Democratic watchman. (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1855-1940, December 25, 1903, Image 2

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Bellefonte, Pa., December 25, 1903.
AEE
SPIRIT Of CHRISTMAS TIDE.
The spirit of the Christmas-tide
1s busy everywhere,
And loving tioughts for friends and kin
Fly swiftly through the air.
Forgotten are the petty !strifes
And sorrows of the year.
For brains and hearts unselfishly
Are bent on Christmas cheer.
Oh, spirit of the Christmas-tide,
We beg of thee to stay
In hearts and home through all the year,
And greet us day by day.
Teach us to give good gifts to all,
Kind words dnd service sweet;
Thus will the Christ-child’s mission find
A tribute fair and meet.
Then earth will grow a paradise,
And heaven seem s0 near
That reverent hearts at quiet hours
Its melodies may hear—
“Glory to God, and on earth peace—
Peace and good-will to men.”
Oh, Christmas spirit, fill our hearts
And go not out again ! :
THE HOLLY.
Ye who have scorned each other,
Or injured friend or brother,
In this fast-fading year :
Ye who by word or deed,
Have made a kind heart bleed,
Come gather here ;
Let sinned against and sinning,
Forget their strife’s beginning,
And join in friendship now—
Be links no longer broken ;
Be sweet forgiveness spoken
Under the Holly Bough.
Ye who have loved each other,
Sister, and friend, and brother,
1n this fast-fading year ;
Mother, and sire, and child,
Young man and maiden mild,
Come gather here ;
And let your hearts grow fonder,
As memory shall ponder
Each past unbroken vow ;
Old loves and younger wooing
Are sweet in the renewing,
Under the Holly Bough.
—Charles Mackay.
THE EVOLUTION OF A SANTA
CLAUS,
Sampson Wright was a reporter on the
Tribune. He was a very good reporter,
too, which conveys that he did whatever
he was told to do, with as much more as
possible, and did it well, and demurred
not.
This afternoon, however, he came danger-
ously near falling short of his record. The
local room was abandoned by all save him-
self; but he had unwisely lingered; and
was squatting before the open drawer of
his little deal table, giving the mixture
that it contained a hasty looking over a
(typical masculine ‘‘setting fo rights;’’he
was accredited with doing this every Fourth
of July and Christmas), when Jones, city
editor, bustled in.
‘“Abh—Wright ! I was afraid I’d missed
you. I want you to go down to Sunny-
side Mission tonight and make a first-class
story out of their celebration. They’re to
have a Christmas tree, you know, and a
Santa Claus, and all the ragged kids of
that end of town will be there. It ought
to be worth a couple of coluomns.’’
Sampson responded with a glam : “All
right ;’’ and noting his apparent despon-
dency. Jones continued, smoothly :
‘My wife seems to have got much inter-
ested in the mission, and asked me to be’
sure and send somebody who would write
the affair up in a bright way; so I told her
I'd send you. She’ll look out for you and
give you any information yon may lack.”
Then, evidently considering the matter
closed. Jones withdrew. Sampson mut-
tering something nos at all complimentary
to Mr. Jones’ wife, shut his drawer with a
bang, and stuffing a roll of copy paper into
his bip pocket stalked out.
Noshing could have been more repug-
nant at this particular time, to Sampson's
mind than the idea of going to such a
place as Sunnyside Mission. Wasa wishy-
washy Sunday-school entertainment an
adequate Christmas eve diversion for a
strong man ? And was a mission termed
‘‘Sannyside’’ the resort to fit in with the
mood of a jilted lover 2 Well, not jilted,
exactly; but anyway, all was over hetween
Kate and himself.
Hopeful that either be would receive no
assignment, or else would be able to shift
his work upon some other shouiders, he
had determined to spend a Christmas eve
of riotous living which would smother his
pangs and start him on the road to de-
struction. When he was quite a wreck
then Kate would be sorry. :
But all was spoiled. He must go to
Sunnyside Mission, and stay from A to Z.
He coald not cunningly write it up, out of
his head ; he could not send a substitute
to represent him. No; Mrs. Jones (drat
Mrs. Jones !) would he there ; Mrs. Jones
would be looking for him; and if he did
not appear in person Mrs. Jones’ husband,
in capacity of city editor, would be asking:
“Why !”
Bah !
And it was “Bah !”—and worse than
‘Bah !”’ every step of the way, after din-
ner that evening, to the mission.
‘‘Santa Claus !" jeered Sampson.
‘*Christmas tree !”’ sueered Sampson.
*‘Dirty little brats !"” snorted Sampson.
‘Just watoh how quick they trade off the
things they get for a cigarette or a chew—
that is, those things their wothers and
fathers don’t grab and pawn for a drink !”’
Thus holding a disconnected and ex-
ceedingly unpleasant conversation with
himself, Sampson reached Sunnyside Mis-
sion.
He turned in and plumped himself into
a-seat hy the wall, near the door. His
moroseness barred him from seeking Mrs.
Jones, or from speaking to anybody,
whosoever. He resented his own presence;
he resented the presence of the others
around about him; he resented even the
modest decorations, symbolic of the sea-
s0D.
The plain board benches of the little
mission filled rapidly, and soon people
were standing in the rear and along the
aisles. Sampson looked with disapprov-
ing eyes upon his neighbors ; despite their
efforts to spruce up for the occasion, still
considerable grime was visible ahount their
persons. The fact that their faces were
© fairly beaming with anticipation, if not
with soap, made no difference to Sampson,
in: his attitude of censor.
He bated them, and himself, .and Mrs. |
Jones;.and, charity was not in him.
He
tried to make, believe shat he hated Christ-.
MASc fee ini fem £3 aa aa
A'few exercises of a devotional character’
vere gone through with; one or two short
addresses were made. the audience began
to fidget; they preferred to see rather than
to bear, but the calico curtains closing off
the farther balf of the platform parted not.
They concealed the tree—all but its tip.
Evidently there was a hitch in the pro-
gram. Another address was made; the
speaker was nervous, and seemed to be
talking against time. Finally she fizzled
out, and retreated from view, to the sound
or suppressed langhter from behind, and
impatient catcalls and stampings from be-
fore.
Something was wrong, and Sampson
deemed it incumbent upon him to find out
what. So he pushed his way to the door,
and circuiting the exterior of the build-
ing rapped at the small side entrance.
Mis. Jones—he knew her by sight—Dber-
self opened to him.
“Oh, yes—Mr. Wright, isn’t it ?’’ she
queried. ‘Come in, quick. Go ’way
boys !"’ and with Sampson inside she has-
tily closed the door upon the cluster of
errand street Arabs striving to peer within.
*‘My husband told me he had sent you.
But what do you think ! We're in the
most dreadful state !"’
‘“What’s the matter ?”’ inquired Samp-
son, now, on the scent of news, overlooking
his mood.
“Why, we've lost Santa Claus !”’ laugh-
ed Mrs. Jones.
“We're afraid he’s been sand-bagged,’’
supplemented a second woman, facetious-
ly.
Sampson was conscious that the little
room, which seemed to lead upon the plat-
form, was full of women and that be was
the only man.
“Pshaw ! That’s too bad,’’ he said.
‘‘But maybe he’s only stuck somewhere,
in a chimney.”
‘‘You see, it’s this way, Mr. Wright,’
resumed Mis. Jones. ‘‘The man who was
going to be Santa Claus ought to have been
here at half past seven, and now it’s half
past eight, and he hasn’t come, and the
poor people out in front are getting impa-
tient, and we don’t know what to do.’’
‘We can’t wait much longer,”’ chimed
in another.
‘“They’re almost tearing down the build-
ing, as it is,”’ added a third. .
The cat-calls and the stampings were in-
cessant, and growing in vigor.
‘‘And you’ve come just in nick of time
to help us out,’”’ continued Mrs. Jones.
‘“You’ll do it, won’t you ?*’
‘*We were ready to get down and pray
for a man, when you appeared !"’ declared
a chorus, fluttering around him.
“1 27’ stammered Sampson, replying to
Mrs® Jones.
“Yes, you; certainly,’” purred Mrs.
Jones. ‘‘You’ll need more stoffing—ah,
padding. Ishould say—than would Mr.
Lukes,” and she surveyed him with cal-
culating eye, ‘but I don’t see any reason
why vou wouldn’t do just as well as he.”’
‘‘But- —’’ began Sampson, in a tone of
objection, and backing toward the door of
escape.
“Do, Mr. Wright! Do! You don’t
know how thankful we’ll be to you!”
rose the chorus, hemming him in.
‘‘But—"'’ again attempted Sampson,
hot and cold by turns.
Why, the notion was preposterous ! He
the Santa Claus of Sunnyside Mission ?
Yet how could they guess that he had
‘‘bah-ed’’ in disgust at them and their
celebration ?
‘Come, Miss Callaway; you plead with
him,’’ begged Mrs. Jones, in the mean-
time laying a detaining band upon his over-
coat lapel.
Kate ? Was Kate here ?
what a mix-up !
‘I’m sure that if Mr. Wright compre-
hended the service that he might be to us,
he would not hesitate a second,’”” obeyed
Kate, sweetly, walking forward from the
corner where she had been sitting.
‘There ! How can you resist !"’ chor-
used the older women, triumphantly.
‘‘Much as I should like to oblige you
ail,’’ started Sampson, framing his words
to apply generally, so that Kate might
feel herself relegated to the ordinary level,
¢‘—this Santa Claus business really is im-
possible. I'd have stage-fright.’’
“Nonsense ! A reporter having stage-
fright !”’ scoffed Mrs. Jones, as one who by
virtue of her relationship to the profession
ought to be judge. ‘‘Say ‘please’ to him,
Miss Calloway.”’
Sampson was quite at sea as to whether
or not Mrs. Jones was egging on the young
lady, in malice aforethought. Cou'd she
suspect that Kate and he bad been more
than friends ? Aud if so, how embarrass-
ing she was making it for both of them !
‘‘Please, then—if that will do any
good,”’ spoke Kate, calmly.
“There 1”? oried the chorus.
“I can’t ! I never spoke from a platform
in my life,”’ protested Sampson, resolutely
ignoring Kate, and addressing the audience
collectively.
‘‘But you won’t have to say a word, if
you don’t want to,’’ asserted the chorus.
‘‘No; we’ll have Miss Calloway go ont
with you. and explain that your tongue is
frost-bitten, and that you can’t talk; and
she can hand the presents to you to give
away, too, if you like, if it would make it
easier for you,’’ persisted Mrs. Jones,
tightening on his lapel.
‘‘Please—Sam,’’ reiterated Kate,
chief now creeping into her accents.
“I’m too thin !”’ he blurted.
Kate was making fun of him,
‘‘Nonsense !"’ accused Mrs. Jones, for
Great Scott,
mig-
“the second time—and still grasping that
lapel. ‘‘Hurry up, ladies. We'll fix him
out in a jiffy. For goodness’ sake, some-
body go and tell the people that Santa has
arrived, or they’ll certainly hreak the floor
in.”
“We haven’t much to disguise yon
with,’’ apologized Mrs. Jones, while the
various women bobbed here and there.
‘Mr. Lukes was to come all prepared, or
else we’d have had a costume ready to put
right on.”’
The first thing they did to Sampson was
to double a long seat-cushion, and by
means of a rope which was providentially
in the wood closet tie it against his stom-
ach. The rope passed around bin: several
times, and cut into his back. However,
he did not complain. And when his over-
coat was buttoned, in a strained fashion,
across the cushion, he appeared quite
portly.
“If any buttons come off your coat, we’ll
get Miss Callaway to sew them on,”’ whis-
pered Mrs. Jones, pointedly. ‘‘Now what
else ?'’ she demanded of her assistants.
“I’m manfacturing some whiskers for
him,” informed Kate.
She approached with a collection of rav-
eled lamp-wicks in her hand. ‘Only, I
don’t know how to stick them on,” she
confessed.
‘“There's some mucilage in a bottle on
the lower shelf in that cupboard,’’ said
Mrs. Jones, briskly. ‘You won’t mind a
little mucilage, will you, Mr. Wright ?”’
‘Oh, no,” sighed Sampson, helpless.
mingled giggles and praisefn
tion of her task. ‘‘But we ought to
sprinkle him with snow.”’
good natured.
self; he even tried a bar of a carol !
' “We haven't any wig, so he must keep
on his cap,’’ decided Mrs. Jones, as, amid’
1 j exclama-
tions Kate stepped back from the comple-
“I’m afraid we can’t get any flour, at
this time of night,”’ ventured Kate. ‘Why
vot crunch up rome plaster, and throw it
on him ?”?
Accordingly a quantity of loose plaster,
with its covering of whiting, was ‘‘erunch-
ed up,” and sprinkled over the unlucky
Sampson’s cap and shoulders.
‘Now, his nose ought to be reddened,’’
criticized Mrs. Jones.
At the instant Kate drew near.
‘*Hold still,,’ she commanded.
She dabbled at Sampeon’s nose and
ocheek-hones with a substance which he
could feel taking the skin off.
“Lovely ! What is it ?”’ congratulated
the spectators, admiringly.
‘It’s brick-dust !’’ enlightened Kate.
Sampson groaned to himself. How he
must look !
“Don’t you want a mirror ?’’ inquired
Mrs. Jones. ‘‘You ought to see what a
fine Santa Claus you are. Hasn’t some-
body got a hand-glass ?’’ she besought.
‘I think there’s one in the cupboard,”
replied Kate. ‘‘But we may need itagain,
she added, wickedly.
“Thank you,’ acknowledged Sampson,
shortly. ‘‘I think it would be better for
me to remain in ignorance.’’
He was very warm, in his cushion and
his overcoat. The lamp-wick whiskers
tickled his chops and interfered with his
breathing, but he dared not touch them
for fear of peeling the mucilage. When he
opened his mouth, it seemed to him thas
his face was cracking. He could not see
his feet, and Kate and Mrs. Jones, with
the others tittering behind, conducted him,
stumbling, upon the platform, and sta-
tioned him at the tree, on the inner side of
the calico curtains.
Then Mrs. Jones, leaving him, scam-
pered back, and so abruptly that there
must have been an error of judgment, the
cartains were jerked apart, revealing
Sampson standing beside the tree, and
frightened at the exposure !
A mighty howl of laughter went up from
the strenuous crowd in front.
‘Git on ’t de whuskers !”’
‘Call de cops !”’
‘‘Ain’t dat a bay-winder, do’ !”’
‘‘Gracious me, do say something ! ex-
horted Kate, from the shadow of the tree,
to the blinking Sampson. ‘‘Say good
evening ?’’
‘Good evening,’ Sampson forced himself
to utter, in a voice which he essayved to
make deep and impressive, but which
sounded to him like a squeak.
‘Ya-a-a-a-a-a-ah !"’ jeered the critical
crowd.
Oh, how, with a burning hatred, Samp-
son hated that mission, and how he longed
to kick the tree over (preferably on top of
Mrs. Jones) and savagely flee !
Kate valiantly came to the rescue,
advanced to the fore of the platform.
‘I’m sorry to have to state that by reason
of a severe cold Santa Claus has lost his
voice,’ she explained, smilingly. ‘So we’ll
do away with any address, if you’ll excuse
him, and set to work distributing the
gifts.’
‘Hurrah
‘Dat's de stuff !’
Thus encouraged, Kate surned, and at
random lifted a little package from the
base of the tree.
‘Joseph Zalinski,’ she called.
With a glance half mocking, half plead-
ing, she passed the package up to the
Sampson, who loweringly accepted it, and
with rebelling fingers held it ont before
him.
Joseph slouched forward, grabbed the
package, at the same time giving Samp-
son a punch in the cushion, and amid
great applause from fellow urchins ran
back to cover.
‘Dirty little brute !’ growled Sampson.
But this, however, marked the high-
water of Sampson Wright’s indignation.
Henceforth the tide was to ebb.
‘‘Hattie Kirk,’ called Kate.
Hattie proved to be an agreeable change
from Joseph. She was a really neat miss
of seven, and when she dropped a bit of a
courtesy to Santa Claus he almost smiled
behind his lamp- wick fringe.
For a time Sampson maintained his
wooden image attitude, neither unbending,
figuratively, nor bending, actually. The
latter was simply impossible, by reason of
the indignities to which, he imagined, he
was being subjected.
Perhaps Joseph was the worst of the lot;
perhaps, on the other band, Sampson was
and
getting used to his environments; at any
rate, presently he caught himself waxing
He fought against it, bus
to no avail. He tried to.be blind to the
fact that these children of Sunnyside Mis-
sion—ragged, grimy children, many of
them, from hovel and street—were, after
all, beneath their rags and grime much like
other children. They watched, they grew
excited, they rejoiced ; little things pleased
them; Christmas was for them as much as
for anybody.
And Sampson drolly jerked the string of
a jumping jack, to the huge amusement of
one Patsy Conners, about to take it, and
was lost. He was Santa Claus within, as
well as without !
As the result of the thaw that set in he
found his voice. He joked; he said things
so witty that he wondered at them, him-
He.
laughed, regardless of the cracking mucli-
age, and the children and mothers and
fathers laughed with him. He did not
mind, moreover, when they laughed af
bim. And all the time Kate beamed on
him approvingly.
As a climax, he picked a wee Italian
lassie np in his arms,and kissed her, through |
his whiskers. She ran back very much de-
lighted, and with a smudge of brickduss on
her cheek.
This innovation of the program awaken-
ed such enthusiasm that Sampson felt it
devolved on him to kiss other children, al-
so. By the time the tree bad been strip-
ped, and the last of the gifts disposed of,
most of the brickdust had been transferred
from his own countenance and distributed,
in spots, among the crowd !
* * * * *
*‘Mr. Wright, we simply cannot express
our gratitude to you !"” declared Mrs. Jones,
after the people bad been dismissed, and
while.in the side room she, with a bevy of
assistants, was divesting him of his cush-
ions. ‘‘You made the evening a success !’’
“Well, I hope so, I'm sure,’”’ responded
Sampson; wincing as he cautiously pulled
portions of his whiskers from his face. *‘I
enjoyed it as much as anybody.’
*‘And we want you for our Santa Claus
next year !’ continned Mrs. Jones. ‘Will
you do it?’
‘Oh, do!’ chorused the other women.
‘Certainly,’ agreed Sampson.
‘‘And now I suppose you’d like to wash,
somewhere; you must feel very sticky,
poor man,’ commiserated Mrs. Jones.
“I'll ‘take him home with me,’ “vol-
unteered Kate, quickly, ‘and he can scrub
himself there; that is, if he’ll come,’ and
she darted at him an appealing glance.
‘Sampson instantly put on his cap, from
which the plaster ‘and whiting had heen
shaken, and ‘out they went, “together.
“Sam, you’re just splendid!’ avowed
Kate, without hesitation, giving his arm a
little squeeze of emphasis. ‘‘I didn’t have
much hopes of you, though, at firs; you
were so grumpy.’
‘Somehow, I had a mighty good time,’
confessed Sam. ‘But bow did you happen
to be there?’ i
‘Entirely through accident,’ she an-
swered. ‘I was feeling kind of blue, and I
went with Mrs. Jones, to cheer myself
?
“Lucky youn did!" asserted Sampson.
Neither referred to the late breach, un-
less this remark might be taken to allude
to it. The breach seemed to have closed of
itself. ;
“The one drawback in the program,’
proceeded Sampson, ‘is, that you and I
didn’t get anything—any Christmas pres-
ent. Of course, Santa Claus himself ought
not to expect any, but I should have hid a
doll, or an crange, up my sleeve, for you.’
‘‘Y-yes.” murmured Kate.
“So, if—if vou’ll take the only thing
that’s left, besides the tree, for you, you
can have him, Kitty,” suggested Sampson,
tremulously.
‘‘You know there are tw. things left,
besides the tree,’ purled Kitty. ‘We
might exchange--if you want me, Sam.”
Sampson bent closer.
“I'd like to seal the bargain,’ be said.
softly. ‘‘Do you mind hrickdust?'By
Edwin L. Sabin, in the Pilgrim.
Dainties for the Christmas Dinner.
A Plain Hickory Nut Loaf.—Two-thirds
of a cup of butter creamed with two cups
of sugar; add a cup of sweet milk, three
eggs beaten separately, two teaspoonfule
of baking powder mixed with threecups of
sifted flour and a cup of hickory nut meats
cut in slices and sprinkled with flour. Add
the beaten whites of the eggs last. Bake
in a moderate oven ahout an hour, or until
a broom splint thrust in the centre comes
out smooth and clear.
OLY-K00KS.—Beat to a cream one cup of
butter and two of sugar. Break in two
eggs, beating vigorously, add half a cup of
hot milk, half a teaspoonful of salt, and
gifted flour to make a stiff batter. Beat
well. Adda cupand a half more of hot mili
and more sifted flour, until the batter is as
stiff as can be beaten with ease. Cool to
lukewarm, add a yeast cake dissolved in a
cup of water, a little more flour, and then
beat until the batter blisters. Cover and
set in a warm place about twenty-four
hours to rise. If set about 10in the morn-
ing it will be usually well risen by 9 of the
next morning. Dredge the molding board
with flourand turn the batter on it, remem-
bering the dough must be as soft as can be
handled and the less handling the better.
Roll the dough in sheets about three-fourths
of an inch thick and cut in round cakes.
Now with a sharp, thin knife cus a slit in
each cake and insert in the centre a plump
raisin, a bit of sliced citron and a lamp of
sugar or a teaspoonful of any rich preserve.
Wet the edges of the slit and press togeth-
er closely. Let the donghuuis rise for half
an hour or until quite light and cook ina
kettle of smoking hot fat. This may be
lard or lard drippings. It should be hot
enough to color a bit of bread a light yel-
low as soon as it is dropped in.
The oly-kooks take about ten minutes
to cook—longer than an ordinary dough-
nut on account of the fruit in the centre.
They should be a tender, golden brown
when done. Lift ont with a skimmer,
drain and lay on soft brown paper to ab-
sorb the fat. Roll in powdered sugar and
when cold set away in a stone cake jar.
Old-fashioned cooks sometimes soak the
oly-kooks in a little Santa Cruz rum and
serve them with preserved peaches. In
some old Knickerbocker families they are
often served during the holidays with
vanilla ice cream.
Celery Salad.— This consists simply of
celery cut up into small square cubes,
spread on lettuce leaves and covered with
a thick mayonnaise dressing.
Velvet Cream.—Take half an ounce of
gelatine and dissolve this in a cup and one-
half of cooking sherry or any good wine.
Soak the gelatine half an hour in the wine
and then put it on the back of the stove in
a porcelain or agate kettle and add three-
quarters of a pound of granulated sugar
and the grated rind of one lemon. Remove
from the fire as soon as dissolved and strain.
When about lukewarm add a pint and a
balf of rich cream stirring it gently so that
the custard may not separate. Pourina
mould and set on ice. This makes a large
dish full.
Honesty in Christmas Giving.
With the approach of Christmas we bear
again the usual talk about ‘‘the obligations
of the season, the burden of shopping, the
farce of exchanging presents.” We haven’t’
a particle of sympathy with people who
take this attitude. - Christmas and obliga-
tion are words which in their true meaning
contradict each other, and if any regard
gift giving as an obligation and a bore, this
is a good year for them to emancipate
themselves. Christmas is the [festival of
childhood, and it is a pity that we cannot
accept its opportunities of showing thought-
ful kindness in a more childlike spirit. If
our giving could only be made spontaneous,
freed from routine, from the fear of ‘'set-
ting an unwise precedent,”’ from all sug-
gestion of barter, it would cease to be a
burden and become a delight. Once in the
year we have an opportunity of expressing
friendship in tangible form—why not re-
joice in it? One woman of our acquaint-
ance claims that a thoughtless, unloving
gift is dishonest. In a personal letter she’
writes : ‘‘I have some rather unworldly,
and I suppose they would be called silly,
notions ahout gilts to friends. Why, just
a tiny card, with the Christ-child illumi-
nating it and reminding us what the day
signifies, or some bit of written or printed
verse which is sent ‘because it made me
think of you,’ means so much more, and is
truly in keeping with the good will which
distinguishes the day. If only we would
never insult anyune with a gift that is not
honest clear through !"’—Tkhe Congregation-
alist.
April 3rd Easter Sunday.
Easter Sunday always falls on the Sun-
day next following the first full moon on
or after the 21st of March. This year full
moon falls on Thursday, March 31st, the
first full moon after the 21st, hence the
first Sunday after March 31st will be on
April 3rd, and that will be on Easter Sun-
day. :
—-VIN-TE-NA for'Depressed Feeling, Ex-
hausted Vitality, Nervous Debility and
Diseases requiring a Tonic Strengthening
Medicine. It cures quickly by making
Pare Red Blood and replenishing the
Blood Supply. Benefit Guaranteed or
money refunded. All druggists. 48-41.
. ——Fine quality oysters and high grade
oyster crackers at Sechlers.
lll
A “Lost” Christmas Gift.
At the approach of the first Christmas
after the wedding, a certain bride, desirous
of giving her hest beloved something made
by her own affectionate but inexperienced
hands, manufactured a truly wonderful
nightshirt. It was made of pink-and-white
outing-flannel, trimmed with lace-edged
ruffles, and was further embellished with
rows of elaborate feather-stitching.
The surprised hushand expressed a proper
amount of gratitude, and said—wisth truth
---that he had never beheld a garment to
compare with it; but when asked later
‘why he did not wear it, he replied that it
was
‘‘Far too good
For human nature’s daily food,”’
and that he was saving it for some occa-
sion that really demanded a nightshirs of
more than ordinary gorgeousuness. It was
juss the thing, he averred, to wearif one
happened to be convaleseing from a hroken
limb or a long attack of fever.
Bus one day the husband telephoned that
he was unexpectedly called out of town on
business, and requested his wife to pack
his valise and to have it at the station with-
in the hoar, which she did.
Feeling tired after a long day’s ride, and
baving nothing better to occupy his time,
the man went to his room at nine o’clock
that night, intending to go at once to bed.
When he unpacked his valise he discovered
that the long-dreaded ‘‘special occasion’’
had at last arrived, for there, folded neatly
in the valise, was the pink-and-white night-
shirt--ribbons, ruffles and all.
The traveler was slightly bald, and bad
a sandy mustache, and when he bad tied
the broad pink ribbons in a bow under his
decidedly masculine chin, he made a piec-
ture never to he forgotten. He was just
about to climb into bed, hoping fervently
that no sudden alarm of fire would render
it necessary for him to appear unexpected-
ly in public, when ‘he was startled by a
loud rapping at his door.
Supposing his visitor to be the bearer of
an expected telegram, he opened the door
to find himself confronted by the last per-
son he wanted to see--or to he seen by--in
the circumstances. His caller,a man upon
whom, for business reasons,he was desirous
of making a favorable impression, had dis-
covered his name on the hotel register.
“Good gracious !”” exclaimed the aston-
ished visitor, ‘‘are you on your way to a
fancy-dress ball ?”’
*No,”’ returned the embarrassed victim.
“I'm merely getting ready to go to bed in
the nightshirt that my wife made me for
Christmas.”
The young wife subsequently considered
it strange that her husband was never after-
ward able to recall the name of the town
in which he absent-mindedly left that un-
exampled nightshirt under the hotel pillow
‘“There were seven yards of lace on it,
t00,”” she would sometimes sigh, regret-
fully, “‘and four yards of ribbon; but never
mind, dear, I'll make you another some-
time.”’— Youth's Companion.
Xmas Tree Game for Holiday Parties
Ten verses from the poets, each one con-
taining a reference to some particular kind
of tree, are a requirement for a good Christ-
mas game.
The hostess may search out a set for her-
self, or she may make use of those given
below.
Prepare the puzzles prettily by catting
cards for them out of water color paper.
There should be ten of these cards, alike
in shape and size. At the top of each card
is a little tree, sketched in inke, colored
chalks or water color, and a number in
gold print.
One of the quotations is written on each
card. The verses are always incomplete,
the name of the tree and that of the author
of the poem being represented in every
case by blanks.
In playing the game the guests endeavor
to fill in the missing words. These are
written, not on the question cards, but on
slips provided for the purpose by the mis-
tress of ceremonies. Each answer should
be numbered to correspond with the card.
Here are the quotations:
But they shall sit everv man under his
own vine and fig tree. Bible.
Thy children like olive plants around the
table. Bible.
Tall oaks from little acorns grow. David
Everett.
Under the spreading chestnut tree the
village smithy stands. Longfellow.
And every shepherd tells his tale.
Under the hawthorn in the dale. Mil-
ton.
From haunted spring and dale,
Edged with poplar pale. Milton.
A goodly apple rotten at the heart.
Oh, what a goodly outside falsehood hath.
Shakespeare. :
As variable as the shade.
By the light, quivering aspen made.
Scott.
Uuder the shady roof.
Of branching palm, star-proof. Milton.
The beams of our house are of cedar,
the rafters of cypress trees. Bihle.
A half hour at least will take wing in
working out the answers. The question
cards are passed from hand to band until
everybody is familiar with them. When
all players have finished the slips are
gathered up and pronounced upon by the
party-giver. .
The prizes can be simple Christmas
gifts of any nature, boxed and bundled up
beyond recognition. The worst guessers
should receive similar bundles, which,
when unwrapped, reveal cheap copies of
children’s nursery books, printed on linen,
or children’s toys, such as woolly dogs,
jumping-jacks and the like.
The name of the entertainment, ‘‘A
Christmas Tree Social,’’ requires no eluei-
dation.
To Change the Game Laws.
" The state game commission will try and
sécure the passage of the following amend-
mente to the game laws at the next session :
First. That there shall be no gun used
to kill or assist in killing deer that propels
more than one metal bullet or pellet at any
one shot from a gun or any one discharge
of powder.
Second. That the seaon for killing deer,
hare, rabbit, pheasant, grouse, woodcock
and quail shall open at same date of same
month of each year.
Third. That no one person or persons
shall kili or assist in killing more than one
deer in any one lawful season.
Fourth. That no person shall kill or
have in his possession more than twenty
pheasants, grouse or woodcock, quail each
in one lawful season.
Fifth. That there be a liberal bounty
paid for each and every weasel, bawk and
ow] killed in the Commonwealth of Penn-
sylvania to be paid by the township in
which said weasel, hawk and owl are
killed. wi
"Subscribe for the’ WATCHMAN.
January Jarors.
The following were drawn to serve as
jurors at January term of court, commenc-
ing Monday, January 25th, 1904, and con-
tinuing two weeks :
GRAND JURORS.
Henry Zerby, farmer...........cc.v cerseesens Haines
D. B. Schenck, farmer..
William Bitner, laborer
James A. Ott, laborer....
G. W. Stover, saddler....
William Walker, miner....
William Kunes, laborer...
W. C. Walk, farmer..........
George W. Smith, farmer.
John Armagast, farmer...
Frank Peters, farmer...........
W. J. Thorsell, blacksmith. .
Gotleib Haag, gentleman.....
A. W. Dale, tarmer...........
Clayton Weaver, miller....
Clayton Brungart, farmer.
Enoch Sweeney, farmer...
Ira Lyle, weaver...........c...
Thomas Tubridy, laborer.
W. P. Irwin, laborer.........
C. E. Murray, merchant.
William R. McClosky, farmer.
James Gregg, teacher.............
Elmer Henderson, merchant...............
TRAVERSE JURORS—1ST WEEK.
William Beck, farmer..
Henry Weaver, farmer....
Adam Cowher, blacksmith..
George R. Price, farmer.....
Conrad Immel, laborer...
A. C. Ripka, farmer.....
F. D. Young, laborer.....
E. H. Zeigler, farmer.............
Collins Baumgardner, farmer
Henry Confer, farmer............
John E. Foresman, lahorer...
Frank Beals, clerk.................
David Dutcher, mechanie......... S.
Benjamin Breon, lumberman
Claude Gette, bookkeeper....
John W. Oyler, farmer........
B. F. Blair, farmer.........
F. C. Croyle, blacksmith....
Joseph W. Marshall, farmer..
John A. Heckman, farmer.....
A. J. Gorton, gentleman.....
James McCliney, farmer...
Joseph S. Smith, shoemaker.
William Zeigler, farmer
George W. Fisher........
Jasper Steel, farmer..............
Henry Snavely, lumberman...
.... Haines
..Bellefonte
James Noll, lime burner...
George Walk, laborer.....
J. S. Auman, miller....
R. B: Treister, farmer...............cccuieiinns
W. B. Snyder, superintendent..
Samuel Hoover, farmer........
Miles P. Heaton, farmer.... ..Boggs
S. M. Miller, gentleman................. Philipsburg
Thomas Shaughnessy, carpenter.... Bellefonte
Frank Smith, painter............... ....Ferguson
Harvey Bowersox, farmer..... Ferguson
James Winklebleck, farmer................. Haines
John Eisle, painter............... Snow Shoe
Robert A. Lucas, laborer. Snow Shoe
William Ripka, carpenter....c......ccveeeenned Gregg
M. S. Fiedler, gentleman...
Fred Bartley, gentleman....
Elmer E. Swartz, farmer...
Charley Hess, farmer.........
August Newman, merchant... Milesburg
Alonzo Grow, merchant..........cceceun.. Burnside
TRAVERSE JURORS—2ND WEEK.
Charles Reese, farmer..........c.cooerrvnvenens Boggs
George B. Shaffer, merchant... ..Penn
John W. Beck, laborer.........cccccerennnennns Howard
J. G. Platt, merchant...... Philipsburg
Charles Heickel, laborer.... ....Liiberty
Warren Ward,fmerchant...
Isaiah Beck, farmer.......
W. A. Sandoe, tailor....
Foster Williams, clerk...........
P. J. McDonald, railroad boss..
Snyder Tate, ice dealer............
Paul Musser, laborer...............
Theodore B. Haupt, cigarmaker.........
J. H. Gross, merchant tailor............
Jacob Bergstresser, photographer........ Walker
Harry 8S. Kreamer, gentleman........ Snow Shoe
Daniel Long, laborer............
W. H. Odenkirk, clerk...
A. W. Kennedy, bookkeeper.
W. W. Neese, gentleman.......
PF. 8. Ocker, elerk..............
* Christian Robb, farmer...
.Centre Hall
.... Rush
J. B. Hazel, merchant......... iuiiicoiissinn. Miles
Martin Neidigh, farmer........cccoueuue. Ferguson
Thomas 8. Hazel, clerk..... ...Bellefonte
W. F. Rishel, farmer................000 00 Gregg
W. H. Mokle. tinsmith... ...College
J.} W. Conley, clerk........ ... Bellefonte
Sylvester Slagle, optician.. State College
B. D. Butler, farmer..................c....ecl Howard
Daniel Eberhart, carpenter. Bellefonte
L. C. Bullock, labover.....
Samuel Ard, gentleman
Elmer Boop, farmer..........
Hiram Thompson, farmer.
James 'I\. Foust, carpenter
Harvey Vonada, farmer...
William Forcey, laborer....
Michael Corman. farmer....
Milton Shuey,fcarpenter.........c....... ‘Ferguson
Plus X Gets Over 45,000,000 Francs.
Is Wealth of Leo X111 that Had Caused Much Com-
ment in Rome, 9,250,000 Francs Found.
According to the Zribuna, the vatican
had sudden wealth poured into its coffers
last week. For some time ceatain sums,
which were known to be possessed by Pope
Leo, were looked for without result,
the search toward the end becoming
somewhat feverish.
Cardinal Gotti, prefect of the proganada,
accompanied by Mousignor Marzolini, one
of the late pope’s secretaries, drove up to
the vatican and, getting out hurriedly, be-
gan tugging at a heavy object in the car:
riage. Assistance was offered, but it was
refused and Cardinal Gotti and Monsignor
Marzolini, between them, carrried the
mysterious object to the apartment of Pope
Pius. They were immediately admitted
and remained for two hours.
Intense curiosity was aroused by this
act, as it was believed to have some rela-
tion to the missing wealth, and the wildest
rumors were circulated. It soon became
known, however, that the bag contained
45,000,000 francs $9,000,000 in bank
notes.
When Cardinal Gotti entered the pre-
sence of the pope, he sank to his knees
and, pointing to hisburden, said :
“Your holiness, the lamented Leo, just
before his death. confided to me the mon-
ney, which I now lay at your feet, saying
thas if I succeeded him I was to use it as I
thonght best, but if another took his place,
I was to turn the money over to him, after
a period of four months had elapsed. This
I now do in the presence of Mousignor
Marzolini, who has been the only other
peison to share the secret.’’
The pope was much affected.
The Tribuna goes on to relate that just
about the time this scene was being en-
acted in the papal apartments an electrician,
while removing the baugings in the late
pope’s chamber, in order to get at the elec-
tric light wires, found in a bole in the wall
several bags, which were carelessly tied.
These bags, when opened, were found to
contain 9,250,000 francs $1,850,000.