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I • IHH mem* ■ THURSDAY, DEC. 24, 1953 Christmas Gifts Are Not Always Brought By Santa In America it is always Santa Claus, dashing from rooftop to rooftop in his sleigh, that brings Christmas gifts to the children. But it is not always Santa who brings the gifts to children in other lands. In Holland it is St. Nicholas, dressed in bishop’s robes of black, wearing a mitre and carring the crozier. And he arrives on a white horse. English children look for a Santa Claus who closely resembles our own and gifts are tied to Christ mas trees. * In Finland, Santa has elves who passes out gifts for him. In Italy there is no Santa Claus. Instead, they have a beneficent old witch, Befona, who sails through the air on a broom stick on Christ mas Eve. As we look about us today, we find it a happy expe rience to greet so many fine ♦ friends and to remember the innumerable pleasant cour- tesies and favors with which we have been favored since last we extended Season’s greetings to you. Thanks and Merry Christmas! YOUNG’S FRUIT STORE Main Street Newberry ■M 'Jsm Ol: c v 4?, m m WiM m i L SHIP "OSCAR” . . . Mrs. Mar. garet Rhodes. 23. of Flint, Mictau, received special scroll as 100.- •00th passenger to sail on 8. 8. United States since ship mads first trip in July of 1952. 12. ffluthimaA. As another Christmas Sea son is ushered in, we deem it appropriate to express again our greetings and to say to you that our » hearts are grateful for the share of fortune it has been our lot to enjoy. As we cannot see each of you per sonally to offer our best wishes, we take this means to wish each of you— W. E. TURNER, JEWELER THE NEWBERRY SUN PAGE FIVE Santa’s Little Helper Was Scandinavian Elf Where did Santa’s Little Help er come from? In the Viking age In Scandi navia, long before Leif Eriksen discovered America, the little North Children believed that a lit tle elf with long white whiskers— Jul Tomten—lived in the stable. He saw that the earth was abun dant with good food and that the animals and birds were taken care of. After the pagan Vikings be came Christianized, little Jul Tom- ten became the giver of presents —like our Santa.Claus today. The children left a bowl of porridge on the kitchen table for which Jul Tomten would exchange gifts for the good boys and girls. Trav elers brought back the legend of Tomten and he has come down to us as the busy jolly, good little elf who works in Santa’s work shop. ftsPELimC ■ ,M ‘BEE 5 By Dorothy Kilian I T WAS about eight o’clock on New Year’s Eve when Jane Walters turned to stare out the kitchen window into the* wintry darkness. She didn’t want Don to see the tears in her eyes, but she hadn’t been quick enough. “It’s a raw deal all right, honey,’’ he said from the chair where he sat with one leg, in a cast, propped up on a stool. I take you away from all your city friends and bring you back to Brantville to live, and then what do I do? Break my stupid leg during our first holidays together and leave you high and dry without an escort for the New Year’s Eve party.” , “You couldn’t help it, Don.” She tried to sound bright, but the truth was it did matter. She had found herself more homesick than ever with the coming of the holidays. This little town to which Don had come back as operator of the grain elevator was like a for eign country to her. And, with the furnace acting up, here they were sitting in the kitchen of all places on New Year’s Eve. Jane sighed and turned slowly away from the window. “What kind of a party will Grandma Jen- ner be having?” Don chuckled. “Oh, it’ll be corny, all right—no blaring trum pets. And yet, Janie,” Don leaned forward and went on earnestly, “I really think you’d enjoy these peo ple if you’d, well, kind of let your self go.” “Maybe so, Don. But I just have the feeling that they consider me an outsider. I—did you hear that T7 W Brazil has Papa Noel, very much like Santa. He wears a red suit and travels in a sleigh drawn by reindeer. However, he enters the house through a window. Spanish children place their straw-filled sleeves on the window sills so that the Magi may feed their horses while they leave gifts. The older people fill an Urn of Ftae from which gifts are drawn on Christmas Day. "It's a raw deal all right, honey,” he said. scuffling noise? Sounds like some body’s in ottr back yard.’* “Lots of somebodys. I’d say,” Don replied. There was a resounding thump on the back door. Jane opened it and stepped back, bewildered. “Surprise, surprise!” a chorus of voices shouted, as a couple of dozen people trooped in. Grandma Jenner in the lead, swinging a huge granite coffee pot. ‘‘You do look floored, my dear,” she said, planting a peck briskly on Jane’s cheek. “But it’s an old custom around here—when you can’t come to a party, the party comes to you. Look at Don there, he doesn’t seem too surprised.” Don grinned. “I was kind of hoping this would happen,” he said. “But Jane hasn’t gotten too well acquainted yet.” “I know,” Grandma said quick ly. “And it’s mostly our fault. To tell you the truth, honey,”— she turned to Jane—“We were kind of afraid df you, you seemed sort of distant. But when you phoned that you and Don couldn’t make the party, I heard the trem ble in your voice, I suddenly real ized that you’re just as human as the rest of us. So here we are. Now let’s get on with the fun.” It seemed no time at all before Grandma called out, “We’ve just time for a spelling bee before mid night and refreshments. Get your selves lined up folks while I put the coffee on to boil.” The crowd laughingly divided into two lines on either side of the big kitchen. As Jane hesitated, someone pulled her into position. “Speer the words, Mac,” Grand ma said to the school principal. “You’re used to this kind of thing.” Mr. MacRay began giving out words. Amid shouts of praise for the successful spellers and hoots of derision for those who stumbled over a word, the game progressed until only Jane and Mr. Nichols were left. The caller cleared his throat and, turning towards Jane, pronounced the word, ‘hospitable’. Jane hesitated and looked slow ly around the room. She saw Grandma Jenner hovering over the coffee pot at the stove, Mr. Apple- ton gently adjusting the cushion under Don’s outstretched leg, and Mrs. Ames just coming in from the pantry with a tray of apple pies. “Yes, I can spell ‘hospitable’,” she said. “B-R-A-N-T-V-I-L-L-E.” There was a moment of silence. “Bravo!” several voices called out, and just then the kitchen clock began to strike twelve. “Happy New Year!” Jane echoed with the rest as she looked around at her new friends and finally met the eyes of her beaming husband. It was indeed going to be a good •ear. Iceland has no army, navy or forts. This Is Christmas Christmak is a tree with bright lights and tinsel and the Star atop. It is a tumble of gifts, w r rap- ped with pretty ribbon, beneath its green boughs. It is the light and faith in little children’s eyes on Christmas morning. It is the chok ing feeling of joy in mother’s heart as the packages are open ed. It is the tear that wells in dad’s eye and he tries to hide it with a grin. It is the remem brance of many other Christmases by grandmother and grandfather, undimmed by golden time. It is the sermon of the Story of Bethlehem. The hymns of the choir, the candlelight service, the softness of children’s voices, the peace and goodwill that can come into men’s hearts. Christmas is the big tall tree in school, the only tree some of the children can call their own. It Is the striped candy cane. It is the joyful music of chimes and church bells, the carols from the record shop, the spirit of the seEison that makes strangers friends. It is the garland and the candle in the window, the cards on the mantel, the wreath on the door, the mistletoe hung for Sis. It is sincerity in a handshake, the wishes of glad tidings, the vocal meaning in the hello from neigh bors. Christmas is a light. A light that vanquishes darkness; the light of charity. WHITAKER FUNERAL HOME - * - ' 5,. t- - 1 . ^ >... .. f vmx «•:?* ' i .-a '• * v V ': -I •X- .'vX.-t-Xj mmm ;.v.\vv fxstx-x^x-x Sx+y • :••• •yX-:/ 5- s ■ NAPOLEON’S JEWELS . . . Model Claudia Layman wears tiara of 15 large emeralds and 500 diamonds worn by Marie Louise, Napoleon’s second wife, while on table is first wife Empress Josephine’s tiara of 880 diamonds, being exhibited in New York city. ■ ' : AKAfijS miSTSit % V mM AMBULANCE PHONE 270 Select Toys To Fit Child’s Age Level A child’s Christmas toys should be chosen with as much care as you would buy his clothes—to ‘fit’ his age level. If the child is just learning to walk and climb, give him play materials to stimulate these ac tivities. He needs his first picture book when he begins to talk, house-keeping toys at about three when w r hen he begins to want to help mother, and • crayons and scissors when he can begin to handle them. Parents, aunts, uncles and cous ins should consider what the child is ready for as ^regards physical growth and mental and social de velopment in selecting toys. If toys are selected with some relation to the child’s growth, and needs, they will be toys which stimulate self-reliance. Most children, it is believed, can fare better with fewer but careful ly selected toys. One thing that always gives the Christmas Season a warm and happy glow is the opportunity of saying to our friends IK . m AL RABIN’S SHOES \ * ■ Main Street Newberry . .. M ■ fm to* m f-vlti ‘.VI MB* ■M *•> N ‘i-VJ AX4 m r m ■ •■■j . i w r- r i&s & <&'■ mm ■.SI'- 4 ' M to MCh of our friends ood customers m this area. We ^roteful for your post fovors ond wish you a season of great joy and happiness. * T. - Newberry Garment Company 319 Caldwell Street Newberry, S. C.