THE COLUMBIAN, BLOOMSBURO. PA. CHRISTMAS TREE IN THE 1 : : FOREST : : Ity Wir.lnni Wallace. A long, long time ago, before this yreat country was Inhabited from the Mantle to the Pacific, and when ex iwiRlve forests stretched over great iracts of land, through which the foot of white man had not left Its irlnt, the frontiersman living In "the uter settlements" had small chance :o celebrate the Yuletlde season. He, with his family, composed a small world, which was too seldom enter )d by an outsider. Neighbors were it great distances apart, and their .ime was occupied In clearing the and which was to become the Hue, vtch fields from which their children nd grandchildren should reap such ,-lch harvests. In the early forties a sturdy far ner or frontiersman: as those pathfinders" were called moved 'rom the outer borders of what was crmed civilization to a new country, vhere as yet the woodman's ax had tot been heard or the curl of smoke fom the log cabin seen by the red nan, lurking about on the watch for he Intruding paleface. Into the lepths of a shadowy forest the l'ron lersman, accompanied by his family t wife and two sturdy sons, went, lunting a suitable location for a :abln. They tTiiveled In a great umbering wagon, covered with rhte canvass stretched over bows. VII their worldly possessions were ittt inside the wrgon, the wife and aother occupying the seat In front Old driving the yoke of strong oxen fhlch drew her "carriage." In font of the oxen walked the hua ian1 and father, picking the road hrough the woods and over tho tills, now and again having to re race his stops nn account of some mpassable obstacle which loomed aiddenly before him. He went heavi y armed, rifle over shoulder an 1 ;nlves in belt. The sons walked be lind the wagon, keeping a keen ookout for hos'ilo Indians, who night try to attack from the rear. Mke their sire, they were heavily rmed with guns and knives. And so they went, fartht r and 'arther from days of weary travel hey halted near a beautiful spring hat came from a rocky r'.iff over tanging a stream that promised to full of fish. Here the father and jons cut down trees and built u cab a, small, but largo enough to aff ord shelter from the winter which 'aB fast corning on. In the spring mother room could be added. A replace built of fiat rocks, picked rom the bank ni nr the spring, fur Jshei a roomy place for fire, both or cooking and warming. One evening, as the family sat iround the cheerful fire of logs, hatting of the past, present and fu jre, the mother quickly said: "V 1!, !. declare, Christmas is almost here .nd I'd forgotten to think about It!" "Why, can it bo possible?" asked father, reaching for the ever seful almanac, which hung by a trlng looped over a peg near the replace. "Yes,, so It Is," he agreed, canning the small print of the cal ndar, "Jur.t three days off." The two sons, aged, respectively, .4 and 16, were not yet too old to njoy the excitement and pleasure ttending the holiday season, al hough they had had small oppor jnity to do so since they were In heir teens, for their father was a tan who was ever looking toward ije setting sun, following It further nd further as the settlements grew nd prospered and dangers became iss about him. "Well, I'd like to be Lack at Jertonvllle," declared Samuel, the Ider son. "There'll be greni times iere, I'll warrant. Neighbor Hig ens' girls will have a Christmas ree and a taffy-pull." "Ah, yes," sighed Thomas Peter, he younger son. "And over at .'elghbor Van Smith's there'll be a ilg, wild turkey dinner und a lot of he friends wiil have an invite there. )o Von mind last. Christmas, mo ier?" "Yes, the mother "minded," and . t sent a pang thro.igh her good, fou ler heart to recall the pleasant and .ioclable times tl.oy had enjoyed 'hlle living on the outskirts of tlm tie Village.. in ai. i-inj nilill UUU IU1U IUUL u.T. r,.il..... I l.i. went with their guns to hunt ie. the onlv l.t:il of moif tht ad for tU ir table in this wild tie world. As thoy trudged u nald: "I wish we could iui Humt! iiiwu surprise on Hut I reckon It's out of on. " Interrupted Sam, point curl of blue smoke to be g to the sky through the Lrees. "That's not an In- rflre. White people are U cornea from." bst come from round f at flared Tom. "Let's go ea:i- r you can never tell what u Inadin surprise la await o Indians the boys stole hill, which was almost Lber. They creDt on their Laktng no noise, When they rounded the obstructing point there canio Into view several cover ed wagons and a newly built cabin, with two more In course of con struction. A number of stalwart men and boys were busy at the build ing and a number of women and half-grown girls were preparing food over the campfire, the complet ed cabin evidently not yet having been supplied with a fire place. Tom looked at Sam, and Sam look, ed at Tom, smiles of happiness com ing on their faces In spite of their trying to withhold any show of pleas ure. Then they rose and timidly ap proached the new settlers. When within' a few rods of tiV builders their approach was note 1, and It turned out that they were as much of a surprise to the strangers as the strangers hnd been to them. It wait not long he'ore Tom and Sam found themselves seated beforo the forest hoard, enjoying n share of the plentiful mop.l of tholr cor dial hosts and hostesses. Conversa tion did not drag, and Tom nnd Sam regretted to have to hid their new friends adieu and continued on their hunt. They promised to com the next day nnd bring their parents, also extending n cordial and homely Invitation to the now-coim-rs to visit their cabin some two miles distant toward the river. When the boys nrrlve ! home that evening, carrying a number of fine rabbits, squirrels and u fat opossum, they approached their n. other with I'll K' CREPT ON THEIIi STOM ACHS, MAKING NO NOISE. beaming faces. "We've got neigh bors!" Sam cried. And then he and his brother told the good news re peating everything which had been said by the new-found friends over the hill. And the next day, faithful to pro mise, Sam and Tom took their par ents to call on the new neighbors, who proved to be quite numerous, for six families had come together to fell the forest and build up a town, to which others would soon come. The day passed in work and sociable intercourse, and, as Sam and Tom walked home beside their mother their father going ahead to keep a close lookout for their safety, the good woman, with a happy face, said: "What do you think, 6ons, we're going to have a Christmas tree after all. The new in ighbor women have agreed to come over and help me all day Christmas. We'll ex change little trinkets and small arti cles of clothing and hang them on the tree for our sons and daughters. Then we'll have u taffy-pull In the yard in the evening by the light of a campfire. They have a keg of fine molasrcs and they'll bring a good supply over for the taffy. Neither Sam nor Tom could speak for a minute, their hearts were too full for utterance. Then Sam said: "What kind of a tree will you use met her?" t "I thought that pretty sapling by the door would answer," she explain ed. "I'll cover It over with a sheet after all the presents have been hung on and keep It from view till we are ready to hand off the gifts." "And shall we have a dinner?" asked Tom eagerly, his eyes shining with happy anticipation. "YeB, we'll have It nt rur cabin, but the neighbors will bring a lot of nice things along. They have such fine flour and sugar and some pota toes. I'll cook those fine rabbits and squirrels you brought In yester day. Oh, we'll have a fuaat out here In the forest." "And best of all, we'll have a Christmas tree," said Ram. And three happy hearts beat as they went through the forest home ward. Old Fashioned Plum I'uddintr. An old recipe for plum-pudding, said to be very good, Is the follow ing: One pound of beef-suet chop ped fine, one pound of seeded raisins, the same amount of currants, well washed and dried; half a pound of citron In fine shavings; five table spoonfuls of brown sugar, rolled fine three cups flour ;one grated nutmeg, a tablespoonful each of maco and cinnamon, four large tablespoonfuls of cream, and six eggs. If brandy or wine la objectionable, two gills of orange Juice can be substituted, and the rind of a lemon, Itoll the fruit In the flour, moisten the bread crumbs with the cream, beat up the yol!-s of the eggs, and stir into them all the Ingredients, aud, lastly, the whipped whites of the eggs. Pour Into a pudding-bag, largo enough to leave room for swelling. About gix hours of steady boiling Is required. If the water ceases to boll, your pud ding is apt to be sticky. Serve your pudding whole, encircling the plat ter with a wreath of holly and a row of lump-sugar. Insert an egg shell In the top of the pudding and pour brandy over all, lighting that la tbe egg and on the sugar. Awful Doubt. Willie Say, Lena, do you sup pose Santa Claus will know I've 'moved since last year? QROW1NO BALSAM TREES TIIKIIt PoriXAUITY BRINGS JOY TO FAKMKltH OF MAINE. An Artny of Men Kind n Means Never lleforo Enjoyed of learning Christ, nins Money Increased Lund Vul nos -Stripped Coast of Malm', Tho Christmas tree Is n compara tively new addition to the ancient yuletlde festivities. It will surprise most people to learn that the fash Ion of trimming a tree with toys aud tinsel for the children or lor the cat or dog If there are no ollvo brain lies has attained Its popularity in this country only within thirty yenra or so. Holly and mlHtleloo may be rel ics of antiquity, but the Christ mas tree Is an Innovation of the present day aud generation. The happy Idea of utilising tho balsam fir as a tree for trimming at Christmas time came to someone who visited the shores of Maine an 1 no ticed the millions of pictun sque young balsam firs that grew there, languishing for attention and of so little Importance in the estimation of the farmers that tho land upon which they grew was not considered of suiriclent value to be subject to taxation. When the tax appraiser passes land i.s valueless It tn,;sl be admitted that It stands a very poor chance of Interest in;; the community. Put tho pretty little trees attract ed attention from those nho h;ul not seen them growing before, aud some genius decided to try the balsam fir ns a tree for the children's corner of the Christmas room. The farmers who owned the land up there were slow to soe their opportunity. At first they thought the offer of money for their lirs was made as a Joke, and they actua'iy refused at first to sell, think!!; they were being ma:lo the victims of some silly hoax. When It it last dawned upon them that the bidders were really In earnest the farmers speedily placed a valua tion on the little fir trees and a mar ket for them was establbhed forth with. At this lime the wood of tho balsam fir had not bvome famous as the lurking place of the Canada balsam, now so much in demand, so that the discovery of a use for the fir trees proved a double blessing to tho Maine farmers. Ten years after the balsam fir be came the popular tree for Christ mas the entire coast of Maine had been stripped of Its firs and so pro fitable had the Industry become that the farmers were planting new ones and the growth of the trees had be come a regular part of the industries of Maine. It takes about five years for the seed of tho balsam fir to attain to the size of a salable tree, so that the farmers of Maine huve a plant next year for tho crop of five years later. So marvclously has the trade grown that to-day over a million trees are shipped to New Y'ork and New England. The farmers make from 5 to 4 0 cents from tli. sale of a tree, tho retail price being from 20 cents to $5, according to sh'.e and general appearance. A practical far mer, who dislres to make tho n.o; t of his opportunity will thin out the troes from the plantation, to make the remaining tree,-, grow straighter, taller, and with more spread to the branches. Before tho discovery of the useful ness of the balsam fir as a means of bringing joy to the home at Christ mas It was possible to buy a wholo township In the fir region for $100; that Is to say, for this outlay a pur chaser could get 23,000 acres of tho land on which the little trees grow. Now this formerly despised land Is worth from $10 to $15 an acre. An acre will yield about 5,000 trees, and allowing $10 an acre for stumpage, $30 for labor and cartage and $50 for freight the trees do not cost 2 cents delivered In New Y'ork or r.oston. The cutting of the trees begins In November, and thousands who would otherwise be Idle are given employment at this time. Tho trees are shipped to commission men and by them sold to the hawkers, who take advantage of the freedom of the Christinas seafon to set up shop In any public highway or corner where they are free from Interfer ence. In many cities it is recogniz ed that the Ch'rtstmas tree vendor la a privileged per;:on for the time be ing, and he Is usually permitted to turn tho sidewalk outside the pub lic buildings into a temporary store for tho sale of Christmas trees. Pittsburg Dispatch. Honoring Sautu Claus. Santa Claus wus born In Patavia, In Asia Minor. That was not his real name. He was an abbot, und named St. Nicholas. He afterward became archbishop of Myra. At tho latter placa he died and was duly burled. In May, 1087, his remains wero carried by some pious Italians to Pari, on the Adriatic coast. They are now at rest In a splendid church which bears his name. The people round about make a pilgrimage to his shrine every year. No one seek, ing food on that occasion Is refused it by the priests, while accommoda tion Is given to aa many pilgrims as the edifice will hold. On St. Nicho las day, December 6, a great celebra tion takes place in his honor. Early In the morning the populace take his image from the priests and carry It through the town. At night the Q!iy. Jl Krand,y illuminated. BEFORE THE : CHRISTMAS DINNER Before tho Christmas dinner How Impatiently they watt, And watch the clock so eagerly, ; With fears that 'twill be lato. How every boy and every girl, All dressed so nice and sweet. Await their mothers' summons Telling them to come and eat. Before tho Christmas dinner Every girl nnd every boy Has peeped Into the dining room With feelings of great Joy. They've seen the turkey (Ono that never could be beat!) A-baklng In the kitchen, A stuffed nnd gravled treat. They've seen tho brlght-hued cran berry In thickest Jelly glow; They've seen the sweet, spiced peaches On tho pantry shelf In row,' They've looked, and kept on looking. At the wonders cook has fixed The salads, cakes and custards Her most wondrous spoon has mixed. They know they'll do them Justice, Kor their hunger's growing wild. And groans of suffering Is heard From every waiting child. Ah, how their mouths do water As they hold their stomachs tight And hope that very soon the food Will all be OUT OF SIGHT! MAUD YVALKEH. A Cbrlstmnc Message. O Bethlehem, aslumber amidst thy starlit hills, Thoso fair Judaean pastures, whose ancient lore fulfils The prayer of Priest and Trophet, the hope of Heaven and Earth, Dost hear, in dreams ecstatic, tho anthem of Love's birth? Dost see in wondrous vision, the aureole-crowned King, Tho star-led Magi, speeding, their precious gifts to bring? Dost see the Mother bending with yearning heart aud eyes O'er that incarnate Saviour the Lord of earth and tikles O heart, dost hear tho story; or art thou too, asleep. So -veary with the vigil that human hearts must keep? Dost know that thou dost shelter, like Bethlehem of old. The Son of Uod Incarnate, and gifts of grace untold? And as the star illumined The Way, that holy night, Thy life may guldo all wanderers, with Love's eternal light. O Bethlehem, awaken! O Heart, arisu and sing! This Is the advent Clorlous, the Birthday of thy King! Elizabeth Ruggles. A Christmas Clrccttnf;. We have it from some ancient seer, TJiat Christmas comes but once a year (A truth I might myself have sprung Had I lived when the world was young! ) But now I change it into this, And send It with a Christmas kiss "Since Christmas brings in peace and cheer, "May Christmas come for you all year!" Christina Decern! Ions. Christmas without holly would not be Christmas at all. Let your dining, room be bright und cheerful. If there Is a chandelier have it hung with evergreens and holly, and from that loosely carry long ropes of ever green to each corner of the room, thus forming a canopy for the table. Place a bunch of holly over the cor ners of all large pictures. Either one or two sprays In a vaae Is very bright and attractive. M if JACK TAITS CHRISTMAS. A IIAIM'V WELCOME AWAITS HIM IX NEW YOHK IOHT. For Half n Century tho Church of the Holy Comforter Has Mnde IHm Forget, II U Homelesness How They Arc Kemeinbred. Tho port of New Y'ork lays claim to fifty thousand sertmeti. To bo sure It Is a shifting population, hero for a day and away, with any one of a dozen ports as much like homo as another. For moKt of the days of the year no one cares less about his real busi ness than Jack tar himself, but on Christmas Day more of them than would care to own It have a longing down In n corner of their hearts that they were having a part In the Christ mas cheer of the humble home that most of them have tucked away In Bonn; corner of the world, says the New York Herald. When Jack Tar find himself In New Y'ork on Christmas he Is likely to bo left to take care of himself, and the rhnnces are he will seek the mug that cheers without being parti cular to have a guaranty that It will not Inebriate. If he Is a man In the employ of the big steamship companies that dock on the North HIver perhaps he bus discovered a place that Is open to teamen tho year round nnd where at the season of peace on enrth nnd good will toward men a special thought Is given to making these wanderers happy. This Is the Epis copal Church of tho Holy Comforter for Seamen, the one church In New Y'ork that Is located on the North Hlver. For more than n half century the Church of the Holy Comforter has kept open house for the seamen who come Into this port by the North Klver gate. It began In a modest way long before it came to the notice of the elder VanJerbilts, who In their wills made bequests that made possible the present building that faces on West and Houston streets and hugs in Its angle a saloon that may some time hae had its share of the seamen who now pass the swinging baize door und go in at the panelled Gothic one that leads to the reading room provided by the church. Not that ail the seamen of the North Hlver have given over t'.ie cup by no means but when they want a drink they go to a saloon that Is not under the eaves of the Church of the Holy Comforter. From two In the afternooti until ten at night this reading room U open, and In that time anywhere from one to two hundred meti drop In to read the newspapers, the magazines and periodicals of all kinds that lie free and open to them upon the long tables; or to write letters home. In the course of a year fully ten thou sand letters come here for these nu n nn 1 perhaps half as many are sent away. As the afternoon wears on the air thickens with the smoke of pipes, nnd the hard skinned, weather wrink led faces take on a calm and rested look. The llesh that was stiff with the cold, the muscles strained with the toll of a hard midwinter voyage relax in the warmth and comfort of tho quiet room, for there Is none of the boisterous, roysterlng element among the frequenters of the p'.aco. This is as It Is day after day through all the year, but with the coming of Christmas tho rector of the church and his assistants mako ready for tho Christmas festival. The Tuesday night beforo Christmas, and the Tuesday night before New Y'ears are given over to this, and for the occasion a line programme of Christ mas music la arragned. At its close each man is given ..s ho passes oat a comfort bag and such a wonde--ful thi ig this comfort bag is! To begin with, it is made of a bright red cloth, with a drawstring at the top, but the wonders of It are wdthln. There are needles ur.d pins and thread, for things that rip and buttons that will come off and must bo sewed on by the sailor him self; there la a package of absorbjnt cotton, linen bangades and court plaster; thero Is a knife or a pi'r of scissors, a package of wrtllng pap er and envelopes and a little box of the best mixed candy a thing which all sailormon love. So much for physical comfort. As for the spirit ual, there Is always u testament or a prayer book, ami on u slip of paper, printed in artistic type, a simple bit of verse that gives a man something good to think about. Many a Christ mas ttocklng Is not so well filled. It Is hard to tell Just how many bags to make each year, for there nra apt to be seamen who bob up at Christmas tlmo at tho Church of the Holy Comforter just as small boys become very regular in attendance at Sunday school when It comes near Christmas. The good will spirit found In this chapel of the Holy Comforter U not a spasmodic . thing, born with the Christmastida and gone when the last comfort bag la distributed. It Uvea on through tho years, and It U big enough aud broad enough to ask no man his creed. Only on Sunday are there religious services, save an oc casional litany service read on a Fri day night; and the men may come to these or stay away. And never in all its year has a seaman been asked to contribute a penny to the support of the church or any part of its work. For the Christmas Tree. A unique decoration for the center of the dining table during the Yulo tldo season Is a small Christmas tree say two feet high placed for safe balance In a email but broud based fern bowl. From tho green boughs, orange cups, tho halves of oranges, with the fruit all scooped out, leaving tho rind smooth and round, may bo hung by gay ribbons and kept full of baby bonbons, mix ed nuts and raisins. If ono has not a fern bowl heavy enough to hidl the tree, which must be packed about (the base Inside the bowl to mako it secure, tho regulation wooden block, with tho stem of tho tree set Into it, if. may be made to appear very artistic, Indeed, by tovering it with ferns i.id rose leaves, or draping it with so t, green tissue paper which has I i i n slashed to repn sent grass. A great many prefer the woolen block thi.s adorned to the bowl, which deir.?r;a from the real tree appearance. It Is a pretty sight to see the minia ture tree on the r.nowy cloth, and at tilght, when the tiny candles are lighted, it Is about the most uui'iiie form of decoration for tho Christ mas table ono can Imagine. Fruit, such as grapi s and plums, may )xj hung from Its branches and picked by the gin sts at table. Mourning; i:t Yuletlde. Though In most civlllxed conn tries and towns Christmas is a ti.. e of gladness, there are point' placi 3 where the festival time is mourned over. This is sj with Santiago, tho T.pital of Chile, for during Christ mastime, forty years ago, that city w;.s plunged Into the depths of tb's piiir by a catastrophe such ns baa never In modern times befallen the metropolis of a civilised state. The scono of the terrible occr,r-ren-e was the cathedral-church of l a Campania. A grand religious festival was taking place and the magnificent building was thronged with more than 3,000 worshippers, the elite of the gay Spanish-Ana ri can city. Twelve thousand silver larr-H shod a brilliant radiance over tiie mars of muslin and drapery be low, and tbe acolytes were bub.v lighting tho 1,500 tapers on th grand altar, when there arose a sudden cry of "Fire!" A candle had been overturned, and In an In stant almost the Interior of tho cath edral was in flames. Many of tho.sa Imprisoned within were rcscueit through tho windows, for the one door was ijuickly blocked; but, wheu all was over, It was found that more than 2,000 of Santiago's bravest and best had perished. Origin of Walts. Christmas waits are a very old In stitution. Tho word "wait" was or iginally tho name for a musician, or ono who played on wind Instru ments. Walts were at first annexed to the King's court and sounded the watch every night, and in the win ter paraded tho streets to prevent lawlessness and theft. A regular company of waits was established ut Exeter, England, In 1400. The word la also thought to bo connected with, the old German "wacht," a vigil or watching. "Walts" has also been considered a corresponding word with tho Scottish word "waith," which meant wandering or roving, lu allusion to the ancient "menstra les" of that country. A remnant of tho custom still exists, In Scotland, for in igistri-tea annually grant a cer tificate to a few musicians, generally blind nun, who perambulate the ttivels ut ulght during December playing on violins the old Scottish melolies. At the beginning of th year they call upon tbe people whom they have serenaded and receive a small subscription. Why We Have Carols. The Christmas carols originated It Is thought, In England, In the eleven th century. They were sung be tween the scenes of the mystery aud miracle J.days. These plays were the popular form of religious enter tainment, and between tho scenes It was the custom to Introduce songs dealing with the redemption of man kind. The songs naturally became fixed In tho popular memory. At the Christinas gatherings later It was customary to cull upon each person present to sing a song, and the merry, makers generally Bang those which, nad been Uttudd on y tbulr fu th in 3; ihe songs which were uuk at the plays emerged as Chrislmus songs, and thus the carol was evolv ed. During the Commonwealth the wuvo of Puritanism ovcrswept Christ mas festivities and merrymaking was abolished. Later, when the restora tion celebrations were resumed, the sarpls became populur ouce more.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers