Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, December 21, 1887, Image 1
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lewis m:. grist, proprietor. J 2U fnirtjpkitf Jfantiljj ffctospptr: jfor % promotion of fjje political, JJotial, ^gritnlteral anir Commercial Interests of fjre J?out{). |terms?$2.50 a year, in ADYANCE.
VOL. 33. YOEKYILLE, S. C.. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1887. ISTO. 51.
Me festal J$eam.
THE CHILDREN'S FRIEND.
"A BUNDLE OF TOYS HE IIAD FLUXG OX
HIS BACK, ..
AXD HE LOOKED LIKE A PEDDLER JUST
OPENING HIS SACK."
BRIGHTEST AND BEST.
Brightest and best of the Sons of the morning,
Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid;
Star of the east, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.
Colcl on his cradle the dewdrops are shining,
Low lies his head with the beasts of the stall,
Angels adore him in slumber reclining,
Maker and Monarch and Saviour of all.
Say, shall ye yield him in costly devotion.
Odors from Edom or offerings divine,
Gems from the mountain or pearls from the ocean.
Myrrh from the forest or gold from the mine?
Vainly we offer each ampler oblation.
Vainly with gifts would his favor secure.
Hicher by for is the heart's adoration,
Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.
?Old Hymn.
ONE CHRISTMAS.
BY OLIVE HARPER.
"That there Mar thy Avery is the foolishest
critter that ever lived, I swan to man!
Here's her father dead, and she left with
all that brood of her stepmother's young
ones; and instead of sendin' 'em to their
grandfather she ups and says she is goin'
to .support 'em herself. She won't get my
Jabez if that's her idee, for I'll just put
my foot down."
"Martha is a likely girl."
"There's three gals and a boy baby, and
they hain't no call nor claim on her.
There's them as would make her a good,
forehanded provider, but no man won't
take a hull family on his hands to onct.
It's bad enough marrying widders, but
nobody wants a lot of sickly young ones
a-eating up all the substance of a farm.
No, indeed!"
"Wall, you know, Mrs. Hemphill, Marthy
feels as if the children hes as good a
right as herself to the farm; they was her
father's."
"Yes; but he didn't make no will, and
the farm and the settin' out was all Marthy's
own mother's, so nobody can't dispute
her claim. Besides, what does a slip
of a girl like that know 'bout carryin' on
a farm, I'd like to know?"
"It's too bad; but, as you say, she'll
find how hard it is to manage a farm. I
am greatly exercised for her, and I'll ask
the sisterhood to make her a subject of an
address to the throne of grace," said Mrs.
Pringle as she gave a little sigh, and
folded up her kitting to take her seat at
Mrs. Hemphill's well filled tea table, for
Bhe had ridden over to spend the afternoon
and have a good visit.
Jabez, Mrs. Hemphill's only son, and
his father came in and took their accus tomed
places, and the father asked a very
long blessing, and reached his hand out
1* 4 -1 ~
uuu cupiurcu ? au mo oauiu iuument
that he delivered his "amen."
Jabez was a handsome, frank young
fellow, who worked very hard and had no
vices, hut who possessed a fair share of
manly virtues.
lie found time, somehow, after the multifarious
duties on a farm were done, to
study, and to slip over to the Avery farm
very often.
Being a steady and handsome young
fellow, his mother naturally looked on
him with pride, and now she felt that she
was doing her duty as a wise mother in
discountenancing such a foolish action on
Martha's part as adopting her three little
half sisters and baby brother.
Meanwhile, Martha was working, as if
her life depended upon it, over a refrac- 1
tory churning, and her pretty face was
wrinkled into a frown and her cheeks
flamed crimson, and little sparks of anger i
seemed to shoot from her eyes that had
yet a suspicion of tears not far off.
She jerked the dasher with vindictive
little movements, as if she wished she had
some particular person under the dasher,
and withal it did seem as if that butter i
was bewitched. ]
"I don't wonder it won't come," said
Martha, at last. "Hateful old thing! As <
if I depended upon her, or as if I wanted 1
her 'Jabez.' I guess I can manage a
farm; at any rate, I must try, for with I
God's help I will take caro of these poor
little children. Addie can help take care
of the others?and I think she is crnel
Oh!"
This exclamation was brought forth by
the sudden sight oi! Jabez, as he sprung
over the fence and walked into the well
kept kitchen without a word of warning
or invitation.
He walked directly up to Martha and
clasped both of his hands around hers as
she held the "dasher," and said cheerily:
"Well, Martie, how are you? Here, you
sit down and let me do this, and I can
. look at you all the while, and that will
pay me for my work."
"it's too bad." 1
Martha had intended to be very digni- I i
fled and cold, and to show that she did
not need 'lie advice, assistance nor the i
love of any of the Hemphill family, after i
the visit that Mrs. Hemphill had made,
and remembering all that she had said;
but in the presence of Jabezall this heroic
resolution passed away like mist before :
the sunshine, and instead of her dignified j
reserve she put her two plump little hands
before her face and began to sob and cry. i
Of course Jabez was instantly distressed
to such an extent that he dropped
the dasher into the churn and sprang to
Martha's side; and there be knelt, and 1
! wiped away her tears, and smoothed the
curly tendrils of her hair; arid before she
knew it his strong arm was around her
waist and he had kissed her.
In a few minutes she recovered her
calm, but her dignity had flown. She
was only a weak woman after all, who
was striving to do her plain duty; and she
tried to free herself from the strong young
arms that held her iii so close and so comforting
a clasp; for, poor child, her father
was only a week dead!
"Don't, Jabez," was all she could say.
"And why not, Martie? Why shall I
not love and comfort my dear litlle wife
that is to be!1"
"Oh, dear!" said Martha, despairingly.
"Oh, dear! Oh, Jabez, please don't, for
this is not possible."
"And why not, Martie? Ever since we
were able to talk I have known you and
loved you; aDd all my life I have been
trying to deserve you. You have loved
me, too, haven't you? Well, then, why
isn't it possible, please tell me?"
"Haven't you heard? Don't you know?
Jabez, I feel as if it is my solemn duty to
take care of these poor little children, and
not let them suffer. Father left nothing
but the farm; but there was always
enough for us all, and I must try to do
the best I can for them. And your?you
?I think wc had better not see each other
anymore, for"
"There, that's just enough. You are
willing to throw me off for the sake of
those children who have no earthly claim
upon you. You could send them to their
poor old grandfather, but you prefer to
shoulder the burden yourself, and destroy
all your dreams of happiness, and devote
all your life to them, and forget the life
long love I've had for you?"
"It is my duty, Jabez."
"And you are willing to sacrifice all to
them, and they may turn out ungrateful
or wicked; and you know me, and that I
love you dearly, little Martie, and always
will."
"I can't help it, Jabez. I can't see it
in tlic same Jignt. l ieei as it tne nana ot
the dead lay upon me, and I must obey.
Besides, I do it because I feel it is right.
Don't make it harder for me than it is,
Jabez."
"Martie, my little wife."
"I would be very happy so, Jabez; but
I know your mother never would consent,
and I couldn't bear to cause a disagreement
in your family."
"I can manage tha., Martie, if you will
agree to be my wife next Monday. We
will go over to Wilkesbarre to get married
there quietly, and return and settle down
at once into a new edition of Darby and
Joan. What do you say?"
Poor little Martha hung her head, and
reflected as well as she could. Mother
and father were both dead, and she had
no one to advise or counsel her; all she
could do was to let him have one swift
glance from her downcast eyes, which was
all the answer he needed.
"I?I THOUGHT YOU LIKED MARTHY!"
One long embrace, and one shy, sweet
kiss ratified this silent promise.
"Put on that pretty lilac dress, Martie,
Monday morning, and meet me at 8
o'clock just beyond the Swayle brook, and
in one hour we will be one, and say nothing
to anybody. Oh, yes; one other
thing. Will you trust the children to me
to bring up? Will you give them into my
guardianship completely? Answer yes,
without question."
"Why certainly. Since we"
"All right. Now I must really go, for
there's a thousand things to do. You
will be There?" and as she answered yes,
he caucht her ulumn little form to his
heart again, and kissed her again for
goodby; and he leaped the fence at a
bound, and in a few minutes was at home
about his "chores," with alight heart, for
he loved Martie truly and well, and he
now saw his way to happiness with the
one girl he loved.
Sunday he went away in the morning,
and was gone all day, and only returned
in time for supper.
After the table was cleared, and Mrs.
Hemphill sat down to rest, with a clean
pocket handkerchief folded over her knees,
to save her black silk dress, and her Bible
in her liunds, for she always held her
Bible thus every Sunday evening, though
no one could remember ever seeing her
read in it, Jabez arose from his seat and
walked up and down the room in silence.
His mother watched him uneasily.
At last he spoke:
"Mother, I am thinking of getting married."
It was out at last!
Her fear was well placed, and the shock
was great.
"Mother, how would you like Lucinda
Rosencrants for a daughter?"
In all her imaginings she had never let
her fancy run riot to an extent that could
have permitted Lucinda Rosencrants to
enter her head as the possible choice of
her son.
Pretty enough, but coarse and ignorant;
daughter of two idle, dissolute parents;
lazy and slovenly herself, and fond of
dancing and party going, and all the very
th'iigs that Mrs. Hemphill abhorred, it is
no wonder that she sat pale and shocked
and speechless.
Of nil the girls that she knew, or had j
ever heard of, Lucinda was the last ono I
that she would have chosen, and she could !
not bear it.
"I?I tlioi ;htyou liked Marthy," she
said, tremulously.
"I do like Martha; but you said so
much"
"I rather you'd a picked her out"
"She refused me."
"Refused you! I guess you're as good
as she any time. Any gal ought to be
pro id to get you."
"She did not think-so, and her refusal
did uot hurt me long. "What do you
think of Lucinda?" #
"Oh, Jabez, don't usk. I never can
give in to your marrying into that awful
family. Just think of what a set they
are, and Lucinda'll be just the same.
There ain't another girl that can hold a
candle to Marthy if it wasn't for them
there children."
"She gave them all away yesterday, I
heard, to a guardian."
"Jabez, don't you think you could
change her resolution? Ye ain't bound to
Lucindy, be ye?"
"You know, mother, I never break my
word."
Mrs. Hemphill groaned.
"I'd rutlier you had a took Marthy
with ten young uns to feed and raise than
Lucindy," and she began to cry, whereupon
Jabez hurried off.
The next morning Jabez was gone, no
one knew where, and the whole farm
seemed to want him hack; though it was
noonday, there was no work done, and
Mi-, and Mrs. Hemphill sat dejectly in the
"best room."
"Father" said at last, knocking the j
ashes out of his pipe:
"I knowed Saturday that sumpin was 1
up, but I never guessed what, and I'm
blamed if I ain't sorry for him to go and
take up with that shiftless Lucindy, when
he might a' had Marthy, only for your
bein' so sot agin' them poor little youngsters;
and I tiiink Marthy was a-doin' her
duty. I'm blamed sorry."
"Mr. Hemphill, don't swear, and don't
say I broke off the match. I never done
nutliin', only Friday I told Marthy my
opinion about it, and she got mad, and I
s'pose said something that maddened
Jabez. for the next dav ho went off, and
I s'pose he asked Luciwiy.
"Oh, what on earth shall I do? lie is
such a pood boy, and to throw himself
away so!"
"Well, if you told her your mind in the
same way you tell it to me I don't blame
Marthy a bit for gittin' mad."
At this juncture Mrs. Hemphill gave
way to tears, until the noise of wheels on
the pravel outside aroused them both, and
they looked out to seeJahez and Martha
both looking very happy in the buggy,
and Martha was not in mourning, and
something glittered on her wedding Anger.
"Mother, father, let me introduce to
you Mrs. Martha Hemphill. I hope you
will be pleased to form her acquaintance."
"Pleased ain't no word, Jabez," said
his mother, who caught happy little
Martha in her rather long arms, and the
father shook Jabez's hands like pump
handles, while he tried hard to speak
without tears.
After a while everything was explained,
and it was a merry Christmas dinner
to which they all sat down the next
day. Mrs. Hemphill, Sr., said she was
thankful above everything that Martha
had upheld her principle, and she added
sotto voce, and saved her from that awful
"fambly."
PETER PERKINS' DREAM.
BY EMILY ARTHUR.
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of
these, my children, ye have done It unto me.
"There Is that ham, it Is too old to sell,
and this barrel of wormy dried apples,
and a barrel of meal and one of flour,
which are both a little moldy, but still
good enough to give to the poor, and that
half barrel of sugar that the kerosene was
spilt in, and those two sacks of rice that
has weevils, and you might add all that
stale bread. They will make a good showing,
and I guess my name will head the
list, for nobody else would give so much.
These things you can set aside, Mark, and
to-morrow I want them carried round to
the society's rooms with my compliments.
Aha! This will help many a poor family
to enjoy a good Christmas dinner, and
will help me with my customers. Everybody
likes a generous man, but few of the
brethren will make as good a display as I
shall to-morrow. I guess I'll go homo
now, Mark, and, ah, here are $2 for your
Christmas. I can't afford more. You
know business is slack. Well, good
night."
"IT IS TOO OLD TO SELL."
And wizened old Peter Perkins got into
his old overcoat and went home through
the streets where the snow lay thick and
heavy until he reached his comfortablo
looking three story house. After he rang
the bell he muttered to himself:
"I might just as well have only given
Mark $1 instead of $2. He'd n'been just
as thankful, and I'd a'saved that much.
And all those things there?why, I could
have sold them at a discount, but then,
after it all, I was losing ground in church
custom by what they call my stinginess,
and now, well, I guess after all I'm glacl
I give them. The poor who get them can't
complain. Oh, here she comes at hist! And
she will expect a present, too! It seems
as if everybody was beset Christmas time!
I'msickofit. Ha!"
At this instant Mrs. Warner, who was
servant and housekeeper both, opened the
door, her rather long face wreathed in
smiles and her form dressed in her best
black silk. gown. Peter Perkins was astonished
and surprised as 9he led the way
to the dining room, where the old man's
dinner was laid, for on the table smoked
a splendid turkey, while several other
dainty and toothsome dishes stood about,
among them a noble mince pie that gave
out a mellow, luscious odor that mortal
could not withstand, and yet he turned,
saying fiercely:
."Mary Warner! Who gave you author.
ity to do this? Why, here is dinner
enough for twenty, and 6uch extravagance!
I told you this morning I didn't
believe in holiday nonsense, and I told you
to cook half a mackerel and a potato,
didn't I?"
"You did, sir, and I was going to do it;
only this morning my sister in the country
sent me a Christmas box, and theso
were in it, and as I couldn't eat them all
myself I made bold to offer you half, sir,
and no offense, I hope."
"Oh, well, that alters the case. Well,
yes, I don't care if I do," and he allows
himself to fall in the chair she pushed forward,
and he fell to and in a short time
uau caa*u u uiuau fAtcnuib uiuuui,
he finished with a great golden doughnut
and piece of cheese. He took these as in
a dream, one in each hand, and mado
alternate bites of doughnut and cheese in
a reflective and even retrospective manner
as he thought:
"Why don't city folks learn to mako
crullers like this? For love nor money
you couldn't buy anything like this in all
this great city. They taste just as
mother used to make them. Her tin
cruller box was never empty and how
good they were; the older they were the
mellower and better they were. I remember
she used to mako me a boy and'a
mouse every time she fried crullers, and
always two P's for my letters. And
Christmas and New Year's she put caraway
seed candies all over mine. I wonder
how she did it. That mince pie was
good. I think I will take another piece.
It hain't cost anything and it maJtes me
think of old times."
And so the miserly old man sat and ate
until his usual bedtime came, when he lit
his candle, for he never would have gas,
and went to bed.
Scarcely had he got warm and comfortable
when he saw standing by his bedside
a stranger whose face was carefully
turned away, and who wore a long, loose
garment of some unknown fashion, and
instinctively Peter Perkins put his hand
under his pillow after his revolver, thinking
of robbers, but the stranger said in a
low voice, which yet had such authority
in it that the wretched man dared not
disobey:
"Arise, dress yourself and follow me."
As in a dream the little miser followed,
but they went so swiftly that he could
not see where they were going until at
last the stranger said:
"Open your eyes and tell me what you
See."
Peter Perkins stood and ga zed with his
Wizened face pale and frigh tened. lie
seemed to be in a vast place, so vast that
it appeared to be visible illimitable space.
Thprr> wns Tin hp<rmnin<? nor *>nd to illlV
where, ami yet he was there in the midst
of this infinity of distance, and before
him upon nothing stood great tables upon
which was piled a heterogeneous collection
of everything imaginable, and while he
was trying to understand tSiis confusion,
he noticed that there had appeared, rank
on rank and file on file, limit kvs, countless
numbers of cherubim tend seraphim,
and in the midst of this throng sat upon
a crystal throne Christ, the benign, the
loving, the pitiful, and his features seemed
to exude sweetness and mercy from every
lineament, and his smile was ineffably
tender.
The cherubim and seraphim sang
"Glorv, glory to God in the highest and
in earth peace and good will to men,"
and as l'etcr Perkins watched this beauty
ful countenance he saw its expressions
change. Sometimes it became that of a
little child, sweet and infantine, again it
was tender and pitiful, then it looked as
it must have done when he said, "Corno
to me, all ye weary juid heavy laden,"
then it was filled full ot sorrow and merciful
goodness, uud then it grew stern and
awful.
Then Peter Perkins noticed that then
was a throng ever increasing and reach
ing far below them so that the end o
them was far out of sight, and thes<
people came singly to the foot of th<
Saviour and there laid a gift which was in
stantly taken by the angels and laid upor
a pair of scales, which did not measure b]
the weight of the gift itself, but th<
motive which lay like a living heart in
side it.
Then Peter Perkins saw that all whc
had not yet offered their gift had a bur
den to carry, large or small, and he sud
denly becnmo aware that the burden fast
ened upon his own back was enormous
and wus very heavy. But he turned tc
the stranger and said: "When will it be
my turn!"
"When all of these shall have passed.'1
And ho had to stand there with the
great unknown weight upon his shoulders
for long hours, or days, or years, he did
not know which, while all these people
came by.
He noticed a man who staggered by
and laid a heavy weight of gold chalices
and church candlesticks and other emblems
at his feet, and Peter Perkins saw
with surprise that they flew up in the balance
as if of air. Another offered c
church, which was tis so much paper, and
then a poor old woman in rags staggered
along with a cup of cold water as her only
offering. This sent the scales down, down,
as if it weighed a ton, and then a pale,
thin man came and offered only a tear.
This, too, weighed heavier than gold,
Sometimes an old broken toy, or sonic
old, worn garments, or even a crust oi
bread was laid at his feet, and these, too,
were very heftvy on those wonderful
scales.
Peter Perkins noticed, too, that those
whose gifts were light disappeared from
view, and he watched until he saw them
fall into space and fade away in distance,
while the angels sent pitying glances ni'tei
them.
. Suddenly the Saviour said:
' Now, Peter Perkins, what gift have
you brought to the Lord on this his birthday?"
"Oh! I am willing to give you all 1
have, but this bundle upon my back was
not intended for you, but for the poor. If
you will let me go back I will return with
something more worthy of you."
"But what have you in that bundle?"
"Only some flour, and meal, and sugar,
and ham, and rice, which are not quite
fresh and good, but I thought they would
do for the poor"
"And have you never heard of my
words, when I said: 'Inasmuch as ye do it
unto the least of these, my children, ye
do it unto me?' Look, that cup of watei
was given by a sick and suffering woman
to one who suffered worse. That holy
tear was given from a pure heart that had
nothing else to offer, but you, out of youi
ftVvnr?/1 nnnft nfFny tlwtf ia unflf
for food, and in offering that to the unfortunate
poor yoti have offered it to me."
"I did not know! Oh, please let me gc
back and I will do differently"
"Alas! you have lived youi life, and
you must, like all that throng you have
seen, take your deeds with you to plead
for or against you. You can return nc
more than they. All men bring their
passports of good or evil actions with
them here, and once they have come
naught can change. They must bear their
fate. Some of them did not know but you
had a mother who taught you aright, but
you forgot her words of wisdom or put
them aside. So, now, go your way."
And with these words Peter Perkins
felt himself falling into perdition, weighted
down by the moldy flour and spoiled
bread and sugar. Down, down he went,
faster than many others who were on the
way, and he cried out in his agony ol
fear, when suddenly with that cry he
twoke and sat up in bed. This then had
been a dream! But it had opened his
eyes, and he began to see things as he
never had done before. He remembered
his mother's teachings, and he slept nc
more that night. But as soon as daylight
dawned he dressed and went to the store
where poor, faithful Mark, who had slaved
ten years for him, was packing those
wretched things into the wagon.
PETER PERKINS' DREAM.
"Mark," said he, "throw all that stuff
uway anil take double the amount of the
best, and take poultry and fruit and tea
and coffee and bread and sugar and butter,
yes. and anything else you fancy, and
make them up into separate parcels and
give one good, generous basketful to every
poor family you know. Yes, Mark, and
then, if your mother is able to bear it,
take her in a carriage and come down to
my house this evening to dinner, and we
will discuss our new sign with Perkins
and Haneock on it. Yes, God bless us!
Oh, no, I'm not crazy! I've just come to
my senses," and he hurried home and astonished
Mrs. Warner by a handsome
crisp note for $50 and ordered a dinner
which would have staggered her if she
had not had so good a beginning from her
sister's farm.
Ten years have passed since that time.
Peter Perkins is a round, happy man. To
see his jolly, benign face glow at you from
over his counter makes you involuntarily
look round for the other Cheeryblo
brother; and now if he was called ho
would not go empty handed before his
Lord and Saviour.
CHfMSTMAS MORNING.
Keen blew the wind across the naked wold,
Glimmered the snow fields white.
Aweary with longing, doubt and pain,
I watched the silent night.
Ah, me! Joy conies and goes, but grief remains:
My days shall comfort bring;
But hark: Upon the frosty winter nir
The Christmas ehimings ring.
And, like a guilty ghost at breath of dawn,
My coward moanings fly;
Echoes again th' adoring song that woke
Beneath Judea's sky.
And sweeter, clearer, louder, chime on chime.
Ring out, O, happy bells!
For every peal with jubilant refrain.
The wondrous tidings tells.
?Louise Both-Heudrikson.
Tho Mummers of Scotland.
The mummers, guisers or guizurds occupied
a prominent place in nil Christmas
observances in the early history of Scotland,
and this form of Christmas amusement
was evidently a survival from the
Iioman Saturnalia. In 11377 there were
mummers on Christmas Eve in London.
Later masking, or "mumming," was forbidden
by royal edict. An old piece of
verse anent the mummers reads:
To shorten winter's sajlness,
? See where the folks with gladness
Disguised are all a-coming.
Bight wantonly a-mumming,
^ " Fa la.
" Whilst youthful sports are lasting.
To feasting turn out fasting.
With revels and with wassails,
Make grief and care our vassals,
. Fa la.
I For youth it well l>eseemetb,
Tnut pleasure he esteemetb,
A And sullen age is hated.
That mirth would have abated,
Fa la.
;? #" "Is you afraid of.Santa Claus, mam
ma? If you is I will come in your bed."
f
THE ORIGIN OF CHRISTMAS.
Th? 25tli of December Was Originally
the Roman Saturnalia.
The celebration of Christmas as tho
birthday of Jesus is universal among
Christians of every sect, and as sucli it
is regarded throughout Christendom as
the sweetest, holiest of all holidays. And
with the long mooted question, Is Dec. 25 1
the anniversary of Christ's birth? we have l
nothing to do. For it matters nothing >
whether it was on this particular i
date that the Christ Child first t
lay in Bethlehem's lowly manger, j.
This is the day that has been ac- (
cepted and will be celebrated to tiie end i
of time. It will be of interest to most j
readers, however, to note that it was not .
until the Third or Fourth century that '
the. present date was agreed upon, and
that Jan. 1, Jan. 0, March 29 and Sept. 1
1 29 were variously observed during the 1
> earlier centuries by various bodies of t
Phrtoflrtna HMin flvinrr nf tlin rlnfn enhnte T
r to have been accomplished by Julias I, i
> who presided ns pope or bishop of Home \
from 337 to 852 A. D. J
Christinas is not alone nmong Chris- f
tian. holidays in being the follower of ft c
L spfffoyhflt similar holiday among the pa- j
L gSnsT In Rome it was called the Saturl
nalia. And the observance of the winter ,
feast, now Christmas, was not confined to
> the Romans. The holiday appears to
have been kept by the Scandinavians, the t
Persians and the Phoenicians, and perhaps
by many other people. All these na- 8
? tions worshiped the sun, under one form or ?
- other, as the giver of all life. Each gave c
the deity a different name. At Rome lie a
L was worshiped under one of the characters g
attributed to Saturn, the father of the (
' gods; among the Scandinavians as Odin, or *
i Woden, the father of Thor; with the Peri
sians as Mithras, probably the same as the
Irish Mithr, and with the Phoenicians his ?
name was Baal or Bel.
All these nations chose nbout the same P
I date for this fenst. This is supposed to t
> have been caused by the feelings of de- t
light experienced shortly after Dec. 21, be- \
cause the days then begin to lengtlieu. \
- Then the snn begins his upward course,
i and spring and summer are approaching.
For somewhat similar reasons the pagans
l of old held a great midsummer feast at or
about Juno 21.
The midwinter festival of the Satur,
nalia wus observed for several days in ^
f the most unrestrained manner; every- J
L body feasted and work was quite sua- f
pended. Even the slaves were allowed i
r complete liberty for the time being, a
Laurels and evergreens were everywhere t
displayed, the same as now, and gifts were j
exchanged, and there were especial greet- *
i ings for the season. In the north these .
r rejoicings were carried on in some1
what ruder fashion, but were entered
into with not less heartv ?
> enthusiasm. Fires were everywhere kin- c
died, both indoors and out, in honor of F
1 Odin and Thor; the Druids gathered the C
> sacred mistletoe, and both men and cattle C
were sacrificed to the savage divinities, c
I The ancient Persians also burned immense i
- bonfires at this seuson, and between them I
i and the Druids of western Europe some c
> sort of relationship existed. a
In the later days of the Roman empire r
l the feast of the Saturnalia deteriorated ^
> into a gross debauch?so gross, indeed,
that few historians have cared to defile ?
l their pages with its details. '
' It was for the purpose of counteracting c
> the evil inilucuces of the Saturnalia, to e
the celebration of which the young of both e
i sexes were very prono, that the early l
Christian teachers in Rome sought to \
L adapt the rites of lieathen rejoiciug and s
render them subservient, instead of an- a
tagonistic, to the cause of religion. Certain
forms of amusement were forbidden
and others not so gross were substituted,
but it was a long time before the people
t and the clergy were of one mind regard>
ing the observances of Christmas.
In Britain there were other inodifiea- a
tions. To the modified Saturnalia were v
added first some of the Druidical rites and F
superstitions, and, after the arrival of the e
Saxons, some of the ceremonies of the
ancient Germans and Scandinavians. Of o
these were the burning of the Yule log q
and the superstitions regarding the mis- s
tletoo bough. e
In England the burning of the Yule log r
takes place Christmas eve. In feudal
times the bringing in of the ponderous
block and burning it on the wide hearth r
of the great chimney of the baronial hall a
was observed with the greatest rejoicings, t
The dragging of the Yule from the forest JJ
to the castle was an elaborate ceremony p
of itself, and as it passed, every wayfarer i:
raised his hat, for well he knew that its r
Dame would light up scenes of feasting j
and forgiveness of old wrongs, and that
all would be welcome. p
The following quaint ditty, apropos r! *
the Yule, is supposed to have been written
during the reign of Henry VI: '
Wplpnmn hp thnn hpnvpnlv Tvinf**
Welcome, born on this morning; ft
Welcome, for whom we shall sing; b
Welcome Yule.
Welcome be ye, Stephen and John; ,
Welcome, Innocents every one; u
Welcome, Thomas, martyr one; J1
Welcome Yule. 0
Welcome be ye. good New Year; 0
Welcome Twelfth day, both in fere;* .
Welcome, saints loved and dear; 0
Welcome Yule. g
Welcome be ye, Candlemas; , tl
Welcome be ye, queen of bliss; :,
Welcome both to more and less;
Welcome Yule. tl
Welcome be ye that are here; tl
Welcome all, and make good cheer; f<
Welcome all. another year;
Welcome Yule. ft
In company. tl
Among the English the mistletoe bough p
is always hung over the center of tho ti
room on Christmas Eve, and any damsel a
who, either by chance or on purpose, g<
places herself beneath it lias to pay the Cl
penalty of being kissed by all the men
who are present.
Of course none of the fair sex ever
places herself under the mistletoe with ^
malice aforethought. d
, tl
llobes do Xuit In Germany.
Before I went abroad I was of the opin- b
ion that the use of robes de nuit was y
nearly universal in all civilized communities,
but an incident that happened while u"
I was in Germany taught me that my sup- ^
position was a fulse one. I lived for some .,
months in a house where about twenty
German students had their rooms, and
found them a very gentlemauly set of fel- "
lows and apparently quite sufficiently v
civilized. For some time I had noticed T
that my supply of night shirts seemed b
to he smaller than it should he, p
and finally took my washerwoman to tl
task. She declared that she had returned a
every garment that had come into her v
hands. I said that a number of mine it
were missing, and suggested that she ?
; might have by mistake sent my night .
shirts to some of the hoarders. "Oh no, !sir,"
she replied. "That cannot he, for J1
you are the only gentleman in the house
that ever wears them." I could scarcely ^
believe this statement, hut was convinced el
of its truth next day, when I found that k
scarcely a shop in the city kept this article il
for sale, the reason given being that the it
demand was very slight. I have come to t!
the conclusion that either night shirts are
not necessary to civilization or that tho a
Germans cannot yet he regarded as en- ^
tirely effete.?S. T. lluwley in Globe- ?
Democrat.
ni.Hl.in..... 1 /'
As commemorating the hirth of tho
founder of the Christian religion, it is a ,
i religious feast. But in the popular np- *
i prehension its religious character has ^
been superseded by its social and char- ^
itable significance. It has become the ei
feast of good fellowship in the highest t(
sense?good fellowship with a religious a
sanction. Nominally it is the birthday of I1
the founder of Christianity. Practically tl
it is the day of St. Nicholas, the feast of h
Santa Clans, the patron of all children.? jt
Harper's Weekly u
rr
A Point in I>rilliiiK. St
A workman at the Carson mint has dis- v
covered that drill points heated to a clicr- it
ry red and tempered l?y being driven into 0!
a bar of lead will bore through the hardest ai
steel or plate glass without perceptibly ^
blunting.?Chicago Herald. jc
A ton of mica a month is mined in North .,
Carolina. It is all used by the stove man- ?
ufneturers in the north. n
w
?ttisfcUa?mts grading.
For the Yorkville Enquirer.
THE GRADED SCHOOL QUESTION. '
Editor of the Enquirer: I
tave read the articles from "Taxpayer"
and "Education" with much
nterest. I hope the school question
.vi 11 be agitated until every man and
votnan will be alive to the tmporance
of a high grade of public
schools. I have been greatly surpris>d
to hear men of inteligence say: 1
4I have no children to educate and
[ am unwilling to pay for the educa,ion
of other peoples' children."
Why, what would we think of a
nan refusing to work the public
oads because he had no vehicles
o run over them? When the war i 1
aged between the States, how !
nany of cur South Carolina soldiers !
vere forced to leave their quiet,
lumble homes and go to the tented
ield, and when there had to get 1
>ther hands to write the dear ones at 1
wrae. Many were required.to pour
>ut their hearts' blood tor their coun- 1
,ry which had never educated them 1
lufliciently to read its own constituion.
North and South Carolina are
imong the most illiterate of all the 1
States. How far, how very far, in
tducation, wealth and prosperity are i
ill the States who have long had a j 1
ystem of public schools, in advance j
)f those who have not, can be ascer- i
ained by referring to our statistics, j
Public schools are a crying neces- I :
iity to any nation. Let us not with- j
lold our hands from this all im- \ (
)ortant-work. We have a compe- !
ent and conscientious School Com- |
nissioner in York county, and if we j !
vill aid him In his work all will be i '
veil. "Let us then be up and doing." i !
x. y. ;
Foiit Mill, S. C.
CHURCH HOSPITALITY. j <
The statement of the Rev. Dr. j 1
strong, says the St. Louis Globe- !
Democrat, that of the 60,000,000 peo- |
>le in this country, 30,000,000 rarely, j '
f ever, enter a Church, is a startling 1 J
tnd impressive one, and it certainly j ,
>ehooves the religious element of j
he population to devise measures for j '
he improvement of such a condition ;
?f things. There are various reasons j
vhy the general attendance at places ]
if public worship is not larger; and j j
hief among them isthe want of hos- | ,
?itality on the part of Church offi- j (
ers and members. The stranger j '
annot be expected to go more than j
mce where he is received with chill- !
ng formality and indifference. He j .
las a right to assume, under such j
ircumstances, that he is not wanted, i
i i . xt t_ i i i r 1
no rie cannot oe marneu ir nissen- ;
espect keeps him at home when he
mows that treatment of that kind ; '
.waits him in the sanctuary. In j ;
heory, all classes of people are wel- i
ome wherever the Gospel is preach- i
d; but, in fact, most of our Church- j
s are governed by the same phi- !
osophy of selection or exclusiveness !
vhich prevails in society, and the j
tranger within the gates is slighted j
,nd humiliated accordingly. The j
ight of complaint in such a case is
-alueless, because no worthy person ; '
vill consent to exercise it; and the j 1
esult is that a great many people : <
vho would be glad to go to Church <
re in a certain sense actually pre- J 1
ented from doing so by those whose \
ileasure it should be to assist and j }
ncouragethem in that respect. \
We are not speaking particularly i ^
f the poor and ill-dressed. The dis- j <
rimination does not pertain exclu- | 1
ively to such persons, it includes j (
verybody who is unable for any i 1
eason to present social credentials of j 1
n approved sort. The fact is noto- j (
ious that the fashionable Church? 1
nd all Churches of this day and 1
iine are more or less fashionable? 1
radically shuts its doors against the ?
ublic as rigidly as that same public j 1
i excluded from private drawing- j
ooms; and the comforts and bless- j (
rigs of religious services are thus ! 1
nade to take on the aspect of special | *
rivileges. It is idle to look for in- | ^
reased attendance so long as this 1
olicy stands uncorrected. If there j *
i any one place in the world above i
11 others where hospitality should [ s
e practiced as an incessant and sur- j ?
assing duty, it is in the house of 1
iod; and the multitude cannot be ; t
ersuaded to go therein the absence i '
f that inducement. The work of j
nlarging the congregations must ! 1
egin and be mainly carried on in- J 1
ide of the Churches. That is where ?
he worst ol the difficulty lies. The c
ndifference of those who remain on
he outside is due not half so much s
[) choice upon their part as to the '
jrbidding atmosphere which they f
re sure to encounter if they venture c
penter; and the situation can beim- 1
roved only by making people hear- (
ily welcome on religious grounds ?
lone, instead of dealing with them j
trictly according to social rules and '
considerations. ,
The Fatal Tree.?In 1S3G, Fort ^
laines was a little more than an In- !
ian fort. Early in the spring of I
hat memorable year, while hostile 1
ndians thronged this section, and t
efore they were removed by Uncle ^
am across the river above us, a par- j a
y of the treacherous wretches stole
p me men aenseiy wooaeu nne 01 ,
lie Town Branch, and passed out to ,
tie BufTton settlement, where they < *
?ere met by soldier.-} and thrashed 13
ack to their reservation. Just c
die re the Eufaula road crosses the 53
'own Branch, a beautiful spring !
ubbled from the ground, and peole
in the vicinity did their washing T
acre. On the day referred to above, 1
lady was at the spring washing, a
'hen the red miscreants passed, j [
'hey brutally murdered her, and j 1
fter removing her scalp left her body | j3
dng by the spring, her bleeding ?
ead pi lowed on the roots of a stately
eech. Time has done its work. ^
he Indians are gone, scenes have J
hanged and the towering beech has ,
ing since gone to decay, and only ?
:s worm-eaten stump remains to }:
lark the spot where long years ago i 5
lis sad tragedy of death occurred. J
l friend pointed us to the fatal spot ,
nd gave us the above facts. They .
'ere new and interesting to us, and j ['
'ill doubtless prove so to our read- .
rs. Truly, times have changed.? j j3
brt Gained, Ga., Star.
A Lawyer to re Hanged for .
ii'rder.?The most sensational n
ial which has ever taken place in i
lea u fort county, X. C., was conclud- e
J on the l()th instant at Washing- t
in, and the gallows will soon claim p
nother victim. On that day W. A. v
otts was convicted of murder in t
le first degree and sentenced to be I
anged on January 2(>, 1888. His al- a
>ged accessory, Susan Lincke, the e
'ifeof Paul Lincke, the murdered t<
lan, was acquitted, there not being I)
ifticient evidence to justify a con- n
iction. The case has excited great , ft
iterest throughout that State, both b
n account of the prominence of Potts tl
ad the circumstances attending the v
mrder. Potts is a lawyer and en- e
tyed a good social position. ; ii
X'uns uuwuiuu uici.v ue nutru iu : u
le excesssve use of'liquor. After i tl
e returned from the law school in [ tl
hichhegot his degree he quickly I e
took to habits of dissipation. Frequently
he was so much under the
influence of liquor that his acts and
appearance were those of a maniac.
It was after his character was gone
and his money spent, when his people
were so exasperated that they
would have nothing to do with him,
that Paul Lincke, an intelligent and
respected farmer living near Aurora,
in Beaufort county, oft'ered him the
hospitality of his house. Potts gladly
accepted the kindness, hut repaid
it with an abuse of hospitality, gross
and unpardonable, lie alienated
from his benefactor the love of his
wife and destroyed the purity of his
home. His association with the
faithless wi/e of his friend culminated
in the murder of Mr. Lincke,
who was killed by Potts on the night
of June 7th last.
THE FRENCH PRESIDENCY.
The President of the French liepublic
is elected for a full term of
seven years, by a joint convention
or Congress of the Senate and Cham
ber of Deputies. There are no stated
dates for the beginning and-eading
of the term of office, as in this country,
and when a vacancy occurs by
death or resignation, the new incumbent
is elected for the full term of
seven years. Marshal MacMahon
was originally elected president by
the old Assembly on May 24, 1873,
after the overthrow of M. Theirs.
His election was for an indefinite
term, but on November 19, 1873, he
was again elected for the definite
period of seven years. This
was before the adoption of the present
Constitution, which provides for
the division of the assembly into a I
Senate and Chamber of Deputies,
and the election of a President by a
Congress of these two bodies. Mar- j
shal McMahon's term would not have j
expired until November 19, 1880,
but he was. compelled to resign |
January, 1879, as an alternative to j
consenting to govern the dountry |
through a Republican Ministry, and |
M. Grevy was elected his successor
on ttie 30th of that month. In December,
1885, just before theexpiraration
of his first term, M. Grevy
was re-elected, and his present term
would not expire by limitation until
January 30, 1893.
Grevy resigned a few days ago, in
consequence of complications arising
from the accepting of bribes by his
son-in-law, M. Wilson, and M. Sadi ;
D'arnot has been elected to fill out a
whole term of seven years if he can i
steer the ship safely through the j
narrow channel between Monarchy ;
uid Republicanism.
This, in brief, is an explanation of j
the "French crisis" to which the :
Jaily papers have so frequently re- ;
Ferred recently.
The President of the French Re- i
public is well paid for his services. I
He receives a salary of 600,000 francs j
?120,000) a free residence in the Ely- j
;pp ntilnr-p nnrl an nllmvancp of 800.- I
100 francs (?60,000) for household
expenses. His powers are large, although
circumscribed by the requirement
that every official act must be
countersigned by a minister.
WHERE VIOLINS ARE MADE.
It is truly astonishing how many
violins there are imported into this
country annually,* especially if we
consider that there is really but one
place in the world where violins are
made extensively. That place is
Markneukirchen, with itssurroundng
villages, Klingenthal, Fleissen,
Ltohrback and Graslitz, in Saxony,
jermany. There are altogether
ibout 15,000 people living there who
Jo nothing else day after day but
make violins, and to go there, and
.vatoh them is one of the most interesting
sights I ever enjoyed in all
my life. The inhabitants, from the
ittle urchin to the old gray headed
nan, the small girl and the old
grandmother, are all engaged in
naking some parts of a fiddle.
A good one consists of sixty-two
lifferent pieces. They are cut,
jlaned, smoothed and measured, everything
being accurate and precise
rvith the model. The older men
make the finger board from ebony,
ind the string holder and the screws.
L'he small boys have to make themielves
useful by looking after the
flue pot on the fire and bringing
heir elders things as they may want
hem. A man with strong, steady
lands and a clear eye puts the different
pieces together, and this is the
nost difficult task of all. Most vioins
are made of maple wood that
frows in that part of the country
>r over the frontier in Bohemia.
The women generally occupy themelves
as polishers. This requires
ong practice, and a family that has
i daughter who is a good polisher is
lonsidered fortunate. Even a young
nan, when he goes a-wooing, injuires
whether the young girl is a
food polisher, and if she is, it cerainly
will increase his affection for
ler at least twofold. The polishing
akes a good deal of time, some of
he best violins being twenty and i
;ven thirty times polished. Every i
amily has its peculiar styll of polish- i
ng, and they never vary from that. |
fhere is one that makes nothing but |
l deep wine color, another a citron i
olor, yet another an orange color, ;
n f\ dr\ An
11114 &\/ VII* .
Pay no Attention.?Pay no at- j
ention to slander gossip-mongers. j '
veep straight ahead on your course ;
tnd let the back-biting die the death
if neglect. What is the use of lying ;
.wake nights brooding over the renark
of some false friend, that runs j '
hrough your brain like forked light- i
ling? What is the use of getting
nto a worry and fret over gossip set
.float at your disadvantage by some | !
neddlesome busy-body who has more j 1
ime than character? Always re- j
nember that when they are talking
bout you they are letting some- I
mdy else rest. These things cannot I
?ossibly injure you, unless you take
lotice of them, and in combating : (
hem you give them character and
tanding. If what is said about you I
s true set yourself right at once; if 1
ulse, let it go for what it will fetch, j
f a bee stings you, would you go to
he hive and destroy it? It is wis- '
!om to say little respecting the in- :
uries you receive. We are losers in 1
he end if we stop to refute all the ]
aekbi tings and gossiping we may j '
iear by the way.
Benefits of the Moon.?The ! (
noon ministers to the human wants .
n several ways that are not so apparnt
as its light-giving function, al- i '
hough some of them are more im- i .
mrtant. Itis by observing the moon ,
vith reference to the fixed stars that
lie navigator determines longitude, i ;
*pon the revolution of the moon J ,
bout the earth, is based a conveni- j .
nt division of time, the month, in- j .
?rmediate between that furnished
y the earth's daily rotation and its
evolution through its orbit. Doubt- '
jl points in ancient chronology have
een frequently settled by means of
lie eclipses of the moon, the dates of j
diich could be accurately deterinin- I '
d. The intervention of the moon ! !
i eclipsing the sun gave astrono- 1
lers the opportunities for obtaining I
heir first knowledge in regard to ;
he solar envelope. But the largest j *
ffectson human welfare are produe- 1 *
ed by the moon through the agency of
the tides. Twice a day the decomposing
organic matter brought down
to the seashore by rivers, or depoisted
along the water's edge by human
agency, is swept away by the tidal
wave in its course around the globe.
This sanitary service which the moon
performs is of inconceivable value.
In many harbors large ships and
heavily loaded rafts and barges are
moved from the entrance to their
wharves, miles above, by that slow
but powerful tug, the flood tide. An
amount of work is thus done which
if it had to be provided for by artificial
means, would cost, for such
a port as London, thousands, per
naps minions, 01 pounas yeariy.?
Popular Science Monthly.
Birds op Paradise.?These birds
are the most beautiful in all the
world, with their splendid plumes,
that have every rich color in them,
just like precious stones. In old
times these plumes were worn on ladies'
bonnets.
The natives of the East Indies;
where they are mostly found, prepare
the skins, with the feathers all
on and then sell them for a pood deal
of money.
Birds of Paradise were once called
"God's birds." Do you wonder?
There are a great many varieties,
more than eight thousand; and they
all have the same popular scream.
Every morning before you were
up, if you could be in the forest where
they live, you would hear their
"Wank, Wank, Wok, Wok," as if
they were calling all the other feathered
tribes to be up and doing!
The "Ki Paradise" is the largest
of them all. Seventeen feet from the
bill to the tip of the tail. Think of
that for a bird ! Almost as long as
three men put together. Its breast
is covered with the richest shades of
purple and violet, with soft strawcolored
feathers all over its head and
neck.
In the early spring, when these
birds are fully dressed, they get together
before the sun is up and have
their "dancing parties," as the natives
call them. Choosing a tree
with very wide branches and large
leaves, they lift-their wings, stretch
out their necks, and raise those gorgeous
plumes, keeping them all the
time in motion. As they move from
branch to branch the whole tree
seems alive with these changing colors.?
Mrs. G. Hall.
A Famous Buffalo Range.?
From the Red buttes onward vou see
where the millions havegone. This
was once a famous buffalo range, and
now the bleaching skeletons lie scattered
thickly along all the trail.
Like ghastly monuments of slaughter,
these ugly excrescences stand out
in bold relief on the smooth, hard
surface of the prairie, from the huge #
bull skeletons lying close beside the
wagon trail, to those far back in.the
bad lands, where they are merely
dark specks in the distance. They
lie to-day precisely as they fell four
years ago, except that the flesh is no
longer upon them. The head stretches
far forward, as if for its last gasp,
and the legs lie helplessly upon the
turf with precisely the same curves
as when they moved for the last
time.
Now and then you come to a place
where the hunter got a "stand" on a
"bunch," and from his hiding place
in the head of a gully or among the
rocks, fired leisurely with his 40-120
Sharp's rifle, at the rate of a shot every
two or three minutes until every
buffalo of the bunch had fallen.
Here you can count seventeen skeletons
on little more than an acre, and
near by are four more that evidently
fell at the same time. The powerful
effect of the strong, parching
winds and the intense dry heat of
summer has literally stripped the
flesh from the bones, but the skeletons
lie precisely as they fell. The
bones are still held together by a few
dried up ligaments, but are bleached
as white as snow.?Cosmopolitan.
The Touch of a Mother's
Hand.?Why is a mother's hand on
the head of a sick child so soothing?
Because her love supplies electricity,
which is a curative force and a tonic.
Animal electricity is an agency not
so well understood as it should be
by women, though they use it continually.
It is erroneously confounded
with the massage treatment,
which is nothing more or less than
merely rubbing the entire body.
Animal electricity is imparted by
careful manipulation of the muscles,
performed by gently stretching them
with both hands. This produces an
elasticity of action which causes
them to rise, thereby increasing their
power to act.
Women, whose fingers are supple
and yet strong, can best impart electricity
to their children. The treatment
should be applied mainly with
the fingers. When the nerves are
prostrated they can be invigorated
in the same way. They should be
gently pressed in one direction and
another, which tends to increase
their vitality. The general circulation
can be increased by lightly moving
the hands over the surface of the
blood vessels, not rubbing them
briskly, but using enough force to
quicken the circulation. Women
can become thorough animal electricians
if they will but devote themselves
to a careful study of anatomy.
The world is full of half invalid
women, who should be restored to
health by this natural method.? Woman's
Argosy.
How Women Rest.?How differently
men and women indulge themselves
in what is called a resting
spell. "I guess I'll sit down and
mend these stockings and rest
awhile," says the wife, but her husband
throws himself upon the easy
lounge or sits back in his armchair,
with hands at rest and feet plaped
horizontally upon another chair.
The result is that his whole body
i^ains full benefit of the half-hour he
allows himself from work, and the
wife only receives that indirect help
which come3 from a change of occupation.
A physician would tell her
that taking even ten minutes' rest
in a horizontal position, as a change
from standing or sitting at work,
would prove more beneficial to her
than any of her makeshifts at resting.
Busy women have a habit of keeping
on their feet just as long as they
can, in spite of backaches and warning
pains. As they grow older they
see the folly of permitting such
J rafts upon their strength, and learn
to take things easier, let what will
Knnnpn. Thev sav: "I used to think
[ must do thus and so, but I've grown
wiser and learned to slight things."
Ihe first years of housekeeping are
truly the hardest, for untried and unfamiliar
cares are almost daily thrust
jpon the mother and home maker.
New England Farmer.
BST* Do not be afraid to part with
inything for Christ. It is unbelief
;hat persuades you there i3 more
pleasure, satisfaction and happiness
n anything than in Him.
BS7* God appreciates aud rewards
ill we do for others; even if those we
seek to benefit forget to thank us.
A