tiuwu WILL TOWARD JTdAIN' the tiles that flow from time into I eternity have borne blessed anniversary ■VruW"''''' which marked the dawn oi otpc for humanity, the day when man saw the ultimate victory over death and the triumph of the immortal over the mortal. Through the darkness the watchers under neath the midnight skies saw the rising of a glorious star, and its light is still shining upon the world to be a beacon amid the storm, to lead generations yet unborn to the humble manger sanctified by infinite love and compassion, and made holy by the birth of a hope that should lift the lowliest man to the divine heights where he could look un afraid upon the face of his God. "Peace on earth, good-will to men," sang the heavenly hosts, and the war-vexed world thrilled to the anthem, for in it was heard the thanksgiving of the slave, whose chains were to be made light by the love of the Christ, whose stripes w ere to be soothed by the hand that touched the leper and cleansed him of his foulness, whose shame was made glorious by a brotherhood with the carpenter's Son of Nazareth, who came to preach the Gospel to tlie poor. "Peace on earth," the Christmas bells to-day ring ■out the message that was flung to the winds of night by the angel voices on the plains of Hethlehem, and from the uttermost ends of the earth men come to bow down and offer their gifts of frankincense and myrrh, the incense of grateful and loving faith, at the feet of the infant .testis who was "born Kivg of the .Jews," but who reigns Lord of the earth, proclaiming now, as in the hour when He took upon Himself the likeness of man, that good-will that endureth from genera tion to generation, and that pities the short comings and failures of men with a bound less tenderness. What bring ye, who come to-day to look upon the holy mystery of the Christ-birth, as an offering acceptable to the Saviour of men; what treasure that shall not perish; what incense that shall be of goodly savor? IN'o longer do men don armor of proof, and buckling on their swords bid farewell to home and friends, seeking far-away lands that they may slay the heathen who believe not in Him, and rescue from impious hands the sepulcher in which His mortal part lay a few brief hours. Christ has revealed Him self as the Saviour of those who know Him not, the lover of peace and the hater o f wars. " file captains and the kings depart," the stillness of death hushes the shouting of the multitude, the laurel withers upon the brow of the conqueror, the gold rusts in the coffer of the miser. What are honor, renown, riches, as a sacrifice to the King who had »< where to lay His head, to the conqueror who vanquished death, to the Creator of the world and the fullness thereof? ()h ye who seek the Christ that ye may bow down and worship Ilim, remember: "Still stands the ancient sacrifice; An humble and a contrite h< art." If Christ be truly born unto your souls, let your lives proclaim the message that the bells ring out this Christmas day. The adoration which strengthens your soul anew for the conflict of life should be like a glorious flower, shedding its perfume on the winds that sweep around the world, a puri fying influence and a beauty which ( ven the most careless eye can see. Gather up some wandering ray from the star shining over the manger, and bear it into the dark places of the earth, that it may light some soul in the midnight of despair, and lead it to the source of immortal radiance. Catch some wandering tone of the angelic song, and re peat the strain above the pillow wliere Pair, wards off the tender hand of Sleep, where Regret sounds the dirge over wasted hours, where Sorrow moans in some haunted •chamber in which the ghosts of lost days walk wailing for the sweet sin that left such deep and stinging wounds. He who bore the griefs of men yearns over the wandering sheep, and you who have seen His face, who have read the tender message of His love, who have trodden with Him the road from Bethlehem to Calvary, remember on this Christmas day that again He is born unto you and unto the world. You are the mes sengers wli# are to bear abroad the peace and good will that the Heavenly choir proclaimed on that first Christmas night, you are to interpret the meaning of Cud be come Man, you are to vindicate the martyr dom that bought the highest good with in carnate Virtue, for "unto you is born this day a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." LOU V. CHAPIN. The Bachelor. He admits w ith a smile that Is mocking, That Christmas no longer consoles; 31? hasn't a single stocking That Isn't full of holes. —Judge. AN AWFUL DEATH. H J S y \\ r, c / He— l understand Miss Goodgirl, the Sunday school teacher, is dead. What was the trouble? She—Suicide. She ate some of the candy that was hung on the Christmas tree. —St. Louis Globe-iJcinocart. A Clear Field. She «ung a Christmas carol— A lovely thing—lt said: "Meet me under the mistletoe When papa's safe in bed." —Chicago Record. That Ik All. "What is the use of this article?" asked a shopper. "1 really don't know," replied the clerk; "I think it is intended to be sold for a Christmas present,"—Puck, A CHRISTMAS COMEDY. Rather Exciting, But Alt Concerned Are Expected to Recover. y\ W ELL, how did Christ •• M mas K" off at your Nj# house?" Mrs. Talk t ■ iRs much asked, alter S ' IC ' la( ' told -Mrs. T 6 MM ■' J Spilkins exactly how *I- W /a much each of her ( V v y\. ;! own gifts had cost V)) -N: ./z and what she had ex \v changed them for Q afterwards. "Oh-li, pretty well. We hope to be fully recovered from the ef fects of it in a week or two. You see, on Christmas Eve the children were so excited about the coming of Santa Claus that they couldn't get to sleep. Young Mr. Kizzleton stayed pretty late, too, at least it seemed so to Mr. Spilkiiis and myself, though Ethel didn't agree with us. After lie left, we found that Harry's breathing was still too regular to be trusted ami we must wait to hang the stockings. J said I'd wait up and do it — I'm a poor sleeper, anyhow. Why, I never close my eyes until I've made Mr. Spilkins get up and investigate the smell of gas in the room!" "Yes, isn't it odd that it only smells after all the jets are turned off! I never used to smell gas until alter I was married, but now, I-—" "Smell it every night? So do 1. Mr. Spil kins said he'd get up and hang the stock ings, said he could wake at any moment he chose. It seemed a pity that he never chooses to wake at the regular hour for get ting up, but I said nothing—at least very lit tle. Ethel wasn't sleepy and wanted to hang them, but her father said she'd be thinking of young Fiz/.letori and forget to notice whether the children were asleep or not. Why, she makes enough noise after he leaves at night to wake the dead!" "Y'es, the worst thing about Love's young dream is the fact that it forgets that other people need sleep!" "M'hm. Well, I knew I'd have to hang those stockings, so when it was time 1 crept down to get them. We had left them on the dining table, but they were gone!" "Mercy, burglars!" "I knew that and flew upstairs. As I reached the head of the stairs, I heard some one creeping along the hall. In a second I was in the bedroom, with the door locked, but Mr. Spilkins wasn't there!" "Gracious, had they—" "Then came the most awful groans front the yard below and 1 knew that they had killed him arid thrown him out of the win dow! J remembered then that I had bor rowed his best necktie, the day before, with out remembering to ask his consent, and now I was a lone widow, who could never ask forgiveness for the ink I had spilled on it! I flew to the window, calling: 'Police! -r\ W £Ck.""\y jv jf •■' i3yaS# ' \ -J' 7^r. - WHEN HE HEARD WIFEY CALL IOR THE POLICE. Murder!' Then, I heard some one trying my door!" "The burglars, of course. Oh, you poor heroine!" "Yes, and then came awful screams from Ethel, lu-r voic sounding as it does when her liitie br< t'.cr i.r.igs :t mouse into the room. Seizing my umbrella, 1 went to her rescue. In tUe hall Iran into the arms of a man and must have fainted, fur the next thing 1 knew Mr. Spilkins was telling Ethel to burn the ostrich feathers on my new bonnet and see if that would not bring me to!" "It did, I'm sure! Hut I thought Mr. Spilkins was murdered and—" "Well, he wasn't. He had gotten the stockings and hung them, when he heard me call for the police and—" "Hut the groans and Ethel's screams?" "The groaning noise was young Mr. l'iz zleton, singing a serenade of Christmas hymns under her window. She slept through that, being roused by her father rattling at my door, and thinking 1 was murdered!" "Gracious! 1 hope that was the end of it!" "It wasn't. The police came and seeing young Fizzleton in the yard, they brought hint into be identilied as the burglar! It took half an hour to induce them to let him go, anJ then they were still suspicious. While we were thus engaged, the children woke up and ate all the candy in their stock ings. I spent the rest of the night between ministering to thein and comforting Ethel, who feared that Mr. l'izzleton would blaine her for his sufferings. Yes, it was rather an exciting Christmas, but, as I said, we hope to be fully recovered from its effects in a week or two." ELJSA ARMSTRONG. Ilelnecn the l,ine>, Aly d- ar Miss Bonds, your eyes pray lift (If thl.s don't win her I am lost!) And deign to view i*y humble gift; (I hate to think about Its cost!) May it find favor in your sight, (And living about the end I seek!) Although Its value Is but slight. (I'll have to fast at least a week!) —N. Y. World. Kaitlly Annwfred. Ilojack—l often see the Christmas goose mentioned in Christmas stories. WiLat is the Christmas goose? Tomdik —The Christmas goose is the man who spends more money lor presents than he can afford.—Judge. A Query. The question comes on each Christmas morn To interrupt m»n's gentler mirth; "How can the blowing of a horn Assist In bringing peace to earth?" —Washington Star. All It \\ <»nil] Hold. Dog-Faced Hoy—Did yer get yer stockin' full o' good things Christmas? hiving Skeleton —Yes, indeed. Dog-Faced H >y— Wiiat'd yer get? Living Skeleton —A cigarette. Town Topics. As (itioO ii Theory a* Any. Tommy—What are all the men trying to get to the north pole for? Willie (scornfully)— What, don't you know, goosey? Why, Santa Claus lives there.— Brooklyn Uie. CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1899. A CHRISTMAS SURPRISE Mow a Rejected Sr' Even with His Successful Rival. f| O MY cousin Robert I has written that he is sending us a little Christ mas surprise," he could once be in duced to visit our happy little home he would forget tiiat 1 eloping with you on the very day which was to have seen me his bride. To be sure, 1 left a note saying that I felt I could never have made him perfect ly happy. Had he been a magnanimous person, he would have been satisfied with such a handsome apology--but he was not." "Xot at all," sighed her husband, "he was most inconsiderate. He—" "However, a woman's tact has bridged the difficulty, as usual. 1 flatter myself that I did a clever and original thing in naming one of the twins for him. Who would be so „ Jklbfe J THE LID WAS OI F THE BOX AT LAST. apt to appreciate such a compliment as a rich old bachelor, I'd like to know?" "No one, I'm sure. But he thawed as soon as he had seen our six little cherubs. How he laughed when little .Josiah rode on my back and playfully kicked mo in the eye!" "And how merry he was when Ariadne spilled milk on my best dress. What a pleas ure it must have been to witness such felic ity. To be sure, 1 am sorry that he hap poned to hear your remarks when my dress maker's lo< came in, but —" "And 1 had rather that he had bee.i out of earshot when you told me your honest opin ion of a man who could not match embroid ery silks better than I, after he had been married ten years. However, this is mere detail. 1 remember his rage when he found that I iiad married his little fairy, as he called you. Odd, isn't it, that he has for given me liow that you weigh twice as much!" "Humph, I may weigh a few pounds more, but my hair is intact, and that is more than —" "And now he is sending us a Christmas box. 1 wonder what it contains? The chil dren will be up at daylight to find out. Well, prosperity will not change us!" "Never. Even though I am able to dress as well as our own hired girl, 1 shall not in sist that you write it Xtnas, instead of Christmas, nor shall J call it appendicitis when little ltufus has eaten too much pie. Personally, 1 expect tickets to Europe." "Tickets to Europe, and I such a poor sailor that the sight of a marine in water colors gives me seasickness! Nonsense, he has sent us the deed to a ranch in Texas." "A ranch —and Iso afraid of cattle! How mean of you to think of such a thing. I'll never live on a ranch!" "And I shall certainly not goto Europe!" "1 shall, and I'll never speak to you again. There!" "Even your voice would not reach from Europe to Texas. But here is the express man, and you'll see that I was right." "That 1 was, dear. What a huge box! I'm glad that he forgave us just at Christ mas when he need not check his generosity. That trip to Europe—" "Texas, you mean!" The lid was off the box at last, and a silence fell upon them, as the gifts weie opened. When the last one lay before them, they flung themselves despairingly into each other's arms. "'The villain said he had forgiven us!" she cried. "He can afford to—he is avenged!" he groaned. For the box contained: One music box, which played only ragtime; one drum, a life, three horns, a toy piano, six packages of dynamite crackers, one Chinese gong, a toy pistol and a card, on which was written: "With Cousin Robert's best wishes for a very merry Christmas!" A I'nir dselmngp, Now doth the callow youth prepare To show he madly loves, By sending to Ills lady fair A Christmas box of gloves. But ah, relentless, cruel fate, The maiden Is not smitten, And, as she must reciprocate. She gives that youth the mitten. —L.. A. W. Bulletin. A TKRIUBLM I't'XISIIMEM'. |?r|f: v '| llil jMI ■ 1 "What's your little brcther cryin' for?" "He hung up his stockin' last night and Santy Claus brought him a little brother, but iie wanted a drum!"— Ladies' Home Journal. Sitrtlid Soul. Saymold Storey—What are you going to give \"Ur wif« for n Christmas present? Tudder Mann—l'm trying to find out which she would rather have —a tender young turkey or a new set cf teeth.—Chicago J'ribune. TRIBUTE TO QUEEN VICTORIA. Chinese \ m l,n <*mhdor at I.ondon 1-1 e llklild (In- Article Club Dinner with lIN Kloquenee. Sir Chihchen Lo-Feng-Luh, the Chi iese ambassador, presided over the din ner and debate of the Article club at Queen's hall, London. The subject of the debate being- "The Development of British Trade in China," his excellency proposed the usual toast to the queen, saying-: "For an unprecedented length of time, to which only our emperor can lay »ny claim to comparison, your queen has set an example of government to ail nations of the world. May her long life be still spared you. May hereven ng star still move and glow more bril liantly than her morning sun." The cheering which follow ed was loud and spontaneous. The ent ire audience rose to its feet and sang the national anthem, while the diplomats from the far east raised their glasses and joined in the song. Then the Chinese minister opened the discussion on the subject of the evening. He spoke from a Chinese point of view, and dwelt at some length on the ap pointment of a ministri' of commerce at Peking. "For the first time in 5,000 years," he said, "commerce is now represented iri the capital of China, and a ministry spe cially charged with the duty of encour aging trade with the powers, of remov ing all obstacles, and having the priv ilege of conferring with the sovereign at all times for the purpose of advising measures for the benefit of the foreign and inland commerce of the empire." Lord Charles in the course of the discussion, offered one word of advice, "learn Chinese," and one word of warning, "beware of alliances and stick to the open door." TO REGISTER LETTERS. Po*t Office l)<-|iii rt men t Tmhuc* an Order Kxtenillng tlie Dntlcn of l.cttcr Carrier*!. The postmaster general lias issued a general order announcing the deter mination of the department to provide for tin- registration of valuable letters, or first-class matter, by letter carriers on their routes in free-delivery cities. This new service will lie inaugurated in some of the leading cities and ex tended to others as rapidly as possible. At first it will lie confined to the purely residential districts, excluding busi ness houses and individuals, who have a large number of letters for registra tion at any one time. The extension of the system to tbe business districts is left to thi' sound discretion of the postmaster. The postmaster general lias received information that postmasters and employes, in order to-avoid ihe labor inWilved, are advising the public that the registered mails are not a safe means of transportation of valuable matter, and be has given warning, in a rigorous order just issued that such disregard of duty will be sufficient ground for removal from office. KNEELS IN CROWDED CAR. Voting Man of I'loun Demeanor Aroimc* the CiirioMfty of Phil adelphia I'UHHcnRcrN. A tall, modest-looking young man, tastefully dressed, accompanied by a young -woman, boarded an Angora trol ley car at eight o'clock the other morn ing in West Philadelphia. As the car reached the grade at the Chestnut street bridge the tall man suddenly dropped on his knees on the ffoor. lie hid his face in his clasped hands and remained in that position for about two minutes, apparently in prayer. After about 20 minutes the stranger arose from his knees, resumed his seat, and s-tared straight in front of him. He did not seem to notice that everybody in the front part of the crowded car was looking at him. At Twentieth street the mysterious praying man joined the young woman at the other end of the car, and at Six teenth street the couple g;>t off, while the passengers craned their necks to get a last glimpse of them. PUPILS GOVERN THE SCHOOL. Tlie Vciv SjMtcin an It I* in Force in the lllnh School* at linn. cle, I ml. Muneie (Ind.) high school is self-gov erning and in control of the pupils. The governing board consists of a pres ident, who must be a pupil, elected by popular vote; the superintendent <>£ public schools, tlie principal of the high school, a member of the school board, a woman member of the faculty and one member chosen from each of the high school grades. Five pupil vice presidents are the beads of as many departments. Ail questions of govern ment are brought before tlie board, on which pupils hold the controlling vote. The regular studies and stud\ hours, except where they may conflict witli. some department law, are controlled by tlie teachers, as usual. Where .Holillcrn Arc SitfpMt. Every soldier believes that the onlv safe place under tire is the recent scene of some cannonade escapade. When de fending a fort or camp the wounded are generally placed in tlie breaches, as the enemy are not likely to waste powder and shot on points which have already been cleared of all barricade. The same holds true of naval engage ments. Sailors much prefer to sit in some yawning gap still hot and smok ing from the effect- of a splintering cannon ball than behind the stoutest bulwark. \\ IreleMM 'IVIpk rnpliy for I In Ii 112 lioii«r>«. 'The French navy is said to be install inga new system e.f wireless telegraphy between the lighthouses along the French coast. - FOE OF NEW WOMAN. St Paul Preacher Who Declares Against Employment of Women. Think* tlie World Would lie letter Oil If All the Women Were Turned Out of Their John. Rev. S. G. Smith, pastor of the Peo ple's ehureh at St. Paul, Minn., vho hits elmrge of the department'of soci ology at the state university, declared himself in opposition to women being sell-supporting, in a lecture on"The Y'roduction of Wealth" before the Y. M C. A. of St. Paul. "The world would be better off," he said, "if all women were turned out of their jobs to-morrow. I would except school-teachers, and, perhaps, a very few other classes. One of the greatest evils of modern civilization, I think, Is the woman wage-earner. Her exist ence is a crime against natural laws. Nature intended man to be the pro ducer, woman the consumer. "Some women, it is true, won't mar ry. Some women should not marry. Hut you can't organize society upon the except ions to its laws. The healthy woman, the woman of the majority, should marry, If she can get a hus band, ami she would be much better able to find a hn.sband if she had not reduced men's wages* by her industrial competition. Within the two ifecades between IS7O and IS9O the whole number of women in this country has decreased In pj-ojHM-tion to the men, but the numiier of women in. industrial occu pations has decidedly augmented. In IS7O. for example, ten per cent, of the artists of America were women. In IS9O the rote was 40 per cent. There were ">~7 female physicians in the United States in ISTu, but in 1890 the medical and surgical women had in creased to 4,500. "Woman's wages are always smaller because she less endurance, less skill than man, because she en ters. her work with less preparation, and makes it, not a serious life task, but a ten>|>orary expedient, to gratifv the needs or the. desires r>f a short pe riod." RESENT A POSTAL ORDER. Freneli Pnltlle Make* » ProleM \«nin»t Hilling Out .Mourn lri» Mn velope M. Tho French post oflioo at Paris is being deluged with letters of complaint over the enforcement of the depart ment's recent order prohibiting the passage through the mails of envelopes bearing the customary black border in token of mourning. The new rule per mits the use of note paper with as deep a border as the sender desires, but the cover jnust be white, or may be tinted, but at least is not to have a black edge. The post office department gives as its reason for the new regulation that mourning envelopes are too easily tam pered with. They can be opened, it is officially explained in answer to the numerous complaints, and if the gummed edge is torn or frayed in the process, a little ink rubbed over the surface makes everything look right. One consequence of the new order is the increased sale of envelopes with tinted edge, and it. is not improbable that the use of these as a token of mourning may entirely supersede the use of the time-honored black-bordered variety. TESTS OF NEW TORPEDOES Device Thai Will llrlnu t lie Dent rnjcr lliick to lis OrlKlmil Course When Deflected. Orders are expected 111 a few days di recting the cruiser .New York, Hear Ad miral Philip Farquhar's flagship, which is lying at the llrooklyn navy yard, to proceed south for target practice. The practice cruise will be of more than usual interest because of the proposed tests of the new torpedoes. A consign ment of new whitehead torpedoes ar rived from Newport for the New York. They are fitted with an improved steer ing gear, in which the department places great faith. It is a secret device, known as the Obry rudder, and has been purchased exclusively by the United States government. The pur pose of the new contrivance is to bring back to its original course a torpedo which has become deflected from the straight line after leaving the tube. Hitherto torpedoes in nine cases out of ten were deflected as soon as they reached the water. Tests of a new tier man system for signaling at night are to be made on the New York. TAKES HIM FOR BUNKO MAN. AIIIMXIIIK MlM tulie Mtide toy Ks-Jndise Ulvver W ho Wm Met by Hi* II rut her at Station. Ex-Judge Patrick Diwer met the other night in the Pennsylvania rail road station at Jersey City his brother John, whom he has not seen since JSSO, when he went west to California. The last to leave the train was a tall, thin man, with white hair, mustache and chin beard. Kx-Justice Diwer stole tip behind him and grabbed one of the bags from his hand. "No, you don't!" yelled John Diwer. "1 have been told to look out for sharp ers here in New York." As lie spoke he looked at the man who had grabbed the satchel and the next instant the two were clasped in h ottier's 12rms. Jiot Koiiin In the Chnrelie*. An Knglish authority has estimated that if all the inhabitants of the Brit ish isles should decide to attend church on n given Sunday 25,000,000 would be crowded out for lack of seating room. i REFUSES TO ACCEPT IT. , < J. Mwils How. of St. ].<>■■ la, Mays lie Hu Vol Karned uu Inln-rltnnre of fl,ll(N),OUO. J. Eads How, of St. Louis, who hits refused to accept a million dollars in herited from his relatives because he has not. earned it by his own liii>ors, hsis given $2,000 to be expended "for the public welfare." This represents t.he interest on a sum How keeps ii» bank to enable him to prosecute his work of relieving" distress among 1 the poorer classes. it is "unearned incre ment," he.says, and therefore lie re fuses to use it himself. As a mutter of fact, it is/ very sel dom that he spends any money on his own account. He left his mansion in Lin«lell boulevard to live among the poorest classes in St. Louis. He con j ducts the> mission home at Ninth and Washington streets. One room and a kitchen constitute hisi home. How is a nephew of the late James I!. Ends, who built the bridge across the Mis sissippi river at St. Louis. He was educated at an eastern college, and while traveling- afterward in Europe conceived the idea of devoting 1 his lite to the poor. A million dollars is> his if he wants it, but ho does not choose to be among the family heirs. His only condition in giving the $2,000 is that the poor J shall profit by it. A "ommittee ap j pointed by a public mass meeting will j arrange a plan for its distribution. It is proposed, to secure similar dona i tioiiN from men who incline to the j ideas entertained by How. EVILS OF MARRIAGE CUSTOMS IIIMIIOJI Dirnni l Wisconrses on Irrev erence an