THE
v
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON
Drawing by Ray Waiters.
NE of the interesting devel.
opments of the celebration
of Christmas In America Is
the revival of the ancient
custom of singing Christmas
carols on Christmas eve
and the Increasing obsery-
ance of that custom in all
parts of the country. Of course, we
have always had some Christmas
carol singing, varying In prevalence in
different parts of the country and con-
fined mainly to the Christmas exer-
cises in church and school by the chil-
dren just before the holiday. But In
the hurry and haste of this modern
high-speed age and our departure in
many respects from the old forms of
observing the day, the singing of carols
is one custom which has been allowed
to lapse to a great extent.
It is Interesting to note, however,
that the Christmas carol is “staging a
come-back™ and that In places where
fts appearance seems all the more
supprising because it is in the very
renter of our modern commercialism.
In many of the big department stores
in the large cities, in hotels and in
restaurants groups of musicians,
dressed in the costumes of Old Eng-
land, are playing and singing Christ.
mas carols during the week before
Christmas. In some of the railroad
stations In the big cities hurrying
commuters and other railway travel-
ers are surprised to hear the sound
of volces, singing old-fashioned Christ.
mas carols, pealing out through the
cathedral-like spaces of these great
structures and upon pausing for a
moment they see that the singing
comes from a balcony overlooking the
concourse and that it is a trained
choir of many volces which is thus
adding to the Christmas spirit In evi
dence everywhere,
The first Christmas carol Is said to
be that sung by the heavenly host
when the birth of Christ was an-
nounced to the shepherds. Here 1s a
description of that singing as told by
8t. Luke:
“There were In the same country
shepherds abiding In the field, keeping
watch over their flocks by night, Ana,
lo, the angel of the Lord came upon
them, and the glory of the Lord shone
round about them: and they were sore
afrald. And the angel said unto them,
Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to
all people. For unto you Is born this
day In the city of David a Savior,
which is Christ the Lorq. And this
shall be a sign unto you; ye shall
find the babe wrapped in swaddling
clothes, Lying In a manger. And sud.
denly t was with the angel a mul-
titude of the heavenly host praising
God, and singing, Glory to God In the
highest, and on earth peace, good will
toward men.”
Probably the practice of singing at
Christmas rose in imitation of this, as
the majority of the carols declare the
good tidings of great joy. The word
“earol” itself comes from two Latin
words meaning “to sing Joytully.” Or
as it was defined long ago in a curious
old stanza:
re ep SA om
Fe
“Know you what is a carol?
"Tis singing, with pralse of God
If you praise God and sing net,
You utter no carol.
If you sing and prze: not God,
You utter no carol.
If you praise anything which does not
appertain
To the praise of God,
Though, In singing, you praise,
Yon utter no carol.”
It is a curious fact that the singing
of carols, like many of our other
Christmas customs, owes something to
f pagan as well as a Christian origin.
The early church found that all pagan
religions celebrated the birth of a new
year. The Druids gathered mistletoe
on what Is our day of Christmas, the
Romans held their saturnalia, the
Persians held agricultural ceremonies,
as did the Chinese.
Theophilus, bishop of Caesarea,
toward the middle of the Second cen
tury, recommended “the observance of
the birthday of our Lord on what day
soever the 25th of December shall
happen.” There follows a definite
statement that the first official carol
was “Gloria In Excelsis Deo” and the
year in which it was sung on the new
date was 120 A. D. Thus the church
was able to profit from the mood of
merriment created by the pagans. The
spirit of joy from many religions was
merged into that of one.
Many high churchmen in the ancient
times opposed the Introduction of song
into the solemn moments.
No power, however, could stem the
tide of Innocent song which had in-
vaded religious observance. The first
crusade preached by Urban in 1005
gave impetus to the troubadour move.
ment and the holidays for five cen-
turies were to resound with the songs
of thelr Inspiration. By 1500 carol
singing was widespread In Europe ang
was being Introduced into England.
In the England of today wandering
bands of minstrels or “waits” pre
serve the old customs by going from
house to house piping Christmas tunes
on reed Instruments and singing
carols. It may be this that they sing:
“Wassall, wassall! to our town!
The bowl is white, and the ale is
brown;
The bow! Is made of the rosemary tree,
And so 1a the ale, of the good barlee,
Little mald, little maid, tir the pin!
Open the door, and let us come in!”
Or they may lift up their volces in
this equally old earol :
“Here us comes a wassalling, under
the holly green,
Here us comes a wandering, so merry
to be seen,
Good luck good Master Hodgin, and
kind Mistress also,
And all the little children that round
the table go!
Your pockets full of money, your cup.
boards full of good cheer,
A merry Christmas, Gulzzards, and a
Happy New Year!”
The poor women and children also
sing carols on the streets and are
given cakes by those who listen, Some
of the earol singers carry peaked lan.
terns to light them on thelr way. The
bringing In of the Yule log In Eng.
land was the occasion of a Joyous
Ceremony and the singing of merry
songs, such as the “Boar's Head"
carol, still sung at Oxford at Christ
mas which goes as follows :
“The boars head In hand bear 1
Jedeckt with bays and rosemary;
And I pray you, my masters, be merry
Quot estis in convivio
Caput apri defero
Reddens laudes Domino!
"Our steward hath provided this
In honor of the King of Bliss,
Which on this day to be served is,
In Reginens! Atrio
Caput april defero
teddens laudes Domino ™
Almost every land has Its
Christmas carols They are called
Wiegenlieder or Kristlieder in Ger
many, Noels In France, and carols in
England, In lussia the
Kolyada songs, once sung
gods, now dedicated to the Chiristiap
saints, are sung about the streets.
owp
are indebted for one of our
known of all Christmas Songs.
“Silent Night” had its origin In ¥
a young priest, Joseph Mohr, was in
vited In Oberndorf,
for wandering comedians from the
near-by village of Laufen to give
crude representations of the Christ
mas story as recounted In the Bible
A shipowner named Maler
from Salzburg, to be his guest at
little party. As a special surprise for
the priest, Maier arranged for the
comedians from Laufen to stage theh
festival play at his home.
The thoughtful hospitality of the
Mailer couple and the touching sim
plicity of the festival play so stirres
the young priest that instead of golng
straightway home he climbed the so
called “Totenbarg” (mountain of the
dead), overlooking Oberndorf. an.
stood there In silent meditation.
The silence of the night, the blink
ing of the stars, the murmur of thu
Salzach river all inspired him. Quickly
he descended to his parish house, ane
late that night the words to “Stille
Nacht” were written,
The next day he hurried to his
chum and co-worker, Franz Gruber
village organist and school teacher,
He requested his friend to write the
music for his song, Happy at this
opportunity, Gruber composed the
melody that is known perhaps to more
people than any other single melody,
Christmas eve of 1818 came and the
priest and the teacher were ready to
offer the song for the first time. Un.
fortunately the organ of St. Nicola
was out of commission that night. For
a moment it seemed as though the
congregation were to be cheated out
of this unique premiere. But Gruber
ran back to his home and got his gul-
tar, To its accompaniment Mohr and
Gruber then sang “Stille Nacht” for
the first time as a duet,
(@® by Western Newspaper Valon.)
W——————— ———————
This and
Recipes
"Kitchen
14 other ALL-STAR
inside every sack of
-tesfed”
y not nowy
All-Btar “Kitchen
tested” Recipe Ly
Betty Croc ker, noted
Cooking Ezpert,
Kitchen - tested’
pot
1003
Hope for Restoration
of Isle to Fertility
A representative of the United
States Department of Agriculture has
spent the past summer at Laysan Is
land, a lonely spot In the Pacifiel
ocean, about 1.000 miles northwest of
Honolula, Laysan island formerly |
had extensive guano beds, but these i
vere worked out more than a decade
nzo. Commercial fertilizers from
South America and the cost of han-
diing the lower grade guano made
the Laysan islands no longer profit
able. So the guano station on the
lonely Islet was abandoned and the
regular trips of supply schooners to
Honolulu were discontinued. Left at
Laysan were only a fast-growing fam
ily of rabbits that soon virtually de
nuded the Isinnd of its secant vegeta
tion, while the wild [Pacific winds |
heaped sand dunes over the roots of
the herbage. Doctor Wilder hopes,
that Laysan cap be trans
formed Into a well vegetated Island {
Plants and grass suitable to its corsa
soll were taken in boxes on the Pio
neer. Two officers, two men, a cook i
and Doctor Wilder landed at Laysan |
and started work.
The Music Critic
Harry Harkness Flagler, president
of the New York symphony orches
tra, sald at a dinner:
“Music criticism is a difficult art.
Too many music eritics are like the
the young man who said:
* ‘You play beautifully, Miss Smith.
There Is one thing about your tech.
nique that impresses me particular
iy!
“Yea? said Miss Smith. ‘Is it my
touch you mean?
“*No, said the young man. ‘It is
your marvelous speed in turning the
leaf when you get to the bottom of
the page.”
Mohammedan Holy Book
In the Arabic language the word
"Koran" signifies “the reading.”
H
wore esheets
HALE’S HONEY
OF HOREMHOUND AND TAR
The tried home remedy for breaking
» 2
HOW | WAS CURED!
WOULD YOU RISK 100? Send me 10e
for postage and packing and 1 wil}
mail you a trial treatment of medi.
cine that gave me permanent relief.
0, Ww. Dean
145A Dean Nidg., Denton Harbor, Mich,
Wi RID MYSELF OF
PSORIASIS
Write and I will tell Jou my own
so that too can rid yourself
OF iS Gracy cio.can sid yourself
ments, salves or injections,
LO.R. 18 Box 142, Woodside, Long Island
Historic Monument to |
- 1
French Hero in Danger |
News from Paris states that there |
is a possibility that the citadel of the |
southwestern |
town of Blave In
France may be taken off the official
ligt of historie
tion of its
monuments, and that |
wiil fol
Here Charlemagne buried Ro
r destrod
low,
land, who had died In defense of the
great king's rearguard at [lonces
valles, Noland's great ivory
which he sounded-—too late—to bring |
Charlemagne to the support of
rearguard, is a famous legend.
land's own sword is shown at Nurem-
burg: the warrior himself was in
terred at Dlaye In the famous
|
hom. |
his |
4
that tells the herole tale. Roland is
sisted the the Saracens
The true Roland was a we of
the Breton marches, who died fight.
it the Basques, when in 778
nttacks of
rden
rearguard at
Pyrenees. The at
in the Seventeenth
Vauban, the
magne's
the
Haye was built
by Sebastien
citadel
century
fications of France that
structed during his lifetime.
Record Telephone Call
Veterans’ Hospitals
According to the Unit
erans’ bureau, the bureau utilizes 93
ed States vet.
of which 49 are under the di
rect control of the bureau. The total
hospitals to July 1, 1929, was 420.-
in all he thai
date was 27,754, of whom 6517 were
patients, 13.781 neuro
and 7,450 general
on
fuberculosis
and surgical cases,
Matter of Time
Mechanie—1 think
due short
your
{ trouble is to a circuit,
madam,
Lady—Well, will It take you long
| to lengthen it?
Robust
Health
depends
upon
proper
food
on. Keep
the digestive pro -
cesses active with
Wrights 225% Pills
"THE TONIC-LAXATIVE®
call on record, from Sedalia, Mo. to
Sydney, Australia, was announced by
the American Telephone & Telegraph
company as having been made
through its new overseas telephone
service, The connection covered a
distance of more than 15000 miles,
Due to the time difference between
the two points the speaker in. Aus
tralia talked at about 2:00 a. m1. on
words reached the listener at Seda.
lia, a fraction of a second later, at
10:00 a. m. Monday, there,
The call went by wire from Syd
ney to the local radio station. There
it was amplified and sent to London,
switched to one of the regular trans.
atlantic circuits ang forwarded to
New York through the Bell recefs.
ing station at Moulton, Maine, and
was thence sent by land lines to Se.
dalia,
—————————
Cycle of Hard Luck
Over a period of about a year here
Is what has happened to ten-year-old
Leland Luenberger, of Gouverneur,
N. Y.: Severe cut on his knee play-
ing football, forced to remain in hos.
pital for two weeks: injured In auto
motile accident and returned to bed;
was forced back to bed with measles;
while suffering from this disease he
contracted the mumps and scarlet
fever; recovered and Incurred bad
cut on his foot while on vacation.
Now he is confined to an easy chair
until that wound heals.
Rebuked
Little Paul had adopted Lindbergh
as his hero for all time.
“Why do you make so much of
Lindbergh? his mother asked him
one day,
“Why shouldn't I™ demanded
Paul, “1 bet you was Just ag excited
about Columbus, when he discovered
America.”
ASA.
Cuppa Coffee
Smart after-dinner coffee cups and
saucers have how appeared In col
ored glass, An additional virtue is
that they are Inexpensive. —Wom
en's Home Companion,
| —All Winter Long
AT the Foremost Desert Resort
{ of the West—marvelous dimote— worm sunny
| days—cleor starlit nights — dry invigoreting
| oir ~—— splendid roads — gorgeous mountain
| scones—finest hotels —the idea! winter home.
| Write Creo & Chaefroy
PALM SPRINGS
California
NOTICE TO STOMACH SUF.
SPECIAL
If vou are suffering from Indi.
| FERERS
| gestion, Nausea, Gas Pains, Sour Stomach,
| or the many other stomach disorders, send
| today for DIL. MOORE'S ETOMACH REM.
EDY. This easy io take tablet gives gulch
sure relief It Is a DOCTOR'S prescription
that ie now made available to everslody
after years of success in his nrivate prac.
tice. Bold direct only. Satisfaction guaran.
teed Mall $1.00 for large box and met
‘our fret real relief,
br. MOORE'S PRODUCTS LABORATORY
1514 Page Ave. E., Cleveland, Olle.
THIS IS A-FRALUD
Preventor. Why pay $25 to $100 for a
check protector. My Check Protects Peneil
at 26e Is guaranteed to prevent any check
being ralsed or your money refunded.
Simple to operate. Send coin only.
8 LL GROSS
2128 Penna, Ave, N. W., Washington, D. C,
Syndicate Seeking More ing. Mem.
bers to finance development 1.460 sores
centrally located gold claims famous nro.
ducing district Ontario, bscked by govi. re.
ports. Henry Rowse, $51 5th Ave, New York,
Buite 423,
Wonderful Silk Stockings; authorized hos.
fery guild: no seams whatever: slenderin.
ing, fit perfectly, pure silk. ploot ton, new.
ext ecolers, $1.26 palr, value $1.90: wiate
#ize, color. Remit. Guild Products, 27 W.
Ind Bt, New York City.
—— rt ——
Dovettes; non-rust many. use garment Pog,
Attractive colors: popular prise, Xmas gift.
2 tor $1. Money order or cheek. The Law.
son Co. BL. Augustine, ¥ia,
Bend One Dollar, we wi) enough
ragor biades for a year's shaves (Glilette
Be. best steel). Bank referemves Perfor.
tion Blade Codd Tth Ave. New York Oly,
ENTS, SELL E20 AND SEILERINE,
Household necessities:
buyer a future customer Mn i: a
er, EZO CO. Jenkintown, Penna.
Chol pefrait DAS box: #4
ee Kral oranges, 3 ’
half box dolivered. Christmas special. Rt
mit money order, > M
ntererta cilia. rar 00
erent selling for each:
chook now. George Teague,
Ione ine arte
n on! A :
Sells $5.80. Prot
Lin 8 Fire Prevention Co, La
W. N. U, BALTIMORE, NO. 49.1930.