Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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/ . THB'-CUNTON CHRONICLE CRrIob, Si ' CX, 26, ms hrislmas mt jQigenfe d»0< The trimmed Christmas tree, as we know it today, is little more than a century and a half old, yet legends trace the origin of the tree back to earliest times. One legend concerns an early Christmas missionary, St. Wilfred, who once came upon a band of Druids preparing to make a human sacrifice under a large oak. According to the story, St. Wilfred had the tree cut down and almost immediately, a young fir tree sprang up in its place. The missionary seized the evidence and mad^ 1 the fir tree a symbol Of new faith and thereafter the Druids set this symbol of immortality in the halls of their lodges at Christmastime, surrounding it with feasting and laugh ter and love. , ■¥• There is also the story of the Faithful Pine which sheltered the Holy Family during the ( flight to Egypt. With Herod’s soldiers in pursuit, it was still necessary that Mary rest awhile so they sought shelter in the low trunk of a huge fir tree. As the soldiers approached, the tree bent its branches to conceal the huddled little group. When the danger had passed, the baby Jesus blessed the old tree. Today, if^yoii cut a pine cone lengthwise at Christmastime, you can still see the imprint of His little hand. Another legend holds that the first Christmas tree was really an apple tree. And, although the fir tree has long since replaced its pre decessor for Christmas use, the tinsel baubles we use on the tree are said representative of the fruit which for the early Christians sym bolized the fall of man in the Garden of Eden and his reclamation by the birth of the Saviour. > Dickens' Manuscr.t Brought High Pries Only a few years ago, a previ ously unpublished Dickens’ manu script, "The Life of Our Lo.d.' was presented to the world. This simple, moving narrative had been written by Dickens 1(X years earlier for the exclusive en joyment of his children and be cause he felt such deep veneration and reverence for the life and les sons of our Saviour, Dickens had left instructions that this particu lar manuscript never be commer cialized. It was never made public until the year 1933, after the death of Sir Henry Fielding Dickens, the author’s youngest child. literary Prize :— Purchased by the London Daily Mail for the staggering amount of $210,000—or, $15 per word, the manuscript became a literary event of the first magnitude, des tined to be read and cherished for ever wherever thoughtful parents, like Dickens, want their children to know something about the his tory of Jesus Christ. For, according to Dickens: "Everybody ought to know about Him. No one ever lived who was so good, so kind, so gentle, and so sorry for people who did wrong or were in any way ill and miserable, as He was. “And as be is now in Heaven, where we all hope to go, and all meet each other after we are dead, and there be happy always to gether, you can never think what a good place heaven is, without knowing who He was and what He did." LETS SEE NOW . . . Check- lag the Christmas list with San ta is aa Important task. Ne need to risk the chance that Santo might bring toe wrong things er net knew exactly where to cense ea Christmas night. Holiday Cooking Should Be Planned Fun's a-poppin’ in the kitchen during the holiday season. Much of the preholiday fun comes in deciding what to serve, but this often means extra work. Plan your holiday cooking so that you can do much of the prepa ration well ahead of time—make pies, breads and prepare fowl and store them in the freezer. You can make salads St hours before serving, and you can pre pare cranberry Jelly at any con venient time. Since you want to save your en ergy so that ymfB ,bt in good spirits for the holidays, recruit the helping hands of your family. List things to do, and let them choose their jobs. You’ll hare .better co operation that way. They will want to help and share in what should be a family tradition. Holidays are more meaningful to your children if you let them have a hand in the preparations. Of course you’ll adapt their 'jobs to their ages and abilities. Simple Christmas Best for Children y Crowds of faces glowing with the Christmas spirit, Santa with his laughing eyes and hearty chuckle, gifts you can use and some you can’t—that’s t grownup’s-eye-view of the holidays. A forest of legs, a frustrating heap of things to touch and see and an endless Journey of being pushed and pulled through a hot, noisy place —that’s a child’s-eye- view of the holidays. If you give children a happier view of the holidays they’ll give you a happier one too. First of all, avoid crowds with your children. If they shop with you. It’s best to take them imme diately after a rest and not stay too long. Preschool children often don’t understand Santa Claus. Take them to see him If they want to go. Forcing them to sit on his lap often makes them cry and leaves unpleasant memories because they were frightened. Children often receive so many gifts that they’re confused and can't decide which one to play with first After they open the gifts, put some away for a rainy day. See which they’d like to save for later. The holiday season will be a pleasant time for your children if you keep it simple. As you store holiday foods to year frestsr. you'll soas tons if you put tksm to toe peas to tabs* yonVs go ui« to keel thorn. a into softs, top ens to syrup and press ft toto tfte tap sf tfte Jhto softs. mm THE SPIRIT *1 OF CHRISTMAS %z %7- v d ■ What, indeed, is Christmas? Ask a child and he may tell you that it is s time of snow and bright I ghts, and Santa Claus and presents under the tree. Ask a hundred grown-ups and you may get a hundred slightly related mswers. for Christmas is many things to mkny people. But, for all of us, the happiest memories of childhood are those associated with the celebration of this great holiday. How easy it is to vividly call up scenes of long ago when a happy family gathered by the warm glow of an open fireside; to close the eyes to see again the snow-covered fields and to hear again the crunching sound of heavy boots plodding through the snow and visualize the little white church on the hill. In the silence of a darkened room one can so easily revisit that little church, breathe again the aroma of evergreens and burning candles and sense anew the presence that Is so obvious in the quiet and solemn stillness. These are the things about Christmas that have not changed and will not change with the modes and mannerisms of new generations. These are the things which reflect the spirit of Christmas. It is in the spirit of love and goodness, of close communion with God and with mankind and with tt all Is mixed a sense of awe at the wonderful miracle brought b^o being on that first Christmas night at Bethlehem so long ago. / This is the .spirit of Christmas, and so It shall remain until the end jf time. President Johnson Issued CMI War Amnesty On Dec. 25 Christmas Is traditionally a day of universal good will. Even to times of war the battlefronts are often quiet and serene, by mutual consent, on Christmas Day. It was also on December 25th, in 1868, that President Johnson is sued his Civil War amnesty. In an attempt to heal the wounds left by the great war. Johnson issued «n amnesty proclamation which did not exclude any persons or clasMs of persons—not even the highest officials of the Confeder- Loads et Good Wakes To Onr Many Meads At . .. CHRISTMAS m HililliriPI BALDWIN MOTOR CO. BOY, OB. BOY ... If this Isn't the biggest and brightest eaadle this yeangster ever «to- fatare year wta bring the deeper this great holiday. Holiday Treats Pies for the holiday party can be "trimmed" to add to the fes tivity of the occasion. With a mince pie, cut a star opening in the center and place small red candles in the pie so each wedge will have one. Form a circle of whipped cream around a choco late pie, then place a small candy cane where each wedge will be. It will make a big hit at a chil dren’s Yuletide party. THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESSES May Your New Year J Be Prosperous Vernon Powell Mary Musgrove Hotel Vernon’s Restaurant SUNSHINE CLEANERS view hr he h Old Saint Nick brings you our very best wishes for the Holiday Season. LYNN COOPER. Inc Are. —- Us, - V There is no better way than the good old- fashioned way of extending our sincere good wishes at this joyous holiday than to sayt Hope you and yours have a very Merry Christmas Day! Joanna Cotton j.:. . . . m JA- — JLrn-mmm I ' •' V •