Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Page Two THE CLINTON CHRONICLE Thursday, December 21, 1950 Clinton Realty & Insurance Co. B. Hubert Boyd EASON'S GREETINGS The approach of another seas(y brings with it our heartiest wishes for a season of good will and happiness. We sincerely appreciate your patronage and good will and take this opportunity to express our gratitude. Clinton Mills Store PRATHER-SIMPSON Furniture Company n CCORDING to the familiar old ** carol, St. Joseph was an old man. He probably was consider ably older than Mary, but people may have thought of him as being older than he actually was because he enjoyed earnest conversation and the companionship of selected friends rather than boisterous pleasures. When Joseph thought of Mary, he forgot the difference in their ages: she was the girl he had waited for, his beloved. They were espoused—or, as we would say, en gaged—which was almost as of ficial as being married. His heart soared on wings of the approach ing wedding day, and then . . . What Mary insisted had come to pass, simply could not be! Joseph wanted desperately to believe Mary, but such things just didn’t happen, and if they did, they hap pened to somebody else. Much as he loved Mary, Joseph was a righteous and God-fearing man and while he couldn’t even think of making her a public ex ample, he had just about made up his mind to put her away privily. That is, he thought he had made up his mind. In his heart, he knew he couldn’t; what would become of her ... of her child. . . . Then one night, after he had ex hausted himself with tortured thinking, he fell asleep and the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream: saying, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not . . And when Joseph awoke, he did as the angel had bidden him, and took Mary aa hit lawful and cherished wife. "Fear not,” the angel spoke un to Joseph. "Fear not,” the angel had de clared unto Mary. "Fear not,” the angel aaid unto the shepherds of Bethlehem. Christmas Candles Have Been Used By Many Peoples It would be astonishing, indeeg, if no candles appeared in homes throughout the nation on Christ mas Eve. The legend which sur rounds the custom is believed to have started in Ireland. There on Christmas Eve a large candle was burned which could be snuffed out only by one named Mary. As the Irish put it: "Who knows, on some Christmas Eve, Jesus and Mary and Joseph may come again, not to Palestine, but to the Holy Isle on the fartherest edge of Europe?” Their first use for Christmas is not recorded in the annals of any nation, but that the “Christ Child Candle,” burned in the window of Christmas Eve is, according to an old legend, placed there to light His way if He makes an earthly visitation and in atonement for tha night of His birth when there was no room for Him. Also among the legends Is ona about bayberry candles burned on Christmas. During the early history of our country, animal fats were relative ly scarce. The branches of the bay- berry shrub were covered with wax giving berries and children wera given the task of gathering the ber ries when candles had to be made so that the animal fats could be con served. According to tradition, one who burned a bayberry candle on Christ mas Eve or Christmas Day would have long life and a h,appy one An old verse reads: "To learn you luck for the year they say, Burn a bayberry dip on Christ mas day. If the flame burns bright and the light shines clear, Good lock win be yours throogk- ^ out the year." Hawaiian Christmas Is Elaborate Affair Although many Hawaiiana have •een ice only as frozan in mechani cal refrigerators, the trees used by the islanders for Christmas dacora- tions are painted white to simulate snow. Christmas dinner is an alaborata affair, enjoyed in the privacy of the home behind locked doors and drawn blinds. Any open-houaa hos pitality is an economic impossibili ty; if the shades wera hot drawn and the doors not locked, homes would be invaded by hordes of strangers—aU expecting food and drink. Gift-giving id the order of the day as everyone exchanges inex pensive presents. Even the serv ants in hotels expect and receive gifts from over-night gueets. HERCS A GREAT RIG WISH FOR YOU And a word of appreciation to you for your thoughtful friend*J ships. May all the joys of a good Christmas be yours! C. W. S. Guano Company Belle' *1 # J) I y J u ECAUSE we ore proud to coll you our friend, we extend to you ond yours every good wish we con think of for the Christmos season. It is good to hove known you ond to serve you. We IV I . • ore grateful, not only from the stand point of the good business we have ■ enjoyed, but from the knowledge that our greatest asset is the host of friends 1 1 who remain with us year after year. We wish you o most pleasant and memorable Christmos. fj$ 1% t * i r -: ' i 3 ‘ *- • "Ijc •nu 1