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1NG out, ye Joyous New Year
bells,
Ring out the old, ring in the
new!
ICaeh brazen throat triumphant swells,
As if, old bells, ’tweremuch to you.
"This happy, merry, gladsome time.
You’re ringing in with joyful chime.
Perhaps ’tis so; so long you’ve hung,
So long in that old steeple gray,
Methinks each iron, clanging tongue
Is glad to tell its tale to-day.
Each ringing, swinging, tuneful bell
Us twelve month’s tale would gladly tell.
A happy twelvemonth 'twas to some;
Airs' that ’twas not so to all!
But joy and grief alike must come.
Into each life some rain must fall.
Oh, tolling, rolling, heavy bells,
How solemn sound your deep-toned knells!
You’ve rung for life, you’ve rung for death.
The gladsome lay, and last sad rite;
You’ve sped the old year's parting breath,
And welcome oft the New Year bright;
You clanging, twanging, noisy bells,
That each a different story tells!
But, oh, your maddest, blithest tune.
Your gayest, brightest, sweetest lay,
You chime from June to sequent June,
On ev’ry happy wedding day.
Then trilling, thrilling, blithely swells
Your pyean glad, oh, marriage bells!
But, dear old bells, whate’er your song,
Though sad or merry be your lay,
I've loved you well my whole life long,
1 11 love you till my dying day,
You rippling, rhythmic, dulcet bells,
Wherein a world of music dwells!
—.Miriam .Myers, in N. Y. Sun.
CHRISTMAS.
tacts Which Show That This Holiday Is
Christ's I tin lulu y.
Is today the veritable anniversary of
the birth of .Jesus of Nazareth? It is
a finest ion often asked, but never (juite
sal isfactorily answered. Reverent pre
disposition can always timi snllicient
evidence to answer yes. w hile it is to be
noted that the question of itself im
plies a decree of religious skepticism.
Men have even stood in pulpits with
little enough to do to devote an hour's
oratory to I lie disproof of it. It is quite
as certain that .Irsus was horn on the
25th of December as that Augustus,
the emperor uiuhr whom he was born,
was born in the sixty-third year before
hint, or that Tiberius, tin* emperor
under whom he died, came into the
world forty-two years, one month and
nine days before him. That is to say, it
is the decent habit of the world to ac
cept w hat testimony, tradition and his
tory have to offer concerning t he birth
days of the great and t herew ith he con
tent.
It is certain that as early as the year
15(» the date we now celebrate was uni
versally recognized among Christians
without a question as their Saviour's
natal day. That fact alone is all-suf-
licient ior succeeding generations. If
all records and allusions to the date of
the birth of George Washington wen*
to be blotted from all American writ
ings earlier than H)00 it would he suf
ficient for posterity that at the begin
ning of the twentieth century the 22d
of February wasuniversally recognized,
and that the day was observed as a legal
holiday. This is the best foundation
we have for the authenticity of Decem
ber 25 as the birthday of Jesus.
In the year NO St. Justin Martyr, the
first great Christian apologist, said that
the best record extant of the birt Inlay
of Christ was to be found in the archives
at Home. Addressing the emperor and
Roman senate, he said: “There is a cer
tain village in the land of .ludea, dis
tant thirty-five stadia from Jerusalem,
in which Christ Jesus was born, as ye
cun Team from tin* enrollments com
pleted under Cyrenius, your lirst pro
curator in Jerusalem.” In the year 200
Tertullian said the same thing: “Fi
nally,concerning 1 he census enrollment
of Augustus, which the Homan archives
preserve us a faithful witness of th<*
Lord’s nativity.” Any man in the nine
teenth century who wants more ex
plicit proof of a matter that is not of
great vital moment anyway must have
in his mind a private scheme in which
the rest of the world can have no pos
sible interest.—Detroit Evening News.
THEIR CHRISTMAS GIFT.
Only a Twelvemonth More of Life, Hut It
Brought llappInesM
She had Iain for six months in the big
white bed in one of the upper rooms of
a Michigan avenue house. Her hus
band was rich; they were both young
and they loved each other. One month
ago the family physician had taken the
husband aside and broken the news to
him as gently as only a good physician
can.
“It is n malignant growth," he said,
finally. “I can hardly lx* mistaken
about that. I am afraid, my dear fel
low, that she cannot live many weeks.”
And to them, in this situation, the
day before Christinas w as ushered in.
Ml day in the big room three doctors
had been moving about noiselessly.
Across the hallway the husband sat be
fore a desk, pretending, when anyone
came into the room, that he was read
ing. In reality he was eating his heart
out with anxiety and the knowledge
that one he loved was passing through
the valley of the shadow ami he jxwver-
1»*km to help.
The evening wore slowly on into the
night, and just as the midnight bells
heralded the coming of the happy holi
day one of the soft-footed doctors came
quietly into his room.
“The o|H'nition bus Is-en successful,”
be said. "The patient lias already ral
lied from the shock. I think I can
promise your w ife another year of life.
A on may go in and see her."
He went into the sick chamber, and
physicians, nurses and all left tin 1 two
—husband and w ife—alone together.
In the midst of her suffering she
found courage to smile.
“It is my Christmas gift,” she whis
pered, “and yours. We shall have
twelve months more of life and happi
ness together. God is very good to us,
darling.”
Perhaps jieople who did not have
enough to cat Christmas day may find
it in their hearts to give this man and
FATHERS PRESENTS.
Why Ilf* Komctlmeii Thought They Were
,IUNt u Little Too I’Kfful.
They were talking about Christmas
presents, the girls and mother ami I,
w hen father came in. Then we changed
the subject just a little bit, because
it was father's presents we were
discussing. Father sat down by the
stoic and rubbed his hands—he had
iust been out at the barn—and a queer
expression slow ly settled upon his feat
ures.
“Say. mother, and Ned, and girls,” he
said. “I don't want any on ye to get
his hands, settled himself back com
fortably in his big chair, and his eyes
twinkled more than ever.
“Well, let s see, he went on, in a ru
minal ingmanner,“doyou remember the
dozen hem-stitched hun'kerclnets that
you gave me last Christinas, Leny?
I guess I iiKcdoucof Yin justoncc. Some
way or other (with a genial, impartial
glance at the company), lieny and Nell
have been usin’ of ’em and I’ve been
usin'of lieny and Nell’s old torn, stained
ones. He, he, I don’t know jest how't
was, but it's a fact! Then. Ned, do
you remember the compass you got me
us ever again thoughtlessly used the
dear old man's things.- American Ag
riculturist.
Concerning KcHolutlonn.
He—1 made a lot of good resolutions
last year.
She—Not at all. They were all bud.
He—How do you make that out?
She- I hey wouldn't keep.—Chicago
Tribune.
ThingM Co l»y ContruricH.
“ I he contrariness of human nature
is one of the most remarkable phenom
ena possible," mused Uev. Dr. Thirdly.
HOW SANTA CLAUS GOT A FALL.
BY FRANK B. WELCH.
A story’s related about Santa CLaus,
How he once got a terrible fall
While out on his regular Christmas trip,
With his gifts for his little friends all;
And a sad fall it was for the dear old soul—
If the story about it is true,
Which doubtless it is—however, I’ll tell
This unique Christmas story to you.
Dear Santa was perched on a high, wabbly stool
As he worked at his task so pleasant.
Determined that everyone then in the house
Should receive a nice Christmas present;
He merrily laughed when he thought of the joy
To his dear little friends it would be,
When early next morning they all got up
And beheld the magnificent tree.
The goodies went flying all over the room
As the tree fell on poor Santa’s pate,
Frightening Tabby from her cozy nap
On the rug at the side of the grate;
It was a great pity such ruin to see
As was strewn there all over the floor.
Misfortune so dreadful I’m sure never came
Any Christmas to Santa before.
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Old Santa had climbed, with a fine Christmas tree,
Down a chimney at just twelve o’clock,
And decked it all over with gifts and toys
Using up a good part of his stock;
There were soldiers and doll-babies, guns and books,
Hanging all ibout over the tree,
And little wax candles of every hue,
Besides candies as thick as could be.
But, alas! poor Santa, his smile was soon changed
To a comical grimace of pain,
For, leaning far back on his shaky perch
A good view of the pretties to gain,
The jolly old soul lost his balance and tell
To the floor with a horrible crash,
And grabbing the tree brought it down on his head
With a toy-breaking, ruinous smash.
The tumble he got didn’t bother him much.
For it happened he landed just right;
But sorry indeed was Santa to see
All around him so sorry a sight;
T he damage was great, but he quickly repaired
Everything that was injured at all,
And out on his journey he went forth again
None the worse for his terrible fall.
ITMjmiM&Y!
... —
woman ttomething of that trwlrr pity,
which after all IiIikIh mankind into one
prent family with the bondH of liumnn
borrow and human sufferinp.—Chicupo
Tribune.
A ll»|t|>y Thought.
How pood it in for those w ho are be-
renved and sorrowful that our Chrin-
tian festivals point forward and upward
as well as backward; that the eternal
joy to w hieh we are draw inp ever nearer
is linked to the earthly joy which has
passed away,—Mrs. Charles.
me any presents. ’Tain’t no use, you
know.”
"Why, father?" said Lena, in an ap-
prieved voice, “we always pet you use
ful presents, don’t we? I don’t myself
believe in thinps that an* not useful.’’ !
Father’s eyes twinkled. “Yes,” he i
said, “but I sometimes think they are <
just a little too useful, you know.”
Nell shrupped her shoulder* impa
tiently, but mother said: "Let father
have his little joke. Wlpit is it this
time, faiher?"
The old pentleinun, huvinp warmed
for a birthday present last June? It
was a nice little compass, and I puess
a feller about your size thoupht so, too,
for he's been a-usin’ of it ever senee.
Then, let’s see, there was the silk han’-
kerehief that mother pive me at birth
day, and I put it away, ehoiee-like, and
the furst thinp I knew, Leny was
a-wearin'It insiile her jacket. Yes, my
presents are all useful, a leetle bit too
useful, melds*. Sec the point, don’t
ye?”
Father’s next presents had his name
written on each of them, and none of
“When 1 was a bachelor my female
parishioners broupht in on an averupe
seven pairs of slip|H*rsevery Christmas.
Now that I am married and have sev
eral children in occasional need of chas
tisement I never receive a sinple pair.”
—Judpe.
Let no pleasure tempt thee, no am
bition corrupt thee, no example sway
^ thee todo any thinp which thou knowest
to be evil; so shall them always live
. jollily, for a pood conscience is a eon-
I tinual Christmas.—Hen jumin Franklin.
HY should we mourn the
dying year?
What hath It brought of
»• love or cheer
That Is not ours to keep alway?
Why meet the coming year with fear?
What can It bring of toil or tear
That shall not bless us in its day?
The passing year—the year in view,
Alike to God's good purpose true,
Our hearts, in clearer light, will own.
They go, they come, we will not sigh-
There waits a harvest by and by,
Which fleeting years for us have sown.
—R. M. Offord, in N. Y. Observer.
Holiday Attentions.
"My dear, you’re looking very tired to
night,”
(That means u Chrismas cloak.)
“I’ll get your slippers and your pipe—a
light.”
(That's business, and no Joke!)
'You’ll kill yourself if you keep working
so!”
(That speech is hound to win!)
"Darling, l could not live if you should
go!”
(That means a diamond pin.)
"I’ve had the girl make just the nicest
tea!”
(My head has fallen back!)
“The kind you liked best when you mar
ried me!”
(Mercy! a fur-trimmed sacque!)
“Poor, tired dear! I'll rub your head for
you!”
(In mute despair I look.)
"When I go shopping I'll be tired, too!”
(That means—my pocketbook')
—Atlanta Constitution.
A (>ood Word.
Joe was a youth of such exceed inp
popularity with his uncles and aunts
that his mother was compelled to call
a hait on her too-indulpent brothers
: and sisters, who. she claimed, w ith jus-
i tiee, were spoilinp tin* younpster with
i their reckless penerosity and renderinp
him heedless of t he value of property.
"Win. do you know,” she said to one
of the too-indulpent aunts, to whom
she was explaininp her trouble, “the
little rascal received fifty presents this
very Christmas.”
“Oh, mamma!” exclaimed the younp
person in question, ‘ more than that. I
received sixty-two presents.”
"Well. I knew it was a preat many,”
siphed his mother, “but I wanted to
keep on the safe side. I tried not toex-
apperate.”
“No.” remonstrated Master Joe, In a
patronizinp tone: “but you should try
not to exsmallerate, either.”—Harper’s
Magazine.
.Seasonable Size.
Johnny Jones was one of the children
whostill have faith in SantaClaus. Two
days before Christmas he entered the
villape store and asked for a pair of
stock inps.
“What size do you want?” inquired
the salesman.
“About numbertwenty,”said Johnny.
“Hut. my little man, you can't wear
anything larger than a four.”
“Yes, but 1 ain’t going to wear them.
Day after to-morrow is Christmas.”—
Youth’s Companion.
A Christmas Song.
While stars of Christmas shine,
Lighting the skies.
Let only loving looks
Ream from your eyes.
While bells of Christmas ring
Joyous and clear.
Speak only happy words,
All mirth and cheer.
Give only loving gifts,
And in love take;
Gladden the poor and sad
For love’s dear sake.
—Emily Poulsson, in St. Nicholas.
Almost a Hint.
"What did you pet for your Christ
mas?” asked a bachelor of a married
friend.
"I pot a holiday hint from my wife,"
he replied, with a sigh that made his
pocketbook squeak.
"What was it?”
“A cardboard bearing the inscrip
tion: ‘The Lord Lovetli a Cheerful
Giver.’ ”—Texas Siftings.
A CaleulHtiiiK Hoy.
“I’think, Tommy,” said Mrs. Harlem
River, “ that I shall put you into long
trousers pretty soon.”
“Not now, ma. not until after Christ
mas,”
“Why not now?”
“Because you know I’ll have to go
into short stockings, and they don’t
hold much.”—Texas Siftings.
A Little Mixed.
Fiddle—Christmas is all humbug. 1
didn’t pet what I expected, and 1 knew
I shouldn't.
Faddle—T agree with you. It's a
humbug. I got just w hat 1 didn't ex
pect, and I knew 1 would. — Boston
Transcript.
A Hint.
I wish you a merry Christmas!
Lot's try while we’re repeating
The dear old-fashioned greeting.
To add a kind, unselfish act,
And make the wish a blessed fact.
—Youth’s Companion
Still on lland.
Wife—I am afraid, dearest, you have
given me sueh a big Clulstmas you
haven’t anything left for yourself.
Husband—Oh. yes. I still have the
st ah end of my cheek book.—Truth.
The Henson Why.
“I guess I know why Santa ( huts
has rain-deers.” said Jack. “So if
there's rnin instead of snow they can
get here just the same.” — Harper’s
Bazar.
After Christnint.
Johnnie—I wonder w hy papa is so,
cross ?
Freddie—Maybe Santa Claus left him
a bill.—Truth.