CHRISTMAS BELLS ell 4 Willidm, O Chmtmaa belli. finj out th Hory td- 0. thmtmat belli, nnj out IN kvtor i birth -Cy belle, (oy belli -h iwcetcit vf told. Swl belli, glad blli. ihll day to til tht firth Immamitl the King hit com Thit til to Him, their glorioul King 0. chiming belli, bt y not dumb. 0 ulver belli, mty Incttut bring 'Tli pec on ttrth, good lll to men. fcho welcome Mm, with Him thtll fla, Tll it again, tnd ytl tgtin. Tell it again tnd ytt tgtln, 0. Chnetmai belli. 0. Chnilmai belli. SHRISTMAS: its Origin, Its Spirit " " '" "'"'" ....... ... ......... raXj)K1IKI.STMA! is such a thor- oughly established lnstltu W M 2 tioti, go Integral n part of SJ oiir yearly program Hint I Sj33fcu really don't tlilnk tlie pos tiliillty of dispensing with It over oc curred to me until A. II. J.'s little poem, "Tlie False Calendar." fame to usud, ntnl I "Fell to thinking hov 'twould be If inch a thing were true," snd Christmas were wiped off the cal endar. Surely, winter would seem a Ions, cold, cruel season without the an niversary that opens our heart, our home aud our purses, and possesses us with the spirit of loving and giving, tuj kindly thought of others. Our Christinas season Is a curious commingling of Christian nud pagan ceremonials. When Christianity was making Rlow headway against poly- tliolsm. tlie early father of lite church found it expedient to engraft upon the new faith some of the custom and practices of the old. Thus, long before the Christian era "the babe In the muu ger" was a symbol of tlie birth of the new year, and was part of the Satur nalia, br fettlvul of -Saturn, the mad dost and most rlotl'msly merry of pa gan feasts. The diM'i.riilons of our pringinfl in tl)f (Llristmas Crrr -A tit.- sQ- rir fy m. M i ' Sip ''Jk '; ". houses with ever,.f ?is and mistletoes comes from the rites of ,l;ie nnrlent Druids, who yearly cut the milky-berried parasite from the trees with silver knives nmt much ceremonial. The Uru Ids were not pagans, as the Komans were; they believed In God, In n future life. In rewards nnd punishments for good and evil doing, but their faith was crude nnd cruel. The giving of gifts, the feastlngs, and the benefactions to the poor which characterize the great Christian holi day were features of the midwinter festival of the pagans, and were graft ed upon the new religion to make the transition from the. one to the other more easy. Later Christmas revels, tlie wassail, the "waits." traces of which still survive In England, cun be followed back to the Yule festival of the ancients. Yule being the name of the winter month In which the days begin to lengthen. Y'ule was derived from llule, a wheel, the ancient sym bol of Hie sun. Great logs were drawn to the cavernous fireplaces of those days with great ceremony and merri ment, and were lighted as symbollcol of the return of the sun In the winter solstice, and In honor of the lengthen ing days. The early Christians did not special ly celebrate tlie nativity, but regarded ly celebrate tlie nativity, but regarded I THE MADONNA WITH THE DIADEM. ICaphael (ItslUoi Ilora 1483; Died 1520). as more sacred the anniversary of 1 Christ's baptism, as the date on which III ministry began. The institution of the festival of Christmas i attrib uted to the Kmperor Commodus, and It was not until A. I). 3MU that Eastern churches gcnerully adopted It "Christ' Mass" from which "Christ mas" is derived, was in earlier times celebrated at the New Year (January lb by Eastern Christians. Julius I., Ulshop of Home, fixed the date we now celebrate as Christina. Christmas la not, therefore, the ex act anniversary of the nativity, that date being unknown. It is a day set apart to celebrate the event, much as we set apart Thanksgiving as a day of gratitude and giving thauks for the bountiful gift of the earth. All Christian nations observe Christ inas. It Is a well-nigh universal hol iday. Some of us keep it In spirit; there are few who do not keep it in the letter. The mysteries begin weeks prior to it coming; we plan the Christ mas surprises, practice self-denial to swell our Christmas fund, or give oar time to the making of gifts, that we may fitly celebrate Its annual return. There Is something about the season that Inclines the heart to generosity. Ws want to make others happy. We begin prudently set a limit to our ex penditures and declare "thus far and not a dollar over." But "the loving and giving" spirit grows apace. We are tempted; there are so many lovely things la tli stores, so many expedi ent to wile the cash from our purses. Just as long s ws keep our motives pur and high,, and don't let them de- scend to the lerel of a "bargain coun ter Christmas," our Joy In Christmas is real. But when we make gifts be cause others have given to ns; when we measure values; when we let our selves feel n little envious because others have received more richly or more abundantly thnn we, we very soon find out that we have lowered the high meaning of 'the day and drifted far from Its spirit. A merry Christmas by no means re quires expensive gifts. A tree pretti ly dressed with strings of popcorn and cranberries and hung with apples and oranges delights child eyes as much at If Its adornments were more costly, Mltle things please If chosen with thought of ttip desires of the recipient Have a good dinner, and Invite some who would otherwise ent a scanty or a lonely one to dine with yon. Don't have a selfish Christmas, but let your Christmas giving and your Christmas cheer radiate from your home to bless the poor, the lonely, the unfortunate. Make up your mind to do something townrd making some outsider have a merry Christmas, and the act will prove n benlsoti upon your own. Last year a kind-hearted woman In vited to her Christinas table a man who called to see her husband on Christmas morning. He was poor, shabby, lonely; he had been down In the depths of despair; he had "eaten husks with swine," and was trying to work his way back to respectability. He ate as only a half famished man can eat at a home table, and when be went away, warmed and fed, and, bet ter yet, cheered by the kindly wel' come and encouraged by being greeted as a friend and an equal, tears ran down his cheeks as he thanked bit entertainers. Did not that woman's act breathe more of the true spirit of Christmas than the entertaining of well-to-do friends, or the bestowing of rich glftt upon those who already have trior than they need? BEATRIX. Tb Merry Itajrt. Bang the holly berries jet tlit red rlauire glow; Cheeks ta red a cherriea Wat born on ( lirintiimt Day, 'Neath the in'atlrtoo! Outnids voices on the air: "Cliriatmaa comet but onea t year!" Steeple bell a-rlnglng Over merry thronge, And tha till die tinging All tli old-time aongt! -And outaida voice on tta air: "Cbrivtuiaa cornea but one a year I " A ah at an Aid. Ashes and hen manure, if mixed to gether before being applied to the soil, result In a loss of ammonia from the droppings that greatly lessens the value. Tut the ashes on after the ma nure has been mixed with the soil; the ammonia will be absorbed by It and re main for the use of the crop. Wood ashes make a valuable application to soils deficient in potash, and hasten the decomposition of coarse manures. Grow Into Specialty. Some one bos said "It Is better to grow Into a specialty than to go Into it" There is a deal of wisdom in the saying as applied to the farm. Almost any line of work Is all right if well conducted, but all wrong if It Is not. First learn how, then It will do to go In. A good way to learn a specialty Is to try it on a small scale and gradually increase. There are those who can comprehend the requirements of a line of effort without the experience, but they are not numerous. Don't Bnr the Animal. It Is a loss of valuable material to bury a dead animal. Cut the carcass up Into as smull pieces as possible, placing them In a large box or cement ed pit, using both flesh and bones, as well ns the entrails. Dry dirt may be used to fill the spaces between the pieces. Use one part sulphuric acid and two parts water, pouring the mix ture over the mass until it is thorough ly saturated. In a few days the whole will be fit for use, but little odor being noticeable. Philadelphia Record. To Brae Knd Pout, Set the two end posts three feet deep. Put an anchor In end of each. Between posts at the top put a two by four stick. Near the top of second post ut tach a heavy double wire, let it extend 1 r back near the foot of end post to an an chor, either a heavy stone or n stick four feet long with wire attached In middle. When everything Is in place twist wire the last thing. S. P. Delano, in The Kpltomist, Caro of Comb Money. As soon as comb honey Is sealed re move it from the hive, scrape all sec tions clean of propolis, then put It di rectly into shipping cases and close tight. Keep it in a warm room till time to sell, never allowing it to freeze, as freezing it cracks the comb, says The Farmer, and when warmed again it begins to leak out, making a nasty, dauby mess. Be sure your shipping case is tight, eo that ants, millers or flies cannot get lu. Do not put honey in a cellar, as the dampness bursts the clippings, the honey grows thin, loses its flavor and leuks out, wlille if stored in a dry room it will Improve and thicken. Never pack two colors of honey to gether or mix It In the shipping cases. Keep tlie white honey by Itself for a better price. Bo very careful not to pack any sec tion of honey having a single cell of pollen in it, for it surely will have an egg from a uiotb , miller In it, which will hatch out a big ugly worm to spoil the toney. If you haven't shipping cases ready to pack the honey in as soon as taken off the hives, then store it lu the supers In a dry, warm room, tiering them up as high as you can reach. After two weeks fumigate with sulphur to kill any moth worms that may be hatching. Also repeat the fumigation once In two weeks till cold weather. Ship all comb honey to market before freezing weather If possible. Stock For Breeding. A word about selecting breeding stock. It Is doubtful If there Is any branch of the poultry Industry that re quired so much good judgment as the selecting of the breeding fctock, as they are the foundation of the industry. Pure-bred poultry practically has two values, A bird that has nice feather markings, although deficient lu real business qualities, has a value with the fancier for exhibition. But the bird that Is not so nicely marked, if plump and a good layer, is likely to make the best breeder, and is the bird that has the real business value. For where there Is one bird sold for exhibition purposes there are 10.000 sold for what they will produce In the way of poultry and eggs. I admire birds with nice feather markings. But with my twenty-five years' experience In raising poultry and eggs for market I have found that the highest scoring birds do not always make the most profitable breeders. A bird to be a good, profitable breed er should have a medlum-slxed and in telligent looking head, short beak, large comb and wattles (as they show health and vigor); short neck, broad back, broad, plump, full breast, medium short legs, wide apart, body medium length and not too deep, and with yellow skin. Bird of this typo a a tu.e are good breeders aud good layer, and as dressed poultry they command the highest market price. J. Alonzo Jocoy, in the Massachusetts Ploughman, .Jil eaillatt VrulU. The common belief is that the seed less orange was originally a freak fruit that appeared In Southern California. The real truth Is, however, that the world Is Indebted for It to the United Scutes Department of Agriculture. It Is said that United States Consul Will Jam F. Judson, at Bahia, Brasll, heard of seedless orange trees that grew some distance away from Bahla. lie ob tained cuttings from the trees and lent them to the Agricultural Department at Washington. The department nur tured the sprouts carefully, aud In time was able to send buda from them to several orange growers. Some of the growers gritted the buda upon seedling stock. A California fruit grower was the first to produce tho seedless orange. From him other grafrs were obtained, until it length tlie old, leedjing orange groves were ejther cut down 6r re grafted with the seedless kind. Fruit growers who study their busi ness scientifically know that seed is produced In a fruit through fructifica tion by the yellow pollen or flower dust that appears so abundantly upon the stamens of flowers. If the pollen could be kept away from the stigma of a fruit flower, might it not be that the fruit would still grow while the forma tion of needa would be prevented? On that theory scientific apple, cherry, grape and plum growers have been working patiently and quietly. In In diana a woman farmer, Mrs. Mary E Grosh, of Noblesvllle, has been endeav oring to develop a seedless tomato, and has at length succeeded. The fruit Is uncommonly One from these seedless tomato slips. 'In general, it appears that where the strength of the plant has not to go to the growing of seed the fruit Is of superior quality. In Colorado, similarly, John F. Spen cer, shortly after the seedless orange bad corne to stay, began working over the problem of bringing out a seedless apple. He now announces that he has attained bis object. The seedless ap ple has at the end opposite the stem a slight hard formation somewhat like that In a navel orange, but no seeds. Oddly enough, or perhaps it might have been expected, the seedless apple tree does not have retailed blossoms. The apples grow out from little buds like the calyx of a flower. But it would be a pity if apple blossoms should be done away with! A California fruit grower, Luther Burbank, has for some years been try ing to et seedless plums. He has suc ceeded to a great degree, but not en tirely. It Is odd that the plum seed is still retained, though Its stony coating has been nearly abolished. Mr. Bur bank believes that he will be able, af ter awhile, to get plums that are all pulp. Progress has been achieved also In the direction of stoneless grape growing, notably in Ohio. As fast as the growers develop anything new they report It to the pnmologlcal department at Washington. Mr. Spencer has sent a number of his seedless apples there. The best new of all, however, will probably be thot a seedless Georgia watermelon has been brought out as the result of long nnd patient effort. A Southern watermelon without seeds would be the perfection of fruits. As far as they have progressed the melon experimenters have obtalrred a fruit containing only a few seeds. It seems only n question of time when we shall buy In the markets all thesw fruits in a seedless state. Christian at Work. Heine to Beginners. There Is a vast tiifference Detween a man who peddles poultry and one who breeds It. To be sure we have both, but I truly believe that for the good of the poultry industry we should, by some means or other, drive every poul try peddler from the business. I nin not speaking now of the huck ster. whi.se business it Is to sell and buy poultry for market, but I refer to tlie persons who buy birds from other breeders and then peddle them from place to place under the name of the breeder of sveh and such a variety. I can not see what glory a man derives from such a business. There may be some consolation In the fact that he "beats" the other fellow at the shows, but what good does that do the great poultry fraternity? Here is a man who has spent years in bringing a breed of fowls to a high place lu the poultry world, and when that man wins he has a heartfelt satis faction that he deserved all he got. Can the peihller say so much? I realize that I am on debatable ground, but I believe It Is a cause that needs wise handling. Suppose I send to a prominent breeder nnd buy n fine cock, take him to New York, and he wins. Who, tllen, Is the real winner, myself or the man from whom I bought the blrdb? And is it right to show a bird that you did not rnlsv, or that does not have the blood of your own strain In It as being your own? Here I a man who sells eggs to a man who In turn hatches and raises a lot of flue birds, and when fall come round the man who sold the eggs buys the birds and exhibits them; In this case the birds are rightly his own; they came from hi yards directly; they huve his blood lu them. I can see nothing wrong in such work. I must say Hiat it la little wonder that much of the wind Is taken out of the sails of the beginners when we come to see that it does not mean much to buy birds that will win. It then be comes not so much a matter of who has the best skill in rearing poultry; not so much lu the business for the pleasure oire derives from being able to raise tine bird as it Is to make money by buying and selling them. It' has been my observation that these "peddlers" soon grow tired of their own game. Just so soon as the money end of the business begins to lag that soon they seek some other buslnest. But not so with the true fancier. He is in tlie work for what pleasure there is In it, and the money part becomes a secondary matter. A man who Is now a prominent fan cier once stood on the floor of a big show Just after the ribbons had been placed, and not seeing first come to his coop, said: "I am going home to work harder than ever, aud the fellows will find out that I can win yet." How did be do It? By buying the best bird in the land? No. By going Into bis breed ing yards and mating with care the best birds he had and following it up till the result was bird that would win. That man to-day finds much pleasure In what he has accomplished, and more than that, be find a great deal of money in his wallet The world will reward a true man.' Let him who will peddle, but as for me I want to have It said that what I show, la mine and not Tom Jones' bird. Go It then, my dear beginners. There la much room at the top. If you want to be a huckster, be one, but If a true fancier, be one, and I surely believe that every lover of fine birds will give you the .welcome hand when once you put your foot on the top round of the ladder. Wm. Harris duyer, la tht In UnA rualtry. Journal, New York City.-ximple waists with waistcoat effects are among the new est features of fashion and exceeding ly attractive. This one Is made of BOX PLEATED BIOUBK WAIST. royal blue chiffon taffeta combined with ecru lnce, but It is Milted to all walstlngs and all simple dress mater ials as well as to both the entire gown and the odd waist. The sleeve extension, which form bos pleats A LATE DESIGN over the shoulders, make an especially noteworthy feature aud are becoming to the generality of figures. When liked, the vest can be of velvet or other contrasting material so making still greater variety. The waist is made with a fitted lin ing which can be used or omitted as preferred, and consists of the fronts, back, centre front and vest portions. The lining Is closed at the centre front, the waist Invisibly beneath the edge of the left front and the waistcoat at the centre.' The sleeves are made iu one piece, mounted over fitted linings, on which the deep cuffs are arranged and their extensions are arranged over the shoulder seams. The quantity of material required for the medium size Is four yards twenty -one, three and oue,-half yards twenty-seven or 1 and three-quarter yard forty-four Inches wide, with three-quarter yards of all-over luce to make as illustrated. Faahlonabla Coate. If long, tight redlngotes and busqued Jacket are all the rage, the little, short, loose paletot has certainly not disappeared, for I see many editions of It among the new models, and I gladly ball it appearance, for It is so useful and convenient and looks Just the thing to wear with a simple skirt for morning expeditions, shopping, etc. The new "Currlcks" ore cut in much the same shape and have cape that come over the shoulders, but with out covering up the coat completely. They are fastened to the side seams and so do not Interfere with the grace of the silhouette. Many Carricks are unllned, the big pelerine being suRlc leutly waruK These outer sleeves or cape are fastened with automatic buttons so that they can be taken off I If desired. Paris Fashions. Arm-Top Botterfllee. Quite the loveliest thing In the way of a debutante's eveulug. dress Is of Quest Brussels uet, spangled with sil very bit that are formed Into a lovely, If scattering, design. And that Is a point; a heavy, rich cheme would be entirely out of place on a fair young bud. This, particular bit of youthful prettlnets'U girdled with soft silk, which 1 outlined top and bottom with Baroque pearl. The neck Is In the new shape, pointing slightly front and back. Of the sleeves there is little or nothing. This modesty In the. way of arui coverlug Is not likely to blush un seen, however. Beyond., the twist around the arm top there Is only a big butterfly poised a bit back at each armtop. This butterfly Is made of white tulle, quite a quantity being gathered Into the graceful wings. The body is formed of a wisp of tulle wound with sver thread. It hardly shows, however, the wings are so ripply. Violet Mlrevea. La Duchess de Nnallles was much admired In Bordeaux cloth and velvet Two shaped flounces were at the fool of the full clolh skirt. These were headed by two niched velvet tucklngs. The skirts of her coat were short ond cut away at the front to show the deep ly nnd sharply pointed waistcoat of ve lour. The collar, which was narrow and ended slightly below the bust, was of sable. Altogether of velour were the sleeves of this coat. Above the elbow each was lu the shape of two broad puffs, with a band of the tucking be tween. From the elbow to the wrlsl they were wrinkled mou5quet.ilre fash Ion. An ombre plume was under the left brim of her cavalier hat Tatlnrlna: a Pktrt. A way of tailoring a skirt to obtain the desired fullness is to follow thf model In a red colored broadcloth. This skirt Is very full, bnt cut walking length. There Is a hip yoke, narrow on the hips, but coming to a sharp and BY MAY MANTON. deep point as It approaches the mid dle front panel, which it does not cross. This panel shows three narrow pleats pinched In at- the waist belt and run. niug all the way to the hem. Below the hip yoke the pleats are arranged lu groups of five. Blouea or Shirt Walat. Waists that are simple In style yet a little more elaborate than the shirt waist fill many needs and are in great demand. This one Is exceptionally at tractive and is adapted both to the odd waist and to the entire gown as well as to a variety of materials. As Illus trated, however, it Is ruada of dark red chiffon taffeta stitched with cor tlcelll silk and worn with a black tie and belt. The yoke adds largely to the effect and intensities the broad shoul der line, but can, nevertheless, be omitted when a plainer waist is de sired. The waist consists of the fitted lin ing, which Is optional, fronts and back, with the yoke and sleeves. The sleeves are made In one piece each and are la I1 In pleats both at the tipper edge and, above the cuff portions. The closing is made invisibly at the left of BLorsa OB awiat waist. ' the trout aud the neck la finished with a regulation stock. The quantity off material required for the medium slie Is five yards twenty-one Inches wide, four yards twenty seven luches wide,' or two and three quarter yards fort-fur Untie wlc1, IS I
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