Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, December 24, 1893, Page 9

| S — HDVTORVAL SHeT. THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE. ABLI IED JUNE 19, 1871 OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 24, 1 CHRISTMAS STORIES 11 CRADLE OF CllRlSTL\XlTY A Journey to Bethlehem, the Quaint Old Town of the Ecriptares, WHEREIN THE SAVIOR WAS BORN Imposing Effect of the View feom n Dis- tance—A Whito Mass of Castie-Liko Clowters—tnliowed ¥ Vineclad ills, nces andj Shorn of the glamour with which Christ mas is invested, its myths and superstitions and the exacting decrces of custom, the mind is irresisubly borne back to the cradle of Christianity—the City of the Nativity. What of the Bethlehem of todayt Has it imbibed the spirit of western civilization or clung tenaciously to its odors of sanctity? Recent travelers agree that western civil- ization hasnot only invaded the Holy Land, buv has already influcaced its life. The railrond penetrates its vineclad valleys and barron upland, and locomotives puft und whistle at the very gates of Jerusalem. The Journey to the Holy City is now one ot com- fort instead of trial and camel-back torture. From Jerusalum to Bethlehem three modes of conveyance are avallable—the horse, tho camel and the ass, Passing outside the walls of Jerusalem one traverses the valley of Gehenna, sces Job's well with its white cupola aud then finds himself advancing up the slopes of Mount Zion, which stands to the left. Here i8 a Christian cemetery and the home of an English pastor, who hangs notices in the hotels to attract visitors to his Tuesday and ‘Wednesday afternoon teas, which are much in vogue among the Bnglish and Americans. One is also shown the hall in which Christ washed the feet of His aposties. At that 1ime, according to the bible, the house of Joseph of Arimeathiea stood here, but since then a mosque has been evected on the spot The room in which the sacred washing of the feet occurred is on the ground floor, and, sLrange to say, 1s now reservea for the wor- ship of Mussulman women, 50 that Christians are refused access toit. Continuing along the road onc passes a Jowish_city which was commenced by Sir Moses Montefiore with the idea that it would be inhabited by poor people of the Hebrew faith. g Wto does not remember Corregio's divine painting of *“The Flicht Into Igypt,” the scene where Joseph, Mary und Jesus, worn out with the long journey, sink to resv under a fig tree? ‘loday the fig tree is gone, not as sceptics might in: c,becnuse it never ex- isted, buv because an Arab farmer on whose lands 1t was_got, tired of having his crops crushed under the feet of worshiping pil- grims, burned it down some two centuries ago. 1f be had been an American this farmer would have built a wall around the tree with a large gate for admission money and made 2 fortun Near this spot, as another legend tells you, is tho well where the three wise men halted on their way to Bethichem after their wter- view with Herod, At the end of this field and right by the roaldside one is shown the evidence of another miracle. it is a rock on which the Propoet Eli stretched himself when flecing fro.n the persecutions of Queen Jezabel, The rock sti!l shows plairly the riarks of the praphet’s body. The bust aud hollow of the head may be seer as if indented i a feather bed. Unfortunately at the very point where Lli fovad vhe bread ana cruse furnished by the angel some irveverent hazard has planted 8 telegraph poly, which scems a cruel irony. A iictle detour brings one to the so-callcd Pools ¢l Solomon, three huge rectangular reservolry, in wiich from time immemorial has been stored the precious water that gushes 1. a copious sircam from the springs uLove. Upa gradunl ascent, and by de; Bathlehew. the City of folded itsclf to view. like the siamese s the Nativity, nn Che two hills—united twins, by a little ridgc upon which the town is situated—give it a preminence above its follows, which renders the effect decidealy imposing. The most st castle like cloisters king feature is the white mass of the of the Franciscan and Armenian monks, With their thick walls, broken only by little windows, they aro ver: itable eitadels of defense against the attack alike of Moslem or the cqually insidious summer heat. About them cluster the low, flat roofed stone houses of the town. The memories of the Beiblehemite King still fiourish only in the free aivof the country In the territory about early Christian tradi tion, so facile 1n identifying, has pointed out y is early life. The only place which strongly appeals to the traveler is on the northern cdge of the town, a rude well, some twenty-five feet deep, with water at the bottom which indicates the prosence of a spring. Inasmuch as this is the only living spring_in town (the water supply being obtaircd from cisterns) thero are good reasons for recognizing in this the *“well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate.” *assing through the narrow asd crooked strect which cuts Bethlehem dn two parts one finally veaches the extromity of the burg and finds himself in an oblong square, whicl in its turn opens into an esplunado paved with stone, hero and there showing openings nto cisterns which served for bap- tisms and for ablutions among former gener- ations of Christians. In those days it was the usage to wash before entering the sanc- tuar, A curious scene is here on the very border of the place of the nativity. On oné side u burial ground with white tombs;on two other sides rows of bare high walls, like a fortress or o prison. Here and therc win- dows pierce the walls, but no doors. One looks about him mystified, but finally dis- covers a bluck hole in and out of which peo plo are passing almost on'all fours, 50 low is t. ‘This is the chief entry to the sanctuary of the nativity, Having passed through this holo one finds himself iu a large hall divided by four colonades and surmounted by u roof tlunked Dy heavy beams. Leople stand about talling and smoking, ehildren p Purkish soldiers sew up their uniforms, wowen give suck to their infants, fakirs offer oranges, beads and candles for sale, while Greek ‘and Franciscan monks hur about us if on business of pressing impor- tance. Formerly the Arabs used to stable their sheep heve. But this is not the stable whore Jesus was born, and one is some time in discovoring it. On the left two Tarkish soldiers with rifles ure stretehed luzily on a beuch. One iy usleep, the other yawns, They are evi uently not there from personal preference In front of them a circular stairwuy goes down to & door which seems to indicate o pt. ‘The door passed, one continues the descent by & narrow staircase until be comes to two other Turkish soldiers, this time standing up, with guns on the floor, and ou tho left, lighted by hangiug lamps, is the following inscription: “Hicde Virgine Mary, Jesus Christus, natus est.” (Here Jesus Christ was bora of the Virgin Mary.) We are in the stable, ‘This discovery is much of a surprise and one's ‘fllal ven it is for protestation, for the simple reason that nothing at all like a stuble 1s uppareut. We are in 4 grotto. To this objection the reply is made that inolden times AL was the custom in Palestine 1o use giottos for stables. Unfortunately ven this explanation seems unsatisfac. tory, 80 much hos the appearance of the grotto been chauged. ‘The walls are cov- ered with marble. and countless lamps hang down frow a ceiling richly decorated with #old and purple hangings. The effect 1s that of o preteutious hullway in some Oriental museuw. There is uothing which calls b wind the poverty in which Jesus was born, Ul Lhe mauger, which s seen ut the right in a space supported with is also made of marble also fashioned in marble and a little further to the right, a _cir place where God caused forth when the holy fan this rofuge. Of course Christn ar orifice marking the a spring to burst ¥ was sheltered in as 1s the great fete day at Bethlehem, On Chiristmas eve the French consul comes from Jerusalem to Bethichem 1o take part in the ceremc '8 of the great Christian night, The Turkish authori: tics place at his disposal a detachment of cavalry, and two officers with drawn sabers accompany him. _Surrounded by his their striking and gold, the ight cawas on horseback in Levantine costume of blue consul goes with the procession, which in- cludes many pilgrims, through the holy place. About half way there, near the rock of Eli, mentioned above, the sheiks of Beth lehem and other rich peoplo of the city wait for the consul on horseback and accompany him to his destination, while the whole pop- ulation turn out along the streets, the women and children along the terrace and at the windows, and_welcome the visitors with cries and cheers, Upon the esplanade before the basilica the Turkish garrison stands at urms, while the music of the Catholic Or- phan asylum sounds the **Marseillaise,” and then the cortege passes on to the Franciscan monastry, where the prelates of the Latin church, the patriarch himself, who is the chief dignitary in Palestine, being present, receive the guests. At night the Christmas service bogins at 10 o'clock with a pontifical mass celebrated at the Franciscan church near the basilic The richest vestments worn for th oftlee, those having been presented in the name of M: by Marechal isconcluded g procession toward the comes the Franciscan the French republic Mahon, ‘Uhe first ceremor pont midnight and then a lo with candles in hand moyes grotto of the nativity. I cross-beaver, followed” by the monks and 'members of other religiov bodies. The patrfarch comes last and directly behind nim, at the head of the lay- men, walks the French cousnl with his at- tendants. Only those who precede the patriarch carry candles, but that dignitar, bears in his hand with infinite precaution beautiful little child 1n v which, with sweet smile, scems almost on the point of crying out. The divine child rests in a manger on silken cushions, rose colored and embroidered with gold. At its feet are cloths of fine lace and under the cushion stands a straw bed, whose vrojecting thorns call to imind the memory of Christ’s suffer- ings. The cortege, having traversed the trans ceptof the basilica and descended into the grotto of the patriarch, stops in front of the pot where the child Jesus was born. The patriarch places the manger and child in the hands of one of his _followers and begins to chant the story of the Nativity as told by St. Luke. Then the prelate takes the child \in and placing it upou a silver star con- tinues the service, with modifications of the sucred texy appropriate to the oceasion and the special suwroundings. As the prelate says the words which tell how the Holy Mother brought into the worid her first born son he takes the child again, wraps itin fine laces and chants: “And here they wrapped it in clothe Then he waiks to the marble manger and places iu it the image of the new bovn child, 4t the same time chanting the words: *‘And here they laid it in a manger because thero was no place for them at the inn, The service often lasts uutil 2 o'clock in the morning, and is finished by a “Te Deum” and “God Save the Republic.” All Bethle- hem watches this night, and the people, men. women and children. remain until with lighted dles +in their hands in the neighborhood of the basilica. Everywhere onc hears cries of joy and breathes the fragrance of incense. The festivities be- come more and more animated us the hours weur away, and it woula be difficult to esti- mate the quantity of capdles and hard boiled eggs which are devoured by the par- ticipants during the mght. Bethlenem is of all the ci or in Palestine the most Christian. Tn a pop- ulation of u littie more than 6,000 inhabitants there are hardly 100 Mobammedans. It is a fuct not generally known that the Bethle- hemites are lineal descendants of the cro- saders. ‘They prove it to you by long parcn- ments in which theirgenecalogy is traced out elaborately Indeed, there is no need of such proof, for the Ayrian type is plainly cen 1n their features, Under their Oriental vh one is surprisel to find yellow hair and blue eyes which inno way resemblo the typical Avab or Syrian. These pecularvities ave not found in Jerusalem, which city was too great to be absorbed by the crusaders, whereas the tittle burg of Bethlehem was entirely peopled by them and has remained tho residing place’of their desceudants until the present day. o s, ies in the Orient PRATTLE OF TH Little Johuny: Mrs, T a big compliment today. Mother—Did she, veally? Well, there’s no denying thit woma has sense. What did she say? Little Johnny She said sne aidn’t see hOwW_ you came to lave such a nice littlo hoy as I am, YOu GSTERS. alkemdown paid me Johmnie—Papa, do o negatives make an afirmative? Papa—That's the rule, Johunic ud “No, no” when I asked you for a quarter this morning. When do T gevit! pel—Ethel” must think you're lots better than an of he other beaux. My, Spoonaway (gratified and blushing)— Why, dear! Little Mabel—Because she lots wie stay in tho room when you call and she don't when the othiers call, Little Small Boy—Papa, 1" got something for nothing yesterday. Papa—How was that? Small Boy—The boy next door gave me tho whooping coug Johnnie's Mamma® *When my little boy went out with Jerry did he remember to bo polite_and make Jerry goout before him?" Johunic: *Yes, ma, sure 1 did. An’ when na wouldn'c ko out first 1 turned around and slugged him." Mamma (reprovingly, on Sunday): “Yon told me you 'vere gcing to play church.” Little Dick: . “Then 1'd like to known what all this loud laughing 1s about?” “Oh, that's Dot aud me; we'ra the choir.” . sohnny, do bebave.” *Pa said Incedn’t.” hat!' “Yes, he did. He justsent me up he He said, ‘If you can’t behave your- self, go upstairs,’ so T came,” Jimmie, where did you get this 5 cents?” “1t's the money you gave me for the heathen, mamma.” lnen why did you keep it?" “My teasher said 1 was a heathen,” Toddles—1apa, why do we hang up holly brancheson Chiristmast 1s it because iU's o holiday ! Now, Georgie, whith'is correct: Mamma pave o a piece of pie, or mamma giye me a giece of ple!” Georgie--Neither one. 1 took it when she wasn't lookin’, Aunie—You should’ be excused when you leave the table. Little Nephew-- Should 17 1 thought from the wuy you seted about that third piece of ple that Jou'd be glad to see wo go "y “Goldoet” sald Toluiby as hosat down at tho tableand viewed the spread, “I wisht [ was the injy-rubber man." “Sister,” said tholittle boy, “will you please muke mo & lot of biscuils, like thoso You gave us for breakfast the other day?" Sister was touched. They were the first cheering words Johuny had spoken to her iu a long time. “Certainly,” she answered, olug to have a purty ("’ “No; | wauted 1o try them in my new slung shok “Are you | | s [ TEFT1TS MARK 0N NEMORY Christmas Cheer Amid Strango and Impres- sive Surroundings. COURAGE DULLS THE PANGS OF DISTRESS The Day of Hospita wnd in Days on a Man-oi-W; + i the South in War Times the Feigld North—lu- teresting Reminlscences, [Copyrighted.) Did you ever ask yourself wlhich onc of all the Christmas days your life has numbered is the most memorable onet Which one of all others you are most certain never to for- get? Those are questions I recently put to several prominent men and women, at the same time requesting them to tell thing of their most memorabl “Ithink that all things conside most memorable Christmas was my first ono in the navy,” sad Admiral John G. Walker of the Unitea States navy. “Christmag on board a man-of-war far out at sea is quite novel cxperience to a landlubber. Four bells, telling the experienced mariner that it s 6 o'clock in the morning, fotlowed by the reveille sounded on the bugle and the call of mates, ‘Al hands! Up all use every man to turn out and roll up his hammock. Then Jack Tar lowed fifteen minutes for a smoke, after which he must work ull ten minutes before 8, when the bo: mon him to ‘mess e re is plenty of work for the crew ou board a man- of-war. The decks must be scrubbod daily and that Jack always does s soon as he has fairly turned out in the mornin “After ‘mess gear,’ or breakfast, as la men would callit, comes the ‘sick call, and men who are sick must promptly report. Tho morning watch till 9:30 is spent in the count- less jobs that can always be found for Jack's willing hands. Al the brass about the ship, the guns and the hand rails must be pohshea till they shine like burnished gold. ordinary days the dram beats ‘quarters’ or ‘general quurters,’ and the men go through armand fire drills, but on Christmas day the chureh service and @ short sermon are substituted, Nothing that I had or have ever witnessed in the way of religious ob- servances made such a deep and lasting im. pression upon me as did that service aboard ship on my first Christmas in the navy. - All ilors have a simple, trusting, childliie th inthe God who rides upon the wind and storm, and as the men stood aft on tho gun deckl saw te many a bronzed check while the wonderful story of Christ’s birth and life nd his infinitd pity and compussion for us all, > some- the boatswain's hammocks!' ¢ dr- on chaplain dwelt upon the “Jack Tar's Christmas dinner at sea de- pends for the character and variety of its viands largely upon how loag his vessel has been absent from port, and upon whether or not he and other members of his mess have had suflicient forethought to put asjde a fund to insure them a_good Christmas din- ner. Atits best it will probubly compris only fresh meat and vegetables, though it is much more likely to consist only of canned goods. The afternoon is spent just like that of any other day and the men supatd o'clock. After everything has been made snug for the night the men who not on atch smoke and exchange reminiscences of Christmas days long past, and thus Christ- mas in the navy comes to an end,” A Chilstms i a1 ou know, of course, that 1w prior to my marriage to Sen tor Hawley, and I think ‘my most memorable Christmas was one that L passed as a nursein the Philadelphia hospital.” The speaker was Mrs, Faith Hawley, wife of Hon. Josoph R. Hawley, United States senator from Con- necticut, **Ihe hospital had been badiy managed and it had known no Christmas worthy of the name for several years, Ide- {erwined that it should have one and I in- terested all the visiting physiciaus sand their wives, and through them mauy society people m my purpose. Weydecorated ull the walls with “holly and we provided a Chri ni mas feast to which_our poor patients were helped by some of the daintiest buds of Quaker City swelldom. Long before the day we devoted oursclves to mak- ing presents, 1 made nearly 100 with my own hands. No one of our charges was forgoiten. Iach one received something, and thewr expressions of pleasure were in many insgances really touching, One poorlittie givl of 6 yeurs, a waif from the worst slums of the city, was asked if she would like to havea flower. A flower? What is o flower? she asked won- deringly, and whea & beautitul jacqueminot rose was placed in her hand the surprise and delight of the child who had never befor scena flower nor known what the word meant, brought tears to the eyes of all who witnessed them. Anold man of nearly 80, who told me that he was absolutely without a friend or acquaintance in the world, had a Jtttle sunshine brought mnto his life that day by u small bunch of flowers, had been a florist in Lis early mauhood, o lad a good knowledge of botany, and in tell- ing of the peculiarities, habits und organs of the flowers given him thav Christmas day he grew quite bright and cheerful and forgo for a time the utter weariness and hopeless- ness of h life. *Thank God for such a Christinus as this,’ said _one poor old bed- ridden pauper to me. °‘IUs the fiest ray of sunshine that has come into my life for twenty years,' and similar ex ssions were heard on every hana, Ido not think that any who participated 1 it will ¢ that Christmas in a hospital.” A Cheistmas in the Soutn in War Time, “We had some very memorable Christmas ys in the south duriog the war,” saia Mrs, ebulon 1. Vance, wife of the junior United States senator from Norch Carolina, *Thut of 1861 was different from any that had pre- ceded 11, because we were in arms against tho federal government, and muny of the guests at southern homes that day wore con federate umiforms. Much of the talk at the Christmas _dinner table was of sicges and batties und marches. But we were ull full of hope and confidence. Forsouthern bravery and fighting blood there could be nosuch word as fail in such a struggle, and we had not the slightest doubtof the triumphant er forgot success of our cause. ‘Ihe old-time prodi zality of southern hospitality was at its height that Christmas. The negroes came up from thelr quarters in the early moraing for thew ‘Chris'mus gif’s, and as seach one was liberally remembered with such tokens as the childish African nature most deligh in, every ebony face shoue with delignt and loud and characteristic were their expres. sions of pleasure. (ireat bowls of exg-nog and puuch had been propared and were set out in the great halls. Wood fires —'just to take the chill off —went roaring up the wide fireplaces. Invited guests gathered about the hearthstoue, ana ther were feasting, music = and dancing Christmaa, 1802, foaad us but poorly pre- pared L cotebrate it. Our supplies wer fow, and confoderate money was at a heavy discount, Wood was #15 per cord, and tur- key $11 each, but even at those prices mauy were still able to enjoy them, and there were still some toys to give the little folks. ‘I'hen came the Dbitter year of 15 with the fullof Vicksburg and the defeat at Gettysburg. With sad faces, harmonizing well with thelr dresses of coarse black stuff, the women of the south devoted them selves o picking lint and spiuning and weaving for husbands, fatners, orothers sud sweethearss in the field, Christuas cheor—such as could be obtained—cost o fabulous sum, for one bright golden dollar was then worth 8 in_ confederate monoy Sugar was from # to 10 per pound; turkeys 0 apicce, and flour 28 per barrel Christmas, 1894—tho last Christmas of tho war dawned, and what 8 gloomy festival it was for the people of theisouth. Of manu factured products_wo had practically none, Our hairpins were made of long, black thorns, with a ball of sealing wax on the end. We had made into dresses every scrap of available materlal, and now our gowns consisted of window curtains, *home-spun and paper muslin or colorad cambrics tha' had once done duty a8 lining, while our toet were encased in home-made cloth shoes, At a Christmas dinner in a typical sonthern home thav day the festive board presented o turkey that had cost $300, a ham worth hominy and potatoss at corresp bigh prices, and blaek molasses—as desert-- at 800 per gallon. The confederate dollar was then worth just 2 cents in gold; wood was §100 a cord: beef 235 a pound ; flour 500 per barrel; butwer $40 per pound, and sug 830 per pound. All was silent in the negro quarters, There was no singing or dancing there as nsual. The slaves, havine heard of tde mancipation proclamation,’ knew that they were free and had all scattered away Desolation seemed to reign over everything. Of all the Christmas days 1 have known, that last Christmas in the south in war time is the one of all others that I am most cer tain never to forget. A Uhristmas Near the North Pole. “Ithink Christmas, 1883, was my most memorable one,” said ral Greely, tho famous Arctic’ explorer. “With my com mand Twas proceediog southward in the hopo of obtainmngz help, and about the 20th of October we ensconced ourselves in a littie hut at Cape Sabino. Our supply of food was running very low, and we wereon very short rations, every one being allowed just food nough in cach twenty-four hours to sustain life. Under these depressing circumstances and amid the awful silence of the Polur night the cheerfulness that we continued to Geor maintain was remarkable. It would have been a splendid opvortunity for Dickens' quairt character, Mark Tapley, who was always sceking some specially depressing situation i life to show how “Jolly* ne could be under adv circumstanc As the Christmas season_approuched we all looked forward to it with cazer anticipation, not yasa festal day whos eiations and memories would to some extent vary the wearisome monotony of our lives, but be- cause we knew that the winter solstic vould fall about December 22, and that then the sun would return and the long dreary night would be at an end, Christmas day came at last. Christmas in the Arctic regions. At 6 o'clock we had our breakfust—thin soup made of v car- rots, blubber and potatoes. Our Christmas dinner w erved at 1 o'clock. Hearken to our menu, ve who will sit down the coming Christmas’ to roast turkey stuffed with oysters and accompanied by the usual con- comitants. Tirst course a stew of scal meat, onions, blubber, potatoes and bread crumbs. Sccond course, served one hour after the first, o stew of raisins, olubber and milk, Descrt, a cup of not chocolate, The best and mosy lilke feature of this meal was we were allowed a suficient quantity of it to satisfy the pangs of hungzer. Our en- Jjoyment of the desert—one cup of chocolate— we tried 1o nrolong .as. much s possible Over it we told cach other Christmas stories. We exchanged reminiscences of bygone Christmases at home with the loved ones so faraway. We discussed the probability of our ever reaching our own fircsides again, and wd entered into an agrecment that if we ot back to civilization before another Christmas we would pass the duy together in memory of that awful Christmas we were then spendinz in the realn of the re- lentless ice kinz. Alas, many of those brave fellows never lived o see another Christ- mas Then we hat some singing. There were some good singers among us and of different nationalities, too, so. we had songs in English, French, Danish and German. And then we each received the only Christmas present that was vouchsafed to us that year. Oue of our purty—Kislingbury by name— had some tobacco still left, and, = knowing that most of the men were destitute of it, he very kindly made a cigarette for each one of ourlittle party. I will wager that in all Christendom that day not a present was ou or received that gave such intense de- t to the recipient as dud those little rolls of tobaceo and _paper. They were quickly aflame and being puffed away at for dear life, ana_thus my most memotable Christ- mas—a Christmas near the north pole- ended in smoke. 1 wassurprised to find that, though the Esquimax are not a heathen peoble, yet they cele it Cnristmastide, not the birth of Christ, but the feust of the winter solsti orof the sun. which, prior to their conver- sion to Christianity, was kept by so man of the nations of Europe, including the Romans, the Celts and the Germans GEOPFRY WILLISTON CUIISTINE — CHRISTN:S 1N OTHER LANDS. In northern Europe the grim and ghastly feast of the scandinavinns, in which the drank ale out of the skulls of their enemios, deyeloped, under Christian influences, into celebrations, coarse, indeed, in_ their abund- ance und gloss excesses, but gentle in the comparison. n Rome Christmas eve morning are ushered inwith solemn reli- gious scrvices, which, as before remarked, the lualian seems to rézard with less vener nd Christmas ation than his Spanish feilow Cathelie. The churches are beautafully decora and lighted, and the music is superb. "To think of Germany in connection with Christmas tree. sto remomber the Christmas We Americans are proud to have sat at the feet of our Teutonic friends and to have learncd from them—as our Enghsh cousins have also learnel—how to make the children vastly happier comes for everybody cun. The mistletoe was employed ty the Greeks and Romans in the antique days. and by the Draids and Celtic nations. who attachod rc ligious importance to the blant. Odd. grow g out of an oak or other tree, to which its appearance indicates no relationship, and bewutiful in its glossy leaves und tiny, shapely globes, wistlevoe has been an object of admiration from time immemorial, In Sweden Christmas is ushered in with early church services. Special music—the Lutherans love singing and the organ decorations and brilliant illumination give distinction to this service, perhups abovo all in the vear. The restof the day is sacred to | family joys. On subsequent days neighbors éxchange hospitalizies, Morry sleigh partic aken cchoes in the autic and pietu; que scenery of the country. Preliwinary 0 these festivitles great has been the preparation the farm houses scattered here and there. Madrid presents a lovely aspect in antici- pation of Christmas, Flocks of fav turkeys gobble about the streets for weeks befo hand. Shows of meat and vegetabies remind oneof England in their profusion, and pes, pomegranates and oranges of sunn alls are loaded with swectmeats ason, children's to; including representations of the holy manger, angels, shepherds, wise men of the east, and the when the call 1o be as happy a3 he star. Men ana boys fprove the occasion by making ear-splitting noises with cheap drume and trumpets, and render nignt hideous scarcely less than day, . In the matter of Christmas presents pre eminence musy be given to Pope Leo IIL., who. on Christmas day, in the year 800, D., gave Charlemagne’ the crown of em- peror. That arcibishop of York, who, in the thirtecuth century,on the occasion of the marriage at Christmas of a Scotiish princess, gave 600 fat oxen and 4,000 marks as his contribution to the feast, was surely the jolliest of churchmen. The reader will remémber that it was ata Christmas feast that Edward TiL revived the round table of the King Artbur epoch and instituted the Order of the Garter. Another mighty king, Henry V., was besieging Kouen when Chinist: mas_came around. - He thereupon ceased hostilities and invited the famished enemy tocome out and enjoy such Christmas faro s the English camp commanded. Queer dlizabeth’'s celebrated sik stockings, be- cause the first ever worn in Eoglaud, were received by berasa Clrls! the year 1060, aus present in For Christmas comes but once a year, But when It ecmoes it brings good cheer. Tuough a very old English saying this is as applicable now in the country wh author lived as when it was first spoken 400 years ago. As a scason of revelry Christmas in Eng- land 18 nothing to what it was. Many are the old customs, onceas sacred as the car of Juggernaut to te Buddhists, which are now seldom observed. Even the burning of a “yule” loz after devotions on Christmas eve is now the exception rather than the rule, and the accompanying “rite” of light ing many candles is known of ouly to the fey In olden times it was customary at court and in the houses of the wealthy to appoint a “lord of misrule” to superintend the revels, In Scotland this functionary was denominated “avbot of unreason.” Lither name was equally appropriate and sugges- tive of the duties he was appomnted to per- form. Tne office was abandoned in Scotland by act of Parliament, half a ceutury before Scotland ceased to have u Parliament ex- Lusively her own; and in Bagland the cus- tom died o more natural death but very little later. Reminders of What Was, Yet, though the rollickmg fun of bygone days has been so much modified, many of the pastimes which these lords of misrule presided over are stll extant and popular as they eve There 15 no more fumiliar game 10 \ children of the nineteenth century blind man's buff, but it bas s its than ceased to have the attraction it once had for people of mature ye: Conjuring, even yet, seems to have a cer- tain appropristencss to Yuletide, But it is dono in a more amateurish way, though pos- sibly with the aid of many curious and won- derful contrivances which were enticely undreamed of in the philosophy of bygone generations. Many other amuscments, duneing for exampie, are ot NOr ever were peculiar to Chiristmas and may on that ac- count be left out of consideration. w t Christmas Is, Butas a_season of general festivity and holiday, Christmas is even more generally observed now than it used to be. Thero is no country, probably, where Christmas has been so long and so untversally observed us Englund. 1t now holiaay time of the year, a time when on, great or small, rich or peor, young or old, 1ooks for some adaitional comfort or at- traction to make life the more worth living. Tt is, however, as the time of family re- unions, the home coming of abscut elder brothers and sisters, marriod sons and daughters, that Christmas rises up above the other holiday times of the year. With some it is also an important date in the calendar of the chureh, and the bells of the established churches ring out merrily cverd Christmas morning to draw in u good crowd of worshipers anxious to remember after the manner of their fathers the virth of the founder of their faith. Your average Englishman is seldom at loss for some profitable way of spending a holi- day and 4 kindly paternal government t been good enough to give him plenty of them. At Easter and Whitsuntide very little work 1s done, but in some parts of the country only one of these occasions is ob- served very extensively. The first week in August, and especially the first. Monaay, which is a bank holiday, is generally con: sidered an “‘off” time so r as business i concerned, and throughout August and September “everybody™ 1s out of town. at. the scaside or some inland watering place, with his wife and family. Even anordinary Saturday takes way crowds from the towns to the countr; nd, incidentally, brings other crowds into the towns tosee the big foot ball or ericket games. Every On Hollday. But at Christmas every one takes holidiy. schools throughout tho length and of the land let out about the 20th ot December for from two to four weeks. Many of the factorics and workshops even contrive to close fora few days, and there is less work doncon Christmas day itsell than on many o Sunday. Notonly the 25th of the month, but the weekday next folloiv ing also, is. a legal holiday for these two days, us well as any Sunday interven- ing, the banks have their shutiers up, the retail stores are closed, even the newspavers suspend publication, with but few excep- tions, and the railway and stree Ces ave very largely restricted. In most families it is customary, as soon s their holidays begin, for the children to start out on foraging expeditions to gather allthe holly and ivy, fir branches and, 1f tho; know where to find it, some sprigs of mis- tletoe, with which to decorate the house. In the large towns where this is more difii- cultand consequently less customary, thi strect hawkers and the grocers and green- Z10 rado in this way, A nice sprig of holly with plenty of berriés on it is sure of a ready sale anywhere, for every household must have several of ' these for the cales and, above all, for the turkey and the plum pudding when ‘they are brought on the table. Christmas ove is spent in decorating. A fir oranch or small piece of holly must be placed over every pieture in the chief rooms of the house, The cl ideliers must be pret- tily entwined with ivy. The entrance hall must be festooned with wreaths of eve green of all kinds, and among all these must Do tastefully distributed appropriate mot- toes, Chinese lanterns and paper roses or chrysunihemums. ‘I'hen, as 1 other lands, the little ones are sent to'bed and tho elder’ brothers and sis- ters sit up with the father and mother to await the arrival of Santa Claus and con- duct him avound the house to fili the stoci- ings hung out for him. Long before light the toys and other gifts he lea strewn aboat the bed and the happy owners have fallen asleep again to await the time when they may get up and dress or be dressed for breakfust, Waling for the se The forenoon may b3 passed in making calls, in a walk or a skating expedition, that is by those who do not wish to attend th church service. But th is one thing which may oceur any time_before the noon hour which every” one has an wterest in. That is the arival of the postman. This particular mail has an importance beyond all others, It is always understood that uncles and aunts and cousins in all parts of the country will have scut Chrisumas cards and boxes of presents for the little ones, and they will all with one accord have sent these off the day before, so that they shall arrive together on Christwas morning, not & day too soon or a day too late. Indeed, $0 universal is this practice that the postofiice authorities every year find it impossible to deliver the morn ing mail at the usual hour, and it i quently nearly half a day late. The ouly oue delivery, but somctimes tho post packages are delivered separately, which Is as gooa as two deliveries, for the anxious groups of youugsters who peep from the windows of every house to await the mail man's comin The Dinner. Dinner is usually not served until % p. m For the Christmas dinner, it wust be re membered, is the greatest event of the year in almost every fawily, and needs time for prevaration proportionate o its importance Then, Wo, there way be wewbers of Lhe [With sausages surrounding the dish.] Potatoes, Irussels Sprouts, Plum Pudding [Served with blazing brandy.] vil Tellies Hlane Manze Oranges. Auples Figs Almonds and Ruisins. Nuts. And Then the Christmns Tree, 1t is late in the dfternoon when the dinner is over. ‘Then comes the distribution of prescnts, forSanta Claus wae only permitted 10 give out a few of the smuller articles and cven these only to the younger childven All the valuable presents, books and dolls, jewelry, expensive toys, vases or articles of furniture or wearing apparel, ha! been kept back. Where there is a lar gathering of children the presents are often distributed in some “novel” munner, They may bo buried in a barrel of bran and sought for'one by one, or they may be brought into the room where all are assombled by a real Santa Claus, driving, if possible, a team of reindeer. But the correct way, in- England as everywhore eise, is to have the presents hung on a Christmas tree, and the effect of a flilly developed fiv tree, decorated with min iature colored candles and mirrors and glit tering tinsel adds largely to the delight of the little one “Tea 18 a moal of little consequence, for the late dinuer has left little desire for more cating. If the Christmas tree has been “had the afternoon the evening is usually passed in some amateur acting, or with charades or such games as blind min’s buff or ticky-ticky-touch-wood. Pantomime and Carol Singin But Christmas is mas day is over not over when Christ Not until the schools open again at any rate do the “observances” cnd. Some time toward the end of the year all the thoaters bring out a pantomime, a farcical representation generally of some’ fairy taie, such s “Little ited Riding 1lood,” " **Dick Whittington and His Cat, oc “Fuss in Boots,” and to have the thing complete there’ must bo introduced a clown and a harlequin and any amount of bad jokes with a local turn attached to them. ‘The panto- mimes run for a good many weeks and many of the “unco guid” people even who never ko 10 tho theater at any other time of the year will let their children go to the pantomime Cavol singing is an_ancient custom that is dying a very slow death. Children of tho poorer classes will go around the town any time in December or January and sing on the doorsteps of the houses of the rich “Harlk, the Herald Angels Sing" is the most vopular “carol,” and it is the exception to liear & song thus sung that hasno bearing on Christmastide. In some towns 1t is cus- tomary for the choirs of the various churches 1ook upon Christmas week as a time when when they can_veplenish thei exchiequers. Thoy go around usually with a memoran- aum book, sing in front of & house and then ring the door bell and ask for a subscription of from 1t 5 shillings. This, however, is far from being o universal practice. Link That Is Almost Broken, The Christmas box is almost a defunct in- stitution, in 1ts strict sense, and even in that it has changed 1ts real meaning more than once since the'phrase was first usod. The Christmas box was once a_veceptacle placea in the vestibule of the church to receive con- tributions which were divided on Christmas morning among the poor of tho parish. Later it became a donation to errand boys or messengers of tradesmen and others by their employers’ customers. In the last fev years this custom has very rapidly been faliing into oblivion. But, the children of well-to-do families have another Christmas pleasure. Chil- dren’s partics are not exclusively Bnglish, but an Euglish boy or girl who does not at least get invited to half a dozen parties dur- ing the Christmas holidays is onc of the un- hapviest of ereatures that ever lived. These partics are not complete cither without a Christmas tree, and they frequently amount toa sccond edition of Christw y, but without the dinner. ANl of Heathen Orizin, There is of course a heathen nearly atl the observances But what of that? Christmas itself was the great midwinter festival of the old sun wor- rejoicing that the da origin for of Christmas, shipers, the time of s had begun to lengthen again and that dark- ness was not, for a while at any rate. 0 conquer light. Phe yulo log is on of the few survivals of the old sun worshipers. Mistletoe was & plant that was sacred to the Druids, and hotly and other evergreens were used by all the old heathen 10ns in their festivals. Indeed the practice of kiss- ing under the mistlotoo goes back to befo Jingland Eng d and o continent of 13urope its origin is lost in an- tiquity. 1oven the Christmas tree, carol singing and the Christmas card are of heathen birth, W. B, . A GIVE way. Town Topies, I gave her a muff, 1t cost me enouzh, 1 paid, fndecd, all T w The lining was buff, And I puton the bIGM That it ally was genuine sable Dhit it truly was genuine sible ! alle, But my luck it was tough, She wiis i girl up t And 1,1 forgot the I And sho got In a hu, And, Thear, cut up rouzh, Whien sho found thit it wasn't real sable, That there wasn't one bit of 1t sablo! Yes, I gave hei Thit the thr Was tho very | ain't I astufl To'throw out such abluft And forget to tear off the label, The give-uwuy sellizag price lubei! —— BITS FROM DICKEN the guff lollir mu stblack Russian sable; “A merry Christmas to us all, my dears! God bless us ! “Berries is s0 scasonablo to tho time of There's good cheer where there's rries.” a kind, forgiving, charita pleasant time," HA goed time. ble, “Clolden sunlight, heavenly fresh air, merry beils, ous. sky, sweet, Oh, glorious, glori- “Pile up the firo here; lot the holly till it winks again,” it shine upon 1t was always said of him that how to keep Christmas well, 1f alive possessed the knowledge,” he knew any man “Itis good to be children sometimes, and never bet than at Christmas, when its mighty founder was a child himseit,” 1 will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. 1will live in the Past, the Present and the Future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me. “But every man among Christmas tune, or ha them b d a 14 Chivistmas thought, or spoke below his breath to his companion of some by-gone Christmas day, with howme ward hopes belonging to There was nothing ve climate or the town, und air of cheerfuluess abroad” that the clearest summer a1 and brightest summer sun might have endeavored to diffuse in vain.” y cheerful in yeb thero was an the merry Christmas to everybody! A New Year to all the world | “A bapp, “God bloss us every one, said Tiay Tup." | eneel MGt 4. nnmnnnnr — — — — — — - e ——— - m— — | VR BN — AR COPY BTV OTINT 189: XTEEN PAGES. INGLE COPY FIVE CENT - o Y 71 | family who have o long distance to travel g 3 XMAS IN MERRIE ENGLAND | ind etunor roven home utit weit on. i the THE COLOKEL'S CHRISTMAS. day. Frequently tho Christmus dinner s | eaten at the houseof tho erandfathor. and | Colonel Straightman was a character, and — several familics of children have to arrive | ho had a history, Howas not a character fome Customs That Do Still Survive to | ARG II0 LTS CUER or ™ itky “ecs | [0 the modern acceptance of the torm which Recall Yo Olden Time. sons sitting down, and the meal that i pro i s used {n newspapers to describo chronia vided must of co » be of a magnitude to | Vagrants in police circles, queer acting Bo« correspond. The number and quality of tho | homians who feast one aay and fast the TIDE OF HOLIDAY AND FESTIVITY FOR ALL [ djshics must bo tegulated largely by the sub- | next, or freaks inany of tho commoner ot ply of ready cush (or crodit) availabloto bt | bottor walks of lifo. Ho was not a man whom e asch AL, Following 1S snme mon | Y1980 ¥ho Know bim elther mtimately or only Events that Serve to Prolonz the Happy | fora plain Christmas dinner of a family in | casually smiled about as they spoke of him 1son Till the New Yenr fs Old— aver. wnces and remarked, “There's acharacter,” There How the Day Is Spent by & R Wwas nothing in his foatures, dress or des British Fami Bt - A el portment that would attract attontion, yob there was a subtl thing in his makeup | that impressed you and no one who had ever wet him failed to remember him and that— ple ntly About 60 years of v he was i ¥ more vigorous than most w il yer wo who knew him well began to feel that tha manifest vigor was due loss to natural physical strength than to the consciousness of work ahoad that was far from being completed. Brimming with reminiscences of the civil war, in which he carned his title, and of his carecer and ex: perience of years as a dotective, “Old Matt, a8 we lovingly spoke of him among ourselves, was a most delightful companion. He told us the most thrillingly interesting stories of his varied expericnces, but always exacted f request that we should not uso his name in any of the tales that might get into print, as hie was decidedly averso to newspaper prominence, or notoriety, as he termed it. He wos known by most of the newspaper boys from voast to const. They all loved him and they all knew that he had a history, that he was not pursuing his hazirdous and thanks less calling 1 necessity or a love of the work. We often talked among ourselyes, after one of “Oid Matt's” visits, and specus lated a8 to the motive which prompted him to kocp up his never ending touring of tha continent when his age ana tition of hix finances urged and warrauted his retiremeng from active work It was my fortune, good or bad, to be the first of the old man's frieuds tc arn his history. On Christmas eve | had taken the train, intending to spend a_ brief holiday respite from work with fricnds in a southern city. Larly in the evening 1 dropped smolking apartment of the chair car and was delighted to find the only other oceupant of the apartment none other than my friend the colonel Lt at mecting him was only equaled urprise at his failure to return my warm greeting, One glance at his face showed that he was laboring under a heavy load. He had aged remarkably, his boyish vigor had vanished, his eyes wero lusterless, he was utterly dejected.” Aftor a half-dazed stare he mada room for me at his side and then sat for some minutes in o 8i- lence that | dared not break. At length the colonel drew from his pocket a cigar and o telegram. The latter ho handed to mo with the single word “Read.” ‘I'he telegram was as follows: st Louts, Dee. — hotel, Omaha Wt one into tha Colonel Matt Straight= Your wife Is dying, JOUNSON, 1 was attempting to stammer some steres otyped although heart-felt word of syme pathy when the old man stopped me- **Don’t, my boy,” suid he. 1 know what you would say, but it would make no differenco with These seven words have sounded the th-kneil of all my hoves, ended my usefuls ness, called a halt in my life work, which will now never be resumed.” After a few moments of painful silence the ola colonel lighted his cigar and, without any explanation or preface, began to tell me the story of his life, in a low, passionless tone and in a manner which sug-, zested that he was talwing to himself and’ was wholly unaware that he had a pained bub deeply interested listener. “When I came out of the war,” said the old man, “I was wealthy and with my wife and boy, a little chubby fellow then 8 years old, took up my residence in a southern city, T'en years of hard work in a successful and highly profitable busin made me a fors tune and we were planning to move cast and give our boy the benetit of the best educas tion obtainable, I had just closed up my business affairs and was ready to leave the city when an event occurred” that changed my entire life. Our boy had left home ona night to attend a party given by some young fellows, former school chums of his, wha were to give him a farewell send off. 1 had been so engrossed with the cares of business that I had paid too little attention to my son's choice of compunions. Tho lad aid not return that night,although we were not seris ously alarmed. But imagine our horror when the morning papers arvived with o detailed unt of a row in which some young fels lows had engaged after a it of revelry, The result had been murder and one of the young meu, my boy, was _suspected of have ing been the murderer. He had fled. “1 will not attempt to tell you of our grief. 15 mother’s fivst cry was to find him and to heip him. I started on a search which ends today. For several years Itraveled over tha country without ever finding a_trace, but I could not give up the fight. *Find my boy.} wits the constant cry from his heart-broken mother, and there was nothing left for ma to do. Three years after the killlug I found bsolute evidence that my son had not been ilty of wurder, but L been made tha im of circumstances, which served to hield the real murde This only served to renew my efforts. 1 had been conyinced th the bov bad gone to tho bad, and s0 devoted my time in a secarch among the criminal classes. 1 sccured a position under one of tho best the nation and for neav served him and served ked on eriminal case: the country. 1 have loc: detectives in y fifteen years have him we I have in cvery part of ted my boy @ nums ber of times, but have not been able o get im. He has served his apprenticeship and is a full fledeed crimmal. | have seen his picture, taken ina prison, within tho last month. Ho was arrested for trying to rob a train, but escaped from jail ore [ could reach thecity where he was contined, His mother knows nothing of this and neven shall. 1 nave always hoved that if I could! find the boy and get him hore we might be able to wake a man of him ‘But that telegram ends it all. His mother will never recover, ana with her death all my interest inmy son's life and Y 0WN ceases. home--"* A sharp, shrill shrick of the cngineer's whistle, the swishing application of the air- brakes, the sudden stop, pistol shots mingled with the curses of train men and the screams of frightened pussengers told the colonel's experienced ears that the train had been ate tacked by robbers. The sounds produced a magical effect upon the old man, He sprang to his foet, his face flushed, his eyes snap He was o man again, He whipped a viver from the pocket of his overcoat and arted for the front. I instinctively fols lowed. Wo rushed through the coach where the passengers, wild with fear, wi hiding under the seats and endeavoring to secrete what valuables they might possess, out and on through the baggage car to the express coach,which was the object of the attack. Noise of a despera ate struggle told that the messengor was staking bis life in an attempt to save the company’s proper On the platform stood oue of the rovbers, a revolver in each hand. In an ipstaut, before 1 oven realized the danger of my position, the colonel had opened fire and the men were cngaged in & duel to the death with only the space of the car coupling between them, ‘The door of the baggage car was thrown open aud a stream of light flashed full w the face of the robber. The colonel ok advantage of 1f she only lives until 1geg the opportunity and the next bullet from his revalver found a liome in the robber's beart. Something in the robber's appeacs ance as hestood in that last flash of light had evidently attracted the colonel’s attens | tion. When the robber sank upon tho plats form whe colonel sprang to Lim, raised him in his arms, gazed into is face ‘an instant, sprang back aud, with a cry that sounded above tho tumult, exclaimed, “My God, my voy ! and fell back in my arms, dead. ‘The colonel had found his son, On an inside page and in an obscure pesis tion in the paperson Christmas morning was the following telegraph item St Lovs, Dec. 24 ~Mrs. Mary Straights wan, wife of Colonel Matt Straighuman, the woll known detective, died at_hor homd oR Blank strest Just before midnight, Huxrss,