CHRISTMAS AND 112 1 ECONOMY ] A Day of Reckoning Sure to a Follow Holiday Extravagance. j DBy MARGERF.T SANGSTER. I (Copyrighted.) spell of the yule-tide lasts ve|- y much longer ' S!B t' 1 " 11 tt' 6 yule-tide Itself. J» 'j Weeks before Christmas v* holidays we are all think • Ing about theuv wondering what we can do to make thera better holidays than we have ever had, planning surprises for everybody from the grandparents to the little ones toddling about the nursery floor and keying ourselves to concert pitch over tho whole matter. America as a nation is growing Im mensely rich among tha nations of tho earth, but while men of wealth are no longer extraordinary, the rank Christmas Bells. and file still have and always will have limited means, so that thrift is a golden virtue at Christmas as weil as at other periods of the year. • * • » • Sometimes there is complaint at home that father is moody and taci turn, and a little management and tact are in order before mother and the girls ask him for money, the fact being that the poor man is borrowing right and left, and is almost beside himself to meet the drain on his re sources. Several years ago. soon after the glow of the yule-tide had faded into the ashen embers of mid-winter, a business man was taken ill. Dragging along through the weeks of February and March, the victim it seemed of a mysterious malady, he died and was buried during Easter week. When liis affairs were settled, they were found to be extremely involved. The entire scheme of living for the family had to bo reconstructed, and with pangs of agony those whom he had loved discovered that their extrava gance had really sapped the springs of his life. They were not altogether to blame. Husbands are not invariably frank and candid w't.h wives. Fathers A CHRISTMAS CAROL Words Written by Martin Luther for His Little Son, Hani .Music Specialty Composed by Josiah Booth. - Briyhth. . i . . . , , Fnon HCAv'H A-COVE TO tARTM I COM a. To B€AR GOOD WtkVtf TO tv 'RY ; J'r I 'Vrl^j^V'r 1 f'f V-rj r fir/ 1 GtAO TIO' iNG'J Of CffZAT (JOY / BRiXG t WhL(?C-OF I /SOW VV.'LL dAY AND I. f<- t hpf 112..: pll To you this night la born a child lit bring* those blessings, long ago Ol' Mary, chosen mother mild; l J repiireil hy <jod i<jr all below; This little chill of lowly birth, lU-mot'orth ili.s Kingdom open stands Khali bo til.- Joy ol all the earth. J " you ' us lo ll,e u " s,il *Tls Christ our Grd who 112 iron M-rh Thf KM?^.,',! , ,?./&VT I , o f f^l mark S , . iihns ifTiil V " rHa i l> ! tlL * r cry; There shall ye find the V'hiM laid.*' S&S3 &Z free. By W «SJ3S. "» " n " " wora to let sons and daughters know tliat they have anxieties; they resort to every legitimate or illegiti mate means to gratify those who bear their name, and In the end If a crash does not come, there are heart burn ings and distress that might as well have been avoided. When the yule-tide casts upon us a spell of foreboding or leaves a legacy of importunate creditors, it has been robbed of its finest essence and defrauded of its noblest meaning. • • • • • It is our misfortune that we cannot divest ourselves of a feeling that to make the home happy wo must spend too much money for our mental com fort. Never was there a greater mis take. Pleasure in the household de pends on simplicity far more than we think. Children often turn away from tho playthings that have cost a goodly sum in dollars and cents, and find their dolight in something cheap which they may use at their pleasure. The costly doll Imported from Paris an 1 dressed in the height of the fash ion is shown with pride by Its owner to her little friends, but it is not the doll which gives most satisfaction. It is not the doll that the child plays with. Very likely her mother con siders it too fine to be spoiled and puts it away in the closet except on state occasions. A doll on the closet shelf may be a marvel of elegance, bat it brings no particular gratifica tion to the child who seldom sees it. Our yule-tide should be full of warmth and cheer, our extra money should be spent on plenty of light and an open fire, and there should be good times at home, the best times then in all the year. The beneficent spell of the yule tide has most of heaven in it when we remember our poorer neighbors and our lonelier friends. There are people known to us all who will be made very happy by so simple a thing at Christmas-tide as a letter. For in stance, there is the seamstress who worked for you 20 years ago and who is ending her days in an old ladies' home. She has nobody of her own left to visit her and one day passes just like another. Her yule-tide will be made more cheerful by a visit if you can make it, or a letter if you can send it. CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1906. WAS NO DUTCHMAN SAINT PATRICK REPLACED SANTA CLAUS AT CHRISTIAN CELEBRATION. But Dugan Had to Have Several Doubts Dispelled Before He Would Accept the Job at the Missiom "01 'm a union man," said Dugan, slowly, "an' no scab. An' 't is right Ol sh'u'd work, whin on strike, if ut 's work for a union man, an' not a scab job. But is th' mission a 'fair' shop, Ol dunno!" Miss Jones' eyes sparkled. "It belongs to a union," she said. "Oi dunno that wan," said Dugan. "It 's the Sunday School union," said Mi&s Jones. "An' kin Oi git a card in th' union, Ol dunno," said Dugan, doubtfully. "Wldout a card Oi c'u'd not tek th' job. Thim is th' rules." "We can get you a card," said Miss Jones; "we can get you a regular Sun day school card and enroll your name on the membership list of the mission, which is a branch of the International union." Dugan rubbed his chin. "01 dunno, is there, mebby, a Santa Claus union?" he said, slowly. "They be so hang manny unions these days. Phwat is this Santa Claus loike, now? Phwat is th' job of him?" "Well," said Miss Jones, cheerfully, "all you have to do is to wear the suit and go up the ladder and take down the toys and candy and pop corn and hand them to the children when they come to the foot of the ladder. I know you will like that, Mr. Dugan, the children are so happy when they get their presents. They all love Santa Claus. You know he was the good old children's patron saint, in Holland —" "Oh, ho!" said Dugan; "Dutch, is he? An' Oi'm t' be a Dutch-Irishmen, am Oi? No, ma'am! Git some other Santa Claus. Nlver was a Dugan a Dutchman, Miss Jones, an' nlver will a Dugan be wan. Dom th' Dutch! J.ook how they be gittin' all th' janitor jobs these days! Oi 'll be no Dutch saint fer yez. Sooner w'u'd Ol see a Dutchman be Saint Patrick!" "All right!" said Miss Jones, prompt ly; "then you can be Saint Patrick. It does n't matter the least. We v/onld quite as willingly have you be Saint Patrick." "That is more loike!" said Dugan, with satisfaction. "Saint Patrick 01 will be, an' gladly, ma'm, fer he was the grandest saint of all of thim, an' niver a Dutch saint was knee high t' him. Saint Patrick Oi will be." "Of course," said Miss Jones, "we will pay you the regular Sunday School union wages for Saint Patrick, They are a little less than for Santa Claus." Her eyes twinkled as she said it, but Dugan received it soberly. "Let be!" he said; "'t is little enough did they pay double wages for a man t' pretend t' be a Dutch saint. 'T is a wonder annywan but a scab will tek th' job."—Success Magazine. CUROSITIES ABOUT CHRISTMAS. Some Peculiar Customs Connected With the Christian Holiday. The celebration of Christmas as a special festival is said to have begun in the first century, and during the life of the Apostle John one tradition of the church accredits him with inaugu rating the custom. In England the Christmas decora- i tions may remain in the churches dur ing the month of January, but must all be cleared away before February 2, or Candlemas day. In France it is a common practice to celebrate Christmas by giving an j extra ration to all domestic animals, i on the theory that all creatures should rejoice at this season. In the fourth century, the celebra tion of Christmas was iixed by the Latin church for December 25. Be fore that time, it had been a movable festival, like Easter. Santa Claus was introduced into ! America by the Dutch, of Holland. He j is the American representation of the ' German Knecht Rupert. Among the English common people, j Christmas is lucky when it. falls on j Sunday, and unlucky when Saturday is the day of the Nativity. Christmas mince pies in the seven teenth and eighteenth centuries were made with a coffin-shaped crust, to , represent the manger. In Silesia there is a superstition that a boy born on Christmas day must be brought up a lawyer, or he will be come a thief. In all the states Christmas is a legal j holiday, and in South Carolina the two following days are also holidays. The leaves proper to use in Christ mas decorations are those of holly, mistletoe, laurel and rosemary. In Spain it is believed by the com mon people that the ants hold religiou3 service on Christmas day. In Old England plum porridge was always served with the first course of a Christmas dinner. The custom of giving presents on Christmas day is general throughout j the Christian world. The Eastern church formerly ob-! served Christmas on January 6. I Only Fair. "Do you think then the Santa Claim ! myth is In accord with a higher intel- ! lectual development?" "Certainly," answered the genial j person. "I do not see why the chil- j dren should not have a Santa Claus, if j the grown-ups amuse themselves with ; the heroes of the Wagnerian musical dramas." —Chicago Journal. i CHRISTMAS | 112 PREPARATIONS 112 | ili j hit BY WILLIAM CHALMERS 7f ' COVERT. <| i i I ;i Of the Heart -J j( Open it wide and let the radl | ant atmosphere that beautified those silent Judaean hilltops 112) ! sweep in. Let the theme of the jli i) angels' song echo and reecho -fj that it may awaken within the Jj" J. impulses of good will and make 111 ; it life ready and willing for the ; service of the Christ. Of the Mind ji y. Let it follow again the steps K. of the Wise Men and refresh its jS store of understanding with new and nearer knowledge of what x they saw. Let the facts well- fj! nigh meaningless through their jj) familiarity and well-nigh forgot- jfc ten through our zaal for buying J? ;» and selling, rise to view clearer ♦)> than ever and tell with greater f)J meaning their wonderful story. jfc Of the Hand | Jj. Let it serve without murmur- ft; i|t ing. It plies the trade that fit '■'( makes the whole world glad. ■JI Let it sew and paint and weave !!' V and carve and earn the daily lit wage, that to the total Joy of W jj) the Christmas world it may add 'At •JI Its part. Let it labor and be .k Jj* glad of weariness, knowing that It hastens the coming and pro- 112) Jjt longs the memory of the glad- 'k •L dest hour in life's calendar.— -t Interior. | THREE CHRISTMASES EACH YEAR In Palestine the Day Is Celebrated on Three Different Dates. That "Christmas comes but once a year" Is not a correct statement to make in Bethlehem of the Holy Land, for it comes three times, officially and ecclesiastically, authorized by the usages of centuries. The first Christ mas, which falls on the 25th of De cember, is celebrated by the Latins and Protestants. This (late accords with the calendar as reformed by Pope Gregory XIII. in 1582 A. D. The Latin or Western Christian church is not, and never has been, knoVn by the name of Roman Catholic to the na tives ,of either Palestine, Syria or Egypt, but always as the "Latin" church. But what in Europe and America is known as the Greek Orthodox, or Rus- Ko-Oreek Communion, the Eastern Christian church has always, and still is, called "Roumee," or Roman, by the native population, as also officially by the Ottoman government, it being the communion recognized by the Mos lems when they conquered the Byzan tine provinces. The "Koumee," or Creek Orthodox church still adheres to the Julian calendar, adjusted by Julius Caesar 46 B. C., by which count the 25th of December falls on our 6th of January, celebrated by us as Epi phany and "Old Christmas." Tho Ar menian church has also a different, ecclesiastical calendar, which brings its Christmas on the 18th of January. IN SOUTH AMERICA. Peculiar Ceremony With Which Christmas Is Celebrated by Indians. Some of the tribes of South Amer ican Indians celebrate Christmas with a great deal of show and ceremony. Not the least important part of the celebrations is the parade of the chief and high functionaries of the tribe, all gorgeously ornamented with neck laces of bush-hogs' teeth, long strings of seeds or beads, crowns of beautiful feathers, trailing decorations of bright colored birds' skins, and painted and spotted in varied patterns. The chief always heads the procession, carrying a baby on a rude wooden platter.— Peoples Home Journal. THERE WERE OTHER 3. Jones —My wife was hunting lasl week. Smith —In the mountains for rab bits? Jones —No —in the department stores —for bargains. Light Collections. ' Good Deacon —Seems to me the col lections are becoming very light. Beloved Pastor (gloomily)— They ul ways are this time of year; the ladies are saving up their money for Christ j mas slippers for me.—N. Y. Wecldv. ' ©FRONTIER CHRISTMAS GeOrgt Ely Ran Forward. fHE times were flush; there had been good crops, and an abundant harvest had been gathered and stored away. The people on old Lick creek. In Ralls coun ty, Mo., were happy and eager to enjoy themselves. The coun try was sparsely settled, and there was little to be had that was good to eat or drink nearer than the town of Florida, on Salt river, where Squire Clemens, the father of Mark Twain, kept a store. They danced all night under the hospitable roof where sat old Uncle Rhuebin Reddish, Aunt Lou extend ing them a warm welcome; then they went home with Rube Purvis to eat bear meat, and from there to Uncle Harry's and Aunt Edy's, where veni son was broiling and bee gums had been robbed. Christmas eve day was bright and pretty. The sun broke through a rift of clouds and the revelers were fairly intoxicated with joy. They intended to spend the night and Christmas day at the Widow Mackelroy's, where there was plenty of room and an abun dance of good things to eat and drink. The Widow Mackelroy was with the crowd. She had left Uncle Ned and Aunt Polly to look after her house, telling them that if they went away to close the doors. The faithful old servants were not liable togo farther than some cabins occupied by colored people, and the widow knew that they Would answer the summons of the ranch bell. Though it was Christmas time she never dreamed that the negroes would leave the f,lace. Old Ned and Aunt Polly did leave the house, and a big black bear must have been watching them when they walked away. He had doubtless scent ed the odor of a Christmas feast. It was easy for bruin to smash one of the kitchen windows and enter the apartment unmolested. After feasting upon such things as had not been se curely hidden away, the bear probably prowled through the house until his curiosity was satisfied, and then, find ing a dark corner under the stairway in the hall, he laid down and closed his eyes to pleasant dreams. This audacity was the result of careless training on the part of one James Irvin, an old bachelor of the vicinity, who had made a pet of this same bear, nolivar, as the bear was called, frequently answered the call of the wild. In his youth Bolivar was an interesting pet. He was capable of performing many tricks, and he was an accomplished wrestler. The crowd of Christmas ramblers reached the Widow Mackelroy's house about dark on Christmas eve. The lively young widow led the way to unlock doors, and the boys and girls followed, snowballing and singing Christmas carols. The widow was in the act of making some Interesting discoveries in the kitchen, and a dozen couples of dancers were moving over the parlor floor in harmony with music that was loud and fast, when shrieks and screams echoed through the rooms, and those who were able to command their senses saw a monster black bear entering the parlor on his hind feet and swinging his forelegs invitingly, as if seeking a partner for a waltz. The ballroom instantly presented a scene of the wildest excitement. Boys and girls who were near windows lost no time in making their escape. The bear cut off the retreat of a consider able crowd and hemmed them in a cor ner of the room. Bolivar pranced in front of these, licking froth from his red lip 3 and glaring into the facer, of the screaming girls -is if ho were try ing to select a dainty one for hit. Christmas supper. George Ely, a young man who was proud of his strength and his ability to hit hard blows, ran forward and struck the hear on tlio side of the head. Bolivar shook ? iis ear as if he were tickled, and, turning about, ho seized the 1 amu«;J ycur.i? maa with his powerful paws and drew him to his breast. Tho bear was becoming angry, and ho would soon have crushed every rib ia George's body if the youth's sweet heart had not come to his rescue. Mary Goodwin had been dancing with George Ely and when tho bear entered the room the thoughtful girl ran to the fireplace and seized an poker. It proved a good weapon. It was an iron bar about four feet in, length, and it had been in use so long that one end had worn to a sharp point. Its effectiveness had been im proved by a young man who had stuck the sharp end in the fire for the pur pose of using it to take the chill from, a pitcher of hard cider. When Mary Goodwin saw her lov er's face distorted with pain as ho struggled to get loose from the madl bear's powerful arms she ran to his assistance, "Help! For God's sake, help me, boys!" shouted George. Tho bear was trying to fasten his teeth ia his victim's throat, when the bravo girl thrust the red-hot point of tho iron bar behind the monster's fore shoulder and threw her whole weight upon it. The sharp point slipped be tween the bear's ribs and entered hia heart. With an angry growl Bolivar sank in a heap upon the ballroom floor, and George Ely staggered away, to fall, gasping for breath, in the arms of hia quick-witted, fearless sweetheart. Bolivar was barbecued on Christ mas day, 1854. During those samo holidays George and Mary were mar ried. > Bits from the Trees Hence the Mistletoe. Florence —Don't you remember that last Christmas you broke your en gagement? Geraldine —Yes; but I'm a year older now. • • • SORROW OF IT. Mildred —Oh, dear! I wish I knew what to give Mr. Slowboy for a Christ mas present. Helen —Why don't you give him your heart, dear? Mildred —The big goose has it al ready, but he doesn't know It. * * * The Sum. Knicker Christmas mathematics ar? puzzling. Bocker —Yes, you jnit down tena and carry everything. • * * An Explanation. "Women are naturally more arthtio than men." "Yes," answered the matter of fact person, "that's why so many of us look funny when we wear our Christ mas neckties and smoking jacketft. Our wives want us to look artistic." 9
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers