hn This beautiful Christmas card was selected by the Queen, and depicts the old Danish custom of hanging up a bundle of hay by peasants for the birds to nest in. water colors. Like his Majesty’s card, it is charmingly reproduced in CHRISTMAS IN SWEDEN. They tell a lovely story, in lands beyond the sea, How, when the King of Glory lay on His mother’s knee, Before the Prophet-princes came, bringing gifts in hand, The dumb beasts felt the miracle men could not anderstand! The gentle, patient donkey and the ox that trod the corn Knelt down beside the manger, and knew that Christ was born. And so they say in Sweden, at twelve each Christmas night, The dumb beasts kneel to worship and see the Christinas light! This, fancy makes men kinder to creatures needing care, They give them Cliristmas greeting, and dainty Christmas tare; The cat and dog'sup gayly, and a sheaf of golden corn Is raised above the root-tree for the biras morn! on Christmas We do not live in Sweden, but we can feed the birds, And make dumb creatures hap py by kindly deeds and words. No animal so humble, no creeping worm so small, 3ut that the God who made us has made and loves them al If we to them are cruel, like Christ we cannot he! And this shall be our lesson from our dear Christmas tree! YT 779 CEs > Story and a IT had begun way back in Novem- ber—the Sunday after Thanksgiv- ing, when Sallie Carter came in late to church with a gray as- trakhan muff. The sermon was too deep” for Vida, who had =” her hand at her face and was almost asleep, when a flash of gray in the next pew caused her to turn her head ever: so slightly and peep through her chubby fingers. There it stood on the velvet cushion heside Sallie, trim, warm and lined with pearly gray satin, exactly like Mrs. Car- ter’s own beautiful big one, but smaller by half. A great longing began to grow in Vida's heart, and she peeped again, th's time at Sallie. Sallie's golden curls had fallen. riotousiy over her shoulders, hiding | things—you said so only this morn- much of her face, but Vida could see enough. And just then the sermon came to an end. - But from that day on till the 17th of December Vida thought of nothing but a gray muff—how she would look carrying it, how it would feel, and how every Sunday afternoon she would let poor Dorothy Haines carry it for a whole block, just as she had seen Sallie lend hers to the little lame girl in their Sunday-school class. ®n the 17th of December a great snow fell and all the earth was white. At night the stars came out and the moon was full. It was the first snow- storm of the winter, and Vida, by the light of the blazing logs in the nurs- ery fireplace, wrote her annual letter to Santa Claus, posting it in the win- of an dnswered Letter T itHe Gets Hay Christmas dowsill. Inthe morning, it ‘was gone,-and Vida's heart light. She smiled at Sallie from her was soon to be established and praised new beauties in the gray astrakhan muff. so amidst greater good fellowship and happy expectations, the anxiously awaited Christmas drew on apace. And Saturday morning dawned bright and clear. The long, fat icicles hang- ing above the nursery window glist- ened in the sunlight, and the hemlock boughs swept the ground under their weight of snow. Vida and her er were standing together at the nurs- ery window as, with a jingle of merry bells, the Carters’ drove by. Vida sighed contentedly. “To-morrow,’” she said, “I shall be carrying a gray astrakhan muff.” Her mother looked at her question- ingly. “Santa, Claus will bring it to me,” Vida said in answer to the lcok. Her mother laughed merrily. “Why, Vida, dear,” she said, ‘you asked Santa Claus for seven other and sleigh ing. You couldn’t expect him to re- member them all, and he’s as likely to forget the muff as the French doll or the tea set. It's foolish to count on any one thing when you made so long a list... I told you to be moder- ate.” And her busy mother hurried off in answer to call from Aunt Jane. Not count on a it! - Why, she had done nothing but count on it since Santa Claus had found her note. Not count on it! Ahy, Christmas would be nothing without it! But her mother was right — he might forget it amongsomany things! Why hadn't she asked for only that one present? She didn't want those other things, anyway, and this was the day before Christmas-—no word could reach Santa now. The day passed feverishly for Vida. Up stairs and down she wandered from window to window, from person to person-—anxious, unhappy, impa- tient. Would the long hours never go! At last twilight came and the dark- ness fell. And in the corner of the great’ hall sofa, facing the clock on the stairs, Vida, a disconsolate little body, fell asleep. Her mother wakened her when it was time to hang up her stocking, and then, in spite of her warning, and in spite of her long hours of worry, hope was born again, and when Vida kissed her mother good night visions of gray astrakhan muffs danced in her head. | away. i the roof!” sure enough, | was | The 25th fell on Sunday that year, | iS moth- | | There | while ‘Merry Christmas! Merry Christ- mas!’ It to Vida she had but | closed her eyes, and there stood moth- er and Aunt Jane beside her bed, one with her little worsted shoes and the other with her red eiderdown wrap- per to hurry her over to the nursery, where her father stood awaiting her at the door. “Merry: Christ Merry Christ- mas! Oh, papa, 1 said it first!” cried, laughingly, asher father caught her in his arms. But what had Santa Claus done to the nursery? He had decorated the four walls and the chandelier with greens, and in the corner opposite the seemed ma xt mas. she Are you going back fireplace he had stood a giant Christ- | mas tree, bedecked with knickknacks of every description. was wonderful! Vida drew a quiet breath, and gave a little happy exclamation. flew straight muff should be there. Of the seven presents six were not forgotten, had not asked for: glittering It | Then she | to the fireplace — the | and there were others she | a pearl-handied | knife in the toe of her stocking (she | had remembered how much she need- ed a knife only yesterday morning); an album for her postal cards-—why hadn’t she thought of that? cver a hundred postal cards that Un- cle Jack had sent her—of course she wanted an album. A cuckoo clock, that even as she looked, flung open its little carved doors and shot out the cuckoo, It was 7 o'clock, Surely no little girl ever had a more beauti- ful Christmas! But Vida’s lips were quivering, and a great lump swelled in her throat. The muff—the beautiful ‘gray astra- khan muff was notthere. Santa Claus had forgotten it. | ARE YOU GONG for Christmas to the valley where the stars { Rise clear above the mountains, crowned with timber lattice-bars; | Where the farmsteads nestle closely up against the hills’ ascent, And the brook creeps hither—thither—in its maze of wilderment? Are you going home for Christmas to the old house by the tree: To the old folks waiting—waiting—through the many vears that be; To the faces and thie memories and phan- toms that recall The music of the summers before you left Hz it a ™ . The eves are growing dimmer that look down the valley side. Evermore a watching—-watching—for swinging boyish stride; a | The hair 1s growing whiter and the faces She had | ' Lock up the shop—the office! thin and drawn Of those who ‘mid the twilight stand wait- ing for the dawn. Go back your thousand wavs Along the ‘lines of living dawning days! Go set the old home ringing with laugh- ter’s musie-bars, = And find your lost vouth waiting in the valley ‘neath the stars. —Youth’s Companion. to boyhood’s Christmas Shopping. The bargain counter rush is here, And folks, in accents sober, Are vowing that another vear They'll start out in October. —Washington Star. Christmas 0 But Vida was brave. And she Q would not let those who loved her see | her cry or suspect her ment. She turned away and went to the north win ing with her tears. The kitchen roof stretched out un- der this window, and for disappoint- from them dow, fight- | | | GIFTS THAT A CHILD CAN MAKE. An inexpensive workbasket may be made of pasteboard covered with cre- tonne. The five sections, with han- i dle, are covere-l separately and sewed days not | even the print of a bird's claw had | broken its mantle of white. and a long line of tracks ran ‘Ch, papa, papa.’ she cried, excit- edly, ‘come hereg.-come here right See, there is something out on the window ouf. Vida's father and . Her quickly opened climbed I heart beat so wildly she could scarce-’ pew, feeling that still another bond! between | them, and, on the way home, found | 1y speak. Her father was picking up a box—it was about the size of Aunt Jane's cooky jar, and it was round.’ **Well,”” her father said, as he climbed back laughing into the nurs- lery. | dropped, and from its size I guess it's ‘Here is something old St. Nick ’ meant for you.’ Vida's hands trembled so she could | scarcely tug off the round top of the box. Just as it was about to yield a udden fear fell upon her heart. ‘‘Papa, perhaps—perhaps he didn’t mean it for me. Perhaps he dropped it ‘and it belongs to seme other little girl.” Her father’s eves twinkled. “IL.ook at the bottom of the box, lit- tle one,” he said. Vida turned the box upside down. was her name—=Vida Sumner Lane, as plain as plain could be, and she was staring at it open mouthed, out dropped—not a little gray astrakhan muff, but a beautiful soft chinchilla one and a little collar to match! And Sallie Carter peeped through her fingers that Christmas morning at the happiest little girl in all Christendom. — Kendrick Ferris, in St. Nicholas. q 3ut | | now Vida looked at it in wonderment, | | for the beautiful crust was sadly bro- i Ken, { from the edge of thz roof and back LL to— together, over and over, as shown. The handle is cut the length of tHe basket when opened. A cushion and Rs ———. aE Ne needle book are sewed to the sides. Small brass rings are attached at the corners through which to tie ribbons and draw the basket into shape. This basket is easily packed for traveling, as it can be laid flat and then drawn up quickly to hold a bit of fancy work or small trinkets. The cretonne se- lected should have a small figure or a vine running lengthwise, and the bas- ket is prettier if the pattern runs nar- row across the handle and in lines round the outside. Pockets for spools may be added if desired.— { From Youth's Companion. PUZZLE PICTURE. i, 1; = 2) ¥ NC re Why does the reindeer smile? —ULincoln (Neb.) News. PENNSYLVANIA STATE NEWS WASHINGTON EXPANDS. Takes in Sister Borough and Now Beasts Population of 20,000. Washington and West Washington were consolidated December 10, charter for the . naw Borough having arrived from State Department. Washington cures a population of over thousand The joint Councils reorganize. A maj of the Washington cugh oilicials will retain their tions. A contest has Burgess A. C. Marsh of Washington and Burgess J. R. Wright of West Washington, over which shall be- come the Chief Executive. decision the se- will Bor- posi- A of the court will be necessary to end | the coiitroversy. CAN CENSURE NO ONE Investigation Shows False Work Giv- ing Away Wrecked Bridge. After a careful investigation the authorities in charge of the construc- tion of the Mifflinville bridge over the Susquchanna river, which partly collapsed Tuesday, declared that: no one could be censured for the acci- dent in which seven men met death and more than a score were injured. Everything seems to indicate that the first theory that the high water knocked away the falsework under the traveler and caused the ac- cident seems to. be the correct: one. The working of constructing the bridge will go on. The spans are all alike and span No. 3 will be put in to place No. 2, which collapsed. KILLED ON FIRST TRIP Coiiege Student Meets Death While Working as Brakeman. Albert Cozard, a student at nesburg College last vear pitcher on thie college base team, was killed West. Union while coupling two cars on the Wash- ington & Waynesburg Railroad. Co- zard, who was 21 vears old, had se: cured employment as a brakeman to get money for further prosecution of his college ‘studies, and was on: his first run when he met death. He was regarded as one of the best amateur pitchers ini “Western Pennsylvania.. He was ‘a. son of Lewis Cozard of Khedive, Greene county. Way- and a a RIDDLED WITH BULLETS Are Made In Bolivar. Startling Disclosures Murder Case at postmorteni examination of the remains of William Cline, who was murdered at Bolivar, November 4. his body lying unclaimed in a vacant field for a week, was made at Bolivar. The: startling fact was disclosed that the man had been shot with a revolver and that several loads of buckshot had been emptied into his body, making it anparent that more than one person was concerned in the murder. Detectives have redoubled their efforts to reveal the identity of the slayers. A SHOOT THE CONDUCTOR Refusal to Ride Inside the Car, Directed, Causes Fight. In a fight on Pittsburg, McKees- port. & Greensburg. trolley car run- ning east near Madison road, Conduc- tor Charles Geekel, 38 years old, was shot “twice in the. back and once through the cheek by one of two un- known foreigners. The foreigners got on the rear plat- form of the-car at Irwin, and when Goekel ordered them inside a fight was started, in which one of the for- eigners used a gun. The two left the car at Etna mine No. 2 and escaped into the woods. The car was hurried to Greensburg and there Goekel was sent to the Westmoreland Hospital, where it is said he will recover. The State police are searching for’ the foreigners. as a FOR STATE SANITARIUM Contract Awarded for Tuberculosis Community at Mount Alto. The contract for erecting build- ings for the . State Department of Health's Sanitarium for tuberculosis patients at Mont Alto, Franklin coun- ty. was awarded to Charles W. Den- ny of Philadelphia, the lowest of 13 bidders, by Health Commissioner Dixon. Denny bid $56,368 for 40 four-room cottages, 16 pavilions and 10 toilet houses, the Commissioner reserving the privilege to contract for 50 cot- tages, 20 pavilions and 13 toilet houses at the same unit. File $10,000,000 Mortgage. A $10,000,006 mort filed at York by the New York Railways Company, into which were recently merged the electric railway interests in that county. properties of all the street railways in that county. gage W Will Teach Farming. The Schcol county have decided that shall hereafter be taught in the pub- lic schools 1. that the agriculture and teachers must prepare themselves on the sub- ject. Jacob Stehman, who shot to death his wife in Harrisburg 13 months ago during a fit of drunken jealousy, was hanged in the Dauphin county prison yard. Strike Delays Rail Procuction. A large number of employes of the Bethlehem Steel works struck at the rail mills of the Saucon plant because there was put into effect tonnage pay system which, the men say, re- duces their wages. a a Awarded $5,000 Damages. Mrs. Caroline McKahan, who sued to recover $30,000 from the more & Ohio Railroad Company . the death of her husband in a grade crossing accident at Claysville a vear azo, has been awarded $5,000. Washington twenty | arisen betwecn from | a | ball | The mortgage covers | Directors of Armstrong | Balti- | for | SOLD IMAGINARY COAL | Smooth-Tongued Stranger Finds Easy Money Among ‘People at Beaver Falls. A well dressed man called at the home of Mrs. Frank Riddle of Beaver Falls, and, stating that his name | Was Dailey and that he was a Pitts- burg & Lake Erie railroad fireman, | said a coal train had been wrecked pat the lower end of the town and several thousands bushels of coal | were scattered about. The railroad company had directed him to sell the coal at five cents a { bushel, he said, to get it out of the way. He had met Mr. Riddle on the way to work, the stranger said, and Riddle had told him to find out exact- ly how much thev needed. Mrs. Riddle “said they would take [150 bushels and paid $5 cn account { which the man said was satisfactory as he knew Riddle well and the bal- ance could be paid any time. It developed that no coal train had been wrecked. Others were defrauded by the same trick the supposed fireman selling several thousand bushel of coal at five cents a bushel. later COST OF STATE PRINTING. Report Shows Expense $10,000 Less Than in 1902-3. The total cost of the State print- ing and binding in Pennsylvania for the fiscal year ending June 30 last, was $548,992.06, according to the latest annual report. of ‘A. Nevin Pomeroy, Superintendent of Public Printing and Binding, which was transmitted to Governor Stuart. Mr. Pomeroy recommends the fixing by the next Legislature of the max- {imum price of the “Legislative Rec- lord” at less than $16 a page. The report states that the cost of public printing in Pennsylvania dur- ing the past fiscal vear was $10,000 less than in the legislative year of 1902-3 and $9,000 less than in 1896-7, 10 years ago. Enraged at finding his rival, George John, a Syrian, of Altoona, peering intc a window ‘of his wife's home and addressing her familiarly, Tony Michaels fired. five bullets into John's body, Killing him instantly. | | | | | | | Pittsburg Brokers Fail. bankruptcy proceeq- ings were filed in the United States district court at Pittsburg against the Whitney-Stephenson Co. and Whitney, Stephenson & Co. The lia- bilities of the latier concern are said to be $300,000, and the assets are an account of $700.000 with the Whit- ney, Stephenson Co. Whitney. Stephenson & well-known stock brokers. Involuntary Co. Tumbler Works Receiver. Attorney J. F. Reed. representing creditors of the Rochester Tumbler Works, filed a bill in equity asking for .a receiver. Attorney M. J. Pat- tersorn, representing the tumbler works, filed: the company’s answer and joined in the . reguest. The Court appointed Addison Thompson of Reaver, who been superinten- dent, fixing his bond at. $160,000. has Pass Resoluticn of Thanks. the closing the far- institute, at a reso- was adopted expressing grati- to Representative Frank - Cra- ven, member of the Pennsylvania Legisiature from Washington county, for his introduction of ‘the bill and his able defense of local option. Sues for False Arrest. Claiming false arrest and imprison- ment Charles Elliott of Butler, ac- quitted on an alibi of the charge of pointing a revolver at Miss Nettie Goldstrohm and throwing acid into her face, filed an action in against J. H. Goldsirohm, the girl's father, and Chief of Police Joseph Angert, asking damages of $5,000. session of Centerville, At ners’ lution tude Members of the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce at the meeting in the Monongahela House last night in- dorsed the movement to add another member to the cabinet of the Presi- dent of the United States, in recoms- mending the establishment of a de- partment of mines. ! Receivers for Thomas K. Dalzell and Alfred J. Genner, on petition of creditors, were appointed receivers of the Tem- ple Ornamental and Structural Iron works company, of Temple, Pa. a New Jersey corporation capitalized at $100,000. Iron Works. It is announced that the plant of the Kanawha Glass Company, at Fair- chance, employing 185 to 200 men, will resume operations about Jan- unary ' 1. 1t is expected the glass plant at Masontown = will resume soon. Recover Body of Suicide. The body of Miles G. Ott, who left home at Allentown after leaving a note in which he intimated that he intended to end his life, was found in the Lehigh canal below that city. Ott’s father and his grandfather committed suicide. broke into the Pittsburg & Lake Erie Railroad depot in New Haven and stole express packages, including two suits of clothes shipped to E. J. White; a revolver and a medicine chest. Head-On Collision Does Damage. A misunderstanding of signals causea head-on collision between a wreck train and an engine running ' light on the Fort Wayne Railroad at Beaver Falls. Both engines were damaged and 400 feet of track torn up. None was seriously hurt. Thieves a Coal Breakers Burn. The Healey coal breakers at Min- ers Mills, three miles from Wilks- | Barre, were destroyed by fire. The i loss to breaker and machinery will reach $40,000, fully covered by insur- | ance. . trespass: a &
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers