Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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EIVOTED TO POLITIC8., XORALITY, EDUCATION AND TO THE GENERAS NEETOFTEUUTY BY' D.- F. BNADLEd & 00- PICKENS, S. C., THURSDAY. DECE BR2I80V "'TWAS TIM NIOUT BEFORE (sMf=Tr. BY EDGAR FAWCETT, With snow in pale volumes, by savage winds hurled The night before Christmas has wrapt the wu world; And now to its noises the little ones hark Where the nursery window looks forth on the dark. While weirdly against the black blank of the sky Those phantoms of snow-cloud pass hurrying by, The brains of the children shape forn after form From out the wan vapory whirl of the storm; IHuge lions that ramp - ighty horses that prance; white wallowing whales of prodigious expanse Till now they discern a stiange figure, whose back, is bent by the weight of a ponderous pack, And streharing in front of him, plainer than day, The beard of Kris Kringle like blown ocean spray I ,k Ab, happy Toting dreamers dream on as ye will I See merry St. Nicholas trudging to fill, Through harsh wintry gusts, with benevolent tread The stockings you hang beside mantel or bed I Hug fast your delusion, 0 soft dimplei arms, And gain while you can Its illusory charms I Too soon will reality's hand tear aside The swe(t vail of fancy whose filaments bid Like the blemish, deep-sunk in the rose's reyouth, That stern disappointment, life's actual truth - And yet, darling zealots, coitent in your creed, How blest were your fate through the future indeed, If each disenchantment on earth left behind Such a precious result as awakening to And That in place of your Santa Claus, wrought from a cloud, Was the love that engirds 'you, fond, vigilant, proud ! Love eager to bring, ere 'the morrow shall rise, New nirth to Your laughter. new ilit to your eyveI A Christmas Tableau Vivant. 3Y WILLIAM E. BUSHNELL, "Jerusalem!, It was a favorite expletive of good Deacon Parks when excitement got the -better of his usual placid way, and his wife looked up in astonishment as he came stamping into the house, slammed the door after him and stirred up the fire until the hickory blazed and roared liko an imcipient volcano; "Gracious! What is the matter now, Job?" she exclaimed, pausing in her baking operations, wiping the flour from her hands upon her huge apron and lowering her glasses from her forehead to her nose to obtain a better look at her husband and satisfy herself that he had not suddenly lost his wits. "Why, day after to-morrow is Christ mas!" "As if I didn't know that! Haven't I been making preparations for it for more than a week? Catch me without mince-pies and fried cakes and cranberry jolly and a great, bouncing turkey?" and she smiled complacently at the thought of the good things already prepared. "And I never thought of it until just now-been so busy, you know," he apologized, as if, in reality he had been guilty of some groat crime. "Well, it don't matter, Job; and I wouldn't worry about it, for I have taken care of everything for the blessad dqpr. and Minerva will be home froi'teching school. Poor child! how she must suffer this weather, sleeping in cold rooms and liko as not .without a feather-Aicd and-" "It's all her own fault, Hannah. The good Lord knows we have plenty for her and half a dozen more, and if she will persist in wearing horself out in teaching other people's brats, then-"' "What then ?" questioned a merry voice, as a pretty, rosy piece of mischief came bounding into the room, shaking the snow from -her long, goldent curls, and rnning tip to her father, fdiirly smnothered him for a momeont-with kisses andI then darted away, la.ughing, to her mother, twined her arms about her neck and greeted her as warmly. "Jerusalem!" exclaimed the old man' as soon as he could regain his breath, though with his honest face flushed withi joy and his lips quivering with emotion for his daughter was indeed as the apply of his eye and the one thing upon earth altogether lovely. "My dear, precious lamb," whispered the fond mother, through tears of happi ness, as with busy fingers she removed the jaunty little cap, furs, cloak and gloves, "to think you have como safe-. ly backt to me once more ana--*' "Nw, interrupted the gidl, "I should like to know wvhat father was talking about when I came in," "So unexpected," maid the mother, "We did not look for you until to-mor row night." "Oh, I had a chance to ride home," replied the girl, blushing, "and got ie'r mission to let out school. But you were talking about me, father?" "WollJ, yes," he answered, with a mer ry twinkle in his eyes, "and I was about to say when you cameo rushing in like a young bear-about to say, though mind, I di't-that if you kept on teachuing other people's brats you wouldn't have strength. to teach your own-when you -get them," and lie laughed loudly at the changed expression of her face. "For shame," responded Minerva. "But I'll pay you for that, father. Re member, I am a young lady now, and you can't joke with me with impunity, as you once did." "A young lady? Whew! And I sup. pose some young gentleman ptit him self to immense trouble to bring you (- home through tho cold and stormr and didn't forget to collect toll at allthe bridges. Aren't your lip. sore, daligh ter?' Tho girl colored atill more deeply, and bustled around to help her mother set the table for dinner, that she might es cape the teasing; but her father enjoyed it too much, and asked: "Who was it, ohild? Some of thermi scape-grace clerks from Beaverton, I'll be bound." "Yo'u know I never associate with them " she responded indignantly. "Mr. Frani Emmions brought me home." "O-h?"with a low whistle. "Yes, his a nice and p roper young man, and has such pretty black hair e.nd eyes, and teeth and mtoustache, and such white hands, and sings like half a dozen angels and walks so gently," anid the old gentle man arosa and strutted mlninnl around the room in burlesque imitation of the attendant of his daughter. Minerva could not but laugh, yet pre tending to take no notice, glided about an-anging the dishes, and her mother asked where the young man was. "I know," said her father, answering the question for her. "Our daughter has rolled him up in pink cotton and sprinkled him with cologne and put him in a bandbox for foar he will get mussed." "He will be here Christmas Eve, " in terrupted Minerva, with a strong effort at sobriety; "he and a number of others. I knew you would not care, father, if I invited them." " Not I," answered the old man heart ily, and taking the curly head between his broad palms he drew her tendetly to him and kissed the rosy and dimpled cheeks. "-You are truly our one lamb, and everything will some day be yours. Yes, you did perfectly right, and it will be pleasant to have the house filled with young folks and have a rousing, merry time. That is how Christmas ought to be kept." " We are going to have tableaux vivants, and one of them will surprise you, father." He was that already, and had about as much conception of what was intended as of the lucid (?) explanations of Her bert Spencer of the Darwinian theor and for him to have repeated the worcds with the French accent given by his child would have been an. utter impossi bility, so he pretended knowledge, shook his head sagely, gave a very knowing wink, but' kept silent and soon found that pressing business required his ab sence. But the doting mother was taken into full confidence and she and Minerva had a long, earnest and apparently deeply interesting conversation upon the sub ject--one that continued for over an hour; indeed it had not concluded when the old man returned, for he caught the name of the minister and asked: " What are yon going to have Domine Martin here for, child?" " Oh, just because I like him, and his wife is such a dear old lady, and they will be very lonely on such a day, with their children all married and away from home. So I thought you would like to see them, and if he is here everything will be sure to go right, and it is Christ mas, you know, and-" " Hold on, for mercy's sake!" ex claimed her father, "or you won't have breath enough left to eat your dinner, and that would be very bad." "But you wanted to know, and-" "You lhave told me sufficient to satisfy ;any reasonable mortal man " he said as he took his place at the table and began .loading her plate as if she had been in .danger of starvation for a month. Dint~serifavmb~o~th' sub-3 stantial, old-fashioned kind, though the mother had added the richest of dessert delicacies to tempt her child, as if there was no such thing as dyspepsia in the land-and the Deacon took an easy chair -by the broad hearth, lighted his pipe, and between the curling.clo'uds of smoke resumed the subject of the morning con versation. " How many are you going to have, daughter?" he questioned. ''All the bays and girls.". "Boys first, every time with your sex, and girls with the other," he laughed, 1'but all means how many?" . "Well geflectivoly,) from fifty to sev enty-five.' . "Gracious! the old house will scarcely hold them, and will lbe certain to be torn down with their romping. But wvhat does mother saf?" I 6"Oh, she is perfectly satisfied, aren't you mother, dear ?." and a look of under standing passed between parent and daughter. "Then all I have to do is to help the riot along, for riot it will be with so many youngsters together. But wha~t was it you said you were going to hiave?" "A tub'lo vevang," was answered with the broadest possible . French accent ation. "Ah, yes, I- remiember, and no doubt it will he grand." "I think you will find it solemn, father." "Yes, yes," and fearful she should see how much he was puzzled, he instaintly changed the -subject and -continued: "Well, it will take a lot to feed so many boys and girls. They are alwvays hungry, and can devour more than so many wolves. So, Hannah, I fear you haven't provided one quarter enough." "You are right," responded his, wife; "since our pet told me about 'her plans and how many would be hbero I have been calculating." "Well, 'they shan't go ievny hungry, if there is en-oughi in the land to feed them. I'll have Mike kindle a fire under the big farm 'kettle, and kill lots of chick ens and turkeys, and -send him for Mrs. Smith to help dress them, and when I go over to town to-xxorrow i'll bring hiome soite oysters an'd--wll, any thing else you need to have a good time." "Ohi.ltow. ynuch I tahank you, deay father, "said Minerva, impulsively spring ingsto his -side a'tid kissing him. "You are the 1gidest and best father in .all the world." "All talk," he laughed, though rare pleasure was, visiblein his fate, "and you'll get married some day and forget all about me." "Married 1" exclaimed the girl, sud denly growing ash~y pale. ,"Never !I mean," she- continued, with her face flushing to the deepest crimson, "I mean that I'll pever forget yawu" "'Whew," he whistled, ,"I never saw the wind chop around more suddenly. Catch a girl saying she'll never get married! They would as soon think of not being handsome and having pretty dresses. Butgyou needn't blush so. It's all right and proper, rna the natur'al con ditioni of womankind." "Then." asked she, archly an coauet ishly standing before him with one little finger thrust between her red lips in mock modesty and bashfulness. "You wouldn't object to my getting married?" "No, not to a good, honest, industrious man. Why should I? A human heart and especially of your sex without love, is as good as wrecked. No, my darling; find a good man whom you can love with your whole heart, and who loves you the same, for I am old-fashioned enough to believe in such things, and I'll not only give my consent but my blessing, some thing worth having for a start in life, and such a wedding as will make the old rafters ring." "And suppose, father," questioned the blooming girl, half way between smiles and tears, "suppose it should happen to be Frank-Mr. Emmons, I-mean?' "Humph! I don't know. He is-".. "Just as nice a young fellow as ev&i lived." interposed his wife. "Yes, yes. I can't say aught against hun, but-" "I know," laughed Minerva at his con fusion, "when you really come to think of giving me up it is too much. That's it." "I believe you are right, child. But I must go and see about an extra supply of provisions. Gracious! it will be fortu nate if we don't have a famine." - He wiped away the mist from his old eyes, brought there by the thought his daughter bad suggested; tried to whistle bravely down the very situation he had with the touch of rugged eloquence de fended, and hastened to call his man-of all-work and give him instructions. "Mi nerva has come back, Mike," he said "and is going to have some kind of a blow-out on Christmas Eve. She calls ita tabler vevaught, or something of the kind. "A fwhat ?" questioned the Irishman, scratching his head in the most puzzled maniter. "That's what sticks me, Mike, though I did not let her know it. Anyhow there is to be some kind of a female circus, and the animals will want plenty to eat." "Blessings on the bright eyes of her, and its ivrything on the old farm I'll kill if she wants it, the darlin'." "Yes, I believe you. That girl seems to have a faculty of twisting every one around her finger, and-" "Divil a won more thin her oudd fayth or," said Mike as he proceeded to obey the orders lie had received, "an' muthier lashins of poultry," well knowing that his share of the feast would be no stinted one. To a late hour the making ready was continued, and all went to bed tired but happy. And tio next day was a continual hustle. Extra help was smnmoned, and the Utchen flrea roared, and the im queis.e Dutoh Avon. glowed -and plenty.. ruled triumphant, .ile the .,old. 4(jugei . was in his glory bringing supplies fiom town and waking hiinself useful as well as most 1pyoy9kipgly officious. So the day passed and the night came with everything ready - for the grand Early tlie house began to be filled with a merry company, and were welcomed b~y father, mother and diaughter, the latte~r resplend ant in rob~es of fleecy white, ahnndantly trimmed with soft, floating laces andl. looped with artificial flowvers while natural roses, fringed with myrtle and smilax, were half hidden amid her golden hair and pulsated upon her joy ously throbbing bosom. For an hour thcre ape eared to be a ocaeless chiming of sleigh-bells, and riosy, laughing loads deposited at the door. Indeed, so.many were the teanms that Mike was frantic to know what to do with them. But the Deacon believed in "the moie the merrier" principle, and kept every one busy and contented. Yet for all the gaily dancing and singing complany, a shade-of perplexity now and then crossed his face. He had not solved the mystery of the tableaui. and it-hung uppn him as a troublesome nightni'are. ror hours the house rang and trembled upon its strong foundation. It *aa a veritable bee-hive of fun and frolic, and many a soft cheek took on deeper roses from stolen kisses; many an innocent heart bounded more swiftly from the en circling arm and many a pair of ears tingled from the slapping of white hands in payment for saucy jest or pilfered caress. But good, buxom dame Hannah had almost as much pride in her cooking as in her one dear lamb, and when the ancient clock mnade its huge, heavy, coffin-like case throb with the ringing of ten, she whispered to her husband, good, prudent soul that she was, that "the children must b)e getting hungry, and she was going to see about the tables." In response to her suggestion, he1 sought their daughter and told her they were going.to have supper, and that the young folks had better stop romping and1 cool off, or some of them would be cer tain to take their death. "Yes, father," she answered; "but we must have the tableau first," andl she looked up, blushing more deeply than a damask rose in June into the face of Mr. Frank Emmons, upon whose arm she happened to be leaning, "All right," ,responded the old man with asia of relief, for the burden would soon be i fted from his soul. "Do you, want me to help you ?" "No; but tell mother, please, I want her." And Miss Mmnerva darted away to her own private room, while the ol'd man. told the fiddUera to adjourn to the kitchen and make themselves comfortable until wanted again. Evidently some of tha girls tmndeistood what was going on,-if the Deacon did not, for they cleared one end of the hall, hung a great patch-work bed-quilt across and marshalled the company into some thing like order. Then, after a brief pause, in whicTh there was much 'whis naring, the improvised curtain was dan aside and disclosed Miss Minerva stand ing hand in hand with Mr. Frank Em mons, with a young lady and gentlemaa as supporters, and the old mminiter be fore them. Amazed but silent, the Deacon looked on. He aid not comprehend the affair at all, had no practical knowledge of charades, but when certain words had been spoken and a ring passed, a sud den light broke in upon the darkness of his understanding, and he exclaimed with an earnestness that startled all: f.t"Je-ru-sa-lem I It looks like a mar riage!" The hearty laugh that followed sufficed for a full explanation and it needed not the assurance of the minister to convince him that his daughter was honestly and legally married to the man of her choice. And yet at first he was disposed to be an gry. Then he saw the foolishness of such a proceeding, especially as he had previously given his assent to the se lection of his daughter, and entered heartily into the laugh against him self. "That's what you call a-Jerusalem! I can't speak the new fangled name-is it? Yet it wasn't hardly fair to fool the old man so, Minerva. I did expect you would find something in your stockings to-night, child, but not a great, live man. However it is all right (anything she could have done would have been so) and we'll make the best of it, and your moth er and I will have plenty to do in getting things ready to fill the little stockings that-" A soft white hand stopped his words, red and ripe lips were presed upon his own, a silken face was laid upon his wrinkled one, a few tears of happiness were rained down upon his broad breast and with faltering tonguo the old man called the young husband to his side, gave him the hand of his darling, and said, "Take her and may God bless you both, . my children. If I have lost a daughter I have found a son and shall have another arm to lean upon when my eyes grow dim and steps unsteady and-" More he would have said but a great ringing of bells summoned them to sup per-and such a supper. It would have made grim Famine commit suicide in de spair to have looked upon the tables, and Time throw away his hour-glass and sit blythely down and enjoyed the feast. The good mother had known the secret from the firot, and with her pride stimu lated had distanced all former efforts even to produce a Christmas supper, and *the only complaint was of excessive full ness, when again the violins summoned the party to the hall. A few. more hours of such happiness as rarely comes to .earth .and the old house became silent. The company had depaited,;but not before the Deacon had invitel all to be. present that day year, whispering at.tlie same time something in the.ear of his daughter that sent the blood bounding to her cheeks and caused her to turn . suddenly and shamefaced awa. he rigIt Come with me' tliis joyous, blessed day. You will be welcomned right royal ly. Come and assist in .the festivi~ies and taste to rep~letion of the good cheer,' and when the bright-eyed babe is christ ened, join *ihalin wishing to him, aye even to all upon earth, a happy, merry, bountiful Christmas. Christmas ini Norway. In the mountain districts the day is kept with hearty hospitality. All work is suspended for thirteen days. The en trance of every house is decorated, and the wvalls of the kitchen are roughly adorned with gaudy pictures, fantaistic ally painlted in water colors. Through out Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (he merry-making is entirely domestic, restricted to the members of each house hold. Not even a friendly visit is paid. On the following days the neighbors as semble at each other's houses by turns, for carousing. No regular meal is pro vided, but open honse is kept, the tables richly spread for all corners. No stran ger is permitted to leave the house until he -has partaken of the strong Yule ale, which is served up in true Norwegian fashion, cask following cask in rapid suc cession. On these occasions the servants iit at the same table with the host, hise wife and family. All are dressed in their gala attire of rich colored cloth, trimmed with gold and silver braid, the women wearing caps and aprons of brilliant hues. The Mistletoe. It -is natural for us to sing when we ire glad, and carol singing once formed m prmncipal feature at all great feasts or anquete. But in later times the carol ieemns to have been devoted to Christmas alone, and when the Yule log was blazing arightly upon the wide hearth, and the green mistletoe boughs hung from the wall and decorated windows and doors, ~he wassail-bowl was filled to overflowing, mnd true friends pledged each other with a joyful. Christmas song; and under the mistletoe boughs the young people joined iands in the old-fashioned dance and 3hanted a blithe carol to which their !eet kept time. We, of modern days, have little idea f the rare virtues which were once ap propriated to the mistletoe. He who hung mistletoe around his neck believed bhat the witchies would have no power to barm him, and that was truly a comfort able thought in days when the firm be lief in witches was almost universal. The Druids and the Celtic nations attrib uted the most valuable medicinal prop erties to the mistletoe, calling it all heoal. lii Wales it was known as guidhel. A MONV. the fish of the United States the cod comes first in money value, the salmon second, the mackerel third, and then the menhaden. In weight the last stands highest. SOUTHERN NEWS. Etowah, Ala., has over 9,000 tax-payers. Twenty-, ight failures occurred in Alabama last month. The city tax rate at Mobile is $1.75 per $100. At Memphis it is $2. A riu for sea island cotton has been in v. nted by a Sereven county Georgian. Capt. Henry DeTonti made the first settle mct in Arkansas, in the year 1680. Sheep raising is said t. be the principal industry of Geneva county, Ala. Sheep-raising is s id to be the principal industry of Geneva county, Ala. The forthcoming report of the Auditor will show in Northi Carolina 1,530,483 hogs. Twenty-seven artesian wells are in Fort Worth, Texas. A bill in Alabama proposes to forbid the shipment of fricight on Sunday. Inl Birmingham, Ala., more than 100 houses have been built in six weeks. Gov. Warniouth expects to make over one million pounds of sugar this year on his Miagnolia, La., plantation. Mr. T. M. Boyd, of Va., has been called to the charge of the Eufaula. Ala., Presbyterian church. The total loss by the fire at Durham, N. C., last week is estimated at $60,000 to IC3,000.. Fourteen or fifteen buildings were destroyed The Alabama senate has passed a bill an thorizing the al pointnent of a commissioner of immigration. Capt. Dwyer is cleaning out the Knoxubee river for steamers, which can reach Macon, Miss., by spring. The quantity of leaf tobacco sold at Dan. ville, Va., inl November, was 1,911,134 pounds. The Henry county, Alabama, jail is with out an occupant for the first time since it was built. There are over 9,000 baes of cotton in comiipress in Vicksburg, awaiting transporta tion to New Orleatns. There will be 29 farmers in the next legis. lature of Texas. A very large majority will be lawyers. In the African Methodist church of South Carolina, there are 100 local preachers, and 92 exhorters. The New Orleans Democrat says that the 4ahine river never floated so many sten im boats as now. The travel on St. John's river, In Florida is thought to be 50 per 'eut. greater than in 1879. It is said that ther6 is plenty of idle land in Louisiann,.whieh (nn be boupght cheap ilnd will yild large crops of corn, cotton and Gen. .Joseph E. Brown lives on Washing ton street, Atlanta; Blenj. 11. H~ill, on P'eaclh tree, and G'en. Gordon, at Kirk wood, at su b rrba~m ' ilhifge. 'The census returns from ten counties of Ueorgia are not yet completed. .It is thought that the result will show that Georgia has be t ween 1 ,530,000 an d 1,140,000 popul-tion. The new ice factory in course of .erect ion at New Orleans wi I turn out .iAbout 25,000 tons of ice annually, and em'pooy -about 75 hands. TheIi Jacksonville (Fja.,) Union reports the reception by rail in that city for shipment to northern factories of 55 specimens of Florida ~wood(. The Gazette says that German or Sweedish servant girls are to be supplied to responsi ble families at Little Rock. Two or three, have alreadly arrivedl. Poisoned water is saidl to have appearedl in the gulf. 'Ihe Pensacola Gazstte hopes it will not rcach the ulpper banks. The fish seem instinctively to flee from it. Thle Iberville South says that five'acres of cane ground last week on Mrs..*Paulin Du pby's planmtation viel ded 18% quarters hogs beadls of suigar of excellent quality. T1hec constitution of Florida providles that after 1880 the legistature shall pass a law making tan education qualiticationi for voters. A plan11 to settle the state debt of Virginia proposes to issue three per cent, bonds for the wholb of the principal And estatblish a sinking fund. Thei amnount of piulic school money avail able ini Georgia, tis year is $316,273, or about 80 cents a head on the school popula tion. The roll of th ' New Orleaus Cotton Ex, change is now larger thana at the close of :any previous year. The board is about to buy the property known as the D~enhram cor a ler. An orange crop embracing 33 acres con taining ab~out 3,500 trees, in Sumter county Fia, has been purchased by a Columbus, Vai., man for $.31 ,000, Hie sold the fruit now 0on thet trees for $3,000. The annual report of Major 11. S. Thomp son-, state superintendent of education of South Carolina shows 2,973 schools and 3,171 teachers for 1879-80, against 2,901 schools anid 3,lto teachers for 1878-79. in 1876-77 there wer 2,483 schools and 2,674 teache.rs. Twenty-five mrembers of the South (Caroli na legisl ature ar( in favor of h'oldinig a non stitutiom:l convention, 18 are in favor of reg 1stramtion, 101 want the state and1( federal elect-l ions sepa rat (d, 9 dlesire a property or e-due~n tional q ualitiention for suffrage. S. C., a field of 350 acres which yielded this year, as it d(id also last 5 car, 350 hales of cot ton weighing 500 pounds each. At 10 cents a pound the gross value of the crop is $50 an acre, which is ah .it as much as the land is worth in the market. There are s1x moss factorlei in New Orleans and vicinity. All the moss ginned is shipped abroad as the furniture manufact urers do not buy it ginned, preferring to pick and clean it themselves. The total amount paid for the rough moss by the gin ners, uphositerers and mattress makers of he city is about $300,000 per year. The New Orleans Times says that that city is rapidly drifting into a deplorable condi tion, and if the narrow illiberal ideas of the moss-back element are allowed to prevail much longer, instead of being a great me tro)olis, it will be a rickety, decaying old town, with dilapidated buildings, impassable strecets and a general air of rot and ruin. Major Marks, a gentleman of Orange coun ty, Florida, is said to have conceived the scheme of securing Henry 'Ward Beecher's summer tent, capable of seating 6,000 peo pile, or some other equally spacious one1, and pi thling it 111011g.the beaulitiful Ilkes that environ the town of Wilcox. Insidc of this are to be pitchii a great ituomber of smaller terts, for lodging rooins for guests. Pining and dancing hall, billiard room, e te., are all to be within this immense tent, and the whole to be fitted up and furnished equal to the most perfectly equipfed hotel. Boating, fishing and hunting would constitute the at traet ons. Christmas Sentiment. Says a writer in the Yonker's Gazette: "There is so much about Christmas that savors of harmony, concord, peace-a, peace that means not merely the cessa tion of hostilities between conflicting in terests in our social world, but that se roner, broader, deeper peace which unites man to man by all the ties of friendly intercourse which pioceed out of an universal desire to make Christmas a bright spot among the fading memories of the year. I like the sentiment tho more because it pervades every commu nity and brings to view the bettor side of every mal'st-character. Not a Scrooge nor a Gragrind on earth can wholly steel himself against its humanizing in fluence, and though the closing of the day may find no charity dispensed or glad ness awakened, yet it will at least surely find the edge of hi% habitual severity blunted. f there is ever "peace on earth," in its fullest sense, it is on Christ mao. I do not believe that custom and usage alone have made the modern anni versary day of the Saviour's nativity one of rejoicing; it has ever occurred to me that since first the glad tidings went out from Bethlehem the event has left its im press on each succeeding generation, and that each recurring "happy morn" has found the chord of human- sympathy and love responsive to the mystic glow. If this were not so I think we should see less hand-shaking and cordial greetings than we (10 now, a more limited sphere of action for the aims gatherer, fewer vis its from 'Santa Claus," feiver Christmas tree festivals,histen to poorer and less ex citing homely old stories 'f legendary lore, hear less caroling of "Christians awake," find a sparser harvest of mistle toe, and we would haya far more con tracted views of our life-cloud's silver lining. And then, too I like the meth ods we have taken as a nation to show our appreciation of that day. They are beautiful; they are just. Thel~y help us to consecrate our lives and to shape them in the channel that is best suited tc their moral development. Where thoughts and motives are pure and simple, we may look for good deeds. Where the observ ance of Christmas is made known through benevolent acts, kind words to the dia tressed, family gatherings, happy chil dren and the distribution of gifts, wheth er the celebration be to honor the day for the day's sake or not, the occasion isone that we should be truly thankful for. This 'world of ours is bettered by Christ mas and every one of us should help to make it memorable. The Happy Chiristmias Reunion, On Christmas it is customary for all the members of a family to collect and unite in merry making, feasting and otherwise enjoying themselves. With what mingled emotions of joy and sorrow are these happy reunions looked back upon in after years b~y participants think ing of those dear ones now, perhaps, separated from them forever. Let um make a Christmas picture: The sleighride to the house, the welcome at th*. doo, the bounteous feast with ac companying jokes and humor, the stor ies, games and other pastimes th'at followv, the unveiling of the children's Christmas 'ree in the evening, and finally the fare well for the night. Then there is the jolly mystery of famous old " Kris Kringle," who comes in his Ileigh drawn by reindeer, over the tops of houses, pops down the chimneys, never spoiling with soot the prett things he brings, to stuff fth~e i0 W:stoolun' gs that hang fro 'go$L ~ im - agine for t itehos laughing, h 6that into shout gleeful yraur brought to light. ~ Chr-istmas has many happy memories to set against the sadl ones that tell of loss of time and friends. A YOUNG man with an umbrella over took an unprotected lady acquaintance in a rain-storm, and, extending his um brella over her, requested the pleasure of acting s her rain-bow. " Oh!1" ex claimed the young lady, taking his arm, ,you wish me to be your rain-dear.'" T wo souls with but a single umbrella, two forms that stepeas ne