the*
WINDOW
ONCE upon a time there was a
scrivener who wrote a Christ
mas story without mentioning
shop windows, and the people
rose and slew him, saying. "It has nev
er been done."
Does the reader recognize this stroll
ing ragged newsle? Down through
the centuries he comes, the eternal
poor child of Christmas, who is. by the
law of the prophets, invariably hap
pier than the rich man in his limousine.
(This limousine, by the way, was once
a coach and four, the rich man a red
nosed baron and the child a golden
haired page. His mud colored mon
grel alone remains the same. He has
not altered In 500 years.)
It was a week before Christmas, and
we had not yet found our rich man.
At last, however, Just as dusk was
falling, we found our man.
He was old; he was alone in the
world. His hair fell in a white fringe
about his ears. His face was bitter,
but sad. Surreptitiously as we grasped
his wrist we felt his pulse. His heart
was ready to melt.
"Quick!" said we, leaping into the
plum colored interior of his limousine.
'There's no time to lose. The boy is
waiting three blocks farther along.
Tell your man to hurry, please."
The old gentleman did not seem to
observe our presence. We were piqued
for a moment, but soon reflected that,
being a young author, we were, of
course, quite invisible. He spoke sharp
ly through the tube to his chauffeur:
"Get on, Simmons; get on. I can't
stay here all night. And, Simmons,
stop at the toy shop three blocks far
ther along."
The car drew up to the curb. The
old gentleman, clutching a copy of
Dickens in one hand and his gold
headed eane in the other, descended
to the sidewalk. Instinctively, as
though guided by some impulse of the
ages, he turned toward the Christmas
shop window - Vivo with a tliousaivl
tiny artificial runuies.
Standing just in front of the bright
window, (he mud colored laourrrol of
his heels, was (he little newsie, his
hands In his pockets, his cap on
the back of his head, his wistful eyes
Looking Into the Christmas Window.
fixed upon that feast of plenty. For
one dreadful instant we thought we
saw a look of boredom, of ennui,
flash across that pale pinched face, but
we could not be sure.
"Humph!" said the old gentleman.
"This your window?"
"Yes, sir," replied the boy with a
cherubic smile, "mine and Bonesy's."
* "I know!" muttered the rich man.
"It is Christmas. Come; I will give
you anything you ask for one peep into
your window! I say this in all hum
bleness, knowing that you are richer
than I, knowing that I have nothing
that you would want, but still I beg
of you to name your heart's desire."
We turned to the little newsie, the
eternal Christmas child. Fondly, al
most tearfully, we waited for him to
speak. At last he did so. glancing for
inspiration at the mongrel, * * * nor
did he know, wretched boy, that he
had shattered the tradition of cen
turies.
"I'll trade y* a look in the winder,"
said the boy bluntly, "fer a live min
ute sit in yer autymobile."
A moment later pedestrians passing
that particular corner saw an old gen
tleman peering rather dazedly into a
Christmas shop window, while in the
plum tinted, nickel plated, electric light
ed. luxuriously appointed limousine at
the curb sat a little newsie with a mud
colored mongrel hugged to his bosom
and an overwhelming happiness in his
eyes.
As for tiie Christmas author—but he
was my young and quite invisible.--
Dana Burnet in New York F"ening
Sun.
New Year's Morning
By HELEN HUNT JACKSON
ONLY a night from old to new!
Only a night and so much
wrought!
The Old Year's heart all weary
grew.
But said, "The New Year rest has
brought."
The Old Year's heart its hopes laid
down
As in a grave, but, trusting, said,
"The blossoms of the New Year's
crown
Bloom from the ashes of the
dead/'
The Old Year's heart was full of
greed;
With selfishness it longed and
ached
And cried, "I have not half I need;
My thirst is bitter and unslaked,
But to the New Year's generous
hand
All gifts in plenty shall return;
True loving it shall understand;
By all my failures it shall learn
I have been reckless; it shall be
Quiet and calm and pure of life.
I was a slave; it shall go free
And find sweet peace where I
leave strife."
Only a night from old to new!
Night and the healing balm of
sleep!
Each morn is New Year's mom come
true,
More of a festival to keep.
All nights are sacred nights to
make
Confession and resolve and prayer.
All days are sacred days to wake
New gladness in the sunny air.
Only a night from old to new!
Only a sleep from night to morn!
The new is but the old come true;
Each sunrise sees a new year
born.
NEW YEAR BELL IS SILENT.
Famous Relic of American Independ
ence Formerly Rang In the Year.
Every New Year's eve citizens of
Philadelphia gather round the shrine
of Liberty, Independence hall, to hear
the New Year rung in. Formerly this
service was performed by the bell now
known as the Liberty bell.
Before that memorable day in 1776
when the nation's fathers gave forth
to the world their Declaration of Inde
pendence. whose signing was heralded
by the ringing of the bell, New Year's
rejoicing was started by the first peal
of what is now known as the Liberty
bell.
After the events of July 4, 1776,
made the bell one of the most price
less relics of the'iintion. custodians of
Independence hall restricted Its use.
fearing some mishap, and after 1830
the bell was no longer used for the
New Year's salute. In 1832, on the cel
ebration of George Washington's birth
day, it was rung and not again for
three years, when on July 8, 1535.
while the funeral procession of Chief
Justice Marshall was paising, the bell
was tolled.
Suddenly the note grew discordant.
An investigation was made. It was
found that a crack had been started.
The bell had completed its task. No
more would it greet the New Year or
i<ay tribute to the nation's great. Bui
from the tower of Liberty's cradle an
other bell always welcomes the com
ing of a New Year.—St. Paul Pioneer
Press.
Not Alone on New Year.
Of course it is customary to make
New Year's day the day of new reso
lutions, but there is no particular -ea
son why we should courine this work
to this one day in the year. In fact,
the very best resolution we can make
on New Year's day is to resolve that
during the coming year we will use
every endeavor to make each day a
day of splf improvement; that not a
single day shall pass upon which we
have not attempted to speak a good
word or do a kind deed for somebody:
that not a day shall pass upon which
we will not try to weed out some of
the tares and brambles of character
that now offend others or some of the
bad habits that offend even ourselves.
Pay Up Day In China.
At the Chiuese New Yoar the bouses
and other are decked with
flowers, and the streets are thronged
with people, who come out to buy pro
visions, new clothes and gifts. One
good New Year custom in China is
that of settling up all debts before the
old year has died out. A Chinaman
who allows the New Year to dawn be
fore he has settled with his creditors
feels himself disgraced.
The New Year Dawns.
The new year dawns, the sun shines
strong and clear,
And all the world rejoices and is gav.
The city loving birds from spray to
spray
Flit busily and twitter in my ear
Their little frozen note of wintry cheer.
From ruddy children with the snow at
play
Ring peals of laughter gladder than in
May,
While friend greets *riend with "Happ\
be thy year!"
- Lou>e "'handler Moulton*
JrW i
g Q/2
bpp
WEVE*
ALTHOUGH many of the old cus
toms have been dropped and al
most forgotten. New Year's
parties are not out of date. A
nice one Is a pantomime of an enchant
ed girl.
A damp sheet must be fastened up
across the room or between the folding
doors of the parlor. First fasten the
corners of the sheet, next the center of
each of the four sides In order that the
cloth may be perfectly smooth; then
place a lighted candle on the floor
about four or five feet from the cen
ter of the curtain. When the lights In
the room occupied by the company are
turned out shadows of the actors be
hind the curtain may be seen on the
screen, some one, standing outside the
curtain and facing the audience, should
relate the story of the play—of how a
young girl while walking out on the
last day of October meets Halloween,
who presents her with three gifts to
try her fortune, and how, when she is
about to do so, a witch enchants her,
etc. After the story is finished and a
lively overture has been performed on
some musical instrument the panto
mime is played as follows:
Halloween Appeare.
The young girl personating the en
chanted one comes gayly forward from
the side. When almost across the cur
tain she meets Halloween, who ap
proaches from the opposite side, ar
rayed in a short dress, with wings
made of newspaper folded fan fash
ion and fastened on the shoulders.
In her hand she carries a cane with a
silhouette of a cat or two or three
stars and a crescent cut of stiff brown
paper and pasted on the end.
Halloween shows the maiden three
gifts—an apple, a hand mirror and an
unllghted candle. Instead of the mir
ror a crystal ball may be used.
Iks t' ; -
° °
Seeking the Future In the Crystal Ball.
Before presenting them she illus
trates by gestures the use to be made
of each. Holding the mirror or globe
in front of her face, she bites the ap
ple, then looks quickly around, as if
expecting to see some one. and, again
holding up the mirror or globe in one
hand and the candle in the other, she
takes a few steps backward. When a
boy or young man enters bv jumping
over the light, which gives the ap
pearance of his having fallen from
the sky. Halloween looks around, and
the boy or man quickly disappears.
All this time the girl stands trans
fixed with her hands raised and all the
fingers spread out in astonishment.
She receives the presents, which are
given with many nods and gestures.
The Old Witch Enters.
As the maiden then takes up the
apple and mirror or globe her hand is
stayed by a witch with flowing hair,
who has approached unperceived, car
rying under one arm a broom and
wearing on her head an ordinary hat
with a piece of newspaper rolled up
and pinned on to form a peaked crown.
The poor girl looks anxiously around
and discovers she has been enchanted,
for there are three girls instead of one.
This effect is produced by two more
lighted candles being placed on the
floor on either side of the first candle.
The candles are removed, and the Old
Year, an old man, instantly appears.
Discovering him quickly, the girl runs
forward to tell her sorrows and finds
that it is only when alone that she is
enchanted, for when she attempts to
point out her other selves they have
disappeared. Making many guesses,
she looks here and there for them, but
in vain. Then as the Old Year leaver
she bids him a sorrowful adieu.
The Little New Year.
Immediately little New Year enters,
crowned with a paper star and wear
ing wings of paper. The young girl
rushes to meet the New Year with a
hearty greeting. She then tells him
of her enchantment and kneels down,
and the little New Year raises both
hands above her head then, kissing
his hand to the maiden, departs.—Nel
lie F. Morris In Pittsburgh Dispatch.
A Christmas Carol
By HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW
I HEAR along our street
Pass the minstTel throngs.
Hark! They play so sweet
On their hautboys Christina*
songs.
Let us by che fire,
Ever higher,
Sing them till the night expire.
In December ring
Every day the chimes;
Loud the glee men sing
In the streets their merry rimes.
Let us by the fire,
Ever higher,
Sing them till the night expire
Shepherds at the grange,
Where the babe was born,
Sang with many a change
Christmas carols until morn.
Let us by the fire,
Ever higher,
Sing them till the night expire.
These good people sang
Songs devout and sweet.
While the rafters rang
There they stood with freezing
feet.
Let us by the fire,
Ever higher,
Sing them till the night expire.
Who by the fireside stands
Stamps his feet and sings,
But he who blows his hands
Not so gay a carol brings.
Let us by the fire,
Ever higher,
Sing them till the night expire.
THE CHRISTMAS STORY.
It's All Real to Bobby Boy, Who'd Like
to Ride With Santa Claus.
Bobby Boy was sitting in his wee
brown chair so close to the great bunch
of Christmas holly that he could
stretch out his fingers and touch the
shiny red berries whenever he wanted
to make believe that he was far away
in the great forest in Santa Claus land.
He had only to close his eyes and
"shiver his shoulders," as if he were
cold, when the warm, quiet room would
vanish and he would be walking with
Merry Bell in the story.
"By and by," said the sweet voice of
Sister Marjorie, who was reading from
the book, so she couldn't shut her eyes [
and make believe she was in the for- I
est too. Bobby L,oy remembered that
he must tell Sister Marjorie just what
it looked like when they reached home.
"By and by they came to a part of
the forest where there were tall trees,
green and fragrant,. Just like the trees
one sees in the markets before Christ
mas.
"Merry Bell clapped her hands.
"'Hurrah!' she cried. 'We're almost
there! See; here are the Christmas
tree woods. Fretty soon we'll find the
reindeer feeding on the evergreen
vines.'
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F ACT ic c vczZ ctate of things. FALLACY is en appiv
ently genuine but really iiicgiccl si lenient or argument. il
4 : j
S INCE the ediwi of the Czar of Russia, that the manu- f ( "*• - jjli
facture an<J cafe ©£ a vicious drink called Vodka should j I ( jl
cease in that country I rohioition papers end lecturers in •'^i
America hav? been loudly proclaiming FALLACIT, 0 to "L\ ■■
show success of the Czar'n Prohibition order. But fn ?.d- .fay**. "l-'-s
; dition to contradictory testimony from the Russian Duma t , ' "*T :■>"' ■
or Congress, from the Czar's Secretary of W<ar, and from j |
that country's press and hospital heads that have been Q- SiAN LsUMA. j
; orinted in this series of articles to certify failure of Prohi- v 7' " ijvJS
' bition lav/ in Russia, an article by Maxim Gorky, that p ' "iON '•
Uij country's most famous living author, in the New York v'? d 1 U
"American." of Sunday, August 20, gives further FACTS, r> ArAILJRE ,
zj as follows: fca
<<CINCE the day when w~ were deprived, oi Vodka we |g
3 " began to be intoxicated with words. P
pi W "L° VE £ ° r 1( ? U( ?' weil - sou^ in S wcrds lias always been T,
||j Maxim characteristic cf but; the abuse of words
<! i v has never spread o-cr Russia in s tch a wide stream as it
(m has spread sinte the of the war, * * *
"N lt has teccrne clear > beyond the shadow of |
! ! * 1 doubt, that in the world misfortune, which is the
j most tragic for Russia, we demonstrated and are now dem- j
onstrating the least amount of feeling and virtue as
| $ 4 PLUNDER is everywhere in Russia; the most shame
-1 less thievery. DEBAUCHERY, WILD ORGIES—
| everybody knows about these excesses. Making enormous ■*
I | sums of momy, without work, THE DRAM SHOPS and \ k
jj| the theatres ARE PACKED TO OVERFLOWING." ..^
I f-1 ERE we have through FACTS furnished by one of rM < "
j | - Russia's foremost writers a complete refutation of the " . '3
I FALLACIES circulated in the United States that the ' V<T
Czar's Prohibition edict in Russia has brought about j //'' ~ "
sobriety or betterment ifJl J jit , J
Pennsylvania State Brewers* Association
"They walked softly through the
snow paths.
" 'Sh! said Merry Bell; 'don't fright
en them. When they see us the Christ
mas reindeer will know us and come
running to us to let us kiss them.
That's how we know which are the
good reindeer that will carry dear old
Santa safely over the world on Christ
mas eve. Just think—if a reindeer was
bad and tipped poor Santa out!' "
Bobby Boy opened his eyes wide..
I "Ho! I wouldn't care if they did
t'p him out. I'd wun wight out in the
snow an' help him put all the toys
back, an' nen maybe he'd give me a
>ide."
Sister Marjorie laughed and went on
with the story which dealt with the
enchanted country behind the picture
books.
Christmas Long Drawn Out.
It has become the custom to imagine
that every ceremony connected with
the Christmas holidays in old England
was observed on the holiday itself.
Nothing could be further from the real
facts. It should be remembered that
in England of old, and to some extent
' even in industrial England of today,
Christmas does not refer only to the
holiday Itself, but to the twelve days
and nights Immediately following the
feast of the Nativity. It would easily
be discovered by anybody who took
the trouble to give a few moments'
thought to the subject that It would
be nigh physically impossible to fol
low all the ceremonials and customs
connected with the Christmas season
on one day.
Ths Bsaion of Joy.
The festival of Christmas Is grate
fully unique because of the predomi
nant note it contains—the note of Joy,
of a rapture, an abandon of delight,
which carries all before it—and, while
It surcharges the hearts of those who
are naturally gay, it also invades the
gloomiest and the most sorrowful and
creates for them a rift In the constant
clouds of the heart.—Rev. S. P. Cad
man.
Fitness In Gifts.
The Ideal consideration In making a
Christmas gift is fitness. What would
be an ideal present for one person
would be a mockery for another. It
isn't the cost—it isn't even the beauty
of a gift that must be first consider
ed—it is the need and the tastes of
the recipient.
A box containing Christmas gifts
donated by citizens was shipped from
Norristown to its soldiers on the Mex
lean border, and each wearer of the
khaki was sent a check for $5. while
families of the soldiers will also be
remembered in a money way.
Fire in sawdust, originating from a
blaze kindlfi by skaters, worked its
way around a storage icehouse belong
ing to J. M. Detweiler, of Perkasie, but
failed to ignite the fruxne work, since
it stood on a wall ava vhe skaters will
lose their winter pit/ground.
Two cars, contolsang 600 cases ol
beer and a small t-anount of whisky
shipped into Waauington county fo>
distribution by agents, were seized ai
Hills Station, near Washington, by
County Detective Bvron Knestrick and
shipped back to the consignors.
Joseph Murphy, seventeen years old
of Seek, near Coaldale, one of the he
roes of the Foster tunnel disaster at
Coaldale, a year ago, in which eleven
men were imprisoned a week, has died
of a recent accident, when a "lokie" he
was riding went over an embankment
SAFETY DEMANDS
FEDERAL CONTROL
OF THE RAILROADS
Only Way to Meet Emergencies
ot Nation, Says A. P. Thorn.
STATES' RIGHTS PRESERVED
Prinoiplee Which Railways Hold Should
Govarn Regulatory System Jn Inter*
eets of Public and the Roade—Com
pulsory Bystem of Federal Incorpo
ration Favored.
Washington, Dec. a. —That- the Inter
net® of national defense require that
control of railway lines should rest
with the federal government and not
with the states was the claim ad
vanced by Alfred P. Thom, counsel
to the Railway Executives' Advisory
Committee, in concluding his prelim
inary statement of the case for th«
railways before the Newlands Joint
Committee on Interstate Commerce.
"We must be efficient as a nation If
w# are to deal successfully with oar
national emergencies," said Mr. Thom,
"and we must appreciate that efficient
transportation is an essential condition
of national efficiency. If we are to
halt and weaken our transportation
systems by state lines, by the perma
nent Imposition of Infnlens T>y iTnwTsa
regulation, we will make national effl"
ciency Impossible." .
States' Rights Would Not Buffar.
Mr. Thom cited many instances in
which shippers in one state were in
juriously affected by selfish regula
tions imposed on the railroads by
neighboring states. He pointed out
that federal regulation would be no in
vasion of the rights of tue states but
would be the means of preserving the
rights which they acquired when they
entered the Union, one of which waa
the right to the free i. ovement of their
products across state boundaries.
State game" wardens sav that during
the open season for deer, seventeen
buck deer were killed in Carbon coun
ty, and three does —one by a passengei
train at Hickory Run, and two illegal
ly shot by hunters.
Superintendent of Schools Frank W
Wright, of Unlontown. resigned to be
signed to become assistant deputy
state commissioner of education of the
state of Massachusetts. He will as
sume his new duties next January 15.
Rev. E. H. KeEogg, for seven years
pastor of the Second Presbyterian
church, Carlisle, and former head of
the Carlisle Presbytery, has left for
Hartford, where he will be on
the faculty of the Hartford Theological
seminary.
Boys "playing in the woods near Le
high mountain stumbled over the body
Df John Dagnau, aged forty, a well
known resident of Northampton
Heights—probably losft while gunning,
he lay down to sleep and died of ex
posure.