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THE NEWBERRY SUN LARGEST MANGER SCENE . . . Boy visitor is dwsrfed by maafer scene in stone and marble, by sculptor Vincenso Ferri, in Rome. Each statue is from t to 12 foot tan, include the Madonna and infant; St. Joseph and the three wise kings bearing gifts. President Johnson Issued Civil War Amnesty On Dec. 25 Christmas is traditionally a day of universal good will. Even in 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 an amnesty proclamation which did not exclude any persons or classes of persons—not even the highest officials of the Confeder- JfoUday Whirl Jleand Cxtra Work f}or y[ou-Know- Who The holiday whirl is about us again and before it is all over some of us may feel like stretch ing out on the sofa beneath a sign: “Do not disturb until December 25, 1955.” But, let’s face it. The conunon casualty at this time of the year is—Mom. Who gets stuck with the job of doing all the “fixing,” of food, of decorations, of practically everything? You guessed it—the first one up In the mornings and usually the last to retire at night —Mom. Most of us could pave the way for a more enjoyable Christmas this year and a happier New Year, by making an early resolution. It could be done with the simple de termination to help make Mom’s Christmas an easier one. It might be done by dividing up some of Mom’s “extra” duties and assign ing a share to each member of the family. Christmas is a holy season and a time of good will. Poor Mom, though, is usually so tired she doesn’t even have time to think, much less relax and enjoy the spiritual blessings of the season. acy. Previous amnesty p: tions, issued both by Johnson his predecessor Lincoln had been “total” amnesties. At the time, President Johnsoqi expressed the belief that universal amnesty would tend to secure per* manenr peace, order, and prosper ity throughout the country and would renew and restore respect for and attachment to the nation al government. The proclamation pardoned alt persons who participated directly or indirectly against the United States in the Civil War “with res toration of all rights, privileges and immunities under the Consti tution and the laws which havq also been made in pursuance thereof.” ' ’ A Mistletoe Once > Symbol Of Evil The mistletoe, once a weapon ad death, later became to be consid ered as a magical medicine, is now a universal symbol of love and pegce. It was with a mistletoe arrow (ac cording to Norse mythology) that Loki killed Balder, the sun god, after Balder’s mother had ob tained a promise from all living things, other than the mistletoe, that they would not harm him. Balder was restored to life and it was ruled by the gods that the mistletoe would never again be Used to do harm. Ancient Europeans considered the mistletoe a magical medicine. They carried it about with them for health and luck, and believed it a cure for ulcers and epilepsy as well as a charm promoting fer tility. The present day custom of giv ing a kiss of love or peace be neath the mistletoe, although a relatively modern one, is derived from the fact that down through the centuries die mistletoe has, been recognized throughout the whole world as a symbol of lasting peace. Saint Nicholas Was Bishop Of Myra Saint Nicholas lived some 1600 years ago in Turkey where he was for 17 years Bishop of Myra. To day, the place is known as Demre, province of Antalya—where his church may still be found and one may yet hear of the generous acts which made his life a great legend and gave him the “Santa Claus” character we all know today. It is said that Saint Nicholas, a man of great virtue and piety, be came the patron saint of boys when he restored to life die sons of a rich Asiatic, who had been murdered by a robber-innkeeper while they were enroute to school at Athens. It is said that he was warned of the crime in a dream, but was unable to reach the inn in time to prevent the murders. He restored the boys to life through prayer and the murderer confessed his crime. Gift-Giving Custom In Ancient England One of the most plausible ver sions of the origin of the custom of giving gifts at Christmas time is the one saying it began in Eng land. In the days of the knights, it was custom to hang kissing rings in the great halls. These rings were decorated with mistletoe and beneath them would meet the young knights and ladies, each bringing Christmas roses to their secret love. As times changed, so did cus toms, and roses gave way for oth- ® *r personal -If's at Chrio....as time. Christmas Rose is Hallowed By Legend The delicate beauty of the Christmas-rose (helleborus niger) is hallowed by legend. A poor shep herd girl, the story goes, wept bitterly as she watched the Wise Men on their way to the Christ Child bearing rich gifts when she had nothing. An angel appeared. Upon learning the reason for the girl’s distress, the angel caused the ground to be carpeted with shining white flowers. The young shepherdess gathered some blos soms. When she presented her gift, the Infant smiled and as His fingers touched the white flowers, the petals became tinged with pink. KING SIZE . . . Letter of “thanks” is mailed by 19-month- old triple amputee in Roxbury, Mass, who received artificial limbs in tiTne to waik for 1933 a *