———————
Benooralic Wc
Bellefonte, Pa., December 20, 1907.
CHRISTMAS,
O holy, happy morning,
That saw the Saviour's birth!
The star, thy brow adorniog,
Beams merey on the earth,
For shepherds, and for sages,
Thy cheer, impartial, tree—
The travail of the ages
Finds recompense in thee,
My soul, be thou believing: —
No more thy past deplore;
In Christ all loss retrieviag,
Rejoice for evermore
By unknown love atten led,
Thy weary watch and ward —
Behold, the vision splendid!
The angel of the Lord!
And hark! the herald ange!!
The radiant, rapturous throng!
The ravishing evaogel
Floods ail the hills with song:
“To God in heaven glory,
Good will to men below"
Speed, speed the blessed story,
That all the world may know.
Repeat it sofily, slowly,
For still, in but and hall,
Are lonely hearts and lowly,
That hunger tor it all.
Again, again the story!
Till sin snd sorrow cease—
“Touod, the Father, glory,’
And to His children peace!”
Dansville, N. Y,
BEHIND THE CHRISTMAS CAROLS.
*‘Boys, do you see that third note in the
second bar ? If youdo, tell me what it is.”’
*'B flat,” shouted thirty shrill Germao-
American voices.
“Well, then, will you please sing it B
flat? You ought to kuow this carol by
beatt ; you had is lass year. Now, Mrs,
Harper, once more, please,’’ and Miss Wes-
ton, a tall, handsome girl, resumed her im-
passioned struggles to carry the time, while
ber friend with all ber slender mighs
pounded the keys in an ineffectual attempt
to make the tune heard above the shouting
of the boys, who were in the most reckless
of fine spirits; for was not tomoriow Christ-
mas day, and was not this the beginning of
their holidays ?
** ‘Good King Wenceslas looked,’ ”’ they
screamed, each for himself, in high good
kamor.
Miss Weston rapped energetically for si-
lence, which, after much laughter and some
horse play, approximately obtained.
Discipline was not one of Miss Weston's
strong points, and the boys adored her.
“Boys,” said she, firmly, when she
could make herself heard, *‘il you don’t
stop playiog and pay aitention for the rest
of this rehear=al, not one of you shall go to
she hospital.”
Thix awful threat produced a marked ef-
fect. ForSsome reason, presumably cor-
related with shat mysterious region ina
boy's hear , entirely inaccessible to pres-
sare, called the ‘‘soft spot,”’ one of their
greatest treats was the monthly visis to the
pauper hospital ou Black well’s Island, there
to make the round of the wards, singing
their sweetest, aud looking, in their little
white cottas, to the poor old eyes straining
at them from the pillows, like the angels
whose character they temporarily assumed,
‘A silence which could be felt ensued, and
Miss Weston followed up her advantage :
“Ye«, I shall sake the little fellows from
A and Bif I have any more trouble with
you. You can all sing tnese carols if you
want to, and sing them you must hefore
you leave this room, Now, once more.”
Again, “Good King Wenceslas looked
out,’’ this time to the chime of sweet, high
voices.
“Oh, excnse me for interrupting youn,
Miss Weston ; but I’ve got to have eight of
your boys for the church choir. There's a
falling off at the last mioute, and I muss
call on you. They all know the Christmas
hymus, and most of them can »ing the serv.
ioe; it will go all night, I hope. TI will take
Hugo Eogelmann and Rapert Friedli and
those other hoy= in the first row.”’
“Bat, Mr. Keller,” remonstrated Miss
Weston, ‘I can’t wake the Sunday school
festival go at all with all those voices ont. ”’
“Oh, yes, you can,”’ said the anxious
and burried organise; ‘and, any way, there's
nothing else to do. The rector says she
music fell off last Christmas, and that it's
gos to be up to the mark this year if it
takes every boy iu every one of the choirs
todo it"
‘Well, of conrse, il he says so ; bat this
practice might as well come to an end now.
I’m tired to death, and the hoys are fall of
deviltry. and she festival will be a failure,
anyway.’ There were tears in poor Miss
Weston’s voice.
The hoys were in a state of light-hearted
gleefalvess which only piochings and
punchings were at all adequate to express,
and they bad taken advautage of this op-
portane interruption to avail themselves
freely of that mode of expression.
*‘Boys,"’—just then hroke in a low,quiet
voice, —‘‘take your places and go on with
this practice at once.’
A deathlike hush fell upon the room as
the Rev. M. Wilmer seated himself beside
the piano. Exactly what was the secret of
Mr. Wilmer’s power over the animal boy
no one had ever heen able to find out, hat
at his coming gentle peace invariably sour.
ried ahead, and warfare and conlasion sout-
tled out of the way.
“On, thank you, Mr. Wilmer,”” tremu-
lously exclaimed the exhausted volunteer
choir-mistress; and at last the carols went
through in peacefnl soccession. ‘The
snow lay on the ground’ in unroffled re-
pose; “Sweet Christmas hells’’ rang ont
without a jangle, and “Joseph went a
walking #0 early Christmas Morn’ in unin.
terrupted calm. Even the succession of
wild war-whoops which customarily rent
the parish house on the dismissal of the
junior choir was checked on the lips by a
simple gesture of the curate’s warning
.
The two young women drew a long
breath of relief, and sank on a hench for a
moment's rest, while Mr, Wilmer, who
added to his list of marked characteristics
that of a dark conviction that every wom.
an who glanced his way bad designs upon
him, hurriedly withdrew from their pres
ence, now that the necessity for his being
there was over, to restore order in the bat-
talion rooms where the Christmas spirit
was taking the form of realistic wrestling
“Ah-h I" sighed Miss Weston, “I'm
a complete wreck. Coming down from
Eighty-sixth Street for all these extra re-
hearsals has worm my nerves to a frazzle,
and my family say I shall not go on with
the work next year; but they say that every
Christmas. Yon look worn out too, Ethel,
How are your white hangings coming on #’
“All I'm thankfal io ay. 3
ought not to have undertaken it so 3
but you koow the rector said be would
like to have them for Christmas, so, of
course, | simply worked day and night.
I’ve put my eyes out. I bad to give wp
time, —and then shat heavy, white silk
fringe costs 80 much, is took every cens |
had, and more too ; hos ['ve been wanting
80 long to do shis, aud | bad a lovely note
from the rector when [ sent them down
this morning.”
*They’ll look sweet with the greens and
the red stars. Did you embroider them in
lilies #7
**Yes, and with emblems, of course. But
I'm wo tired, Maude; I think I'll go home.
Harry says | must not do so much church
work, what with my twenty families to
visit, and the Friendly, and this choir prac:
tice, and all. See you io the morning, of
course ?'’
“Oh, of course. But I bave to leave the
house hefore six to get down in time. |
don’t know when I'll be home now. [I've
got to see ahout finding some of the little
fellows in A and B to fill up with.”
Outside, the snow was falling, and the
early dusk of a short winter day had
lengthened into a stormy, dismal evening.
All over the great parish house of St. Pen.
dragon’s hammed the sound of many voices
In the Frieodly Society's rooms the girls
were busily working for the kindergarten
chiidren’s tree.
“Ain't you got them dolls done. Rosie?"’
axked a girl with a large, red pompadour
which met ber evebrows. ‘'‘I don’t see
how [’m goin’ to finish mine at all ; we've
bin kep’ =o late at the store all this week, I
was afraid I wouldn't git here anyways.”’
“I'll help yon in a minute ; but say,
Min, ain't it a wonder them women
wounldn’t gis their shoppin’ done up in
time, ’stead er leavin’ is till the lass shing,
'n’ us havin’ to stay nights, passin’ goods
out to em ? They’ve a right to git busy
weeks ago.”
‘“Phat’s no lie, either. It's fierce how
late the girls all is ¢'-night ; but I guess
we'll git done in time ; most this is ready
now.”” Aud they fell to work again, some
dressing dolls, some filling candy bags,
some siringing pop-corn, all with the con-
solation of chewing gum.
“Say, girls, 4’ yer git on ter them elber
sleeves ’'n’ that white muslin waist at
church Wednesday night ?”’ exclaimed one
eager tongue, unable to keep silent.
“Well, I gness! Ain't she the peach?
Mr. Wallis was just back from San Fran-
cisco, 'n’ took the service,”
**'N,’ afterwards, they went up ‘on the
parish house roof-garden ; Jim Rapp 10 the
elevator seen ‘em.’
“*She’s a right to leave off them deaconess
things for fair—uare thing, I guess.”
‘‘Betcher life. He goo-goos at ber in
church till he gits all pie-eyed over the
service '’
“Well, I hope he gits her; he’s bin awful
good to my brother.”
“*He’s all right,”’ was the general hearty
comment, as the dissectors of a timid secret
scarcely as yet admitted to themselves hy
the principals in the little clerical romance,
once more settled down to work.
In the large chapel overhead, the main
school sree waa being trimmed under charge
of presty Deaconess Bryce, whose pale au-
burn hair, parted above a low forehead,
{crowned a face which might have served
| for a pictured saint. The face was pale
and tired now, for its owner had heen
working since noon, and the end was not
yet. Yonog men of the athletic club,
mounted on ladders, were banging the
decorations handed ap to them by groups
. of bustling Daughters of the King below,
The scene was one of chattering confusion,
and wild-eyed Mr. Matthews, the yonngest
curate, who had vot yes hecome acoustom-
ed to being called upon to do six things at
once, looked more bewildered every time
be found a chance to drop in upon them
ander the impression that he was helpirg.
“We mast stop if we're going to ge any
sleep at all,” declared she pretty deaconess
at last. *‘It's after eleven, and all these
things to be oleared away, r00.”
“Jost ten minntee more, Deaconess,”
said one of the athletes, stringing a row of
electric bulbs over the topmost hough. “I
guess ever yone '« about ready to knook off
work, anyway. Our hose has heen cutting
out the lunch hour this week, we've had so
much to do.”
“I know how overworked you’ve all
heen; but we can always count on our hoys
and girls at St. Pendragon’s for the Christ
was spirit; and you know the rector made
a special point of the tree—"’
* Oh, that's al! right, Deaconess. Dead
tired ont is all the style Christmas eve,
We're always this way every year."
‘How are they getting on over at the
church, Mr. Matthews ?'’ asked the dea-
coness, as the curate’s anxious face appear-
ed again in the doorway.
“Very well now, I believe. They didn’t
get started very early. You know Mrs.
Rogers has her own hoys and Mrs. Sey-
mour’s girls to help her.”
A general shout of laughter greeted this
remark, Mr. Matthews being the only one
present who was not aware that these two
large Bible classes had been found by ex-
perience to combine most efficaciously on
all occasions, aod that Mrs. Rogers, in
bringing this labor saving device to bear
on her present problem of trimming the
church, was following a time-honored and
most agreeable precedent.
“Too bad ahout—'' continued the cun-
rate, then checked himeelf, and glanced
meaningly at the deaconess, who, with ex-
perienced alertness, quietly moved a listle
apart,
Pl What in it?’ she asked.
“Too bad about Mrs. Harper's whi
hangings. The rector forgot to tell Mrs.
Horton, this afternoon, and her committee
bad all the greens fastened on the pulpit
and reading-desk, and when he brought in
the frontals, she just flaltly refused to take
her work down ; said she was tired so death
struggling there all the afternoon, and she
wasn't going to do it all over again.”
‘Ob, what a pity it bappened ! What
did the rector do? Mrs. Harper has: been
working herself sick over them for weeks,
I know.”
‘‘He was just about at the last gasp him-
sell,—a lot of masters had come up to both-
er bhim—and he simply bolted, and told
Wilmer to go over and fix things up ; hut
Wilmer conldn’t move her either. So Mrs.
Harper had to be sacrificed.”
“I'm so sorry,’ said the deaconess, du-
Dicuely 3 “I'm afraid she'll be terribly
art.
‘‘Here, Matthews, where are you ¥ They
want you the worst way down in the kin-
dergarten rooms. Some of their helpers
bhaven’s come, and they're all at rixes and
nevens over their tree,”’ broke in Mr. Wal-
lis, the present senior curate, who felt his
responsibility. “And,” he added, turning
to the deaconess, ‘I want to speak to youn
a moment,”’
A bright blush sprang to the face of the
deaconess, and meaning looks passed
among the young men and women around
her as Mr. Wallis, with au air of possession,
drew her aside, and whispered something
which deepeced still more the pretty pink
color in ber cheeks.
“Are you on ?"’ muttered Otto Engel to
Amelia Breitweiser.
“‘Sare, I'm on. It ain’t nothing new to
us girls. We seen what was comin’ long
“Fritz Schumacher says Mr. Wallis
wasn’t no good this year at battalion camp.
They didn’t bave no fun at all. Nothin’
doin’. All he cared about was goin’ to the
post-office ‘n’ writin’ letters the rest of the
time.”
‘‘She was up to camp one day, wasn't
she ?"’
**Yes ; but Fritzsays he took ber right
off in a boas, ‘n’ they never come back till
just time for her train.”
‘Guess be wasn’t goin’ to have no rub-
herin’.”’ .
““Here’s the rector I"’ called some one
near the door, and a pleased expectation
brightened all the tired faces ; for to each
and every one of the many organizations,
old and young, of St. Pendragon’s, a visit
from the much-loved head of the parish
was a highly prized treat.
Bat a fleeting glimpse of a tall, broad-
shouldered figure, with a barrassed look on
bis face, and tired lines around the eyes,
was all they caoght ; for, shouting “Wil.
mer! Wilmer! Has any one seen Wil-
mer ?”’ the overtaxed rector, just back
from a long, sad evening wish his senior
warden, to whose sick-bed he had heen has-
sly summoned, rashed throogh the room
without a glance at them or at their hean-
tifal tree.
At the opposite door he was met by Mr-
Wallis and the young deaconess, who was
now bloshiog like a rose.
“Oh, Rector,’ hegan the senior carate,
excitedly, “"wonld vou mind coming ioto
the study a minute? We—"'
“Can't stop an instant! too much to do
—where's Frank ? You fellows are never
around when you're all tired out. Go
straight home. Let some of the other dea-
conesses finish up.”’
‘‘But, Rector—jast listen a woment ; it's
a surprise for you.”
all presents,—conldu’s possibly spare the | ago.
“Can't belp it, my boy ; it must keep. |
Can't listen to a word. Almost twelve |
now—lot of things to do yet—yon go and
bunt up Frank and send bim over to the
rectory on the rush. Something I forgot
to tell him.”
And with a fival “Wilmer!” shonted
from far down the elevator shaft, the ree-
tor vanished into the night.
Mr. Wallis presently came back into the
chapel, and told she disappointed tree-
trimmers that the rector was so terribly
rushed that he couldn’t then tell them how
greatly he appreciated their work, and
that Miss Bryce, being too tired to stay up
longer, bad gove back to the deaconess
home to bed.
“Bat I'll take hold with you,’ he said,
trying to make his voice cheerfully encour-
aging, ‘‘and we'll soon have it dove now.”
And he did indeed fall to with a will,
bat the #nap seemed to have gone out of
his sportive mauner, and the finishing
touches were put on in a flat silence entire-
ly unrelieved by the laoghter and liveli-
ness which were usually the accompani-
ment of all events participated in by the
popular senior curate.
At the rectory the day bad heen filled
with pitfalls and fractions happenings of
all kinds. It had began with a slashing
oriticism in one of the morning papers on
the last Sunday's sermon, of which a gar-
bled acconnt bad filled two colomns. A
special vestry meeting in the afternoon bad
not resulted in the expected acquiescence
to a particular pet scheme, which the reo-
tor had intended to divulge as a Christmas
surprise to a delighted congregatian on the
morrow, One of his oberished plans for
getting money for the seaside work had
fallen through, and out of two thousand
circulars which he bad sent out to the
neighboring hotels and hoarding-houves, in-
viting them all to attach themselves to St.
Pendragou’s, there to become enthusiastio
adherents of the envelope system, less than
fifty replies had been received. Unless he
got a large sum at the offertory tomorrow,
there would be a deficit which would be
distinotly felt.
It was while pondering over these and
kindred sources of aunoyarce and anxiety
after the irritating vestry meetiog that the |
large box containing Mrs. Harper's careful-
ly packed aud be-tissne-papered hangings
canghs his eve, and recalled to his absent
mind her Christmas offering. Hastily
snatching up the box, be had rushed with
it into the church, only to go down in bat-
tle before Mrs. Horton, one of the many
long-time and long pursed leaders so abso-
lately necessary to a large parish,
whose check for two hundred dollars had
hecome ove of the regular features of the
Christmas offertory. In justice to the
many hundreds of deserving poor, wbose
pressing oeed St. Pendragon’s hoonty was
in some measure able to relieve, he could
not offend those who made that bounty
possible. Tryiog to fortify himself with
the well.-practised St. Pendragon’s adage
about the greatest good of the greatest
number, he finally took bis pen and wrote:
DEAR FRIEND : It has been found that
your heauntifu! hangings do not harmonize
and |
ponderous woman, richly dressed, whose
air of authority, not to say domineering-
ness, had combined with ample and very
readily untied purse-strings to raise her to
the ranks of the great powers of Ss. Pen-
dragon's. Around her, in confusion, lay
masses of heavy green branches and vines,
for which she had at great trouble avd ex-
expected to converts the somewhat bare and
plain chance! into a bower the like of
which had not been accomplished hy any
of her predecessors ; for this is the first
time she had been entiusted with a task of
such waguitude and importance. The
thirty young men of her Bible clase, on
whom she depended for her real help, being
late home fiom their work in consequence
of the Christmas rash, were corresponding-
ly late in getting ous of their working
clothes and into their ‘‘glads,’”’ aud the
same reasons had delayed the yoouyg ladies
| of the other class, whose obligivg presence
; was intended not alone to lighten the labor
but also to lend an element of social inter-
| est to the occasion.
Not without the wisdom of the serpent
had St. Pendragon's learned to pursae her
soul-catehing course.
Outside this belated corps of sixty, Mis.
Rogers had asked only a few personal
friends to come in and see her thiongh,
They formed a decidedly inefficient con-
trast to the great was of green «tuff to be
placed in position, and 18 was upon this in
| adequate group that the rector’s ese un-
| fortunately fel! as he entered the vesmry
| door with she fresh worry of the warden’s
tilness upon him. Being accustomed to
speak his mind on most occasions, he im-
petuonsly did so now, casting expediency
aside, and without pausing for explana
| tions. He bad onlv time for a few pungent
! and to-the point observations, for his er-
rand of weicy was argent; but no room for
| doubt was left as to his meaning. The
general drift was that he oever onght to
| have entrasted thie work to inexperienced
| hands, that it conld not now be acecom-
| plished, that the decorations wouid be an
| entire failure.
Men are but men, whatever their calling,
and it must he admitted that straws enongh
| to break any one's back had fallen upon
| the rector’s that Christmas eve.
When the whirlwind bad passed, the
haughty Mrs. Rogers was discovered in ove
| of the pews, prostrate, ina wilted condi
tion, and in floods of tears, which almost
equalled in bitterness those in which little
Mrs. Harper, who had jnst then received
ber note, was hopelessly battling.
Her friends, however, reassured her, and
| her tired hat willing staff of helpers just
then appearing, she recovered herself, and
the work began in earnest, and with such
vigor that by eleven the scheme of decora-
tion so carefully planned was perfectly car-
ried out, and exhausted but still willing
bands were bearing away the last vestige
ol debris
Thiough the midwinter darkness of early
morning, the lighted windows of 8t. Pen-
dragon’s flashed a Christinas greeting to
the harrying handreds gathering to it from
all guarters of the Greater Cisy.
The early comers found at the door an
antronbled and be-Christmassed rector, his
harassed nervousness entirely gone, wait-
ing with beaming face and hearty manner
to grasp each hand io affectionate personal
greeting,
Scattered ahoat at the rear of the church
were the carates, also fervently wishing a
happy Chnstmas to every ove they saw.
In a momentary lull of the incoming
rash the reotor cast a smiling glance at
them. There was Matthews, his eyes no
longer wild, but with ‘Peace on earth”
shining through them. Frank Wilmer,
too, ‘Good-will toward men’ had evi-
dently heen his Christmas lesson, for he
bad laid aside his forbidding manner, and
was broadly smiling, and warmly sbaking
hands with the pretty daughters of Mrs.
Rogers, who, in their soft furs and with
glowiog cheeks, had just come io with
their father.
‘‘Isn’t your mother coming, Helen?"
asked the rector, hoping for a minute to
retract his last night's mistake.
“I'm afraid not; she’s very tired.”” And
the girl went on up the aisle.
The rector’s face clouded ; then, as if re-
calling something, he called, ‘Where's
Wallis?” Adding : “What was it yoo
wanted to see me ahout, Jim?" as the
senior curate tarned from a whispered word
with a slight, black-veiled, long cloaked
figure entering a rear pew. Something in
the attitude of the two released in his me-
mory a Pandora’s box of trifles, unnoticed
at the time, and the Christmas roses on the
girl's sweet face and the unmistakable
gleam in the eyes of the man brought a
sadden intuition. |
“Come over here,’’ he exclaimed, soreen-
ing them from view behind a great hough
of evergreen. ‘‘Yon dear children—and I
wouldn't listen !| Well, now,you just come
over aud take breakfast with me after serv-
ioe—dears—and tell me all about it.”
And, towering above the young pair, he
crushed their bands together between his
own, with a look of loving tenderness
which obliterated forever his rebuff of their
“‘surprise,”’ and rendered complete their
with the Christmas greens ; they will go | Christmas joy.
better with the lilies of Easter. I write
that you may not be di-appointed when
you do not see them tomorrow morning.
Your friend and rector,
T. N.S.
‘‘Here, Wilmer,”” he called, ‘just run
up with this and smooth the poor little
woman down a bit,”
**Not I, Rector,” replied the experiene-
ed Mr. Wilmer. “I can’t stand tears, and
there'll be rivers of them here.”
““Too bad,’’—the rector shook his head
regretfully, —‘‘but can’t be helped. Weil,
send one of the battalion boys up with it,
then ; I'm tired out myself—done.”” And
the rector, wishing that expediency did not
have to be considered in church work,
turned with a sigh to the comfortable
lounge ; but laying aside the temptation,
he took up the ball-finished notes of bis
sermon, and baried himself in them, try-
ing to shut his ears to the distracting
sounds which floated in from the choir
room, where the organist and his boys
were lustily practising the Christmas mu-
sig, reinforced by the cream of the junior
choir, which Miss Weston, for all these
weeks’ been so carefully training.
¢ ‘Oh, rest beside the weary way, and
hear the angels sing,” ”’ caroled the full;
sweet voices.
Rest ! If he ouly could ! Inspiration,
without which he never could preach at
all, seemed reluctant to come. Perhaps
he was over-tired ; certainly he must not
let these annoyances worry bim so. Din.
ner found him still musing over bis notes,
but his thoughts were abruptly recalled to
practical duties by a message that the se-
nior warden bad been stricken with a seiz-
ure of some kind. Hurriedly finishing bis
coffee, the rector took up his bat and coat,
telling his seoretary to call a cab, while he
looked in at the church to encourage the
workers there.
The great church was dimly lighted, all
but oneend being in darkness ; on the
chancel step sat Mrs. Rogers, a handsome,
“What was the rector saying to you,
Jim?’ asked his colleagues, while they
were putting on their sorplices in the ves-
try, awaiting the first strains of ‘Oh, come,
all ye faithfal.”
“You'll know in due time,” said the
senior curate, heaming,
By seven o'clock the great church was
crowded to its utmost capacity, rich and
poor filling its pewsin neighborly prox-
imity. From the midst of heavy festoons
of green shone the great glittering star.
Across the chancel arch blazed ‘Peace on
earth, good-will toward men."
The white-robed angel band bad sung
their carols in sweetest accord, and with
“It came upon the midnight olear’’ ring-
ing through the air, the rector mounted
the pulpit steps for his Christmas talk.
He looked long and earnestly over the
sea of faces before him. What an effort
many of them bad made to come. The
great East-Bide congregation, how could
they manage it at Mat hou ¢ Tue reas
ap-town congregation—perhaps -
er for them. And the individual ones,
Rhwe Hhoriee, oye roume Bs knew.
very face t glow ; Mrs. Rog-
ers had come, afterall. How beautiful she
bad made the church !| How hasty he had
been! Maude Weston, too, singing awa
with all her heart, and watching wi
pride her boys in the chancel ; little Mis,
Harper, who bad wished him all Christ-
mas happiness as she came in the door,
without the slightest trace of her disap-
pointment—all these bad sunk their own
hurt personal feelings for the sake of the
church. The family of the senior warden,
not one of them absent, had laid aside
their anxiety for this hour. The bard-
working East-Side boys and girls who had
given of their exhausted strength to make
up this Festival ; the generous rich, who
made the parish work a posibitisy ; the
generous poor, who, out of their poverty,
so far outgave their richer neighbors ; the
Et —.
disappointing
pense sent to Georgia, and with which she | Ch
|
neighborhood population
who bad turned =ach a deaf ear to his own
invitation, large numbers of them had
made the effort to come : the hard-headed
vestry, who bad thwarted his plans ; the
great mass of bumanity before him, all for.
getting themselves, and reflecting from
their beaming, upturned faces the spirit of
The hymn ended, and. standing there,
tall and straight in his white vestments,
and with the look in his face and the tone
in his voice which made him loved by every
one of his people for the man he was, the
rector laid aside the notes he had prepared
and spoke out from his hears :
‘My dear friends, —this means you, too,
my dear boys and givls,—1 thank youn all
for all you have done and for all you bave
wanted to do to make this Festiva! beausi-
ful. I know shat some of you have had
sad and disappointed feelings to lay aside
hefore yon couid come here this morning,
and I know that some of these feelings
were caused by myself. I. two, have bad
my own disappointments to overcome as
yeu have overcome yours. [ask yon now
to forgive me, every one whom any hasty
aot or word of mine may bave wounded,
and let ux all bave forbearance one with
another, remembering ‘That by reason of
the frailty of our mortal nature we cannot
always stand opright.” And vow. my
dear, dear people, I beg you, as we enter
upon the Christmas Feast, to try and for-
get with me all our anxieties and worries
and crosses that we may sing from our
hearts the hymn first sang by the angels
nineteen hundred years ago.”
And, with a mighty shont which vhook
the roof of the charoh, “Hark, the herald
angels sing,’’ soared ap to the stars which
still twinkled in the clear dawn of Christ
mas morning. —By Mary Baell Wood, in
Century Magazine.
BACHELOR'S LAY.
Backward,
flight.
Ten or twelve years would be just about right.
Make all of my sisters young Indies again,
Make all of my brothers young unmarried
men
Blot out all my nieces, my wee nephews, too,
Till after the holiday season is through;
Carry me back to those old days when |
Didn't have about forty-five presents to buy,
Backward, turn backward, © tide of the years;
They are sweet, they are cunning, the dear
little dears;
‘They “love Uncle Jack very much,” so they de,
When Christmas begins to loom up to their
view:
But things of Iate haven't been coming my
way,
I am hard up at present, and therefore | pray:
Swing backward, O Time, from the echoless
shore,
Make me nephewless, nieceless, till Christmas
is o'er.
turn backward, O Time in your
~Chieago Daily News.
THE CHRISTMAS YEAR.
From a little Southern village comes to
us the story of a woman who ouce loss
Christmas out of her year. Just before the
day, misery and disgrace, and, at last,
crimne came into her family. She carried
the load fora while, and shen fell under
it, sick onto death. The blessed day
dawned and passed, hut she was lying an-
conscious aud knew nothing of it. When
she came to herself the people of the town
had forgotten that there ever had been a
Christmas. Bat the day bad always count-
ed for much to Jane. It seemed to her
like a word of cheer from God Himself on
ber weary climb upward, giving her hope
and strength and encouragement for the
whole year to come.
Jane kept the village post-office. She
was apt to be sharp and cross, because she
was old, and bad a secret ailment which at
times tortured her. Bat when she took ap
her work on the very first day that she was
able to do so, it suddenly oconrred to her :
“Why not pretend that shis is Christmas
Day, and keep it, though nobody but God
and me will know ?”’
She opened the window, and as she gave
ous the letters had a cordial word for every
one of the neighbors ontside—children and
hard-worked women and feeble old men.
They went away laughivg and surprised,
but strangely heartened. When the office
was closed, she bethought herself of gifts,
aud baked some of her famous oralleis and
catiied them to folk so poor that they nev-
er had any crullers, and to the old paupers
in the almhouse.
She astonished each of them, too with the
gift of a dollar.
“I can do with my old cloak another
year,” she thought, ‘‘and they will feel
rich for days !"" “In His name,’ she said
to herself as she gave each of her poor
esents,
The little gifts held oat for a long time
as she carried them from house to house,
her face growing kinder as she went and
her voice softer. It seemed to her that
never hefore had there been so many sick,
unbappy folk in the town. Surely it was
right to make them glad that He had come
among ns—even il it were not Christmas
Day ?
She was very tired when she bad finished
her day’s work. She thanked Him when
she knelt down at night that He had put it
in her mind to keep His day, in &his se-
cret fashion.
But she could not sleep for thinking of
other poor neighbors to whom she might
have given some little comfort or pleasure.
“Why not make them bappier that He
hae come, to-morrow, as well as to-day ?"’
she thought, with a shock of delight in her
discovery.
So it came to pass that this little post.
mistress made a Christmas ons of every
day in that year for her poor neighbors.
When she had no more gifts for them she
threw herself into their lives ; she pursed
them when they were sick, dragged them
np when they fell, cried with them when
they suffered, and laughed with them
when they wers happy.
And thus is was that she taught them of
ber Master, and led them to be glad every
day of the year that He had been born in-
to the world to be ita Helper.
A woman needs to give double care to
the preservation of her health—once for
ber own happiness and once for the health
and happiness of the children she may
have. How often does she take this extra
care of herself ? Rarely, indeed, until she
bas entered upon a course of suffering, and
has learned from experience the necessit
of care. It ought to be a part of the mother’s
duty to instruct her daughter in the neces-
sity of preserving her womanly health.
Je budding girl ought to be taught that
the high office of motherhood has its weigh-
ty obligations and responsibilities, and
that if there is peril in motherhood it is
chiefly due to the neglect of the necessary
laws of health. The best way for young
women lo protect and rve their wom-
suly health is to use Dr. Pierce's Favorite
Prescription on the first symptom of irregu-
larity. Irregularity is the beginning, often
of complicated and painful feminine dis-
|
orders. “‘Favorite Presoription” regulates
the periods, cures inflammation, ulceration
and female weakness, soothes and strength-
ens the nerves and enriches the entire body
with vigor aud vitality. It contains neith-
er aleobol, nor narcotic.
THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS,
Twas the day afier Christmas and all through
the fiat
There was drumming snd strumming on this
and that:
The Browns’ little boy had a horn that he blew
Till it seemed he must blow the contrivance in
two,
The Whites little son had a drum that he beat
As hard as he could, without stopping 10 eat;
Young Gray bought his wife a piano, and say!
She never let up for & minute all day!
The Greens gave their daughter a new violin--
I wonder if wishing folks harm is a sin?
Woe Blacks bought their sweet little Willie «
ute,
And he started right off on a horrible toot!
There were thumping and jumping and clap-
ping and yells,
There was rumbling of cars, there was Jingling
of bells,
There was blowing and strumming oun this
and that—
Oh, the day after Christmas is——in & flat’
————————————
A Christmas Game
Guess the Things You “win Have at Dinner,
The Boston Transcript publishes the fol-
lowing list of suggestions for Christinas
dinner, the articles referred to in each
phrase to be guessed by the youngsters,
wio may be assisted by adults. A key to
the list i= appended below:
| CHRISTMAS DINNER.
A country of Europe,
An old sailor,
A harbor.
. A eaged bird,
. From Catalonia.
One who exists,
What soldiers always are,
Wat 2 wave AD never does,
art of n ship and half of a gre
iy I was in the ark, Ares Empuzor,
. A crow's song, a lie and a beaut j
12. A vudding and what every Ta) oject,
13. An old fashion and overioad, :
14. A term of endearment,
id. Au anja) acd is color,
16, A letter and an ornament of A
17 Part of a bell. oo.
18. A mother in toto,
19. One of mankind's chief ornaments.
20. Three-quarters of a word signifying rapid.
ity.
21. Satanic shell fish,
22. An island io the Atlantic, .
23, "T'was in te Atlantic,
A London paper.
Types mingled.
What the winner does,
Part of a horse,
An industrious creature and a letter,
A boy's name, a vowel and a piece of butter.
A warlike implement.
An extra bone,
A province of France,
A parent cuts,
A woman's name,
An ailment.
. A river in Europe, to make a kind of trim-
ming, and un interjection.
. A girl's name and a letter.
He wastes his time.
. Au employment of the past and what Ger-
man might say to it,
. A domestic animal and eternities,
. One of the letters we ure told to mind.
A wise tool,
. High times,
. Animals who have become dudes.
45 A charming essayist,
46. A kind of carriage and something to be re-
spected,
47. Omtt a letter and you have all the country
ople of Europe.
45. Antics,
49. A noted dog and what he did.
50. Pluck a dower,
51. A portion and high lands,
52. Domestic animals aloft.
B53. A letter dances,
54. From Wielitska,
85. Fictitious distress,
56. "T'was one of my ancestors, perhaps; who
saved Rome,
CEA DE
SHES FEY BPSpRESRUNESES
57. A laborer.
58. Chloride of sodium.
59. A ram.
0. A tardy letter.
61. An serobut
62. A well-read letter.
63. A siesta and » relative,
64. I make a lovd noise,
65. "Tis not worth mentioning.
66. A foolish little boy.
7. Scourges,
68, The emblem of peace
69, Children’s delight and elders’ horror.
70. Chronology.
71. A letter and ancient ballads,
72. 1 entreat you to travel.
73. Couples,
74. The bane of our first parents.
75. A kind of shot,
76 A course and a woman's name
77. Four fitths of a month and a tittle house.
78. What soldiers sometimes do.
This list is not in order of service. It in-
cludes a few of the table appointments, and
one condiment is given for times.
Here is the key to the above list:
1 Tuorkey 4 Pigeons
2 Salt 41 Peas
3 Port 42 Sausage
4 Can 43 lLarks
5 Salt 44 Dandelions
8 Liver 45 Lamb
7 Mustard 46 Cabbage
8 Quail x Rheasants
9 Asparagus rs
10 Ham 1 it
11 Cauliflower 50 Picealilli
12 Mushroom 51 Partridge
13 Cucumber 52 Catsup
14 Deer or duck 54 Chops
15 Horse-radish 51 Salt
16 Truffles 5% Champagne
17 Tongue Goose
18 Tomato 51 Porter
19 Hare 58 Salt
20 Celery 50 Butter
21 Deviled crab 60 Plate
22 Madeira 61 Tumbler
2 Cup 62 Bread
2¢ Punch 63 Napkin
25 Pie &4 lee-cream
26 Beef 65 Trifle
21 Hock 66 Syllabub
28 Beer 67 Whips
29 Halibut 68 Olive
30 Knite 69 Crackers
31 Sparerib 70 Dates
32 Burgundy 71 Prunes
23 Parsnips 72 Sago
34 Charlotte 73 Pears
4 Corn 74 Apple
36 Potato 78 Grape
37 Soup 76 Banana
38 Fritters 77 Apricot
39 Spinach kL rt
~—1Jts the Fanble Stores that offer you
your pick from their entire stock of winter
overcoats at } off the regular price.
Every man believes as a part of his nat-
ural creed, that ‘‘we aie fearfully and
wonderfully made,” yet he has no more
real apprectation of the fact in which he
believes than in many another fact funda-
wental to his creed. He protects his watoh,
wrape it in chamois, winds it regulariy,
carefully shields it from magnetic ivfla-
ences, and will allow po undue shock to
ar its mechanismn. But how does he care
or the far finer mechanism of his body ?
It should be fed with the same regularity
that the watch is wound, it should be prop-
erly protected from exterior influences or
sudden shocks, instead of which it is fed
irregularly, indifferently , and
subject to every shock which indifference
rmits or hardibood invites. The result
that the machinery of the body, the
heart, liver, lungs, blood and stomach ges
“‘out of order.” There is nothing that will
#0 quickly readjust these organs and stars
them in healthy aotion as Dr. Pierce's
Golden Medical Discovery. It cures ninety-
eight per cent. of all who use it.
——1f you are looking for a useful gilts
for man or boy the Fauble Stores will make
your selection easy.
ERT