the world, not even
the cold of approaching night dis
couraged him.
n.
Ivriss was not altogether free of
blame, for he had been a discordant
note in the household. He was
neither cheerful nor amiable, nor un
selfish, but then he had never been
shown the way towards a loving aud
grateful disposition. He had become
sullen and hardened. As he crept
stealthily into the street the twilight
was throwing her gray draperies
around the little German village.
Down the deserted road he passed, on,
aud up tho hill, where he turned to
,biiyfarewell to tho only home he had
ever known, and betook his way into
the dark forest that seemed to call him
into its depths.
How many voices were there—
sweet ones, too, unlike any he had
ever heard! The wind bleV off his
ci>p by waj' of a joke, and, touching
hi in with icy fingers, said, "Come!
Come! Come, Kriss! There is much
warmth in the forest aud joy. Come!"
The pine-bow hummed huskily, yet
softly: "Come, Kriss, come! It is
true; the wind knows. Come! Come!"
As Ivriss passed into the forest be
felt, although be could not se ■, tbe
mysterious spirits. Kriss stood still
wondering what would occur nest,
when a young tree about bis own
height, vain of ber beauty and patron
izing in ber manner, said: "Sit by me,
ivriss," and be obeyed, still watcbing
and listening to the voices of the mys
terious spirits of tbe winter night,
"COME! COME! AND SEE THE WIND-
SriHITS DANCE WITH THE SNOW!"
which bad gradually become visible,
busily preparing for the celebration
of their Christmas feast.
IV.
Strango to say, bo was not cold
though resting on the velvety snow;
nor was he homesick. A gay proces
sion entertained him, issuing out of
the black hollow of a great oak, that
glittered in its armor of ioe. First
came the children of the Winter-Wind,
all flerce-eyed and sharp of feature,
dressed in tunics of white and gray
flowing mantles. Then followed the
Bnow-Children in their glistening gar
meats of white and flower-shaped
crystal crowns; and after them Holda
herself, Queen of Earth and Woods,
Queen of Snow and of Christmastide.
/HBKTMAS CAI^St
i/ T CHRYSTRLv
Little,,
v " ®Jj * kelk,,
\ (^^' m^ y < < 2 ? rvfjitfe ant 11 d dtllc,
VSniee"t tlje. tale tjouv "Wl^,
V *Jj a "k tiered kivtfjday wjjcf*'
&JL S " "^J 6,
j } Jnn'tfj vajjtuve vlmW^
vy tj)e^jllc Jycn s»vcetly , '
j fe &CCCN co.v'tfj mtlX to meN,*
OjJ COfflCjy ■ /°f
*|M °j?
ANCL boycj '- N^~*
Op«N rotclc yduv jAetjjovic-,
if th. JIH I youv g^ld?
// I/rw- youv- cjjd.vi.ly l^u^to^ic.
ilH\
v / 111 iv ° °°? oU
* c ' take & oaCjKet & ta-vvreL,
• f'w MI I *T" ° °
* fIH U I C Kieec^y^ 0N y ouv " w&y
0 Jlif l(." ca.ro L
o »° # ® Qlc.L-.Nte e-fcv-tJjV, greatest d&y!.
How lovely she was in ber gown of
emerald velvet with a big bunch of
snowdrops at her breast, and a crown
of oak leaves like a Dryad. Her flaxen
hair was bound with a strand of pearls,
her eyes were blue as summer rivers,
ber lips as pomegranates, ber arms
and neck as white as the falling
flakes, that, touching her, turned into
showers of creamy roses.
v.
"Why have you come hither?" she
asked. As he was speechless the
Trees and Snowflakes said in their
soft cborous: "The Wind brought
him, and we bade him join tbe joy of
Christmastide and cried 'Come! Come!
Come!'"
"Unless yon come selfishly," she
asked, "what have you brought, to
us? The birds give their voices, the
flowers their perfume, the Trees their
shelter, the Wind his music, the
Snow-children their service, the Sea
sons their beauties and their boun
ties, and I, to grant all wishes.
What do you bring to the Christmas
Revels?"
Christopher hung his bead. He
fell to her feet and kissing her dress
with emotion, exclaimed: "I have
brought nothing but' myself. Do
with me as you will."
"So be it," replied Holda, "you
shall give yourself. You shall be one
of the greatest Spirits of the hal
lowed season."
The Queen of Christmastide clapped
her hands and bade the Revels be
gin. When all the enjoyment was at
its height, Queen Holda clapped her
white bands and four and twenty
Wish-Maidens bowed before ber and,
then facing the strange multitude,
promised to bring to every one in
Holda's realm bis and ber desire.
Bowing low to Holda they took their
leave, soon returning. Each one now
held a rosy ribbon attached to a sil
ver car, which they drew along and
upon which what appeared to Chris
topher the most wonderful thing he
had ever beheld- -a glittering tree.
VI.
Queen Holda gave to each one pres
ent rnfts from the Wishing-Tree, and
then she said impressively: "We have
one more gift. Kriss has given him
self. He is togo out into the world
and carry the blessings of our Revels."
Then she called her Snow-Children
and, speaking to them in her snow
language, which none but herself and
her little people can understand, or
even hear—so low, so soft, so melodi
ous is it—bade tbein prepare Christo
pher for his long journey.
First they murmured into his ear
until he grew drowsy and fell asleep,
and when he slumbered they folded
around him rich, red robes and a man
tle bordered with ermine, and placing
on his head a tall bound
around it a wreath of holly. They
powdered his long hair with snow,
they fastened a long white beard to
bis chin and above bis lips a gentle
curling mustache. Then they called
the Wind and all tbe other Snow-Chil
dren, and they took bands and danced
and sung, and hailed him "Old Kriss
Kringle, Father Christmas."
Awaking at tho merry peals of laugh
ter and jollity, Christopher stood
amazed.
Queen Holda explained it. "Father
Christmas," she said, "you have slept
a hundred years in my encbauted
wood. You came into my forest a bard
and selfish youth. You have seen our
Revels and our gifts each to each, and
you gave yourself to us. While you
slept my Snow-Children robed you,
and now I send you as my representa
tive subject out into the world where
I cannot go, for I must ever dwell
within the limits and haunts of Elf
land. You shall travel far and wide
at the happy season of the year. Your
Wishing-Trees shall never fail when
you carry Christmas greetings to the
children with the message of 'Peace on
earth, good will to men.' "
Christinas Dishes in Various Nations.
Each country has its distinctive
Christmas dishes. The holly dinner
of England is too much like our own
to need description, although we are
apt to have turkey and mince pie in
stead of roast beef and plum pudding.
In France, the Christmas dinner in
cludes a chicken roasted and garnished
as only the French can do it, and liver
pudding, rich with truflles and season
ing.
In Spain, they aro fond at holiday
time of a soup made of sweet almonds,
cream and a fish first roasted before
the fire and basted with lemon, garlio
and oil.
In Germany, they have a fat goose
stuffed with chestnuts, pork boiled
with sauer kraut, sausages, beef with
sour sauce, black pudding, smoked
goose and baked applas.
In Switzerland, also, the goose is
the leading dish, and there will like
wise be found on the table confection
ery, cakes, fruits, nut punding. Gen
eva fritters—the national dish—a paste
made of fruits, marmalade, spices and
eggs. 112
Russia serves its national soup of
beef, boiled cabbage, sour cream and
fermented beet juice, and it is ready
to be eaten at any time during the
day. A huge roast pig served with
boiled buckwheat, cooked with liver
and the heart of the pig, is the princi
pal di3h at dinner. With this is eaten
a cheese creamed with butter, sugar
and raisins, and colored eggs also
grace the board.
Understood.
"Well, did you kiss her?" asked
Spykes.
"Yes," replied Spokes, "I mistle
toed the mark."—Judge.
SJO long ago as
i nearly three-quar
k ters of a century
" the verses begin
• a mouse."—
first saw the light of print, appearing
in the Troy Sentinel of December 23,
1823. As published then it was
anonymous, but it was prophetical of
its coming popularity that even in
that day, unfavorable as it was for
newspaper illustration, it was accom
panied by a picture of Santa Clans on
his rounds. In the time intervening
it has become known to practically
every man, woman and child in
America, lias spread hence to the
widest limits of the English-speaking
race, has been translated into the
language of every nation that has a
Santa Claus, and is little, if any, short
of being the most popular poem in the
world. For years it was an annual
feature of all American newspapers.
Then, in 1844, it was acknowledged
by its learned author, being included
in a little volume of his poems pub
lished in New York. Thence its in
clusion in school readers and all kinds
of declamation books was only a matter
of a short time. In 1859 the edition
that first attained wide distribution
was issued, with the pleasant illus
trations made by Felix O. C. Darloy,
which was remembered gratefully by
any number of persons now crawling
reluctantly into middle life.
It will be a surprise to many to
learn that "The Night Before Christ
mas" was written by the erudite doo
tor of laws who prepared the first He
brew dictionary ever published in
America. He was Clement C. Moore,
a descendant of a famous family in
the history of the Episcopal Church,
and himself one of its most notable
benefactors.
Clement Clarke Moore was born on
July 15, 1781, in New York City, and
died at his summer home in Newport
on July 10, 1863.
The poem which has given him
greater fame than all his learning and
benefactions was written as a pastime
!Uid given his children as a Christmas
present just seventy-five years ago.
He thought little of it at the time, or
later. Indeed, it is possible it would
never have become known to the
world at all had not the eldest daugh
ter of the Rev. David Butler, D. D.,
rector of St. Paul's in Troy, N. Y.,
seen the lines during a visit to New
i'ork tho year after they were com
posed, and published them in the pa
per mentioned without their author's
consent. It is said that nothing but
the speedy popularity the verses at
tained procured Miss Butler's for
jiveness.
Gooil Deeds For the Day.
Don't shut your door to pity tUo
poor.
Give the children a bushel of hap
piness and they'll share it with you.
liaise the preacher's salary—but
Qot so high that he can't reach it.
Make the Christmas tree a green
spot in memory.
Don't lose sight of the fact that
rou were a boy yourself in tho early
jvnrs of the century.
Don't let the tin horn blast your
iappiness. Christmas will soon blow
iver.
Make somebody happy, even if you
lave to settle an old bill to do it.
Arranging tlie Cl»rl«tinn» Menu.
The menu for the Christmas dinner
nay be as follows:
■ Oysters on tho Half Shell
: Clear Soup Custard und Spinach
; Blocks '.
; 011ve3 Celery
: Deviled Spaghetti
; Boasted Turkey, Chestnut Stuffing
; Cranberry Jelly
; Sweet Potato Croquettes
; Teas Served in Turnip Cups
t Ginger Sherbet
; Lettuce Salad Clieeso Balls
Toasted Crackers
I rium Puddlujt, Hard Sauce
; Coffee
; Bonbons Almonds
A Young Doubter.
Father—"Why, Tom, what are you
doing on the roof this time of night?'
Tom—"Well, I've got my doubts
ibout that Santa Claus story, and I
came here to wateh the chimneys and
find out if there is snoh a person."